Resisting The Alpha (Werebear Shifter Romance) (The Crane Curse) (12 page)

He howled his approval and turned back to the forest. "Follow me. But be careful, I'm not like your bear friend who will help you. Where is that grunt anyway? I would've thought he'd show up by now. No matter, I'm ready for him or anyone else."

He muttered as he changed into full coyote and walked through the trees on all fours as Faith tried to keep up. The ground became softer and more sandy, slowing her walk even more. In the distance she heard the bell from the drawbridge and shook her head. She didn't realize how close they were to the catacombs. Of course Abel would return there and he'd be safe because no one would think he'd be brazen enough to do that. It was another smart move on his part.

As they exited the woods, Faith watched him trot through the tall grass. It hurt to see him like this. She wanted to only remember him as he was, the man she loved for so long, but he was making that harder.

Entering the catacombs, Faith noticed more water along the cement floor than before. The high tide must have flooded it recently and Faith wondered if the coyote was astute enough to realize the danger they could be in. She wanted to warn him, to protect Abel, but she had to remind herself that he wasn't himself anymore.

After a series of turns they entered the main room, where not long ago Hannah attacked her in defense. In the center of the room was a tall cage made of thick metal bars and inside was Hannah as a wolf fighting the collar and crashing into the bars as she tried to escape. Faith's heart sank and pain filled her chest as she realized what a horrible man Abel had become.

"How could you do this?" she said. "I trusted you for so many years. I loved you for all this time and it was never enough. You always wanted more. How could you treat anyone like this?"

"Shut up, Faith," he said as he changed himself back to the half coyote, half human creature he had become. "Abel kept you in the dark before but this is what I've been doing for years now. Its time you came to accept it."

She shook her head and looked in at Hannah who didn't seem to know she was there.

"I thought you were done. They took your pack, you have nothing."

"That just meant I had to start over," he growled.

"I trusted you!"

"And it was a good thing I didn't trust you, right?" he said.

"Trust is a dangerous thing, coyote," Caleb said as he entered the large room. "I didn't trust your woman, but I see I was wrong. Luckily it did lead me to you. Let Hannah go and I'll spare your life."

Abel scoffed before a maniacal grin spread over his face. "You of all people should know of the power of love, Caleb. And you'll see its power first hand today." Abel pulled a small remote control from his pocket and pressed a button. Hannah bucked and howled in pain. "It's one of the collar's improvements."

Caleb jumped into the air, changing mid-air into a wolf, his fangs bared and ready to attack.

"No!" Faith screamed as she leapt towards Abel and pushed him out of the way. Quickly spinning around on the slick cement floor, she faced Caleb and focused her charming on him. She had one chance, if it didn't work he would kill her and anything in his path.

With her green eyes glowing she met the wolf's gaze. She couldn't bear to see anyone get hurt, and she didn't agree with what Abel was doing, but she had to protect him.

Caleb stopped and laid down obediently at her feet waiting for another command. Abel grinned cruelly as he walked over and kicked the wolf in the ribs.

Hiding her face in her hands, Faith cried. "What did I do?"

"Bravo, Faith!" Abel said. "Maybe there's hope for you left. I knew your love wouldn't let that animal harm me."

Looking at Abel with his long pointed ears and random tufts of fur, Faith wondered what happened to the boy she loved. She stayed for so many years wishing and hoping he'd come back, but she realized now it was futile. The Abel she loved was gone forever.

"I'm leaving, Abel. And I'm taking the wolves with me."

"You're a funny little human. You really think you can overpower me?"

Faith removed the long cardigan sweater she had put on earlier and tossed it into the cage with Hannah. Then she positioned herself so she was between the cage and Caleb.

"You're nothing but a pathetic weak human," Abel said as he watched her.

"And you're nothing but a stupid coyote."

Faith reached out towards Hannah and focused on the collar. It popped open and fell to the ground of the cage. As Hannah changed back to human she found the sweater and slipped her arms into it.

Faith's eyes glowed again as her anger towards Abel grew and fill her with power. As realization crossed Abel's face he changed into a full coyote and ran out of the main room and down a corridor.

"Caleb, attack!" she said.

Under her control Caleb chased after the fleeing Abel and Faith realized what she had done. Running down the corridor she screamed, but she knew it was already too late.

The wolf came to her with his head down and she released her charm on him as she watched the coyote on the floor at the end of the hall change back into human. Abel lay on his side, his pale blond hair covered his head. Faith ran over to finally see the man she had loved and waited for for so many years had returned.

Kneeling beside him she touched his shoulder and he rolled onto his back as he clutched at the bloody bite at the side of his neck. With tears streaming down her face she tore the end of her skirt, pushed his hands aside, and put pressure on his wound but the blood wouldn't stop.

He covered her hands with his before reaching up to touch her cheek. "Please don't cry, my love. You did what you had to do," Abel said.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she cried.

He smiled at her as his hand dropped. "I don't have much time left. But you should know that no matter how much that coyote was in control, I never stopped loving you."
 

He coughed up blood and Faith wiped at it quickly before returning to his wound. She focused her energy on it and imagined it closing.

"It can't end like this," she whispered. "It's just not fair."

"Faith, stop. Let me go. I'm finally free of that coyote. It's still here and if you're able to do what I think you can, he'll only take over again. I can't live like that anymore. I can't live knowing how much I hurt you."

"But, Abel–"

"No," he said as he looked deep into her eyes. "I love you so much, but I'm weak to the coyote. I've spent too many years unable to touch you, hold you, or simply talk to you like we used to. I can't continue like that and if you heal me it will continue. I can't resist him."

"I've missed you. You can't leave me again."

"I have to, my love. I'm sorry. Now just hold me, let me feel your warmth one last time and promise you'll let me go and love again."

Faith gently wrapped her arms around Abel and thought about the good times they had together. She stopped focussing on his wound and whispered, "I love you more than you'll ever know."

Warm, thick liquid covered her hands. Before his body went limp Faith thought she heard him say her name one last time. Her tears choked her as she clung to him, gasping for air as her ragged cries echoed down the cement corridor.

A hand touched her back and she knew it was Hannah. Slowly Faith lifted her head from Abel's dead body. She wasn't ready to let go so she reached for his hand and stroked the slender fingers she hadn't seen in years as she turned to Hannah.
 

Hannah kneeled on the floor beside her and pulled her against her as they held each other, but Faith wouldn't let go of Abel's hand.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Three Weeks Later

The sea gulls squawked loudly as Faith walked to the end of the pier. Below the water gently lapped against the wooden pillars, filling the air with the salty scent of the ocean. At the end of the pier was a wooden bench that faced out to the inlet where the boats passed before heading into the deeper water.

As she sat in the middle of a small wooden bench with dark green slats and a cement base. Faith set a black ceramic urn beside her. She had been bringing Abel there everyday for over a week. In his will he requested his ashes to be spread at their favorite spot. They would spend hours watching the boats and people passing by. Of course that was before.

'Before' became a huge thing for Faith and something she began to measure her life by recently. Before she was an orphan, now she had family. Before she and Abel had a life together, then the coyote changed things.

The boardwalk shook under heavy footsteps, but Faith didn't bother to turn and look. She was there with her high school sweetheart, the coyote was gone and now they could be together again. Unfortunately she wasn't that deluded to think that way, but sometimes she thought it would be nice. She picked up the urn and set it on her lap.

"Abel, why did things have to get so complicated?" she asked.

"When did you start talking to inanimate objects?"

Her heart flipped in her chest as she recognized Erich's voice and she spun around in her seat. Wearing boots, his footsteps thudded on the pier as he came closer. She had almost forgotten how sexy he was in just jeans and a cotton button shirt with the sleeves rolled up just below his elbows.
Almost.

"I'm not talking to an inanimate object, I'm talking to Abel," she said turning around to face the water again.

She wasn't sure how to feel. She wanted to run to him and feel safe in his arms again, but she couldn't help but remember how Erich was missing just when she needed him most. It was the story of her life, she couldn't count on anyone.

Erich slid into the spot beside her, gently sliding her over. "I was hoping I'd find you here. I've been looking for you but when I heard about Abel's passing, I thought you might need time."

She looked at him then turned away, the words 'Abel's passing' hung thickly in the air. She wanted to reply, to say something to Erich about Abel's passing but simply had nothing left to say.

"I know this is bad timing, but there will never be a good time," Erich said. "I've waited for so long and I just feel like I can't wait any longer. I have to tell you how I feel."

"Just stop. Please. I really can't take this right now. I mean he just died."

"Be honest with yourself, Faith. You've had plenty of time. Remember, I knew Abel long ago too. I also remember him when he was a good and kind man. I looked up to him. The Abel I knew, the Abel you loved, didn't die a few weeks ago. He died a long time ago."

"No!" she said, her voice cracking as tears stung her eyes. "No, he didn't die a long time ago. He only just died. You weren't there. He was. In the end...before..." she couldn't say the words. She wanted to tell Erich how Abel came back and told her he always loved her and always would, instead she just cried and felt like an idiot.

Erich pulled her close, but she shoved him away and turned from him. Her tears turned to sobs as guilt flooded her. With her heart aching she thought of the times she convinced herself Abel was gone, that the Abel she loved was before. For months she told herself it was ok for her to be attracted to Erich, that part of it was just her biology of a human naturally being attracted to an Alpha, or that it was ok because Abel hadn't noticed her in years. But it wasn't ok. None of it was right.
 

Whether she realized it or not, the Abel she loved before was still there, just buried deep within the coyote. And yes, she stayed and never left him, but had her heart truly been there with him in the end? She couldn't forgive herself for that.

As her heart grew heavy she realized Abel had been wrong. She
was
the key to the Crane curse. Only the key was the curse of the charmer. A true charmer can never find love. She was proof of that and sitting beside her was proof of exactly how powerful she was, she didn't have just one Alpha there with her, she had two.

Taking a deep breath, she blinked away the rest of her tears and wiped her cheeks before turning towards Erich. She had to make him understand. She had to make him leave and she would say whatever it took to make that happen. "What you feel is nothing, Erich. I'm a charmer, remember? And you're an Alpha, my speciality. Give it time and it'll wear off."

"All I've had is time, Faith. It kills me that I wasn't there to protect you that night."

"Well I'm sure you had better things to do," she said.