Page 40 of Healing Elixirs & Wicked Crows

They'd been tracking us.

The first wolf emerged from the shadows, its massive form silhouetted against the moonlight.Then another.And another.They moved in perfect formation, surrounding our cave with military precision.In the moonlight, I could see their eyes glowing yellow in the silver glow.

These weren't just any wolves; these were shifters.And from their coordinated approach, they had a specific purpose in mind.

I released a series of urgent caws, anxiety gnawing at me as I tracked their movements.Rosemary's gentle breaths remained steady, undisturbed by my warnings.The wolves paused outside the cave, their leader, a massive gray male, lifting his muzzle to scent the air.Despite the protective spells I'd cast, they'd found us.

But instead of attacking immediately, they waited.As if they were following orders.As if this was planned.

Panic ignited within me, and I jumped from my perch, swooping down from the tree and into the cave.But instead of diving at them in a futile attack, I flew directly to Rosemary, landing on her shoulder and nipping gently at her hair, trying to wake her without alerting the wolves to my presence.

My heart pounded as the lead wolf stepped into the cave, his massive form blocking the entrance.Behind him, three others took positions, cutting off any escape.These wolves seemed to be searching for her with specific intent.I let out the softest caw I could manage, hoping to rouse her without drawing attention.

Finally, Rosemary stirred, her body shifting as consciousness slowly returned.But before she could fully wake, the lead wolf stepped forward, his form shimmering and changing.Bones cracked and reformed as he shifted from wolf to man, a tall, muscular figure with a wolf paw tattoo inked over his broad chest.

"We've been waiting for you," he said, his voice carrying the authority of an alpha.His warm brown eyes, tinged with the yellow of his wolf form, studied Rosemary as she jerked fully awake."The prophecies speak of a golden-haired healer who would come seeking the cursed flower.We needed to know if you were truly her, or just another pretender."

I fluttered frantically around Rosemary's head, torn between protecting her and revealing my true nature.She looked around wildly, taking in the massive wolves surrounding us and the man who blocked our only exit.I swung threateningly in front of the wolves again, slightly relieved as they both sat on their haunches.I fluttered to the mossy floor, landing in front of Rosemary as if I could protect her in this crow form into which I'd been cursed.

"Elias?"she called out into the shadows.I hopped closer to her, my attention shifting between her and the shifters."Herb?"

Her entire body tensed and she slammed herself into the cavern wall.I whipped around, noticing that the wolf on the right no longer sat; instead, he prowled closer, his tongue licking at his glistening teeth.I flapped my wings, lifting myself into the air again as I cawed menacingly at him.Its gaze never shifted from Rosemary, as if she were a prize to be captured.I charged at him, my claws outstretched as I fought against the wolves’ attack.

The wolf reared onto its hind legs, a monstrous shadow falling over me.I barely had a second to react before its massive paw came slashing toward me.I darted right, wings beating furiously, but I wasn't fast enough.

A crushing force slammed into my side.Pain exploded through my ribs as I was flung through the air, weightless for a terrifying moment before my body smashed against cold, unyielding stone.A sharp crack rang through the night.My wing.Broken.

Agony lanced through me as I tumbled onto the damp moss below, my vision flickering.I tried to rise, to take flight, but fire burned through my veins, locking me in place.My breaths came in ragged gasps.The world spun.

A low growl rumbled nearby, closer now.The wolf was coming.

I fought against the blackness creeping in, tried to cry out, a warning, a plea, anything, but the sound that left me was weak, merely a squeak.

I couldn’t move, could barely remain conscious, as I lay in a broken heap along the back wall.The man, clearly the pack's alpha, stepped closer."Your companion left you unprotected," he said, his voice carrying disappointment.With his back to Rosemary, only I saw the half-wink sent my useless way."But we have been watching you, healer.We know what you are capable of.We know why you seek the flower that blooms only under the full moon."

"What do you want from me?"Rosemary demanded, pressing herself against the cave wall.

"We need your help," the alpha replied."One of our own lies dying, cursed by the same dark magic that plagues your sister.Twisted from the queen’s original curse to something deadlier.If you truly are a seelie healer, prove it.Save our son, and we will guide you to the flower you seek.”

The russet-colored wolf prowled closer to where the alpha stood, toward where I still lay prone against the stone.Within three blinks of my eyes, she shifted until she stood completely naked next to the alpha.

“That’s not all,” she added.“The queen isn't just casting random curses.She's testing them.Each victim teaches her how to make the magic stronger, more resistant to breaking.Your sister was the prototype.Our son is the refinement.And if we can't stop the pattern here?—"

The alpha cut in as his expression hardened."You will join our eternal hunt, running through these woods until the end of time.”

“She's building toward something bigger," Rosemary breathed, understanding flooding through her."A curse that can't be broken at all.”

A shiver ran down my back.If I didn’t break the curse soon, my fate was sealed.

The russet colored wolf shifted standing as a tall auburn haired woman."The final version will target entire bloodlines simultaneously," the she-wolf added, tears in her eyes."Every magical family in the realm, all falling into eternal sleep at once.An end to magic itself.So, healer.My name is Freya, and this is my mate, Malcolm.I realize this is a terrible way to make one’s acquaintance, but time is rather limited."

The other wolves shifted restlessly on their paws, their eyes never leaving Rosemary.I could see the calculation in the alpha's gaze, the way he studied her reaction.This wasn't a random encounter.They'd been waiting, testing, preparing for this moment.

"How do you know about my sister?"Rosemary whispered.

"The same magic that cursed our pup has been spreading through these lands for months," Malcolm, the alpha, said grimly."Children falling into enchanted sleep, their life forces slowly draining away.Your sister was not the first victim, and our son will not be the last unless someone with true power can break the pattern."

I felt Rosemary's resolve strengthen as she drew herself to her full height even as fear washed across her face.She looked at me, but the alpha, Malcolm, stepped in her line of sight, ushering her toward the exit.