Evil Curse

*NOT EDITED*

I was glad that I didn't pack everything with me when I left Blood Venom and that I still had a few cute things that I own in the room. I wasn't quite sure what to wear, but I finally decided on getting dressed in a yellow sundress and my lace-up wedges. I quickly applied some mascara and put my hair up in a high ponytail, letting my bangs frame my face. After realizing that I wasn't going to look any better given the time crunch, I headed out of the bathroom and to the front door, where I found Axel waiting for me in a nice solid, light gray button-down shirt that was rolled up below the elbows and some dark washed jeans.

"You changed," I said with a smile.

"Yeah, I figured I should," he answered before clearing his throat, "You look fantastic."

"Thank you. So, do you," I said, dropping my gaze slightly, feeling my cheeks heat up. "So, where are we going?" I asked as he led me out of the door.

"That's a surprise."

"No, come on, I want to know!" We kept walking towards the garage. Well, I was more skipping than anything, trying to contain my excitement but my smile was evident.

"Why?" he asked mirroring my smile. It always took me aback when I saw him smile. He rarely does.

"Hmm, I like to know where the big bad wolf is taking me. Just in case I need to run away," I nudged his shoulder indicating that it was a joke.

"I'm never letting you leave me again. I don't care if that means I have to tie you to the fucking bed."

"I wasn't planning on it, Axel," I tried portraying as much as possible that I was only kidding, but I guess that joke was made a bit too soon.

"In that case, it's called Lover's Grove. It's kind of a big deal in our pack,"  he acknowledged before stopping in front of the multiple-car garage. I don't really understand cars or know much about them, but the cars all looked shiny and extremely expensive.

"Wow," I couldn't help but let out.

"Take your pick," he said, intently watching me. I scanned the whole garage and couldn't help but stare at the motorbike that was outside.

"What's up with the bike?" I asked. Instead of answering, he just raised an eyebrow, as if daring me to ride it.

"Have you ever ridden a motorcycle before?" he asked as he grabbed the key from the key cabinet.

"No, but I want to," I answered, as I approached it.

"Okay," he replied, before chucking a helmet at me, he continued "You're not dressed for a bike ride, but I guess I won't go too fast, and the place isn't too far anyways." Luckily I caught it without making a spectacle of myself. Realizing that wearing the helmet would be difficult while sporting a high ponytail, I decided to let my hair down again, leaving the hair tie on my wrist as a backup option.

I placed the helmet on my head, and watched as Axel adjusted it for me, and whispered a "perfect" before placing his and getting on the bike. "Can you get on, or do you need my help?" he asked.

"I can do it," I answered as I straddled the bike behind him, wrapping my arms around his chest and secretly, or maybe not so secretly, liking what I was feeling. I tried to control my thoughts as I felt his rock-hard abs beneath my arms, but I couldn't help but think what his abs would feel like without the clothes barrier.

"What if people see me?"I ask, worried that my cover will be blown.

"I already informed a few guards to make sure the area is completely clear. We should be fine." He glanced back at me, and I gave him a nod, letting him know that it was okay for us to get going.

I didn't realize how much I would enjoy riding a motorcycle or that I would ever even do something like that. But, the breeze was beautiful, and holding on to Axel's body was the best part. I think he was enjoying it too because whenever I loosened my grip a little bit on him, he sped up, making me press myself into his back a bit harder to not lose my balance.

A few minutes later, Axel stopped the bike and took his helmet off, urging me to do the same. I took in my surroundings, and quickly noticed that there seemed to be trees, a cliff, and the smell of water.

"So, this is Lover's Grove?" I asked, not sure what to think of it.

"Yeah, did you think it was going to be some sort of restaurant or something?" he asked with a smirk, steadying me after slightly losing my balance from getting off the motorcycle.

"Well, I didn't think it was going to be this," I answered, blushing a little.

"What did you think a Grove was?" he teased, before holding my hand and leading me towards the cliff.

"I know what a grove is, obviously," smacking him playfully, before remembering that this was an Alpha. I looked into his eyes, but noticed that they weren't shifting to gold. I couldn't help the tingly feeling that reverberated in my body. At one point in our relationship, Axel would have exploded if I did that. But, he didn't. Progress.

"Like I said, it's a pretty big deal for Blood Venom members," he reiterated.

"Why? Don't you have a bunch of waterfalls and trees all over the pack territory?"

"Sure we do, but there is a legend tied to this one. So, it is a little more special to us," he hinted, as he chose a spot for us to sit down.

"Oooh, tell me!" I excitedly said, sitting down as well. However, it didn't seem like Axel was okay with me sitting across from him because before I knew it, he had dragged me towards him. And now, I was sitting on the ground between his legs, with my back leaning on his chest, and my head in resting in the crook of his neck. He gently wrapped my hands around me and held me close. I didn't know if he could sense how fast my heart was beating, but because I was resting on his chest, I could definitely feel the fast heartbeats of his heart.

"So, there is this legend that we know based on two Blood Venom mates. Basically, a very long time ago, the waters beneath this cliff were an angry force. They constantly raged and even on a beautiful day, the waters would not stop crashing on the sides of the cliff, destroying the rocks and any plants that grew on the side. Almost as if an evil force was controlling the water. It was said, that anybody who fell into the waters would drown and their body would never be found, and when they drown an evil curse is cast on the dead person's family. So, everyone stayed away from this cliff, fearing for their lives, hoping that they would never have to deal with the curse of the waters. One day, a Blood Venom alpha's daughter was walking along the pack borders and discovers that her mate was a rogue. However, the Alpha refused to have her mate him because he had done some terrible things that led him to be exiled from his pack and forced into the rogue life. The girl was devastated and warned her father that if he didn't let her be with her mate, she would jump off the cliff and into the waters. She said that being without her mate would be worse than the worst kind of death and evil that Blood Venom members understood."

"The reckless behavior sounds a bit familiar, Ax. Maybe the legend is real and you're related to her," I teased.

"Nah, I'm not reckless like that, I would have thrown the Alpha over the cliff, not myself. Duh," he said jokingly.

"Okay, keep going," I urged, excited to hear the rest, as I interlaced my fingers with Axel's.

"Her father didn't think she would do it and subject him and the entire pack to an evil curse. But, she did. She ran with all her might to that cliff and jumped, falling into the terrible waters. The pack erupted into a frenzy, and wanted to fight the rogue for leading the Alpha's daughter to do something like this. So, he fought off the wolves that were restraining him and jumped into the waters to be with her, knowing that he would die too but hoping that he would be able to save her life instead. His act of sacrifice appeased the waters and with that, the waters calmed down for the first time ever and carried their bodies to the shore. Their act of unconditional love was enough to save the pack from the evil that lied in the water. So, when the Alpha saw what had happened, he told the rogue that he can be part of the pack and mate with his daughter, because not only did he save her life, but he also ended the possibility of the curse on our family and pack. After that, they lived happily ever after. Now it's Blood Venom tradition that all mates that come here and jump into the water together will have eternal, all-conquering love, just like the initial two that were here together." He ended.

"This story is just proof that all Blood Venom Alphas are a bunch of assholes," I said, laughing.

"Well, if he wasn't an asshole, the rest of the story would not have happened and the waters would still be angry," he defended.

"I guess you're right," I laughed, as I made myself comfortable against his chest once again. "We don't have any cool legends like that at the Mystic Pack," I told him.

"Then, why the hell is it called the Mystic Pack?" he asked with a laugh.

"I don't know, I wasn't the one who named the pack! Besides, why is your pack named Blood Venom and not Angry Waters?" I asked, facing him for a second and plastering a huge smile on my face.

"Well, that's a story for another time. But, the big things about that story is that it was about blood and venom."

"Ah, I see. How mysterious! Just like you." I said, playing with our interlaced fingers.

"I'm mysterious?" he smiled.

"Yes! I know a lot of things about the pack, and about your family, and about your beta, gamma, and delta. But, nothing about you. Nothing about Axel Knight that defines him as a person, you know?"

"What do you want to know" he said, as his voice slowly trailed into a whisper towards the end.

"What do you do for fun? I've only ever seen you work or train in the gym. But, I've never seen you do anything else." I start.

"Well, that is usually all the time I have, but a few years ago when Tyler was still here, we used to play football at least three times a week with some of the other pack members. I also like to read a lot, I spend a lot of time doing that in my office. I'm not that into video games, but if the boys were playing, I would join them. Just dumb stuff," he informed me. He didn't look too comfortable getting personal, but that was the whole point of going out together right now. "What do you like to do for fun, other than being a pain in my ass, of course?" he asked

"I don't do that for fun!" I answered back readjusting the way I was sitting so that my legs were wrapped around his torso and my arms around his neck. "But, to answer your question, I like to paint and dance. I like hikes, and just staring at the sky, I find that calming," I tell him. "Would you rather eat the same meal for the rest of your life or watch the same movie for the rest of your life?" I asked.

"That's your question that will help you get to know me better?" he incredulously asked with a raised eyebrow. He seems to be doing that a lot lately.

"Yes, now answer!" I raised my eyebrows as well, waiting for his reply.

"Well, do I get to choose the meal and the movie?"

"Yes, they are your choice, but once you choose, you can't change them," I amended the hypothetical scenario I created.

"It would have to be the same movie. I could live without movies but not without food," he reasoned and I released a small giggle at his answer.

"Well, that makes sense. Okay, would you rather be stuck in the Blood Venom dungeons for a year or lose a year off your life?" I asked him.

"Nope, it's my turn to ask the questions now," he corrected me.

"Just answer it and then you can dare me to do something in the next round. Deal?" I negotiate.

"Fine, but I am Alpha, I would never end up in the Blood Venom dungeons. So, I pick that option, then I would order my guards to let me out, and then I am free. Year saved," he answered.

"You're just cheating the system." I say, shaking my head at him.

"Okay, my turn."

"Shoot," I answer, feeling slightly nervous.

"Jump over the cliff with me."

"That's not a question," I counter.

"Will you jump over the cliff with me?" he amended his ask.

"What! No way am I doing that. It is so high up, we will die!" I refuse.

"We won't die. A lot of Blood Venom mates I know have jumped off the cliff together. I promise. You'll be fine."

"I'll ruin my dress," I countered.

"Then take it off," he answered back, as he started unbuttoning his shirt. However, he seemed to be daring me to keep looking because he had a knowing smirk on his face. He finally slipped it off and passed the tight wifebeater he was wearing over his head. I averted my eyes away as I saw him unbutton his pants and heard him slide it off.

"Are you serious right now?" I asked him, tugging at the hem of my dress and staring into his eyes, trying my best not to look down.

"As a heart attack," he wittingly answered.

"I'm not taking my dress off," I decided.

"Okay, that's up to you," he smirked as he led me towards the edge of the cliff.

"It's so high up. I can't do it," I said as I backed away.

"It's only 30 feet at best. We're werewolves. We'll be fine," he tried appeasing my fears.

"Axel, I don't know about this," I answer. "What if the waters grow angry again and kill us and unleash an evil curse on the pack. You are Alpha after all."

He laughed a little before grabbing right arm, raising it and placing it on his shoulders, then lifting me up bridal style in his arms. My mind flashed back to the night of the masquerade ball and that felt like ages ago. Suddenly aware of Axel's shirtlessness more than ever, I was glad that he couldn't see my face as I tucked it in his neck. I guess my thoughts of wondering what Axel's abs would feel like without clothes were answered.

"Do you trust me?" he asked as I stared at the sunset and the light's reflection in the water. I looked up at him, to see that he was staring at me, his eyes hoping for one answer.

"Yes," I replied. That was all he needed before he jumped off the cliff.