All Chapters of Cursed Claws: Bound by the Curse, Clawed by the Past: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

“Hurry! Wake up, you lazy bags!” A thunderous voice rang out from the old orphanage I was escaping from. It was Miss Ray.“She’s awake?” I froze, my head snapping toward the orphanage, now just a few paces away in the distance. “She’s awake!”I hitched up my loose gown, the fabric threatening to trip me, and bolted.Panic surged through me as I hastened my pace. My feet stumbled on a branch, and I nearly fell, but I managed to catch myself in time.“Don’t let her escape, you clueless blockheads!” Miss Ray snarled, her voice cutting through the night like a whip.I cried out as something sharp jabbed into my foot. The pain shot up my leg like fire, but I slapped a hand over my mouth, stifling the sound. If they heard me, they’d find me—and that was the last thing I could allow.My heart hammered as I glanced back toward the orphanage. There was no time to check what I’d stepped on, no time to tend to my throbbing foot. I had to run. Run far, far away before they caught up to me.Due to

The mansion loomed before me, a sprawling structure surrounded by a dense forest. The sunlight glinted off the glass panels adorning the house, casting a dazzling brilliance over its surface. Despite its beauty, I moved quickly, slipping into the shadows. My aim was clear—I needed to hear what was being discussed.As I crept closer to the breach where Old Miss Ray stood with a stranger, their voices drifted to me. I pressed myself against the wall, straining to catch their words.“I need the broken Silver Crest,” Miss Ray said, her tone sharp and demanding.“What Silver Crest?” the man asked, his voice deep and steady.“You and I both know which Silver Crest,” she snapped.“No,” he replied, his tone growing colder. “The one I know of has long been extinct. So tell me, which Silver Crest are you speaking of?”She tapped her stick against the ground three times—a habit I knew well, one she always displayed when her patience wore thin or when she felt insulted. Her voice was colder now.

Those words sent a ripple through me, a tingling sensation spreading below my waist, igniting a strange mix of curiosity and fear. I swallowed hard, heat rising to my cheeks as I forced myself to look away. What if he noticed? What if he could read the chaos in my head?Before I could gather myself, the door swung open with a loud creak, slamming against the wall. My heart jolted, and I turned sharply. A figure burst in, his steps hurried and his face pale, but then—he froze.I expected him to recover, to step aside, to say something. But he didn’t. His gaze fell on us, wide-eyed, almost hesitant.“I'm sorry, Alpha!” George stammered, his voice breaking the thick silence.“Don’t you know how to knock?” Nergal’s voice boomed, sharp and commanding, his back rigid as he turned to face George fully.“I... I didn’t know, I just thought—”“What brings you here?” Nergal cut him off, his tone cold enough to freeze fire.George gulped audibly, his hands fidgeting at his sides. “It’s confirmed—