Louis pov

I woke up naked, covered in dirt. Tears welled up in my eyes as I laid on the leaf litter. My body was numb except for my chest. It was just twisting in complete agony.

Memories surged through my head. This was how I used to live before all this - just me and my cottage, secluded in the woods. It was a simpler time. It was not perfect but it was more digestible.

Unlike whatever I ate last night. My tummy twisted and ached. Were stomachaches something that carried over werewolf cycles or did something crawl into my mouth before I woke up? I lurched forward and threw up.

My body ached. The acid corroded the inner lining of my throat. Sweat trickled down my skin. I lifted myself onto my knees. My limbs wobbled as I tried to crawl across the forest floor. All I wanted was to get rid of that horrid burning sensation in my throat.

Finally, it was in sight. The lake sparkled in the sunlight. I hurried to the edge of the glistening water, scooping up greedy mouthfuls. As each splash kissed my tongue and rolled into my throat, the stinging subsided. Exhausted but relieved, I collapsed onto the bank.

“Look what I found,” I heard an unfamiliar voice exclaim. I peered over a bush. It was Charles.

“A necklace?” Mr Lawrence gave an unimpressed response.

“Not just any necklace, the one that will kill the wolves.” Now, Charles had piqued his interest. “I saw one of them last night. Just one touch can burn his paw and make him cry. Imagine what we could do with it.”

“Charles! Why did you take so long to bring this to me?”

“The wolf kicked it away and I had to turn over like a thousand leaves.”

I watched Mr. Lawrence scrutinise the ring. “Fine silver,” Mr. Lawrence read from the engraving inside the band. “Charles, get the sword. Who knew that flashy family heirloom will come in handy one day?”

As they walked away, I scrambled to my feet. I held onto a tree as my legs struggled to support my weight. I managed to find my balance and hobbled back to the cabin.

"Louis!" Harry called out as he emerged from the trees. "Oh gosh, you look terrible. Let's get you back to the cabin." He and Niall helped me to the ATVs. Harry drove while I rode behind him.

They sat me at the table. Niall handed me a mug of warm water, for which I thanked him.

"Are you feeling better?" Harry asked me, cleaning the dirt off my body with a damp towel.

"They know." I ignored Harry's question. "They know silver hurts us and they are going to use it to kill us."

"What's all this about?" Zayn sauntered into the dining room, followed by Liam. "How could they know silver hurts us?"

"They said they saw a wolf touch my pendant. I shouldn't have thrown it away like that." I traced the ring-shaped scar on my chest.

"Louis, how could you be so negligent? You just put all of our lives in danger." I hung my head in shame as Zayn continued to berate me. "I bet it was your wolf that touched it too!"

"Look at your palms!" Impatient, Harry snatched Zayn's hands up. "Scars, probably from the pendant. Yet you have the audacity…"

Harry's voice trailed off when I touched his arm. He knew to stop but still, he was enraged. He was almost growling at Zayn.

"Look at you all," Niall remarked. "Pointing fingers like children. That's enough."

"Niall is right." Liam agreed to Zayn's consternation. "Even if it was his fault, Louis came back to warn us. That deserves some credit."

"Let's talk plans," I tried to get the conversation onto something more productive. It would definitely be better to talk about what to do about the situation than who was to blame for it.

Before we could pitch anything, Aurora, Julius, and Alex appeared into the dining room from the hallway. Alex was walking on his own two feet. Aurora held a book, pressing the pages open. I read the title, Predator's Curse by L.V. Rivers. I had read that book before. "Niall, look what we found," Aurora announced. She read aloud, "It is not the moon that spites us. In the night, we were merely animals. The sun gives us conscience. We become riddled with remorse. But it is in her light that you will break the curse."

"Let me see," I said. I was obsessed with it because it was most accurate to what I was dealing with despite finding it in the "fiction" section at the book shop. I studied this book, front to back, inside and out. Yet, I have never seen this page before. "This wasn't in my copy."

"This is a 1st Edition," Aurora stated, handing the book over. "Only 5 of its kind, or at least it started out with 5."

"What happened?" Harry inquired.

Aurora recollected, "1 sunk with the Titanic. Another burnt in a cathedral in Paris. Not sure about the rest."

"How did you get your hands on this?" I asked.

"My dad bought it at an auction. We got quite a bargain. About a hundred."

"A hundred dollars?" My jaw dropped. For a book?

"No," She smiled uncomfortably, "a hundred grand."

I stared at her speechless, realising I was holding a priceless artefact. The lady is an amazing author, was she that amazing?

Aurora continued, "I was reading it before Zayn found the 'cure'. Just finished it this morning."

"It is in her light that you will break the curse," I muttered as I inspected the page.

"Why does voodoo mystery magic always have to come in riddles and rhymes?" Harry grumbled.

"All the better," I remarked.

"How could that be better if we can't break the curse?" Zayn scowled at me.

"The curse breaker can also be used to permanently change us into our wolves, among other unfortunate hexes," I recalled what I had read.

"Like what?" Alex asked in a meek voice as he held Harry's arm for comfort.

"Let's just keep it out of the wrong hands," I said.

"Where can we find the curse breaker?" Zayn asked impatiently.

I responded, "I guess we have to crack this code. I think it will give us a clue."

"Is this even a code?" Zayn speculated. " 'It is in her light that you will break the curse.' Yea, no shit. Our wolves clearly won't be doing it."

"Zayn-" Harry grumbled. 

"No, wait… 'It is in her light that you will break the curse,' " I repeated. Thoughts ran through my head as I ran outside with the book. I held the book up against the glare of the sun. Her warm rays seeped through the yellowed page of the old book.

Beneath the symbol of the sun, faded writing became visible. Written in tiny font, "BY 305577".

Niall quickly wrote it down on a notepad.

"Great, another code," Zayn remarked with sarcasm.

"What does it mean?" Harry asked, ignoring his friend.

"I think it's a postal code," I slurred distractedly. I was typing the numbers into Google Maps. "Got it! A shophouse in BY"

"BY?" Harry questioned.

"BY. Blysteria. It's a town near Baermorial," my voice went soft as I looked at him, "where we first met."

Zayn cut in sharply, "Yea, and where you were arrested."

"Okay. Use the bathroom. We leave in 10 minutes," Niall declared.

"We're really going there?" Zayn snapped. "You believe it just because it is in a book?"

Liam pulled Zayn aside. In a harsh whisper, Liam argued, "Do you have any better ideas?"

"No," Zayn mumbled, then went silent.

"I know you don't like that Louis attacked you but you're just pushing his buttons and that's not helping."

"Are you on his side?" Zayn huffed in hushed tones.

"Look, you know I'm always on your side. Based on how you're acting, are you even on your side?"

Zayn crossed his arms. His stare told more of his displeasure than his tongue.

"Don't ruffle the feathers of the beast. I don't want you to get yourself in harm's way."

Liam wrapped his arms around Zayn. Zayn leaned into the hug.

I winced as Liam's words echoed through my mind. "Don't ruffle the feathers of the beast." It prickled my skin. I knew I was a menace. Somehow, it was easier being a monster when I was alone. In the company of everyone else, I was doubly more lonely. At least when I was alone, nobody was there to reject me.

The salty breeze tousled my hair back as I stood at the bow of Aurora's yacht. The sun spilled her brilliantly golden rays onto my skin. My feet were still wet from stepping onto the beach. I wiggled my toes in a vain attempt to dislodge the sand between them.

"Louis," Niall called out to me as we boarded the vessel.

I turned around and walked towards him. "What's the plan for when we change?" I asked.

"There are cabins in the lower deck," Niall answered.

"Will they hold us? Our wolves are pretty strong," I expressed my concern.

"Don't worry. Worst comes to worst, I'll tie you up and throw you overboard!" Niall jested. He went to the lower deck to check on the others.

"No," Harry appeared behind me, "I'm the only one who can tie you up." He hugged me as if to claim me as his own.

"And tie me down," I added. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he stared at me. "Yes?"

"No, nothing." The sparkle diminished. 

I decided to slip in a question I had been dying to ask, "Has Alex still been flirting with you?"

A chuckle escaped Harry's lips. "Green-eyed, huh?"

"I'm not jealous. I'm just asking."

"Oh? You don't need to know then."

"No!" I blurted, louder than I would have liked. His eyes widened. I realised I had gripped onto his wrist. I loosened my hold on him. In a gentler tone, I added, "I mean, no, I would like to know."

"You're so cute when you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous." I pushed for an answer, trying my best to ignore his remark. "So, has he?"

"Only like a million times!" Harry announced. A grimace must have crept onto my face because Harry held me comfortingly. He brushed a lock of my dishevelled hair out of my face. He cooed, "Aww… Don't frown. You're not really jealous of the kid, are you?"

"Maybe I am," I cuddled Harry.

Harry kissed me. "Don't worry about the kid. I love you only."

"Taking other people's toys on the playground won't make you many friends," I muttered.

"He's just a kid. Who cares?"

"I care! What happened to not taking things that aren't yours? Someone needs to teach him a lesson."

"I'm not his to take."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"All aboard!" Niall hollered from the cockpit.

"We are on board!" Harry yelled cheekily.

"Shut up!" Niall shouted back. He steered the boat away from the dock. We were set sail on our way to Blysteria.