Kissed By The Curse

The fire had died down to embers by the time I woke.

Lucien was already up, packing his things with quick, efficient movements. He glanced over when he heard me stir but didn't say anything.

I sat up slowly, my body stiff and sore. Every muscle ached from sleeping on the hard ground, and the bond was a dull throb in my chest that I had almost gotten used to.

Almost.

"We should leave soon," Lucien said, breaking the silence. "The settlement is still half a day's walk from here."

I nodded and grabbed my bag.

We ate a quick breakfast-more dried bread and some berries he had gathered-then started walking again.

The forest looked different in the daylight. Less threatening, somehow. The trees were still thick and the paths were still unclear, but with Lucien leading the way, I felt a little less lost.

"How long have you been out here?" I asked after a while.

He glanced back at me. "In the wildlands? Three years. Give or take."

"Three years." I couldn't imagine it. "Alone?"

"Mostly."

"What happened?" The question slipped out before I could stop it. "Why did you leave your pack?"

His jaw tightened, and for a moment I thought he wouldn't answer.

"I didn't leave," he said finally. "I was cast out."

I blinked. "Why?"

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not."

We walked in silence for a few minutes.

"I challenged my Alpha," he said quietly. "He was corrupt. Cruel. He hurt people who couldn't fight back. So I stood up to him."

"And he banished you for it."

"No." His voice was flat. "He tried to kill me. Banishment came after I survived."

I didn't know what to say to that.

"What about you?" he asked, turning the question back on me. "What did you do to earn your exile?"

I hesitated. The rejection was still too raw, too humiliating to talk about.

But something about Lucien made me feel like he would understand.

"I was born cursed," I said quietly. "At least, that is what everyone always told me. Born under a blood moon. Weak. Broken. And then I found out the Alpha King was my mate."

Lucien stopped walking. He turned to face me, his expression unreadable.

"Jasper Hale," he said. It wasn't a question.

I nodded.

"And he rejected you."

"In front of the entire pack." The words tasted bitter. "He said I was unworthy. Cursed. That accepting me would weaken him."

Lucien's eyes darkened. "He is a coward."

I almost laughed. "He is the Alpha King. The most powerful wolf in the region. I do not think anyone would call him a coward."

"Then they are wrong." Lucien stepped closer, his voice dropping. "Any man who rejects his mate to protect his pride is a coward. Power does not change that."

I stared at him, something tightening in my chest.

No one had ever defended me like that before.

"Thank you," I said softly.

He nodded and turned back to the path. "Come on. We are almost there."

The settlement appeared suddenly, like it had been hiding in plain sight.

It wasn't much. A handful of rough shelters built from wood and stone, clustered together in a small clearing. There were maybe a dozen wolves moving around, all of them thin and weathered, like life out here had worn them down to the bone.

No one looked up as we entered.

"This is it?" I asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice.

"It is not much," Lucien admitted. "But it is neutral ground. No pack claims this territory. No one will bother you here."

He led me to a small shelter near the edge of the clearing. It was barely more than four walls and a roof, but it was dry and out of the wind.

"You can stay here," he said. "There is a communal fire in the center. Food is shared, but you have to contribute when you can."

I looked around the tiny space. It was nothing like the servants' quarters back at the estate, but somehow it felt more mine.

"Thank you," I said again.

He nodded. "I will be around if you need anything."

"Wait." I grabbed his arm before he could leave. "Why are you helping me?"

He looked down at my hand on his arm, then back up at me.

"Because no one helped me when I needed it," he said quietly. "And I would not wish that on anyone."

He pulled his arm free gently and walked away.

I stood there for a moment, watching him go, then turned and went inside.

The shelter was small but sturdy. There was a thin bedroll in one corner and a small wooden crate that could serve as a table or a seat. It smelled like dust and old wood, but it was better than sleeping on the forest floor.

I dropped my bag in the corner and sat down on the bedroll, letting out a long breath.

For the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe.

It wasn't much. It wasn't home. But it was something.

I stayed in the shelter for the rest of the day, too exhausted to do anything else. The bond pulsed occasionally, a reminder that I was still tied to him, but it was quieter here. Manageable.

As the sun began to set, I heard voices outside.

I stepped out and saw the other wolves gathering around the communal fire. Someone had roasted meat, and the smell made my stomach clench with hunger.

I hesitated, unsure if I was welcome.

Lucien appeared at my side, as if he had been waiting for me.

"Come on," he said. "You need to eat."

He led me to the fire, and no one protested. They barely even looked at me. It was like I was invisible, and for once, I was grateful for it.

Someone handed me a plate with a piece of meat and some roasted vegetables. I ate slowly, savoring every bite.

Lucien sat beside me, quiet and steady, and I realized something.

I didn't feel alone anymore.

Not completely.

After the meal, I went back to the shelter and lay down on the bedroll. My body was exhausted, but my mind wouldn't stop racing.

I thought about Jasper. About the rejection. About the bond that refused to break.

And I thought about Lucien.

He was a stranger. A rogue with his own scars and his own past. But he had helped me when no one else would.

I didn't know what that meant yet.

But maybe it was enough.

I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.

For the first time since the rejection, I didn't dream of Jasper.

I dreamed of nothing at all.

And it was a relief.