Am I just tired, or is this the curse?
The thought frightens me so much, I violently turn my mind away from it and go straight down to the kitchen to put on some coffee. My stomach is bubbling like a poisoned potion, but I know I have to eat, so I choke down a piece of dry toast.
As the sun finally begins to reach a decent hour, I go down the hall to Hyacinth’s room and knock lightly on the door.
“Hello? Hyacinth?”
“Go away!” she snaps.
“I just want to know if you’re okay.”
“I’m not. Thanks for asking.”
“Look, we should talk,” I say, exasperated. “I’ve made coffee—why don’t you just come out and have breakfast with me?”
“You’ll have to forgive me if I decline your offer,” she replies. Her voice sounds hoarse, as if she’s been crying. “But I have a previous engagement.”
Even though I feel awkward as fuck, I chuckle a little, hoping it was a joke.
“Seriously, come out and have some coffee,” I say. “I’m sorry for last night. I really was just repeating what the other alphas told me.”
There is silence for a moment, and I can hear her breathing and her light footsteps as she gets closer to the door.
“I don’t know what to believe,” she says. “All I know is I am not ready to come out and talk to you.”
Sighing, I rest my head against the door, feeling a new type of pain and frustration piling on top of everything else. “Fine,” I mutter, knowing my voice is coming out harsh, but unable to stop it. “Come out when you’re ready, then.”
As I return to the kitchen, I see my phone buzzing on the table and pick it up. There’s a string of messages from the infirmary, as expected, and a couple from work.
I haven’t shown my face at work for a couple of days. It’s surprising they haven’t said something before this. I am the boss, though, so maybe they don’t really care.
I tap my finger on the edge of my phone thoughtfully, an idea teasing my mind. Before I can question it too much, I text Sadie and ask her if she can come talk to Hyacinth and bring Trina as well. Sadie replies with an affirmative and adds that she’s on her way.
I’m sitting miserably at the table, sipping my coffee, when I hear the girls come in. I call out to them without getting up, and the second they enter the room, they look at me in shock.
“Shane, is everything okay?” Sadie asks, hurrying over to me. “Did something happen?”
“No.” I shake my head. “Nothing new, anyway. I’m just feeling the effects of the curse, and I had a nasty fight with Hyacinth last night.”
“Oh?” Trina asks. “What about?”
“I told her… about… You know. How your magic was activated.”
“Oh,” Trina replies.
“Oh,” Sadie affirms. “That’ll do it. Why don’t you head out—I’m sure you’ve got things to do today—and we’ll stay for a bit and try to talk to her.”
“That would be great,” I say. “Is Rhys at work?”
“Yes, he’s in the shop today.”
“Okay, cool,” I reply. “Thank you, Sadie.”
I head out, desperate to get out of the house. Even though work is the last place I’ve wanted to be lately, today it feels like a welcome escape.
***
When I pull into the shared parking lot between my parts shop and Rhys’s work shed, I see Rhys and Owen standing out back. After I park my car, I go over to join them.
