The Cursed Wolf's Beta Mate

Luro’s POV A contented sigh escaped my lips as I watched the bonfire crackle against the backdrop of the dark sky. The warmth from the flames seeped through my skin making my toes curl. I loved bonfires; they made me feel warm, fuzzy, and comfortable. “Luro! Come and join us,” Daniel’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I shifted my gaze to find him patting what little space was left beside him. His lips lifted in a crooked smile, “You can sit on my lap too.” “Not interested,” I snapped, shaking my head. Daniel was handsome and clever. His sense of humor was great but he was a total Cassanova. He changed his girlfriends like they were clothes. Oh! And did I say he was a Drama King? He looked so hurt by my reply that you would think he was deeply in love with me. He kept looking at me with a forlorn expression before clutching the fabric of his shirt, “You broke my heart, Luro. I have no reason to live anymore.” The next moment he dropped back and fell off the log with a groan. For a moment even I got fooled. I was about to go and check but Sasha was closer to him. She helped him to his feet and a while later, she was sitting on his lap. I snorted and shook my head. “How can someone change their colors so quickly?” “In my opinion, Daniel is quite cute,” My sister Wanda said as she slid down beside me. She elbowed me and whispered, “I think you should give him a chance; get some practice before you find your mate.” My face flushed and I smacked her arm, “I will never do something like that.” Wanda’s expression changed, “Don’t waste your time like me, Luro… have fun when you still can….” Her voice became colder as she continued, “The moon goddess likes to play games.” My lips pressed into a thin line and I laced my fingers through hers. Five years had passed since Wanda turned eighteen. But, she hadn’t found her mate yet. I wanted to say something to console her but Mrs. Denever started speaking. All the teenage wolves who were about to shift had gathered here for a counselling session by Mrs. Denever. She had a way with words and was often the pack's choice to offer guidance to young wolves. Letting out a deep sigh, I turned my attention to her. “I don’t want to kill the buzz but I want you to be prepared….” She paused for a moment to make sure we were listening, “The first shift is going to hurt like hell. You can literally feel every bone in your body break and rejoin, changing the structure of your body. This pain triggers your defense mechanism causing anxiety and withdrawal….” “Can’t we avoid this shift thing?” Daniel asked in an anxious voice. His face had turned pale and his voice was hoarse. Mrs. Denvers crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows, “Whatever happened to the most courageous boy in our pack?” She eyed him with scorn as she continued, “How can the beta’s son be afraid of a little pain?” “I… Who said I am afraid? I was asking for the benefit of other weak members. They are so terrified that won’t even be able to place their questions,” Daniel said in a smooth voice but I could see his fear in his eyes. He only knew how to boast. My sister squeezed my hand, “Don’t worry, Luro. I will be there with you when you shift.” I smiled as I nodded my head. I had no idea how I got so Lucky. Wanda was like the best sister in the world. My heart skipped a beat as a thought formed in my mind. What if I found my mate before my sister? No! That would break her. I sent a silent prayer to The Moon Goddess requesting her to help my sister find her mate before me. A movement in the bushes caught my attention. The next moment a wolf emerged with a growl. My eyes widened and my jaws hung open. It was the most beautiful wolf I had ever seen. Its shiny silver fur shone brighter than the flames of the bonfire. The large pattern of a five pointed lantern adorned its forehead; giving it an eccentric appeal. It bounded towards me with long strides. Our eyes met for a microsecond and then it crossed me with a powerful leap. Zip! The next moment an arrow flew right past my ears and struck the wolf. Everything seemed to happen in a slow motion yet I was unable to do anything. A pained howl escaped the wolf’s lips and it dropped to the ground several meters from me. A shrill ring buzzed in my ears and my heart stopped beating. With a scream, I rushed towards the wolf. I was about to touch the wolf when my sister grabbed my arm and pulled me away. “What the hell do you think you were doing, Luro?” “That wolf is hurt, we must help it,” I said, trying to free myself but my sister held me in a tight grip. It was then I realized no one had come forward to help the wolf. They were looking at it with a horrified expression. The wolf was writhing in pain. Its howls and cries reverberated through the clearing. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I begged, “Please let me go, Wanda. It will die if we don’t take out that arrow.” My sister spun me around forcing me to look at her, “Don’t be stupid, Luro! If you touch the wolf, you will be cursed for life.” “Cursed?” The word rolled out of my tongue as my eyes drifted to the wolf again. How can such a beautiful creature curse me? Its body had become completely still. There was just a faint glimmer of light left in its eyes. I pushed my sister away and rushed towards the wolf. When I was just a few feet away, another arrow zipped through the air and landed on the wolf. A scream escaped my lips and I stepped back as the wolf’s body went up in flames. A sudden surge of anger caused my jaws to clench. I spun around angrily to find my father’s Beta, Austin eyeing me with scorn. He shook his head incredulously, “Your father won’t be happy if he finds out about this.” I threw up my hands and said in a frustrated voice, “I was just trying to save that wolf’s life. Shouldn’t you be chastising the others?” My eyes swept over them as I seethed with disgust, “Not a single one of them stepped forward to help that poor creature.” “Seriously? Do you even know the punishment for….” “I apologize on her behalf,” My sister interrupted before he could finish his statement. She laced her hands through mine. “Luro acted this way because she doesn’t know about The Marked Wolves. I will explain everything to her.” Austin’s expression softened at her words, “Make sure to ingrain the protocol into her brain. Even the alpha won’t be able to protect her if she does something like this again.” He looked at me for a long moment before walking away. Mrs. Denvers suspended the counseling session and sent us home early. “The wolves that bear the mark of five pointed lantern are the most abominable of our kind, Luro. Anyone who associates with them is sure to get cursed. That is the reason no one even touches them.” My sister explained as we sat in the car. “We have orders to kill them at sight.” My mouth hung open and I shook my head, “Austin killed that wolf just because of some stupid notion? F***! This is crazy. How can father allow something like this?” “Luro, this is not some silly notion. There are so many legends about The Curse of the Lantern. Some of them have caused entire dynasties to crumble.” I tried hard but couldn’t bring myself to think of that beautiful wolf as a harbinger of earth-shattering curses. “There has to be some misunderstanding, Wanda.” I turned my gaze towards her and said in a hopeful voice, “Can’t we ask father to conduct an investigation or something?” Wanda’s expression turned dead serious, “Don’t even think about it, Luro. The orders are given by the Lycan King himself. You will only anger our father by broaching this topic.” I chewed my bottom lip and lowered my gaze with a slight nod. Wanda changed the topic and started talking about the ceremony that was to be held on the next full moon. She chattered excitedly but my brain was too numb to register anything. I did however grunt in response every once in a while. That night I couldn’t eat or sleep. Whenever I tried to sleep the wolf’s lifeless body flashed before me. The image was so vivid that it made me relive that moment again and again. The incident kept playing in my head like a reel. I tossed it on my bed and buried my head under my pillow. That didn’t help either. With a frustrated sigh, I walked up to the window and drew the blinds. The night had deepened engulfing everything in its dark embrace. I could barely make out the silhouettes of trees and bushes in our garden. Suddenly, I started feeling very restless; my mouth became drier than sawdust and my body started burning. I gasped as my chest constricted making it difficult to breathe. I drew in deep breaths through my mouth but they never seemed to reach my lungs. With a frustrated groan, I threw open the window. It didn’t seem to help either. I gripped the fabric close to my chest and leaned out of the window. The cool winds blew against my face but did nothing to reduce the suffocation. Without giving it another thought, I jumped out of the window and broke into a run; faster and faster. A protruding branch crashed against me, ripping a part of my dress but I couldn’t care less. I had to somehow get rid of this burning sensation before it consumed me. A sudden pang of pain coursed through me causing my knees to buckle. I dropped to the ground on all fours. The cracking of the bones resounded in my ears plunging me into a sea of endless agony. Mrs. Denver's words flashed in my mind, “The only way to shift easily is to embrace the suffering. The faster it is over the better.” I closed my eyes and focused on the flames of the burning fire. I imagined embracing it and letting it spread all over my body; only that it strengthened me rather than scorching me. This seemed to have worked as the bones started cracking faster. I cried out as tears rolled down my cheeks. No! I couldn’t bear this any longer. My fingers dug into the dirt and my jaws clenched. Then, the pain started ebbing slowly just like a tide. I gasped as air gushed into my lungs. I was so consumed with pain that I didn’t notice when I had shifted. It was only when I started running that I realized something was different. I was moving on all fours and the stony path didn’t seem hard to my sturdy soles. I bounded faster and faster, competing with the wind. My heart brimmed with joy and spilled in the form of an exhilarated howl. I could go through such agony again and again if that meant I could feel like this. My ears perked up as I heard the crunching of leaves in the distance. I don’t know how but I could tell that it was my sister. I increased my pace and made my way toward the lake. It would be cool to watch our reflections side by side. The lake was about ten miles from home but in my wolf form, I covered the distance within a few minutes. My steps faltered and steps reduced to soft thuds. Initially, I wanted to wait till my sister arrived but I couldn’t contain my curiosity and I trotted to the edge of the lake. The reflection that met my eyes shocked me to the core; brown eyes, long legs, sharp teeth, and my fur… my fur was a shade of silver just like the one that was killed. What was more, my forehead bore the cursed mark. For a moment, I felt like I was seeing things but then an angry hiss resounded behind me; a horrifying confirmation of the fact…