Read Online A Curse Unbroken by Cecy Robson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cecy Robson
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We belonged in Tahoe; I just never realized it until we arrived.
I reached the massive wrought iron gate that led into the compound where weres were taught to maim, kill, and do algebra. I’d hoped Heidi was on duty so I could say hi. The last time she called, she’d invited us over for leftover horse. My sisters and I had politely declined, and I hadn’t spoken to her since.
Instead of Heidi, an unfamiliar were hit the button and allowed me through. He didn’t bother to glance my way or hide his scowl.
The way the wolf disregarded me was more than just the typical aversion; I could sense his deep underlying resentment of my presence. I wouldn’t have cared what he thought if his dislike didn’t extend past me. But that wasn’t the case. Aric had lost respect from his kind for choosing to be with me. It didn’t bother him. But damn it all, it bugged the hell out of me.
The majority of weres who consented to our union only did so because they believed the soothsayer Destiny’s prediction: A new evil was coming, and only my and Aric’s children would be strong enough to stop it.
My hand involuntarily fell to my belly. “So much for that,” I mumbled.
I accelerated ahead, past the sprawling lawns to the collection of buildings that resembled more of a posh ski resort than a school.
I parked in front of one of the main buildings and was pulling the picnic basket out of my SUV when a few of Aric’s students jogged by. After spending most of my life on my guard, I wasn’t someone anyone would classify as friendly. Still, I tried to smile pleasantly. With the exception of a small wolf named Peter, who grinned back, the other young weres nodded briefly and scurried away.
I guessed I didn’t do cheery well. “Hiya, Celia!” Peter said. “Do you need help with that?”
Peter had always been nice to me, but that wasn’t the only reason I liked him. He was scrawny and wimpy for a wolf, but he didn’t appear to know it. Despite the fact that even the first-year students towered over and outmuscled him, he trekked along without a care. I respected him for it. He seemed comfortable in his own skin, a feat my sisters and I had never managed.
While I could have carried twenty full picnic baskets and thrown Peter on top, he seemed eager to help. I smiled again and handed him my basket. “Thank you, Peter. I appreciate it.”
As soon as I tucked the blanket I brought beneath my arm and grabbed my purse, he led me into one of the largest buildings, a three-story chalet with stacked-stone steps and pillars. The building served as office and sleeping quarters for the staff.
The floor and paneling were composed of dark wood, meticulously clean and polished. Pictures of famous weres in brass frames covered the foyer walls. Among them were photos of Aric’s father and grandfather.
Aric had inherited their dark hair, light brown eyes, and strong chiseled jaw. If he had never pointed out who they were, I would have easily recognized the resemblance. Both men appeared serious in the photographs, very unlike the jovial men Aric had described.
My eyes wandered from the photos of his family to a large painting of a pack of wolves racing through the forest. With the exception of the full moon that shone brightly in the azure sky, all the colors in the painting were dark, muted, and eerily beautiful. Beneath the painting was a bronze plaque inscribed with the words Perdere malis —“Destroy all evil.” I paused beneath the painting. My experiences in the past two years made the words more significant. I wasn’t a were, but I could identify with their sense of duty to the earth.
“Is Aric upstairs?” I asked when Peter bounded up the steps.
“No, but I figured the lunch you brought will be safer in his quarters. You never want to leave food around a pack of growing wolves.”
“Oh, okay.” I hadn’t been back to Aric’s suite since recovering from my injuries. It was where we mourned the loss of our child and
I reached the massive wrought iron gate that led into the compound where weres were taught to maim, kill, and do algebra. I’d hoped Heidi was on duty so I could say hi. The last time she called, she’d invited us over for leftover horse. My sisters and I had politely declined, and I hadn’t spoken to her since.
Instead of Heidi, an unfamiliar were hit the button and allowed me through. He didn’t bother to glance my way or hide his scowl.
The way the wolf disregarded me was more than just the typical aversion; I could sense his deep underlying resentment of my presence. I wouldn’t have cared what he thought if his dislike didn’t extend past me. But that wasn’t the case. Aric had lost respect from his kind for choosing to be with me. It didn’t bother him. But damn it all, it bugged the hell out of me.
The majority of weres who consented to our union only did so because they believed the soothsayer Destiny’s prediction: A new evil was coming, and only my and Aric’s children would be strong enough to stop it.
My hand involuntarily fell to my belly. “So much for that,” I mumbled.
I accelerated ahead, past the sprawling lawns to the collection of buildings that resembled more of a posh ski resort than a school.
I parked in front of one of the main buildings and was pulling the picnic basket out of my SUV when a few of Aric’s students jogged by. After spending most of my life on my guard, I wasn’t someone anyone would classify as friendly. Still, I tried to smile pleasantly. With the exception of a small wolf named Peter, who grinned back, the other young weres nodded briefly and scurried away.
I guessed I didn’t do cheery well. “Hiya, Celia!” Peter said. “Do you need help with that?”
Peter had always been nice to me, but that wasn’t the only reason I liked him. He was scrawny and wimpy for a wolf, but he didn’t appear to know it. Despite the fact that even the first-year students towered over and outmuscled him, he trekked along without a care. I respected him for it. He seemed comfortable in his own skin, a feat my sisters and I had never managed.
While I could have carried twenty full picnic baskets and thrown Peter on top, he seemed eager to help. I smiled again and handed him my basket. “Thank you, Peter. I appreciate it.”
As soon as I tucked the blanket I brought beneath my arm and grabbed my purse, he led me into one of the largest buildings, a three-story chalet with stacked-stone steps and pillars. The building served as office and sleeping quarters for the staff.
The floor and paneling were composed of dark wood, meticulously clean and polished. Pictures of famous weres in brass frames covered the foyer walls. Among them were photos of Aric’s father and grandfather.
Aric had inherited their dark hair, light brown eyes, and strong chiseled jaw. If he had never pointed out who they were, I would have easily recognized the resemblance. Both men appeared serious in the photographs, very unlike the jovial men Aric had described.
My eyes wandered from the photos of his family to a large painting of a pack of wolves racing through the forest. With the exception of the full moon that shone brightly in the azure sky, all the colors in the painting were dark, muted, and eerily beautiful. Beneath the painting was a bronze plaque inscribed with the words Perdere malis —“Destroy all evil.” I paused beneath the painting. My experiences in the past two years made the words more significant. I wasn’t a were, but I could identify with their sense of duty to the earth.
“Is Aric upstairs?” I asked when Peter bounded up the steps.
“No, but I figured the lunch you brought will be safer in his quarters. You never want to leave food around a pack of growing wolves.”
“Oh, okay.” I hadn’t been back to Aric’s suite since recovering from my injuries. It was where we mourned the loss of our child and
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