Chapter 50 50
Scarlett's POV
I woke up, my heart pounding. I have been having nightmares lately. The darkness, the figure from the cursed tree, his words running through my mind like a curse I couldn’t escape. I rubbed my temples, and the witches’ instructions echoed in my mind: Return to the cursed tree.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed the blankets off me and forced myself out of bed. I wasn’t sure what I would find at the tree, but I was ready for whatever it might throw at me.
“Lui, you there?” I whispered to my wolf.
“I’m here,” Luisa answered, her voice soft. “But this whole thing feels… wrong. Going back to that tree…”
“We have to,” I whispered back. “If we want any chance of ending this curse, it has to be done.”
Luisa didn’t respond
Getting ready, I prepared to leave for the forest, I moved quietly through the corridors, heading toward the forest. The sun was yet to be set
The forest was cold and so scary but I tried composing myself as I approached the cursed tree. Each step felt harder than the last as if the ground itself was preventing me from going closer, but it was too late to turn back. The earlier, the better to get this over with; the air felt mysterious, alive with some dark energy that seemed to come from the tree itself.
I wonder how this tree became cursed.
“You’re just a tree,” I muttered, trying to make myself feel better. “I’ve faced worse, or maybe not, oh goddess.”
Yet the moment I spoke, a figure appeared behind the twisted branches. The man from before was staring at me, his eyes glinting with a dark amusement. His voice was low, almost mocking.
“Back so soon, little wolf?” His words cut through the air. “Curiosity? Or something... darker?”
I crossed my arms, forcing myself to keep my voice steady. “I’m here to end this curse, once and for all, You’re just a dark spirit with a bad attitude.”
His chuckle was a slow, cringe sound. “Ah, but you don’t understand, do you? This curse runs deeper than you think. And you… you are part of it now, or will soon be, moreover, I am just a shadow of this tree, I am not one who you need to conquer to break this curse, His words were slow, deliberate, like he was enjoying this, but I wasn't catching the fun or the supposed fun.
I swallowed, trying to muster courage. “What do you mean there's another whatever I have to conquer? Stop this shit I came here to break the curse. Whatever magic you have, it won’t work on me or whatever you're saying to try to make me scared of you silly tree.” I said with a shrug
The man's face changed and went straight, but just immediately, it changed into a smile, his eyes glowing with darkness that seemed to creep toward me. “You are just a silly child who was also betrayed; everyone gets betrayed, right Scarlet ?”
“What are you talking about “ I said feeling like there was something more to this curse
“Well, Scarlett dear, you don’t have a choice; the darkness is not something you can simply brush off. It’s... inevitable, and the goddess mark was supposed to help you break but, you don't even know how to make use of it, even the witches don't know how to use the goddess mark, all they know is that the goddess mark will break the curse blah blah blah..” he said with a dark chuckle
“You…” I was about to ask questions because I couldn't understand what he meant.
“Shhh, well I will do the talking and you do the listening,” he said cutting me off again
“You are” he shunned me, I couldn't open my mouth to talk, the only sound I could make was muffled sounds
“Enough, good be quiet, time is running out Scarlett, Zane will die, entire generation will be wiped out, that bitch Martha his mother saved him, not her fault but this time she will finish off what she couldn't do then, she is back, she is back, she is back, she is back to wipe out the entire generation, the entire pack will be flooded with blood of the innocent, yes yes yes, she will get her revenge, SHE IS BACK” he was laughing, his laughter shaking forest, the ground was trembling
Before I could react, or ask any question, he raised his hand, and dark energy shot out, coming around me like chains. They held my arms and legs, cold and suffocating as if they were entering into my skin, my veins. I fought to break free, but the curse was overpowering, its grip tightening with each passing second.
“No!” I hissed, thrashing against the dark energy. “I won’t let you control me!”
But it was too late. I felt the dark magic entering my skin, spreading like a virus through my bloodstream. It was as though I’d become a vessel for something angry and ancient. My mind felt clustered, my vision blurring as the last of my strength slipped away.
“Welcome to your fate,” the man whispered as I collapsed, the darkness consuming me.
Zane’s POV
The room was filled with Rhylie’s moans. Rhylie lay under me, her eyes wide, pleading, a faint smile on her lips as she whispered words that she has been saying ever since my cock had entered her.
“Zane,” she murmured, her hand moving down my arm. “Mark me. Make me yours forever.”
“Rhylie…” I whispered, my voice groaning as I was thrusting into her, I could even barely recognize my voice. I wanted to mark her. I could feel it, the need to make her mine forever. But… something held me. Back, this wasn't the first time we made love, but whenever I tried marking her, something always stopped me
I kept thrusting deeper into Rhylie, and then, suddenly, a pain shot through my chest, sudden and sharp, as if I had just been stabbed by a knife. I gasped, clutching my chest, feeling as though a piece of me was being torn away.
“Zane?” Rhylie’s eyes widened, her hand pressing against my cheek. “Are you alright?”
I nodded, though the pain was still there, pulling at my heart, distant yet insistent. Scarlett’s face flashed through my mind, her voice calling to me from somewhere I couldn’t reach. Something was wrong. I could feel it
Dalton’s voice growled in the back of my mind, a low growl of fury. “Scarlett. Something’s wrong with Scarlett.”
Rhylie shifted under me, her hand guiding my face back to hers, her eyes softening. “Zane, stay with me,” she whispered, her voice soft, her touch pulling me back to her. “What's wrong, sweetie? Because I said you should mark me? Zane I have waited for far too long, just mark me please Zane, I love you, I do and we will find a way to break the curse together”
The moment our eyes met, the worry in my mind left, replaced by a warm, comforting feeling, Rhylie was here, and her touch was all I needed. I couldn’t remember why I was so torn. Scarlett… What did she matter?
But Dalton was relentless, his voice growing louder. “No! You have to stop! She’s in danger!”,
I shook my head, trying to push Dalton’s voice back. Rhylie’s touch was soft, her eyes pleading. The pain in my chest reduced, and all I could feel was her warmth, her presence. Whatever was wrong with Scarlett… it could wait. Right now, Rhylie was all that mattered.
“Zane, please,” she murmured, her hands tangled in my hair, pulling me closer. “I need you. Mark me. Make me yours.”
“Zane?” Rhylie’s voice was softer now, a hint of desperation in her tone.
“I can’t,” I muttered, pulling back, my breath coming in sharp gasps. The pain in my chest returned, sharper now, like a fresh wound. Dalton’s fury roared, a force pushing against Rhylie’s.
She sat up, her eyes flashing with something dark, almost angry. “You still can’t let her go, can you?”
I didn’t answer. The pain in my chest started to become more painful, Dalton’s presence growing stronger, pushing me back from Rhylie, from whatever bond she had with me.
“I don’t know what’s happening,” I muttered, pulling away from her entirely. “something is wrong.”
Rhylie’s face twisted, anger and frustration replacing her earlier softness. “You’re a fool, Zane,” she spat, her voice venomous. “You think Scarlett will stay with you? She’s already planning to leave. I’m your mate, the one who’s been here for you all this time.”
I forced myself to my feet, my head in confusion as I wore my clothes “I need to check on Scarlett.”
Rhylie’s expression darkened further, but she didn’t stop me. She only watched as I stumbled toward the door, her eyes glaring, her hands clenched at her sides.
As I left the room, Dalton’s relief filled my mind, his voice steadier. “Find Scarlett. She needs us.”
I didn’t know what had happened to her, but I knew I had to find her. The pain in my chest hadn’t stopped, and the emptiness I felt made my steps faster, my heart pounding as I pushed forward.
Something was wrong, something far worse than I could have imagined and I was going to find out what it was.