Page 7 of The Lunatics

Slowly this time, the magic began to dissipate.

I cracked my jaw open and groaned when it finally released its hold on me. “Ow.”

“Are you okay?” Gia asked.

She and Natalie stood above me, looking down. They seemed fine. Like they hadn’t just been run over by a metaphysical truck.

“Not okay,” I said, the words garbled.

It took both of them to pull me up. I swayed within their grip, my heart beating a million miles per hour, adrenaline and heat coursing through my veins. As the residual magic faded, I became aware of other things. Sounds of outrage and confusion rose around me. The smell of terrified werewolves filled my nose. And there, in the back of my freshly ripped-open mind, something else, trotting ever closer on four silent paws.

No, not something.

Someone.

I felt a tug on my psyche. Unbidden, deep confusion became my dominant emotion, where a second ago it had been fear. I tried to shake it off, but it grew stronger instead.

“What’s happening?” I whispered.

The emotion was… other.

Not mine.

My head seemed to turn of its own volition, to the right, my gaze passing over innumerable shifters before it came to a stop.

On Michael Kolbeck.

He kneeled on the ground a few feet away, one foot beneath him like he was trying to rise. Our gazes met. Something snapped between us like an elastic band ricocheting. The reverberation fell away and left a deep sense of peace in its wake, like I had come home after a prolonged journey. Likehewas my home now.

“No,” I croaked.

“Layla?” Gia asked, tone frantic as she looked between us. “Layla, what is it?”

I choked back a sob. “We’re bonded.”

Michael pushed himself up. He tightened his tie and then ran a hand over his head, smoothing back his hair.

“Well,” he said, looking andfeelingslightly annoyed when he met my gaze. “This is an unfortunate turn of events.”

CHAPTER 3

Idon’t understand. How did this happen?” I demanded, gripping Audrey’s wrists like I could squeeze the answer out of her.

She shook her head. “We don’t know. It must have been the Goddess intervening.”

“Why?” a woman demanded from behind me.

Michael and I weren’t the only ones mated against our will, and fear, anger, and disbelief ran riot through those around us. It was one thing to willingly submit to a ceremony that would result in a lifelong magical commitment to someone else, another thing entirely to have it forced upon you.

“We can’t be sure,” Audrey said. Her tone was apologetic. “The Goddess doesn’t always reveal Her divine intentions.”

“But we didn’t offer up our blood,” I said. I was still in shock. Or was it denial? I was having trouble untangling the ball of emotions in my mind. Probably because half of them weren’t even mine.

Audrey pulled her hands from my hold and placed them on my cheeks. “I know, Layla. I don’t have any answers for you right now. Go home. Your parents need to know what happened.”

The blood drained from my face. Oh, no. My parents.

She released me and moved away to where Antoinette was laid out on the grass. I turned from her to face Michael.