THE LYCAN CURSE OF LOVE

Ariana's POV

My hands trembled as I placed the last piece of burnt bacon on the plate. The smell of charred food filled the kitchen, swirling around me like a cloud of failure. I knew what was coming. Sabrina and Vivian always found a reason to belittle me, and today, I’d handed them the perfect excuse.

The kitchen door flew open, and I flinched, my breath catching in my throat. Sabrina was the first to step inside, her long, perfect brown hair swaying as she moved. Her eyes, identical to our mother’s, gleamed with contempt.

"What’s this?" she hissed, picking up a blackened slice of bacon and waving it in front of my face. "You burned the food again, freak."

I bit down on my lip, hard, trying not to let the tears come. Not again. Not today. I couldn’t let them see me cry. My white hair, pulled back into a tight braid, felt like a spotlight on me, making me stand out even more than I already did.

Vivian followed Sabrina in, her expression a mixture of disgust and anger. She barely spared me a glance as she crossed her arms, her mouth set in a tight line. "What did I tell you about ruining meals, Ariana? Can’t even cook breakfast right, can you?"

I kept my head down, staring at the floor as heat crawled up my neck. My violet eyes were a curse. Everything about me was a curse, or at least, that’s what they made me believe.

"You’re useless," Sabrina added, her voice dripping with satisfaction as she tossed the bacon back onto the plate. "No wonder no one wants you. Look at you—white hair, violet eyes. You look like a cursed doll."

I said nothing. I never did. Arguing with them only made it worse.

"Eat it," Vivian commanded, her voice cold and sharp like ice.

I blinked, my throat tightening. "What?"

She stepped closer, her gaze hard. "You’re going to eat what you ruined. Every single piece. That’s your breakfast until it’s gone."

Sabrina chuckled, leaning against the counter, watching me with a sick kind of amusement. "Yeah, freak. Let’s see how much you like eating the garbage you make."

My hands shook as I picked up a piece of the burnt toast. The first bite was bitter, the taste of failure filling my mouth. Each swallow was harder than the last, but I forced it down. I had no choice. They stood there, watching me with cruel eyes, waiting for me to break.

As I choked down the food, their conversation drifted over me, and I caught snippets of their hushed voices.

"Did you hear?" Sabrina asked, her tone suddenly excited. "The Lycan king is coming to visit our pack."

Vivian nodded, her face brightening. "I heard. We need to be on our best behavior."

My ears perked up. The Lycan king? What would he be doing here, in our small pack? I’d only ever heard stories about him—how powerful he was, how ruthless. It didn’t make sense that he would visit us.

"Do you think he’s looking for something?" Sabrina mused, her voice full of curiosity.

"Perhaps," Vivian said thoughtfully. Then she shot me a look over her shoulder. "But it’s none of your concern, Ariana. You’re not going to the gathering. We can’t have you embarrassing us with your…strange features."

I nodded silently, the sting of her words cutting deep. I wasn’t allowed to do anything important. I was always reminded of my place: the outsider, the freak. The one they tolerated because they had to.

When I finished the last bite of the burnt food, my stomach churned. But I didn’t dare complain. I simply started cleaning the kitchen, hoping they would leave me alone for the rest of the day. The house had gone quiet again, and for a moment, I let myself breathe.

But then the door creaked open.

I froze. Derek.

My adopted brother had always made me uneasy. His moods swung between cruel indifference and something darker. Today, as he stepped into the kitchen, I could tell it was one of those darker moods. His eyes locked on me, and my skin prickled with unease.

"Hey, Ariana," he said, his voice low as he stepped closer. "What are you doing all alone in here?"

I kept scrubbing the dishes, my hands shaking as I tried to ignore him. "Just cleaning up," I muttered, not daring to look at him.

Derek moved closer, his presence looming over me. "You know, you’ve gotten prettier," he said, his fingers brushing against my arm. "With that weird hair and those freaky eyes. Makes you…different."

I swallowed, stepping back, trying to create space between us. "I need to finish cleaning," I whispered. "Please, leave me alone."

But Derek didn’t move. He leaned in, his breath warm against my neck, and I felt my heart race with fear. "Why don’t we have a little fun?" he whispered. "No one’s around."

I froze, panic rising in my chest. His hand reached for me, but just then, the door burst open again. Gregory, my adopted father, entered the kitchen, his voice stern but detached. "Derek, get dressed. The Lycan king will be here soon, and we need to be ready."

Derek scowled but pulled away from me. He shot me one last dark look before storming out of the kitchen. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding, relieved beyond words.

Gregory didn’t say anything to me. He never did, not unless he had to. I was invisible to him, just like I was to the rest of the family. As soon as he left, I bolted from the kitchen, my heart still racing from the close call with Derek.

Later that night, I was sent out to gather tea leaves for Sabrina. They loved sending me on these errands—anything to get me out of the house. I didn’t mind. It gave me a chance to escape, even for a little while.

I made my way to the small forest behind the house, the moonlight casting long shadows across the trees. The quiet was soothing, a brief respite from the chaos of the house. As I approached the stream where the tea leaves grew, I heard the faint sound of water splashing.

Curiosity tugged at me, and I moved closer, hiding behind a tree as I peered through the branches. There, standing in the shallow water, was a man. His back was to me, his dark hair wet and clinging to his neck as he bathed in the stream. Tattoos spiraled down his muscular arms, glowing faintly in the moonlight.

My breath hitched in my throat, and something stirred deep inside me. My wolf.

Mate.

The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning, and my heart raced with a mixture of fear and excitement. The man turned, his sharp gaze locking onto mine. His eyes were a piercing gold, and for a moment, everything around us seemed to disappear.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. My wolf howled inside me, urging me to go to him, but he looked dangerous so the rational part of my brain told me to flee.

Without thinking, I spun around and bolted, my heart thundering in my chest as I disappeared into the trees, leaving the man—and the overwhelming realization of who he was—behind me.