Chapter 12 Marked To Die
The candle flames flickered in Derek's study. Amanda sat across from him with a leather journal open between them. Three days had passed since she'd felt someone watching through the curse. They'd been careful since then. No more attempts at breaking through. Not yet. First, she needed to understand what they were dealing with.
"We need to be systematic about this," Amanda said. Her pen hovered over the blank pages. "Every detail matters."
Derek watched her from his chair. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up. His forearms looked strong in the dim light.
"What do you need from me?" he asked.
"Direct contact. Skin to skin works best." She kept her voice clinical and professional. "I need to map the curse's structure. Understand how it was built."
His jaw tightened. "Fine."
Derek stood and began unbuttoning his shirt. Amanda's breath caught. She forced herself to stay focused. This was about saving Raze. Nothing more.
The shirt fell away. Scars crossed his chest. Old battle wounds from when he'd had his wolf. When he'd been whole.
"Where should I..." Amanda started.
"Wherever you need to."
She moved closer. Her fingers trembled slightly. The moment her palm pressed against his chest, power surged through her. It felt different this time. More controlled.
Derek's muscles tensed under her touch. "What do you see?"
Amanda closed her eyes. She let her gift guide her deeper. The curse revealed itself slowly, like shadows taking shape in moonlight.
"Chains," she whispered. "But they're not simple. They're layered. Woven together like rope. Each strand reinforces the others."
Her hand moved across his skin, tracing invisible patterns. Derek's breathing changed. It became shallower.
"There are three main bindings," she continued. "One around his spirit. One around his mind. One around his heart."
"Whoever did this knew what they were doing."
Amanda opened her eyes. Derek was watching her intently.
"This wasn't random," she said. "This was crafted by someone with deep knowledge of wolf bonds."
She pulled her hand back. She immediately missed the warmth of his skin. Derek grabbed his shirt but didn't put it on yet.
"Can you break through them?"
"I need more time to understand them first. Each layer has its own signature. Its own weaknesses."
A knock interrupted them. Derek quickly pulled his shirt on as Amanda stepped back.
"Enter."
Victor walked in. His presence filled the room. His eyes moved between them. He noted the journal, the candles, Derek's hastily buttoned shirt.
"Progress?"
"We're mapping the curse's structure," Amanda said. "It's complex, but..."
"Can you break it?" Victor's voice was sharp. Underneath, Amanda heard something else. Hope. Desperate and fragile.
"I believe so. With time."
Victor stepped closer to his son. "Derek, are you feeling anything? Any change?"
"When she touches me, Raze stirs. He's there, fighting."
Something softened in Victor's face. For a moment, he wasn't the cold Alpha. He was just a father who'd watched his son suffer for three years.
"Continue your work," Victor said quietly. "Whatever you need, Amanda. Resources, books, protection. Ask."
He left without another word.
Derek sank back into his chair. "He hasn't looked at me like that in years."
"Like what?"
"Like I might actually come back to him."
Riley found Amanda in the library later that afternoon. The young woman carried a tray with tea and something else. Old books wrapped in cloth.
"I brought these from the archive," Riley whispered. She glanced around to make sure they were alone. "Records from fifty years ago. There was another Curse-Breaker then."
Amanda's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Her name was Nora. She documented her experiences." Riley unwrapped the books carefully. "Maybe they'll help."
They spent hours reading together. Nora's words were precise and detailed. She described curses like living things. Organisms that fed on their hosts.
"Listen to this," Amanda read aloud. "The most insidious curses are those that grow stronger over time, feeding on the victim's own life force."
Riley frowned. "That's disturbing."
"But it makes sense. The curse on Derek feels alive. Aware."
"Amanda." Riley's voice dropped. "People are talking. About you and Derek. About these sessions."
"What are they saying?"
"Some think you're helping. Others..." Riley hesitated. "Others think you're making him weaker. That you're using the sessions to control him."
Anger flared in Amanda's chest. "I'm trying to save him."
"I know. I believe you." Riley squeezed her hand. "But be careful. Not everyone wants Derek to regain his wolf."
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it. With Derek weakened, others have more influence. More power. If he becomes strong again..."
The implication hung between them. Someone in the pack benefited from Derek's condition.
That evening's session started like the others. Derek's study, candles lit, door locked. But something felt different. Charged.
Derek removed his shirt without being asked. "Let's continue."
Amanda approached slowly. This time, she placed both hands on his chest. The connection was immediate and stronger.
She dove deep into the curse's structure. She followed each thread, each binding. Derek's breathing synchronized with hers.
"The first layer is old," she murmured. "Three years, like you said. But there's something else. Newer additions."
Derek's eyes snapped open. "What?"
"Someone's been reinforcing it. Recently. Within the last few months."
"That's impossible. Who would..."
"Someone with access to you. Someone close."
Their eyes met. The implications sank in. Someone in the pack was ensuring Derek stayed cursed.
Amanda pressed deeper. Her birthmark burned. The curse pushed back. It felt aggressive and defensive. She gasped.
"Amanda?"
"Wait. I see something."
The curse's core pulsed before her inner sight. It looked dark and twisted, but it had a pattern. A signature she was beginning to recognize.
Then she saw it. The truth that made her blood run cold.
"Derek." Her voice shook. "The curse isn't just binding Raze."
"What do you mean?"
"It's feeding on him. On both of you." She pulled her hands back. She was trembling. "If we don't break it soon, it won't just keep Raze trapped. It will consume him. Kill him."
Derek went still. "How long?"
Amanda met his eyes. She saw the fear he was trying to hide.
"Months. Maybe less. The feeding is accelerating."
Derek stood abruptly. He paced to the window. His hands clenched into fists.
"All this time, I thought I just had to endure it. Live without my wolf. But it's been killing him. Killing us."
Amanda rose. She moved closer but didn't touch him. "We'll break it. I promise."
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
"I don't."
He turned to face her. In the candlelight, she saw his walls cracking. The careful distance he maintained was fracturing under the weight of this revelation.
"Why do you care?" His voice was rough. "This marriage means nothing. You don't owe me anything."
"Because it's right. Because Raze doesn't deserve this. Because..." She stopped herself before saying too much.
Derek stepped closer. Close enough that she could feel his warmth.
"Because what?"
"Because despite everything, despite how this started, I can feel your pain. Every time I touch you, I feel how much you're suffering. No one deserves that."
His hand rose. It almost touched her face, then dropped.
"Tomorrow night," he said quietly. "We try to break through the first layer."
"Derek, it's dangerous. Whoever's watching..."
"I don't care. If Raze is dying, we don't have time to be careful."
Amanda nodded. "Then we'll need help. People we trust."
"There's no one..."
"Riley. Maybe Jayson. We need allies."
Derek considered this. "You trust them?"
"Riley, yes. Jayson... I think so."
"Then we prepare. Quietly." His eyes hardened with determination. "And we find out who's been feeding this curse."
As Amanda gathered her journal to leave, Derek's voice stopped her.
"Amanda. Thank you."
She turned back. "For what?"
"For seeing what others couldn't. Or wouldn't."
Their eyes held for a moment longer than necessary. Then Amanda left. Her heart was racing.