Chapter 24 Cursed!
“What curse?” Mia asked, taking a step closer.
Alara gasped the moment she heard her voice, gulping hard breath.
She turned to the Alpha, her breath unsteady.
When she returned her gaze to Mia, she forced a smile, but it only lasted for a while before it was completely taken over by nervousness.
“How long have you been standing there?”
“That’s not the answer to my question.” Mia retorted firmly, causing Alara’s expression to drop at once.
She walked up to the Alpha, her eyes demanding an immediate response.
“What curse was your sister talking about, Russell?” She was desperate for a response, wanting no other thing than the answer to her question.
Russell turned to Alara, and even though she pleaded with her eyes, it was hard to forgive her.
He clenched his fists, his eyes burning with both guilt and annoyance.
Slowly, he turned to Mia, still lacking the right words to say even though his lips had parted.
Then Alara stood up, drawing Mia’s attention.
“I will leave you two to talk.” She muttered, and then she stylishly escaped, avoiding Mia’s eyes.
Russell kept his eyes on her, watching every step she took until she disappeared into the staircase.
But that was only because he was trying to avoid Mia’s eyes.
“I am still standing here with you, Russell.” Mia dismantled the silence again, her eyes staring sternly.
The Alpha took a deep breath, and with a defeated countenance, he grabbed Mia’s hands, leading her to the couch.
Mia followed sheepishly, her curiosity bigger than the uncertainty inside her.
From the moment they sat down, she was still looking into the Alpha’s eyes, awaiting his response.
Russell cleared his throat, hoping that he was prepared to speak.
“I was going to tell you, Mia. But I didn’t know how to.”
“Tell me what?” Mia sighed heavily, attempting to prepare enough room to accommodate what was about to be sad news.
“About the curse,” Russell muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
“On the night I killed your parents…” He began, his voice losing its grip.
“I discovered that your mother was a flare…”
“What does that mean?” Mia had to cut him short, and then she kept on listening.
Russell cleared his throat, attempting to get rid of the clog that besieged him.
“Flares are hybrids, Mia. They are werewolves with other supernatural abilities.”
Mia raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the revelation.
But the Alpha wasn’t done with his explanation.
“Some called them witches, but they were more than that. They were rare and specially blessed by the moon goddess, and it was rumored that they had her light.”
“What happened that night?” Mia asked, getting past that.
Russell sighed heavily, his eyes looking down briefly.
“Just before I plunged my dagger into your father, your mother tried to stop me, but apparently, flares can’t use their powers on Lycans, so she couldn’t hurt me. But she cursed me, Mia.”
The Alpha paused, his eyes returning to Mia’s face.
“She said since I had taken her mate away from her, that I was going to lose my mate on the next full moon after we had mated.” He stopped, feeling the sensation that gripped him.
“Those were her last words before…” He muttered, mindful of getting Mia more infuriated.
He waited for an outburst from Mia, but there was none.
She just looked away and sighed heavily.
A minute was passed, yet her silence lingered.
She continued to look at nothing in particular, her expression cold and unreadable.
It was hard to tell what she was going to do next, especially when her chest was beginning to rise and fall, and the Alpha could hear her throbbing heartbeat.
Russell felt the guilt inside him brewing intensely, the hair all over his body standing like they were about to start a war.
“You haven’t said anything, Mia.” He begged for her to speak, choosing aggression over the silence.
Eventually, Mia turned to him, and with tears in her eyes, she whispered, “My mother cursed you?”
The Alpha said nothing.
He just nodded, his voice seized by guilt.
Mia scoffed, her eyes still soaked with tears.
“You claim I am mated to you, and now I am finding out that my mother cursed you.”
Russell swallowed hard, but it was hard for it to pass through.
He thought that he was going to have enough time to get a grip on himself, but Mia’s question came when she least expected it.
“You never told me what happened to your last mate.” She focused all her attention on him, demanding an instant answer.
“Did she die?”
Russell shook his head, but it was hard for her to believe him, her blue eyes sparking with doubt.
“She left as soon as I told her about the curse. She said she didn’t want to die.”
Mia nodded, and then she let go of some of the tears in her eyes.
They dropped freely, some of them wetting her dress.
She sniffled at once, wiping some of them.
The Alpha’s chest tightened with guilt as he looked at her.
He could only imagine the amount of pain that she was going through.
Mia sniffled for the third time, and then she sighed heavily, reaching for the right pocket of her jean pants.
“When were you going to tell me about this?” She asked, taking out a photo and handing it over to the Alpha.
Russell’s eyes spread, and then they zoomed in on the photo.
“Where did you get this?” She asked, and realizing that his question needed no answer, he swallowed hard, taking a deep breath.
“I just found out about that today, Mia.” He said, and Mia nodded.
She looked at the photo, and then she slid it back into her pocket.
Slowly, she pushed herself up, and then she turned to face the Alpha, tears still welled up in her eyes.
“I would love to go see where they are buried, Russell. To pay my last respect.”
Russell nodded. “Whenever you are ready.” He stood up, but the moment he tried to take her hand, Mia moved it away from his reach, taking two steps backward.
She looked him in the eyes, and with a silent voice, she said, “There is no way I can be mated to someone who will lead me to my death.”
“I…” Russell tried to speak, but she was already on her way.