Cursed Wolf
Contents
Title Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
More Curses
Other Books
Sneak Peeks
Author’s Note
CURSED WOLF
CURSE OF THE MOON - BOOK FIVE
by Stacy Claflin
http://www.stacyclaflin.com
Copyright ©2017 Stacy Claflin. All rights reserved.
©Cover Design: Rebecca Frank
Edited by Staci Troilo
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental or used fictitiously. The author has taken great liberties with locales including the creation of fictional towns.
Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited. Do not upload or distribute anywhere.
This e-book is for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be resold or given away to others. If you would like to share this book with others, please either purchase it for them or direct them to StacyClaflin.com for purchase links. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
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Chapter 1
Victoria
I stared into the bathroom mirror at the glowing pendant at the end of the chain around my neck—the wolf essence stone. It oscillated between luminescent blood-red and depthless midnight-black.
“Victoria,” it called.
“Please stop,” I begged.
It glowed all the more. “Victoria.”
I pulled on the chain, but the stone remained cemented to my skin. There was only one thing I could do to get it loose. I let go and stopped fighting it. Only then did it release me and rest like any other necklace.
What did it want with me? That was the one question I couldn’t bring myself to ask aloud. Was I ready for that truth? My mouth went dry at the thought.
Fenrisúlfr, the original werewolf, was as good as dead. He had been the one tied to the stone before. Now I had a connection with it. I just had to keep myself from being locked away inside of it. Our focus was on its place in reversing the curse of the moon, so we werewolves could shift at will rather than just at the full moon—not that I was tied to the full moon. I had my own curse. My heightened emotions brought out my inner wolf.
And she was growing dangerously closer to clawing her way out.
The longer I stared at the stone, whose glow had dulled to its normal red and blue swirls, the closer she came to overpowering me. And I didn’t have time for that.
I needed to see if the stone still reacted badly to Toby. I took a deep breath and stared into my own eyes through the mirror. “This is all going to work out. I’m Toby’s wife. We just celebrated our honeymoon after defeating Fen. The only thing left is destroying the curse of the moon. Then we, like the other shifters, can shift when we want. Simple.”
Right. As if anything in my life was ever simple. Even just getting married had been a monumental task that involved my death, a massive memory-wipe, and fighting enough evil shifters that it made my head spin just to think about it.
Toby’s voice drifted into the bathroom. I glanced down at the stone to make sure I wasn’t mistaking his voice with it calling me. Its glow had dulled even further. Maybe if the glow went away altogether, I could finally get it off.
I stepped away from the counter and entered our new bedroom. Warm tingles ran through me. Our bedroom. Even though we’d just had the most magical honeymoon I could’ve asked for, it hardly seemed real that we were actually married and now had the biggest bedroom in Moonhaven, our beloved mansion that housed our pack.
Toby sat on our enormous bed, still on the phone. Talking to one of the witches about the stone that had just thrown him away from me, no doubt. As sick as they had to be of us calling them for help, they were likely our only hope. Then, with any luck, we could leave them alone to do their witchly things.
I tiptoed across the room, running my hands across our things as I went, and sat on the bed just a foot in front of him.
He gave me a hungry smile and then spoke into the phone. “I have to get going. Call me if you hear anything.” He ended the call before the other person could respond.
“Victoria.”
Toby’s mouth hadn’t moved.
I cupped the stone. He reached for me, but stopped just an inch away. Then his eyes widened and his mouth gaped open like he was in pain.
“Are you okay?” I exclaimed.
“My—the… I—I…” His face paled, and he gagged.
“Toby!” I cried.
He flew backward and crashed into a wall, then slunk to the floor, his eyes closing. A gash near his ear was bleeding.
I ran over and pulled him up. “Speak to me! Please!”
Toby moaned but said nothing.
“Are you all right?”
One eye opened and then the other. “Yeah, but I’m not crazy about that stone.”
“You and me both.” I took his hand and helped him up. “Let me get you bandaged up.”
“Don’t bother. I’ll heal quickly enough. Just give me a minute to regain my bearings.”
I tucked the stone underneath my shirt and hoped it would behave.
Toby’s coloring returned and the gash healed before my eyes.
“Toby, I—”
His phone rang. It was a tone used only when other alphas called.
He sighed. “I’d better get that. It’s probably urgent.” He swiped the screen. “Hi, Rick. Is everything all right?”
There was a long silence as the Canadian pack leader spoke. I went into the closet and flipped through my clothes, wanting to change. As I debated between a ruby-colored shirt and an azure-colored one, Toby came into the closet. Worry lines creased his forehead.
I went over to him and caressed his cheek. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s better now that you’re here. You get more beautiful by the moment.” He cupped my face and gazed into my eyes.
“What did Rick say?”
“Something about some dangerous werewolves in search of the stone, but he’s probably overreacting.” Toby pressed his mouth against mine.
A warmth ran through me, and I smiled. “Thank you, but why would he be overreacting?”
“Because someone is always after the stone, my perfect bride.”
“What if it’s the secret society?”
“I’m not worried about a group that couldn’t even find half the map, much less the stone itself.” He pressed his mouth on mine, kissing me deeply and taking my breath away.
I gasped for air and stepped back. “Are you sure?”
“I am.” He pulled me closer and pulled off his shirt before kissing me again.
I relaxed and gave in, taking it deeper. My heart raced, and images of our honeymoon ran before my eyes. The stone warmed again
st my skin, reminding me of what I needed to tell Toby—that it was calling my name.
“Victoria.”
My stomach twisted. Had that been him or the necklace? They both sounded so similar. I pulled away. “Toby, I—”
“Don’t stop.” He wrapped his arms around me, pressing me against his firm torso. “You’re so perfect, so wonderful, I can’t get enough of you.”
“I can’t, either, but we have to talk about—”
He kissed me again, this time sending a shiver down my spine. I gave into the moment and allowed us to enjoy our married bliss. Why let the stone get in the way of that? So much had prevented us from marrying for so long. The world could wait an hour before we attempted to break the moon’s curse. And besides, the stone rested quietly, acting like any other piece of jewelry.
Once we were done properly celebrating our love, Toby ran his finger along my face, gazing at me adoringly. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
My pulse pounded throughout my body. I loved that man so much. “I’m just as lucky, Toby.”
He leaned over and brushed his lips across mine. “I swear, your beauty has intensified in the last few minutes. How is that possible?”
“It’s our love—it’s intoxicating.”
“You can say that again.” He kissed me greedily.
“As much as I love this—”
“That’s all I need to hear.” Toby flipped me over and trailed kisses all over my face.
He was making it so hard to discuss the new curse involving the stone…
Three hours later, we still hadn’t left the bedroom suite. I closed my eyes, loving the feel of being wrapped in his arms. It was tempting to stay there forever, but we couldn’t ignore our pack—they were why we’d pulled ourselves away from our honeymoon cottage in the enchanted woods and returned to Moonhaven.
“Toby.” I ran my fingers through his hair and trailed down to his beard.
“Yes, my lovely ray of perfection?” He tilted his head, staring at me adoringly.
The corners of my mouth twitched as I held back a laugh. “Are you okay? Where are you getting all this from?”
He ran the back of his hand along my jawline. “You. My flawless, breathtaking wife is the center of all that’s good in the world. You’re awe-inspiring, and the model of faultless beauty.”
“Um, thanks. Did all our time in the forest turn you into a poet?”
“Being around you inspires me.”
I arched a brow. Why was he being so over the top? It wasn’t like him—it was more like a bad movie. “We should join the pack. We’re being selfish.”
“I know I am. Keeping your magnificence away from them is a sin.” He threaded his fingers through my messy hair. “I’m keeping you to myself. That’s the most selfish thing I could do. The world needs more of you.”
“Then let’s go downstairs and spend some time with our pack. They’ve really missed us, and now we’re hiding away from them.”
“I’m sure they understand.”
My face heated even though they probably didn’t know exactly what we’d been doing for the last several hours. I kissed his cheek and sat up. “Let’s spend some time with our family.”
He sighed dramatically. “If you insist.”
“I do.”
“Whatever you wish.” He kissed my hand and gave a little bow.
“Did you just bow to me?”
He shrugged. “You’re like a goddess. I can’t help myself.”
I tilted my head, studying him. Sure, I was used to our mutual adoration—I could never get enough of him—but there was something more than a little off about it. It was so excessive.
Toby held his hand out to me. “Let’s get dressed, my angelic shining star of love. You want to spend time with our pack, so that’s what we’re going to do.”
Something was definitely out of place.
He stared at me like a lost puppy. I took his hand and got up. We quickly got ready. I tried to ignore the stone as I fixed my hair and makeup. I slid it under my shirt, but it both bulged and glowed. Groaning, I found a scarf to hide it completely. I noticed a series of hickeys all over my neck and shoulders. The scarf was needed more than I’d thought. I fixed it and headed back into the bedroom.
Toby wore a form-fitting short-sleeved V-neck shirt and jeans that did nothing to hide his shape. He flexed his biceps and winked at me.
My heart leaped into my throat. “I… are you trying to keep me in here?”
“Maybe.” He grinned devilishly.
I pulled my gaze from him, grabbed his hand, and dragged him out into the hall.
“What’s with the scarf?” He reached for it, but I ducked out of the way and yanked him down the stairs.
Halfway down, we ran into Carter. I smiled at him, hoping he wasn’t too upset over my marriage. Given our past, it had to be hard on him even though he’d been so sweet at the wedding.
He stopped and shook Toby’s hand. “Congrats again. You’re one lucky man.”
Toby puffed out his chest. “I was just telling Victoria the same thing.”
I cringed. Why was Toby rubbing it in Carter’s face? I cleared my throat. “It’s great to see you, Carter. You seem to be doing well.”
He grinned. “Not as well as you. You’re amazing.”
“Um, thanks. So are you.”
Carter took my hand in both of his and stared into my eyes. “No, I mean it. You’re amazing.” He turned to Toby. “Don’t you think?”
Toby pulled me close. “Of course, I do. That’s why I married her. Why don’t you find someone else to fawn over?”
Chapter 2
Toby
I held Victoria even closer and narrowed my eyes at Carter. “Excuse us. We’re heading downstairs.”
He didn’t notice me because he was too busy staring at Victoria. “You’re just so amazing.”
“We know,” I said. “You’ve already said that multiple times. Didn’t you say there was a female jaguar shifter in the area?”
His head snapped in my direction. “There is. I haven’t found her yet, but I need to. Female jaguars don’t travel alone, and other than me, she’s the only one in the area.”
“Focus on her. Not Victoria.”
Carter nodded. “Sorry. I don’t know what got into me.” He turned back to her. “I hope you…” His eyes glazed over. “You’re just so remarkable, you know that? Stunning, kind, caring. There isn’t a good quality you lack.”
I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “We know. Can you let us by?”
He shook his head and turned back to me. “Right. Sorry. I don’t know what got into me,” he said again. “I guess it’s just so good to have you guys back.”
“We’re glad to be back.” I moved to give Carter even more space to get by us, which luckily, he did.
Victoria and I headed down the stairs.
“What got into him?” she asked.
“I told you you’re intoxicating.” I kissed the top of her head and gazed into her lovely eyes. “I’m not the only one who sees your splendor.”
She smiled, melting my insides. I’d do anything for that woman—my wife. My heart soared at the thought. After all those long years, we were finally married. My centuries spent alone during her death had finally paid off. We belonged to each other wholly.
Downstairs, everyone stopped what they were doing when we went into the living room. They stared at us, their eyes widening and their mouths forming wide grins.
“Victoria!” Ziamara, our pack vampire, handed baby Sebastian to her husband Jet and threw herself into Victoria’s arms.
“Let me hug her!” Stella, the human-turned-werewolf, jumped up and joined the embrace.
Jet, Sal, Bobby, and the other werewolves all jumped from their seats and wrapped their arms around Victoria, saying how great it was to see her. I stepped back and smiled, thrilled with how much my pack loved their second leader.
“You’ve grown so much prettier.” Zi
amara’s eyes lit up as she took in Victoria.
“Right?” Jet agreed. “She’s just awesome.”
“Better than awesome,” Bobby said. “She’s phenomenal. Look at that smile.”
“Forget her smile,” Sal said. “Her intellect—there’s none that compares. We’re by far the luckiest pack in the world.”
“In the universe,” Jet said.
I cleared my throat. “I’m back, too.”
“Hey, Toby.”
“Nice to see you.”
“Hi.”
None of them took their attention from Victoria. What were they trying to do? Did they think they could win her approval for something? That it might help them to move rank through the pack?
“Toby’s wonderful. Look at him!” Victoria ran her hands over my face.
“Share your wisdom with us.” Ziamara sighed, staring at Victoria.
“Yeah,” Jet said. “Did you learn any of the world’s hidden wisdom while you were away? You look so much wiser.”
More members of the pack came into the room, and they clamored over Victoria. Everyone talked over each other to the point that I couldn’t understand a word anyone said. The room spun around me.
I grabbed onto Victoria and pulled her away from everyone. “We’re going to grab something to eat. You all stay in here.”
“Do you want us to stay in here?” Sal asked Victoria.
“Yeah, do you?” asked Bobby.
She nodded. “Why don’t you guys watch something, and we’ll come back when we’re done eating?”
Everyone ran to the television and fought over the remote.
“Stop!” I demanded.
They didn’t.
“Stop!” Victoria repeated.
They did. The remote fell to the floor and everyone stared at her.
“Zia, you pick something.”
“Did you hear that?” Ziamara’s face lit up. “She picked me. She likes me best!”
The others grumbled and took their seats. Ziamara snatched the remote from the floor and streamed an old episode of Supernatural.
Victoria clutched my arm and dragged me into the kitchen. I was so shocked by the behavior of our pack that I had no strength to resist. She pulled me along and practically threw me into my seat at the head of the table.