The Hybrid Curse [MM]

Chapter: 11

******

Roman's POV

My breath hitched as I grabbed Liam's wrist, pulling his hand away before he could hide the mark. A dark, jagged pattern sprawled across his skin—detailed, intentional, and eerily recognizable.

"What's this?" I held onto his wrist, not letting him cover it up again. He flinched but didn't pull away. His face went pale, and his whole body tensed up like he'd just been caught in a lie.

A whirlwind of thoughts swirled in my head. Is this why he's been acting so weird? Why he's been dodging me?

I swallowed hard, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. "Why have you been keeping this from me?"

Still, he said nothing.

"What?" I let out a dry laugh, trying to shake off the unease creeping in. "The tattoo looks awesome, but why do you look like you just got caught doing something shady?"

No answer.

His silence felt heavier than any words he could have said. He just stood there, jaw tight, shoulders rigid, his eyes darting away from mine.

My gaze fell back to the ink, and a flicker of recognition sparked within me. The way it twisted and turned felt oddly familiar. It had significance, but I couldn't quite remember where I'd encountered it before.

"You seem to be into it," he finally said, managing a weak smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

I rolled my eyes. "Stop pretending." I stepped closer, my tone sharp and steady. "What's going on?"

He let out a heavy sigh and turned away, plopping down on the couch as if his legs had given out. He rubbed his face with his hands before letting them drop to his lap. The atmosphere felt thick, the unspoken tension weighing heavily on me.

I examined his expression, looking for any clue—anything that could shed light on this situation. But all I found was that same unreadable facade he put up when he wanted to keep me at bay.

Then it struck me.

I recognized this mark.

A shiver ran down my spine as fragmented memories began to resurface. This wasn't merely a tattoo. It was something deeper—something I wasn't quite ready to confront yet.

Liam's jaw was tight, so it was clear he was aware of what was going on too.

"Where did you get this?" I asked, moving closer, really wishing this was just a bad dream or some scene from a movie. But he stayed silent, not giving me anything.

A whirlwind of feelings hit me—betrayal, anger, and then frustration that he wouldn't talk about what was happening.

"You really thought I wouldn't catch on? You said there was nothing between you two, yet here you are, flaunting his mark. He freaking marked you, Liam!" I shouted, running my fingers through my hair in frustration.

"It's not your business, Roman," he shot back, his tone icy. The fear he had earlier was gone, replaced by a nonchalant look that drove me even more insane. I wanted him to deny it or say it was a mistake—anything but this silent admission. But there he stood.

"Have you really forgotten everything we shared, Liam?" I asked, my voice trembling, but I kept it together; I wasn't about to fall apart. "Even though I never got the chance to tell you how much I liked you, how much you mean the world to me, you knew it deep down because we both felt it." I said, locking my gaze on him. I noticed a flicker of something in his eyes, followed by fear, before it shifted to an expression I couldn't quite place.

"And what? Am I supposed to just know? You never said anything. You just dropped hints? What do you want me to do with that? Seriously, Roman, stop pretending like you're the good guy here."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Was this really Liam? Or was I losing my mind?

Before I could reply, I noticed something strange happening with Liam. He started to wince, staggering a bit, gripping his wrist like he was in pain. I watched in confusion, trying to figure out what was going on as his fingers dug into his skin, his knuckles turning white.

Panic surged through me as I saw the visible change in Liam. His body shook violently, like a volcano about to erupt. His breathing became ragged, and sweat began to bead on his forehead. He clutched his chest tightly, the rise and fall making my anxiety spike even more. I could hear his gasping breaths, like he was fighting to hold on to life.

I took a step forward without thinking, reaching out, but Liam flinched back, shooting me a look that felt like it could pierce right through me. "Stay back," he said, his voice tight and strained, making the whole room feel like it was shaking.

But I couldn't just stand there. Seeing him like this erased all my grudges in a heartbeat. "Liam—" I called, moving closer, but he just stepped away from me.

"Something's off." His words slipped out, almost a whisper, but they hit me hard, settling like a heavy weight in my confused heart.

The air around us felt thick, pressing in like something invisible. A strange hum started to fill the space—barely noticeable at first, but then it intensified, buzzing with an electric energy that made the hairs on my arms stand up. My instincts were screaming at me, warning that whatever was happening wasn't just ordinary.

Everything I was witnessing, this whole transformation, felt oddly familiar because I had seen it before, but this... this was different.

Unnatural.

Liam gripped his wrist tighter, his body tensed like a spring ready to snap. His pupils expanded, consuming the color of his irises. The mark on his skin—that damned mark—darkened, twisting and pulsing as if it had a mind of its own.

Suddenly, a low growl erupted from deep within Liam's chest.

It sounded like us, the werewolves, but anyone who knew wolves could sense that this was unlike anything normal. There was something else, an opposing force, that I couldn't quite grasp, no matter how hard I tried.

And for the first time in ages, I felt a hint of fear creeping in.

Liam suddenly convulsed, letting out a deep groan. His eyes rolled back, and white foam started to drip from his mouth as his body arched like something was trying to escape from within him.

"Liam, Liam!" I shouted, rushing over to him. I managed to grab him, but he still collapsed. I caught him just before he hit the ground.

The mark on his wrist was glowing ominously, and it hit me—this was Zeke's doing. Whatever mark he had put on Liam was causing all this chaos, and what was happening to him was way worse than we ever expected.

I held onto Liam tighter as his jaw tightened. 'I swear, I'm going to make you pay for this, Zeke.'