The Alpha Who Cursed His Mate novel Chapter 3

Their faces change to that of worry as they think I'm still down there.

"Magnus?" Flint says.

They all look at each other and nod. Then, holding their breaths, they duck back down while I stay behind the boulder for a few moments. I look over at May and Josie, oblivious to my joke. Flint swims back to the surface for air and looks around in circles, confused about where I could be. Then Zak swims to the surface and panics. 

"Magnus!" They yell, grabbing May and Josie's attention.

"We can't find him. You don't think he drowned, do you?" Flint asks.

They all panic—May and Josie cry.

Nina sprints out from the bushes and dives into the lake with great speed

"Magnus," she screams each time she comes up for breath, frantic, tears pooling in her eyes.

I can't contain my laughter any longer. I lift myself onto the boulder in hysterics.

"Magnus! That was not funny," Flint yells.

"Not cool, Magnus," Zak growls.

"Come on, guys, don't be like that,"

I swim to the shore to where May and Josie are. As soon as I step onto the grass, I cannot help but sense someone behind me. I see tiny little Nina glaring up at me with her hands on her hips and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Don't be like that? Are you serious, Magnus? We thought you had drowned. I thought you had drowned, and all you can say is, don't be like that? I thought you were dead," she says, hitting my chest repeatedly.

That strange feeling consumes me again, eating at my inner conscience and soul. I look over at Zak and Flint, who are making their way out of the lake.

"We better get back home before mum sends the warriors out looking for us," I say, treating Nina as if she was a ghost.

Everyone looks at her with sympathy. I don't know why. No one ever looked at me that way when she had played her stupid pranks on me.

We walk back to the Packhouse while Nina follows us slowly in the distance behind us.

As soon as we arrive at the Packhouse, I freshen myself up and join my parents for dinner with the rest of the Packhouse. Nina sits in her usual seat and tries to make eye contact. I pay her no attention and watch her shoulders drop out of the corner of my eyes.

"Bed early tonight, kids, the weekend is over, and you have school tomorrow," Astrid says.

We all moan and grizzle except for Nina, who stays silent.

"Is everything okay, sweetie?" Leon asks Nina.

She shrugs and stays silent as she pushes the food on her plate around with her fork.

"What did you get up to today?" Amelia asks.

She looks up at me for a moment, but I keep myself busy eating my dinner.

"I climbed trees and swam at the lake with the others, Mum,"

"Sounds like you had a fun time,"

"Yeah, fun…' She mumbles.