Cursed
Finn.
“Rules are rules, Finn,” I heard a voice behind me, startling me out of my happy trance. We were always trying to be so careful…
I slowly turned to face Tommy as he stood in the room. “I knew we’d catch you if we followed long enough.”
“How… how did you know?” I said, nearly breaking down right there to beg his forgiveness, to beg him not to hurt Kieran, to only take me instead.
“From the first moment I saw you look at him with those eyes that just screamed you were in love,” he said, taking a short pace. “You knew the risks Finn. You know there’s a price to pay.”
My hands shook at my side as I clenched my teeth. I knew he could easily kill me if he needed to though. I knew the danger I was in at the moment. I just needed a way to get around him, to make a dash for the door and pray and I could catch up to Kieran in time.
“Do you have proof?” I asked, moving slightly to my left, a little closer to the door.
“The kiss just now in the house, I cannot accuse without proof,” he told me. “There was only one clear rule you needed to follow. You were not to fraternize with humans.”
“Why not?” I stalled.
“Is it not obvious?” He sighed. “If a werewolf and a human produce offspring, it could be catastrophic.”
“But Kieran and I are both guys,” I pointed out. That gave me a little hope that I could probably talk my way out of this.
“And if I let you two get away with it instead of making it an example to the couple able to reproduce? What do you think would happen after that?”
“Don’t hurt Kieran,” I growled, taking a defensive stance. I was ready to fight for his life.
He didn’t say anything, but instead, in a burst of speed, he lunged and the same blue light I’d seen from Shailey as I flailed backward, only to have it graze my cheek; it felt like he had hit me with his fist even though it was just the tips of his fingers. And I knew he was serious. I didn’t want to die… I still had to protect Kieran.
I felt the bones popping, the fur bristling out of my skin in a fast transformation. I clawed blindly and wildly before somehow ending up in my room.
But then something I never expected happened, Tommy stumbled forward and crumpled to the floor. Behind him stood a wide-eyed Kieran.
It only took a second to register what had happened before I was grabbing the boy’s hand and leading him outside to my car, which started instantly.
I apologized to Kieran as I wrap my fingers around his arm.
*~*~*~*~*~*
I decided we needed to get to my Aunt Karla. She would know what to do.
Kieran was quiet as he stared lifelessly out the window as the blood dried on his hands. I wanted to tell him something, anything to make him feel better. But there was nothing. If I told him that it would be okay, that would make me a liar.
This all came at us so fast. We thought we’d have more time to say good bye, to get our lives together.
I just held his shaking hand with one of mine as I drove. He cradled my hand between his as we pulled up to my aunt’s house. I moved the car under one of her low-hanging trees. I doubted Shailey’s parents wouldn’t see it, but every little bit helps.
As soon as I rounded the car to face him, he threw his hands around me and just stood there, hugging me. I ran my hands through his hair, brushing through it with my fingers. I knew why he was grasping me so tightly.
He just needed to know I was still there for him, that I wouldn’t let him get hurt.
I kissed his forehead and then his lips. “You don’t regret being together, do you?” He asked. It surprised me that he was the one asking. That should’ve been my line.
“What? Shouldn’t I be the one asking that?”
“So you don’t?” He questioned.
“…No,” I whispered against his lips.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“You had to know that this was going to happen sometime,” Karla said as she began to pack us whatever she had in her kitchen that was canned or packaged.
“Of course… I just didn’t know it would happen so soon,” I said guiltily.
“And… you’re certain that your tracker won’t come for you?” She asked.
“Not… Certain. But she told me she wouldn’t give up our location no matter what,” I told my aunt. “I trust her, but I won’t blame her if she changes her mind after the punishment.”
Kieran was in the bathroom, trying to get the blood out of his clothes and off his skin.
She just nodded before saying, “Now, I have a friend who lives the next state over. I wrote down his address and directions. Have Kieran write down your contacts and toss your phones into a field or something. They’ll try to track those even if Shailey won’t tell.”
“Wait… what will he do for us?” I asked.
“He owns a tiny apartment complex. And it’s nothing glorious, but he’ll let you stay there and he can transfer money to you from your parents if need be.”
“My parents…,” I whispered to myself. I let them down big time… I wish I hadn’t fallen in love with a human though and saved everyone all this grief. But I am now, and I have Kieran. I won’t let him down.
I slowly turned to face Tommy as he stood in the room. “I knew we’d catch you if we followed long enough.”
“How… how did you know?” I said, nearly breaking down right there to beg his forgiveness, to beg him not to hurt Kieran, to only take me instead.
“From the first moment I saw you look at him with those eyes that just screamed you were in love,” he said, taking a short pace. “You knew the risks Finn. You know there’s a price to pay.”
My hands shook at my side as I clenched my teeth. I knew he could easily kill me if he needed to though. I knew the danger I was in at the moment. I just needed a way to get around him, to make a dash for the door and pray and I could catch up to Kieran in time.
“Do you have proof?” I asked, moving slightly to my left, a little closer to the door.
“The kiss just now in the house, I cannot accuse without proof,” he told me. “There was only one clear rule you needed to follow. You were not to fraternize with humans.”
“Why not?” I stalled.
“Is it not obvious?” He sighed. “If a werewolf and a human produce offspring, it could be catastrophic.”
“But Kieran and I are both guys,” I pointed out. That gave me a little hope that I could probably talk my way out of this.
“And if I let you two get away with it instead of making it an example to the couple able to reproduce? What do you think would happen after that?”
“Don’t hurt Kieran,” I growled, taking a defensive stance. I was ready to fight for his life.
He didn’t say anything, but instead, in a burst of speed, he lunged and the same blue light I’d seen from Shailey as I flailed backward, only to have it graze my cheek; it felt like he had hit me with his fist even though it was just the tips of his fingers. And I knew he was serious. I didn’t want to die… I still had to protect Kieran.
I felt the bones popping, the fur bristling out of my skin in a fast transformation. I clawed blindly and wildly before somehow ending up in my room.
But then something I never expected happened, Tommy stumbled forward and crumpled to the floor. Behind him stood a wide-eyed Kieran.
It only took a second to register what had happened before I was grabbing the boy’s hand and leading him outside to my car, which started instantly.
I apologized to Kieran as I wrap my fingers around his arm.
*~*~*~*~*~*
I decided we needed to get to my Aunt Karla. She would know what to do.
Kieran was quiet as he stared lifelessly out the window as the blood dried on his hands. I wanted to tell him something, anything to make him feel better. But there was nothing. If I told him that it would be okay, that would make me a liar.
This all came at us so fast. We thought we’d have more time to say good bye, to get our lives together.
I just held his shaking hand with one of mine as I drove. He cradled my hand between his as we pulled up to my aunt’s house. I moved the car under one of her low-hanging trees. I doubted Shailey’s parents wouldn’t see it, but every little bit helps.
As soon as I rounded the car to face him, he threw his hands around me and just stood there, hugging me. I ran my hands through his hair, brushing through it with my fingers. I knew why he was grasping me so tightly.
He just needed to know I was still there for him, that I wouldn’t let him get hurt.
I kissed his forehead and then his lips. “You don’t regret being together, do you?” He asked. It surprised me that he was the one asking. That should’ve been my line.
“What? Shouldn’t I be the one asking that?”
“So you don’t?” He questioned.
“…No,” I whispered against his lips.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“You had to know that this was going to happen sometime,” Karla said as she began to pack us whatever she had in her kitchen that was canned or packaged.
“Of course… I just didn’t know it would happen so soon,” I said guiltily.
“And… you’re certain that your tracker won’t come for you?” She asked.
“Not… Certain. But she told me she wouldn’t give up our location no matter what,” I told my aunt. “I trust her, but I won’t blame her if she changes her mind after the punishment.”
Kieran was in the bathroom, trying to get the blood out of his clothes and off his skin.
She just nodded before saying, “Now, I have a friend who lives the next state over. I wrote down his address and directions. Have Kieran write down your contacts and toss your phones into a field or something. They’ll try to track those even if Shailey won’t tell.”
“Wait… what will he do for us?” I asked.
“He owns a tiny apartment complex. And it’s nothing glorious, but he’ll let you stay there and he can transfer money to you from your parents if need be.”
“My parents…,” I whispered to myself. I let them down big time… I wish I hadn’t fallen in love with a human though and saved everyone all this grief. But I am now, and I have Kieran. I won’t let him down.