_ The curse

Before I could delve in deeper, Kylo pulled out a small box from his pocket and placed it on the desk.

"Late anniversary gift." He announced with sparkles in his eyes.

Now, he had my attention. I love gifts. I never got many of them growing up since I lost my parents at a tender age which made my heart bubble at even the simplest of gifts.

I picked it up. "To say you were going to gift me seeing Gamma Rhett as our anniversary gift before." I joked as I opened the small gift box and peeked inside.

A gasp escaped my lips as a silver bracelet glinting with diamonds and sapphires sat nicely in the box.

"Oh, Kylo…" I stammered. "This is — too much!"

He shrugged but I could see the effort that gift must have cost him belying in his nonchalance.

"You deserve it, love. All the sparkle in the world."

If Kylo wasn't the sweetest man in the world, I didn't know who was. I stood up and scurried to give him a kiss from across the table where he sat from me.

It was a slow, appreciative, and passionate kiss. It was supposed to feel like I was in heaven, didn't it?

Well, it didn't. I didn't know why but it never did. Now that I knew why, guilt crashed over me. How could I bring myself to continue to receive Kylo's kindnesses when fate had dealt us such a cruel hand? When I was destined to belong to his father.

Not if I reject him anyway.

"I'm glad you like it." Kylo raked his fingers in my hair, his gaze fixated on my face.

I nodded. "I do but I kind of don't have your gift with me here."

"Pfft. Having you right in front of me, with me – that is enough of a gift." Kylo assured me.

Remember what I said about Kylo being the sweetest man in the world? Yeah, that again.

I eventually returned to read the books. I picked up one very ancient-looking one. The dusty book groaned as I cracked it open and began my reading spree.

Surprisedly, Kylo began an incessant chatter.

"Babe, come on," he whined, peering over my shoulder. "This stuff is drier than Aunt Hilda's fruitcake. Let's get outta here."

"Quiet, Kylo. This is important."

"It's not."

"It is."

"It's bull."

Just then, the librarian who was a chubby woman with spectacles precariously on her nose materialized beside us. "Shhh," she admonished. "The library is for reading, not for…" she squinted at Kylo's sheepish grin, "flirting."

I choked on my laughter when I saw the face Kylo made at being scolded. Before he could whine about leaving again, I buried my nose deeper in the book.

I hadn't spent a few minutes reading when I found something daunting. I found a chilling tale of two lovers from the Ravenwood pack who dared to defy the Moon Goddess's wishes just like Kylo and me. Then, Calamity struck one of the pair, leaving the other forever scarred with guilt and pain of losing the one they loved.

The tale ended with a stark proclamation: such unions were cursed, forbidden by the Moon Goddess herself.

My breath hitched. This – this was why! Why the Ravenwood pack hold so adamantly to the mate bond. Why Gamma Rhett was that way. It wasn't just tradition, it was survival.

I looked up at Kylo, wondering why no one ever told me. I've heard different myths about the rule but I had never seen a documented one. It was even signed with the blood of the living lover.

They didn't teach us this in history class even. Gamma Rhett wanted me to find this myself.

I thrust the book at Kylo, my voice hoarse. "Read this, Kylo. It's right here! You knew, didn't you? Why didn't you tell me?"

He skimmed the page, his brow furrowing. "Isleen, this is just — some old story. A myth. If it wasn't, the new Alpha wouldn't have abolished the law against non-mate relationships."

A scoff escaped my lips. "Myth? Why wouldn't they teach us this in history? Why keep it hidden?"

"Because it's forbidden to tell the tale of those whom the Moon Goddess had cursed by words of the mouth." Kylo reasoned.

A corner of my eyes crinkled. "So, you suddenly believe in the traditions, Kylo?"

"Isleen, come on. Don't make a drama out of it. We've seen stories upon stories about the law. Why are you suddenly taking this one seriously?"

He was right. Why was I so paranoid about this? It wasn't like I hadn't heard different stories about the mate bond. Was it that I was mad at Kylo – my Kylo whom I thought would never hide things from me for keeping this from me?

Or was it that I was seeing Gamma Rhett differently now? That I didn't want him to be wrong?

Oh, Lord – what is wrong with me?

I stood up, the chair scraping against the floor. "I can't do this anymore, Kylo." My voice was cracked and tears blurred my vision. "Leave me alone."

It wasn't even Kylo's fault. Kylo had done nothing wrong but what was wrong with me? I just couldn't help but to be mad at him.

And I stormed out of the library. I could hear Kylo's footsteps clattering behind me but I kept on walking. Tears were already tracing hot tracks down my cheeks.

What was going on with me? Why did my heart ache so much?

Kylo eventually caught up with me and pulled me close right outside the library. "What's wrong with you?"

I swatted at him, protesting hard. "Leave me, Kylo. I want to be alone."

"Isleen," he pleaded, his voice filled with worry. "I would have told you, I swear. I just — I didn't think it was real. And I didn't want to scare you."

Oh, Kylo – you have done nothing wrong. You have done absolutely nothing wrong but I think the curse was already upon us.

I looked up and looked into his eyes where I saw the raw fear of losing me etched into the depths of his pupils.

Kylo didn't deserve any of this.

A sob escaped my lips, and Kylo held me tighter. He let me sob into his chest.

"Now, I feel so bad for making you cry. I don't want to lose you but I don't want to see you hurt too. Isleen, what sort of tribulation is this? Do you think we can survive this storm? Do you think we should risk it? I'm scared." kylo confessed, his hand securing my back protectively.

Kylo was always the strong one in the relationship. Seeing how vulnerable he was right now, I could feel that the weight had been toppling on him also.

All this and he didn't know that I was his father's mate yet. All of this and he only knew half of the story.