Throne of Claws (Book one: The Cursed Realm series)

Eloise

I hate everything.

I hate myself, my life, and the current bad mood my sister was in.

I swerved just in time to avoid the hit of the wooden sword. I took a few steps back and twirled. But just as I was about to nick her with my sword, she crouched and knocked me hard on my knee. I fell to the ground with a painful yelp.

“And just like that, you're dead.” Mae said and wiped the sweat off her forehead with her tunic sleeves.

She turned her back on me and walked to the water station. I groaned angrily, forcing my damaged knee into a standing position, but it hurt too much.

Mae was in a bad mood even if she didn't say it. I've lived with my sister for eighteen years, but she didn't share everything with me.

“I don't understand why we're always training so hard every day when it's just the four of us. It’s not like anyone comes here.” I said as I dragged my feet towards my sister.

Her face was still pinched with worry, but I knew better than to ask her. I was never supposed to ask questions. I learned that the hard way the day I asked my father why I was never allowed out of our mansion.

Maevyth leaned against the wall, the cup empty in her hand. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly.

“Warriors don't train only when there's danger. They train in case of surprises.” she replied.

I didn't remember much from my childhood, but I knew I was always alone in the dark. I grew up knowing just three people. My parents and my older sister. I used to think that was how things were supposed to be. That there were just four people in the entire world.

My sister was my best friend. Our parents barely spoke to me. They never wanted me. I was the ‘mistake’. They loved my sister and warned her to stay away from me. My family would run into the woods in their shifted forms, but I was never allowed to go with them. I thought it was because I wasn't old enough to shift, until they started restricting me from dining tables too.

Mae used to sneak into my room every night. She taught me everything I knew. How to speak, how to dance, and how to fight. We fought with every weapon. Swords, daggers, guns, and poisons. She used to say she was preparing me for when I finally go out into the world.

Whenever I ask her why my parents never let me out, she would tell me they were protecting me from the harshness of the real world.

I guess Mae’s hard training meant the protection was over. Especially with my eighteenth birthday coming up in a few hours.

“There aren't going to be any surprises. I will go through my first shift like every werewolf, and run in the woods, just like I see you do every morning. I would finally be able to feel the sun on my body and not just see it from the window.” I said, already excited just thinking about it.

Shifting, to me, meant freedom to finally be myself. Freedom was one thing I've been denied since birth. I couldn't wait to become a werewolf like the rest of my family. Maybe they'll finally accept me.

Mae stared at me with admiration in her eyes and ruffled my hair.

“Your imagination is wild.” she chuckled.

“You made me read all those big books in the library. I read somewhere that the sun can grant you powers.” I quipped.

Mae tipped her head back and laughed.

“Oh, dear Eloise! Just what books have you been reading.”

My brows knit in confusion at her amused expression. Mae always insisted on reading every book I saw. She says the most power was hidden in books, that you can discover anything if you read hard enough. When we weren't training, she made us spend all our time in the library.

“Is it wrong to read those books?” I asked.

“No. It's never wrong to read, Sister.” She cupped my cheeks softly. “But the power in reading is knowing which information you can weaponize and which one to ignore. The lies in books are just as much as the truth.”

I nodded, already committing her words to memory. She sighed and drew closer to me.

“Remember this, Eloise. No one out there is your friend. They're all enemies waiting to strike you the minute you let your guard down. Use every weapon at your disposal to destroy your enemies before they destroy you. Always make the first move.”

“No one is going to attack me in the woods, Mae. You said you would be with me the entire time.”

Mae smiled, her face clouded with sadness. Tears seemed to form in her eyes but she batted them away. A knot formed in my chest. I hated seeing my sister worry about me.

“I won't always be there to protect you, Eloise. I want you to know you can always protect yourself. You are powerful. And you're my sister. Remember that I love you.” Her voice cracked at the last word and she hugged me tight.

I hugged her back despite my confusion. She pulled away from me and stood up.

“It's almost time for your birthday. We need to go before Father gets angry.” All traces of vulnerability disappeared from my sister's face as she stretched her hand out to me.

I took it and pulled myself up. We headed out of the training area. Mae's hands tightened around mine as we walked through the hallways. We entered the sitting room where my parents sat solemnly.

My father had a stern look on his face while my mother seemed devastated. Both of them straightened when we walked in. My father's eyes hardened on me, I subtly hid behind Mae Incase he got angry and yelled.

I hated it when he yelled.

Mae pulled me closer to herself, almost protectively as we sat down on a chair. I didn't know what the meeting was for but I wished it was over already. I would take Mae's hard training over this.

“Eloise dear, there's something we need to tell you.” Mother started, her voice slightly wavering.

“A man is coming to take you today. Christopher is his name.” My father added.

I stared at my sister in confusion, then at my parents.

“T..take me?” I whispered.

Mae had gone completely still beside me, but she didn't say anything.

“He wants to marry you.” Father said.

Marry. I knew what that word meant. He was going to take me away forever and we would live like my parents. Together.

A strange feeling coursed through my veins and I realized it was panic. I've read about it, but I've never felt it before. Not like this.

“Why?”

“He's going to take you away from here and–” I knew what he was saying before he finished.

“You don't want me anymore so you're giving me away.” I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite the strong emotion inside me.

Something else seemed to awaken at the presence of that new feeling, and it reared its head. I knew it was my Wolf, the freedom I've always wanted, but I didn't feel excited like I expected. I felt angry.

“No, Eloise. That's not–”

“You don't want me!”

I didn't know if I was the one that screamed or the thing inside me. Everything became heightened. My emotions, their voices, their scents, and their fear.

Mae jumped from beside me, frightened.

“She's Transforming.” she said with a panicked voice. “But it's not her birthday yet–”

“Her emotions are triggering the Transformation.” My mother snapped.

“Why don't you want me?!” I yelled again. I felt my feet lift off the floor, my anger increasing tenfold.

“We have to stop the Transformation. Maevyth, give me your hand!” Father yelled. He didn't sound stern anymore, he sounded scared.

“I can't do it, Father.” I heard Maevyth sob. “She's my sister.”

I moved closer to her, intent on wiping her tears but was blown back by something, or someone. That was when I realized my family was standing behind a line I hadn't even seen them draw.

“Maevyth!” Mother yelled at her.

“I can't!” She yelled back, crying uncontrollably.

Father grabbed her and shook her.

“She's not your sister, Maevyth. She was never your sister. We have to stop the Transformation or everything would be ruined. Everything, Maevyth!”

Mae nodded in understanding. I was still finding it difficult to understand what was going on. But when I wanted to ask, I realized I couldn't speak.

Mae joined hands with our parents, together they all turned to me, like warriors in those picture books Mae used to show me.

Tears streamed down her face and she said, “Remember that I love you, Eloise.”

Those were the last words I heard before unimaginable pain suddenly sliced through my skull. I screamed in agony but the pain was too strong. My sister's screams faded into the background as everything went black.