Cursed Wolf

Jasmine a tray with her breakfast and spotted Sasha sitting at their usual table in the dining room. Jasmine walked over and sat down.

“Where is Tina this morning?” she asked.

“She went out with her shifter and didn’t come back,” Sasha said with a wink. “She told me not to worry. What about you? How was your date?”

Jasmine sipped her coffee and grinned behind the mug. “It was nice.”

Her face heated. The date had been more than nice. Felix was handsome, intelligent, and charming. He treated her better than she could remember being treated. She’d had to talk herself out of going home with him.

“Details,” Sasha said, taking a bite of toast covered in butter and jam.

“He took me to this brother’s mate’s art exhibition. She was really talented. I bought three of her paintings.”

“Oh, nice. You met his family?”Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

“They were all really nice. His family is really tight. That’s something I’ve always wanted.”

“Are you seeing him again today?” Sasha asked.

“We haven’t planned anything. I think he’s busy. I was hoping to get some work done.”

“You’re on vacation. Why are you working?”

“This was a last-minute thing. I’ve had some distracting issues happening back home. I really need to catch up to meet my deadline.”

“Distracting issues?” Sasha asked.

Jasmine sighed and took a bite of scrambled eggs. She hated talking about her stalker, but Sasha was her new friend. She needed to get it off her chest.

“I’ve had someone harassing me. Leaving dead animals on my doorstep and sending threatening messages online. I’ve tried to find out who it is and have it stopped. I block him, but he just makes new accounts. There’s nothing the police can do until they know his identity. I decided to get away and take a vacation up north. Get some fresh air and clear my head.”

“I’m so sorry that’s happening to you. It must be terrifying!”

“It isn’t pleasant.”

Jasmine took another sip of coffee and a bite of waffle. The buffets were always delicious, but it was nothing compared to the amazing five-star meal she’d had the night before. The food had been delicious, but the company was even better. Felix’s face came to mind, and she felt herself swooning at the memory.

She wanted to see him again, but she didn’t want to get carried away with this new relationship. The two of them barely knew each other, and she was already having feelings. The last time she’d gotten into a relationship, she’d let it move too fast.

Jasmine didn’t want a repeat of that pattern. She had to move slowly. But that didn’t mean that she couldn’t meet Felix for coffee or something.

“I do want to see him again,” Jasmine said.

“You should text him and tell him you want to jump his bones,” Sasha said.

“There won’t be any bone-jumping anytime soon,” Jasmine said. “I learned my lesson with my last boyfriend. He turned out to be an absolute creep.”

“It’s no wonder you decided to go on vacation. But look, your life is turning around since you came to Selkie. You’ve been matched with a gorgeous shifter, and you’ve already gone on a date with him. I’m so jealous of you I could scream.”

“What could it hurt if we just met up for a casual date?”

“You should take him to River’s Bakery. I went there yesterday. The best scones I’ve ever tasted. And it has a very romantic atmosphere.”

“That sounds like a good place to go,” Jasmine said.

She sent a message to Felix. “Would you like to meet up for coffee today?”

She set down her phone, not expecting an immediate reply. As she finished her breakfast, she looked at her phone again, feeling somewhat disappointed that he still hadn’t texted her back.

“It looks like he’s busy,” she said, picking up her tray. “I’ll see you later, Sasha.”

“Good luck,” Sasha said with a suggestive giggle.

Jasmine placed her tray in the bus tub and walked back to her cabin. When she still hadn’t received a reply from Felix, she changed into her hiking boots and started down the trail around the lake.

She felt much more relaxed than she had yesterday. She wasn’t going to go on any social media sites for the rest of her trip. She thought about the threatening message he left last time. He’d said he knew where she was.

No one knew where she was going. She was safe. He couldn’t get to her here. She just had to stay offline and try to remain calm. This trip was supposed to be a refreshing getaway.

Sasha was right. Things had started to turn around since she’d arrived in Selkie. Meeting Felix was kind of a big deal. Shifters had only one mate. That meant that she and him were meant to be together. Destined to be the perfect match.

Humans didn’t have fated mates the way shifters did, but being his mate meant that he was hers too. It worked both ways. If she was perfect for him, then he was perfect for her.

She stopped at a park bench and sat down, feeling sweaty and winded. She looked out at the ducks swimming on the lake. The gentle breeze blowing through the trees made the water shimmer.

Jasmine loved nature. It always made her feel so at peace. She loved her place in wine country, but Selkie was on a whole other level. She sighed and stood, taking the rest of the walk around the lake and back to her cabin. When she checked phone, she found that she had a text from Felix. She squealed unconsciously.

“I’d love to meet you at River’s Bakery for coffee. When?”

“How about an hour?”

“Sounds perfect. I’ll meet you then.”

Jasmine went about fixing her face and hair. She changed into lighter clothing for the date. Her ride arrived soon after she was done. On the way into town, she felt as giddy as a teenager with a crush just thinking about seeing Felix again.

Outside the bakery, she climbed out of the cab, and hopped onto the sidewalk. The smell of cinnamon and sugar filled her nose, and she took a deep inhalation as she stepped through the front door.

Jasmine looked for Felix, but he still wasn’t there. He’d probably be there at any moment, but her anticipation was off the charts. She went to the counter, ordered cappuccino and a chocolate croissant, and sat at an empty table by the large window looking out on the streets.

Spring had come in full force to Selkie, and daffodils were blooming all along the street. The deciduous trees were flowering out in shades of pink and white, and the bright blue sky was clear overhead.

There was a park across the street. Children played in the playground through the trees. She sipped her coffee and checked her phone. She hadn’t received any additional messages from Felix, and she was starting to feel little nervous that he was going to stand her up.

She spotted him striding down the street. His strong, tall body moved with canine grace. He swung open the front door and turned instantly towards her. Their eyes locked and it was like the entire world outside of them melted away. He walked over to her and sank into the chair across the table.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” he said in a breathy voice. “I launched my new newest app today and there were a few small hiccups I needed to attend to.”

“You should’ve told me. We could’ve rescheduled.”

“Nonsense. Nothing is more important than getting to know you.”

Jasmine felt herself blush, and she looked down at her coffee.

“That looks good. I’m going to get the same thing.”

He stood and walked to the counter. After he received his goodies, he brought them back over to the table and sat down across from her.

“Tell me more about your app,” she said.

If the story about the curse was true, he’d just learned about computers and programming a few months ago. That attested to how brilliant he truly was.

He told her about what he’d been developing. Even though she usually wouldn’t have been interested in the topic, she found his passion infectious.

“I’ve discovered that if you truly want something, the only thing that stands in the way in hesitation.”

Felix looked deep into Jasmine’s eyes when he spoke. She felt a tremor run down her spine and into her core. There was fierceness in his eyes and the bright light of his inner wolf shone through. She gulped and took another sip of coffee.

“What made you decide to become a writer?” he asked.

“I always wanted to be a writer. My parents used to read me bedtime stories, and I would tell them I was going to write bedtime stories when I grew up. And I do. There’s nothing more satisfying than a happily ever after. But now I’m being stalked by some psycho.”

“If something like that is happening to you, I want to help.”

“It’s nothing. I can handle it.”