238
Peter
I couldn't remember ever liking going to a healer, but I had never been so nervous before. I sat in the healer's office, trying to keep still as I awaited the healer's return with the test results. Vasil had brought me here as soon as I was able to walk on my own. I had agreed with it, but now that I was surrounded by the sterile, clinical scent of the room, I felt uneasy. After the incident during my last date with Michelle, I didn't want to take chances.
I also regretted sending her home. Her scent had been calming, her concern comforting, her presence soothing. I pulled out my phone, took a deep breath, and scrolled through the messages we had been trading since she left.
How did your exam go? I asked, hoping to distract myself.
She replied a few moments later, and soon, the scent of the room started to fade. As I tapped my phone, my fingers danced across the screen, and a mixture of eagerness and apprehension swirled in my chest. I still wasn't sure what to do going forward, and as much as I wanted her to be near me, I couldn't justify it until I knew that she was safe, or at least had good reason to think she was.
She deserved something better than me passing out before I could even walk her to the door.
What say you to another date?
What does Vasil say?
I scowled at the reply. Nothing yet since I'm waiting for the healer to say something.
A few moments passed. If you're really okay to go out, I'd love to.
How about that new Italian place downtown in Blood Moon's capital?
Minutes ticked by as I waited for her response or for the healer to walk in, but neither happened.
Then, my phone chimed.
Sounds great. I love a good marinara.
I smiled. Yeah? I'll have to take you to Di Roso.
Where's that?
In Black Moon's capital.
I couldn't help but smile at the thought of bringing her to my territory. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart.
"Alpha Peter."
I looked up as the healer entered. He gave me a somber smile, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease as he approached. It was evident that his news might not be as positive as I had hoped.
He took a deep breath before speaking, and the words he uttered hung heavily in the air.
"Should we start with the good news or the bad?"
"The bad."
"Well, you're lucky to be alive," he began, his tone reflecting the seriousness of my situation.
"And the good?"
"You're alive."
Fuck. My heart sank as I listened to him. I had feared that my sudden collapse was related to the curse, but hearing it confirmed was unsettling. "How can I remove this curse?" I asked, desperation creeping into my voice. I had to find a way to break free from its grasp.
The healer's expression darkened as he responded, "If there were a known way to remove the curse of the werewolf, the entire supernatural community would be forever changed. Unfortunately, there's no such straightforward solution."
I frowned. "The curse of the... werewolf."
"You're aware of what we call the werewolf virus, aren't you?"
"Of course."
"It's a communicable curse, in all truth," he said and shook his head.
My frustration mounted, and I pressed further, "I've been a werewolf my entire life. You can't tell me that being a werewolf is what did it. Why did I pass out? And why did I survive?"
He hesitated as if choosing his words carefully. "That's the problem, Alpha Peter. I can tell you that because it's true. For some reason, the virus in your body turned against you and nearly killed you."
He held up a projection of what looked to be my insides. "Even now, the werewolf virus seems to be... eating away at you from the inside. Albeit more slowly than it had before. I can't explain why it suddenly stopped trying to kill you."
A shiver of fear coursed through me as I absorbed this information. How could a virus I'd lived with my entire life suddenly be trying to kill me? I swallowed and took the projection, staring down at it.
"Can you tell me... how much longer I have?"
"So long as you don't have another attack like you had? Years."
"And if I did?"
"... weeks. Maybe."
My blood went cold. The Crescent Moon Festival was in just a few weeks. Would I not even survive to take Michelle? My stomach churned.
"I'm sorry to have to give you this news."
"And there's nothing that can be done?"
He hesitated. "Maybe."
I looked up at him.
"But it would be painful. I wouldn't--"
"What is it?"
He sighed. "You could... attempt to lessen the amount of the virus in your body, either with potions, silver, or--"
"A restraint."
He nodded.
I held back from that idea. All of those options would make me more vulnerable, but would I be more vulnerable than I was right now?
"I'll... consider it. Thank you."
The healer's words left me feeling vulnerable and uncertain about what the future holds. I had to find a way to fight it, to ensure that Michelle and I could be together without the curse looming over us. Leaving the healer's office, I couldn't shake the overwhelming panic that was starting to grow in me.
At any moment, I could be dragged into another episode without rhyme or reason.
I frowned at that thought, coming to a stop in the waiting room.
No.
There was a reason. There was a trigger. I just had to figure out what it was before it was too late. The dream was the clue, but even now, it was hazier than ever.
I climbed into the car, where Vasil was waiting, and the tension was palpable.
"Your expression doesn't make me feel better."
I handed him the report the healer had given me and looked out the window.
"What have you found about the Moon Wars?"
I heard the papers rustling, then silence. I didn't look at him. I couldn't let him see the uncertainty on my face. This wasn't the time.
"I've been digging through ancient texts, mythologies, and historical records. The Moon Wars are as much of a mystery to us now as before. Why the fixation on it?"
"It's not the war... It's the spear."
"What about it?"
"I'm just wondering how much is true about the spear..."
And how much is a convenient lie meant to obscure the truth? What was really known about the Moon Wars, or rather what we as werewolves have been told about the Moon Wars, was that the Goddess showed favor to Blue Moon. Why? No one knows.
"I didn't find much, but you might be interested in something else I found."
"Go on."
"There's mention of a Spear of Destiny in some old archives I found."
The name sent a ripple through me. I heard echoes and howling tides. I could smell the mountain air as if I was standing on top of it.
"The Spear of Destiny?"
"A rough translation. It's supposed to be a powerful artifact, gifted to humanity."
I turned to look at him. "Humanity? By who?"
He shrugged. "Not sure. I guess it depends on how you feel about believing in gods."
My lips twitched. "Go on."
"Lots of he who holds this spear is right-wise king kind of stuff, but the most important part is that it could only be wielded by a human, specifically a descendant of a god. Supernaturals fought about this spear and the power it contained. It's said that it was lost to history, lost in time, but one of the very interesting powers it was supposed to have was to be able to destroy any curse created by a witch."
It's a communicable curse...
I blinked at him. "Any curse?"
He nodded. "How that works. I have no idea, I'm not even sure if it's completely accurate. What I do know is that the descriptions of this Spear of Destiny line up pretty well with the spear of the Moon Wars."
A chill ran down my spine. "But it can only... be wielded by a human descended from these gods?"
"One," Vasil said. "A man who only had sons."
He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Your father only ever had sons."
And his father before him, and his father before him.
It's a communicable curse...
"The Spear of Destiny... is the spear from the Moon Wars... And no one alive can wield it..."
"Because your bloodline has been cursed." His lips twitched. "That witch was shrewd as fuck, wasn't she?"
I set my jaw. "Not shrewd enough. Take me to the museum. I think the exhibit will have to be cut short."
"I would, but there's just one problem."
Dread filled me. "What?"
"It's been stolen."
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