Chapter 8: Simon

This week was awful. This shower was the only thing that has made me feel good all week. The hot water washed over my sore muscles. Training was a nightmare, I felt slow, bogged down as if I had chains around my arms pulling me down making me slower. I hoped this shower was going to wash away that feeling.

I grabbed the bar of soap and worked it all over my body. I loved to smell clean, the rustic smell of sandalwood and mahogany invaded my nostrils, and I breathed deep. It made me feel a little better. It was familiar like a security blanket.

There were so many bumps in the road this week. It started off with the shitty meeting with the area Alphas. They were always so focused on the fact that I didn’t have a mate. It wasn’t the end of the world that I didn’t have a mate. I could still run my pack just fine. I took a big mouthful of water and spat it out like a fountain on the tiles on the shower wall.

About a day ago, this weird feeling came over my body. Like I was being pulled down by my arms. It made me tired. I stepped out of the shower, worked my hair products through my hair and got ready for dinner. I slipped on my sweatpants and put on a tank top. It’s just dinner. For the first time all week I would have the evening to myself. I could suggest watching a movie with Jared and Greta, but they have been in their fuck all the time honeymoon phase. And I didn’t want to interrupt them. They were so happy. I could tell they tried not to be so touchy feely around me. That they were trying to hide their love. I hated pity.

I made my way down the stairs to the dining hall. There were a few older pack members that chatted in the corner, they laughed. My Nana chatted amongst them. I made my way over and kissed her on the head. She was the last family I had, and I loved her. Even though she was known amongst the pack as an ‘Old battle axe.’

“Simon! Where have you been?” She looked over at me and smiled. She placed a hand on my face. “Handsome as ever, but not as smart.” She gentle slapped my face.

“Nana! You can’t say that to me!”

“Well, it’s true.” She giggled as she turned back to the others at the table. The small group that sat with her looked over at me and bowed their heads in respect. I smiled back at them.

“True or not.” I stifled a laugh. The past few years she has been slipping. She would forget where she was or start talking to me as if I were her son. And sometimes even grandpa. She refused to come stay in the packhouse with me so I could keep an eye on her. She wanted her freedom. So, we compromised. She had a nice two-bedroom cottage with a lovely woman who pretended to be her roommate but was actually her nurse. Nana still hasn’t caught on.

“Are we still on for shopping tomorrow?” We had a standing date to go shopping once a week.

“Of course, Nana. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“You better not.”

Even though she was getting up there in years she could still be terrifying. Even as a child I was terrified to make her angry. I remember when Mom brought me over to be babysat by her and she slapped the shit out of my hands when I tried to steal a cookie from the cooling rack. For some reason that stuck with me.

“Ok Nana, enjoy the rest of your meal. I’m going to go sit over there and eat.” I kissed her head and turned to leave.

“Ok honey,” she said halfheartedly, already engrossed in the conversation at the table.

I made my way to an empty table away from everyone and I unrolled the silverware and put the napkin onto my lap and dug in. Like I hadn’t eaten in days, and it was all I could do to not drop my silverware and start eating directly from the plate. Today, I felt hungry beyond belief. No matter how much I ate at lunch I just couldn’t fill the void. Maybe I was coming down with something. I should make an appointment with Doc. He could check me out and make sure I wasn’t really getting sick.

“Hello, Alpha.” I looked up from my plate and see the skinny bitch that tried to mark me smiling at me across the table.

“Didn’t I tell you that I never wanted to see you again?” I took a bite.

“Oh, come on Alpha. It was just a misunderstanding.” She purred at me dragging her hand across the table trying to look sexual. I wasn’t interested.

I just look at her. I still couldn’t remember her name…Beth…Becca. No, that’s not right.

“I mean I would be down for some fun tonight. I promise I won’t do anything naughty unless you want me to. Wolf’s honor.” She held up three fingers and then proceeded to suck on them. “I want you to fuck me so bad.”

“Not interested.” I took another bite.

“Bianca! There you are!” The other bitch that I fucked walked up next to her. “You shouldn’t keep the Alpha all to yourself.”

“He doesn’t seem to be interested.” She pouted at me and then bit her lip. “Unless you can convince him Asia…”

“I don’t know what I can do.” She said as she leaned over and let her cleavage spill over her shirt ever so slightly. “Does Alpha want to play? I could fuck you so good.”

Normally this would make me grab her, throw her over my shoulder and make my way up to my room with her friend in tow. But now my dick didn’t even twitch.

“I said, not interested.” I shifted my gaze from one to the other letting them know I was serious.

“Are you sure?” Asia said as she grabbed her tits and rubbing them with her hands that made her nipples show through her tight shirt.

“Very.” I took another bite.

They both pouted. “Fine!” Bianca said and walked away from the table.

Asia watched Bianca leave and then looked back at me. “If you want a more private event, I’m totally down.” She smiled.

“Again, not interested.”

She stomped her foot and walked away. I went back to my plate. It was almost empty, but I was still famished.

“I do have to say that is something I thought I would never see.” Jared’s voice came from behind me.

I turned around. “What?”

“Turning down a piece of ass,” he laughed. “Actually, two pieces of ass.”

I turned around and stared at him. Greta who stood next to him elbowed him in the stomach. He doubled over and tried to catch his breath. She walked over.

“I’m sorry about my mate. He can be an ass sometimes.” Greta glared in the direction of Jared. “How are you?” She looked at me with some concern.

“Does it look like there is something off?”

“Well, I have been training with you all week and at the beginning of the week you were a force to be reckoned with. But…” She trailed off.

“But what?”

“But now, excuse my language, you’re acting like a little bitch.”

I liked Greta. She had no filter. The complete opposite of Jared. Even though he was straight laced he could call me out but not how Greta did. The complimented each other. “I don’t know. Today, I felt like I was getting pulled down. I don’t know how to explain it.” I rubbed my hands over my face.

“Hmm.” Greta said as she grabbed the chair across from me, turned it around and straddled the back to face me. “It kinda sounds like you have been cursed.”

“And you have had experience with curses?”

“I mean I’m no witch, but I’ve done my research.” She said as she leaned her chin against the back of the chair.

“What do you mean by research?”

“I’ve investigated different signs of curses and how to avoid them. I’ve never had to use them though. I would probably fuck it up, instead of help, I could potentially blow someone up.” Greta cracked up. “It’s not a pretty picture.”

Jared came to the table with two plates and sat one in front of Greta. “Thank you, babe!” She stood up and turned the chair around and sat down normally and dug in.

“I’m gonna grab a second helping. I’ll be right back.” I took my plate and stood up. I looked around the dining hall and saw it was completely empty except for my table. Maybe Greta was right. Maybe I got cursed somehow. I wracked my brain and tried to think of when that could have happened and who I was in contact with. And the only other people I have been into contact with other than my pack was the other Alphas and their mates.

After I piled my plate with food, I made my way back to the table. Greta and Jared whispered to each other about what was going on with me.

“You know I’m part wolf, right? I can hear everything you are saying. You might as well just come out with it.” I said as I sat down and dug into my food.

“Are you not telling us something?” Greta said as she looked down at my food.

“What?” I had a piece of bread hanging out of my mouth.

“Are you expecting a litter? Why do you have so much food?” Greta laughed at her own joke.

Jared sat up straight and looked from me to her and back. He was obviously amused by the comment, but I was his alpha, and he didn’t want to upset me.

I laughed. “I’ve been famished all day.” I took a big bite and said, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“I think you should get checked out by Doc. Just to make sure you’re not coming down with something. If you come back normal, Greta I think we should look into this curse theory.”

“Ok, babe. Anything for you.” Greta said cheerfully, sat back and continued to eat her food.

“The pack used to be friends with the witches. Maybe we still have ties we could connect with.” I said to them in between bites. “I have my weekly shopping date with Nana, and she probably would know who I could contact.”

Jared touched his napkin to his mouth. “We need to be careful though. Witches are a sneaky bunch. They can say they are helping you but then turn around and curse you on the side just for fun.”

“Are you referring to the story we heard as children about the sneaky witch on the hill?”

“I mean all stories come from somewhere, right?”

“With that logic when werewolves turn, they become uncontrollable and with just a bite we can turn humans into a wolf.”

Greta giggled. “You can’t seriously think all witches are sneaky and want to go around cursing people?”

“I don’t recall ever getting into contact with one. So, I wouldn’t know.” Jared shrugged his shoulders.

“My family was pretty close with some of the witches in a coven a few hundred miles away. That was until there was a takeover.” Greta said and took another bite.

“What do you mean take over?”

“Well, I was only a kid when it happened maybe about eleven or twelve. I remember that we got a phone call from the family, and they were asking for sanctuary when all of a sudden, the phone was cut off and we never heard from them again. Stories circulated that a powerful witch took over the surrounding covens and he limited interactions with different species. My entire family was so upset. We did everything to try and find them, but we never found any information on to where they were. We just hope they got out and found a safe place.”

“That’s really interesting.” Jared said, fully intrigued by her story. “So, you’re saying about ten years ago the witches had an uprising? Do you know if it affected any of the packs around that coven?

“What are you getting at?”

I just looked at the conversation that Greta and Jared were having together. I didn’t know what point Jared was trying to reach.

“Just if it affected anyone else. I’m just thinking about the long-term effects that this may cause. What is their plan?”

That was Jared. Always thinking of strategies and long-term effects of what could potentially happen. I was very lucky to have him on my side.

“Not that I know of. But again, I was pretty young and sheltered most of my life from the negative effects of politics on different packs, covens, and tribes. When we didn’t hear from them my parents said they must have moved on and that I shouldn’t worry. I still wonder what happened to them.” Greta took a bite of her food and looked up in a daze.

“I’m surprised that I didn’t hear about this uprising.” I said as I looked at my now empty plate. I was still starving as if I hadn’t eaten a bite yet.

A loud ringing went off in my right ear, making me wince in pain. “Ahhhh.”

“Are you alright?” Jared said as he looked over the table with concern on his face. “You don’t look so good.”

“Uh, I have this ringing in my ear and a sharp pain in my head.” I said as cradled my head.

“What is happening to your wrists?” Greta pointed at my wrists that were now turning red.

I looked down and squinted through the pain in my head. I tried to understand what was happening to my wrists.

“Maybe you should go lay down. I’ll call Doc and have him stop by to check you out.” Jared walked over and grabbed my arm to help me up.

“Something isn’t right.” A dark cloud covered my eyes, and I drifted off into the darkness.