Why Did She Curse Him?

Chapter 27
The next day, another attack occurred.

Three victims were attacked by the creature, one of them died.

Radoff rushed to report to the alpha.

“Round up all the guards!” Karyan shouted. “And tell all the wolves in Mond not to enter the forest without a guard escort! If they want to go hunting, at least two guards must go along.”

He transformed himself into a wolf and ran outside, circling the castle grounds while sniffing the air, trying to find any suspicious unknown scents.

Karina, in wolf form, also ran outside and did the same as Karyan.

“I don’t smell it,” Karina said telepathically. “Believe me, I know him best.”

“I can’t believe this happened, Karina,” Karyan said sharply. “Your father...that thing. He’s been in seclusion for a long time. Why would it suddenly appear and wreak havoc?”

Karina purred softly. She did not answer anything in Karyn's Mind. With her tail between her hind legs, she backed away and returned to the castle.

Karyan gave her an annoyed look.

Meanwhile, Bertold was busy, tending to the severe wounds and struggling to prevent bleeding.

Equally busy was Karyan who immediately organized patrols around the area, as the creature seemed to roam more widely in the forest.

Nalani helped Bertold, though the sight of the wounds made her stomach turn.

These wounds were different from those inflicted in a typical werewolf battle. They made her legs weak and trembling.

It was a wonder that the victims were still alive.

The dead had been buried.

Nalani’s job was to clean the wounds and bandage them after Bertold applied his herbs. She also helped administer medicine to ease the pain.

When Karyan came to check on their progress, Nalani took the opportunity to ask.

“Why wasn’t I told about this creature?” She clenched her fists.

Karyan, in a calm manner, replied, “The creature is harmless if not disturbed. It has been a long time since anyone dared to disturb it. Usually werewolves are left to hunt in the forest without incident. However, the reason I forbid you from roaming at night is because it comes out at night, and unlike us, you cannot sense danger from afar.”

Nalani looked up from her work, wiping the sweat from her forehead. “But why now? Why attack now?”

Karyan’s eyes darkened. “Something or someone must be bothering him. We must find out what, or who, provoked them.”

Nalani shivered, not only from the coldness of the stone floor beneath her knees, but also from the fear that gnawed at her. “Do you think it will continue to attack?”

“I hope not. But we must prepare for the worst. I’ve organized all the guards to patrol, you don’t have to worry.”

Nalani nodded, returning her focus to the injured werewolf in front of her.

“Nalani...” Karyan touched her shoulder. “Remember what I said. Go back to your room before it gets dark.”

“I remember,” Nalani said.

“Very good.”

One of the injured was Thalpus, the father of the boy who gave the rabbit to Nalani.

His injuries were quite severe, with deep lacerations on his arms and abdomen.

Bertold had stitched up his wounds, and now Nalani carefully wrapped him in a clean cloth, making sure she didn't cause any further pain.

"Stay still for a moment," Nalani instructed. "Bertoldi's Medicine will take effect soon, and the pain will lessen."

"Thank you," Thalpus replied, his voice strained. "I was lucky to survive that creature. My friend Vargus was not so lucky."

"What was it like?" Nalani asked slowly. "And What was it exactly? When I lived in Inverno, we heard rumors of monsters in your forest, but I always thought they were just stories to ward off intruders."

Thalpus sighed, wincing as Nalani fixed his bandage. "The monster was huge," he began with a shaky and quite low voice. "Like a wolf, but also like a human because it stood on two legs. Its Eyes were big and red, glowing like embers. Its jaws are large, filled with teeth as sharp as swords. It was just a glimpse, but enough to haunt my nightmares."

Nalani shivered, her hands paused for a moment. "What is it, really? Do you know?"

Thalpus shook his head slowly. "It is said to be a werewolf cursed long ago. No one knows who he is or what he has done to deserve such a fate. He just appeared in the forest one day, when I was young."

Nalani finished tying her bandages, her mind racing with the implications of Thalpus' words. "The cursed werewolf... Why Would he attack now, after all this time?"

Thalpus sighed, exhaustion and pain was evident in his eyes. "There must be something bothering him. He used to let us hunt in the forest, and we never felt too worried because he's been isolated for so long. Now, I don't know what provoked him. We have become afraid and fear for the safety of our children."

Nalani remembered the small children she had scared into not bothering Kapoo. Those children, those innocent little wolves who were still unable to fight with a creature as scary as the monster.

Nalani’s chest filled with rocks. She finished her work bandaging Thalpu’s wounds, then asked Bertold for permission to rest for a while.

***
Nalani took a break and walked to her garden, seeking solace among the plants.

There, she found Karyan sitting hunched over a stone bench, his face etched with exhaustion and pent-up anger.

She approached him cautiously. “Alpha, what are you doing here?”

Karyan looked up with dark and stormy eyes. “I’m angry and overwhelmed. Two werewolves were attacked again. Radoff is retrieving them from the forest as we speak. I came here to try to calm myself.”

Nalani’s eyes widened in shock. “I should tell Bertold to prepare more patients. I should also collect more bandages.”

When Nalani turned to leave, Karyan reached out and grasped her hand, his grip was strong yet pleading. “Stay with me for a while, Nalani. Please.”

Dazed, she paused, looking at Karyan. “All right,” she said then. “I’ll keep you company for a while.”

“Thank you.”

Trying not to care about her hand in Karyan’s grip, Nalani sat next to Karyan who said nothing more.

Only the sound of rustling rose petals and the buzzing of bees among the daffodils filled the silence.

“Do you know who that thing is?” Karyan’s question broke the silence.

Nalani shook her head, her curiosity growing, but she dared not ask the alpha.
And here was her chance. “No, who is it?”

Karyan took a deep breath, the weight of his words pressed down on him like a mountain on his body. “That creature used to be Deegon, the former alpha before…” he then breathed in as he tried to come up with his words, “Karina’s father. He was cursed by Lorelei, turning him into that horrible creature.”

Nalani’s breath caught, Lorelei’s name repeated in her mind. “Lorelei...”

Karyan’s gaze fell on Nalani. “She was my mother.”

Nalani’s hand flew to her mouth, the revelation leaving her speechless for a moment. “Your mother... Why did she curse him?”
***