Page 91 of The Witch’s Daughter

Jaxon rested his forehead against mine. “No.”

“You don’t understand.” I stiffened in his arms. “Vincent is crazy. I think he’s performing blood magic. But I can’t accuse him of that without proof. If I could just find out his motivation…”

“His motivation is power,” Jaxon said. “Absolute power corrupts.”

“No, that’s too simple.” I shook my head, hating how worried Jaxon looked.

“Is it?” he asked. “Because it happens all the time. We always knew the same thing could happen to me too. That’s why Lisa made sure I thought about you before I did anything. And that’s why you should stay here, where I need you to be.”

He really played that last bit up.

Gods, I loved this male.

“I can’t.” One day, I’d make it up to him. I swore it. “Calla is still there. And I saw—or dreamed—Gram warning me. It’s not just my sisters I need to protect. I know Sarah spoke with her Alpha, but she’s hiding something from him.”

I took a breath, ready to argue my point further even as my wolf whined, begging me to stay a little longer.

Jaxon pressed his lips to my forehead in a gentle kiss. “I know.”

“And another thing…Wait.” I pushed back so I could look at him. “You know what?”

“I know you’re a kickass wolf-witch and you need to see this through to prove something to yourself, but can you just let me pretend that I have some say when it comes to protecting my mate?” He shrugged with one shoulder. “Figured I’d ask, because my beast is riding me hard and wants you to stay.”

Tell him his wolf is the only other rational being here.

I smiled. “Say that again.”

“My wolf part or begging you to stay?” he asked.

“The part where you called me your mate.” I looped my arms around his neck, holding him closer to me, and silently promising I’d do whatever it took to make this up to him for the rest of my life.

*

Somehow, I made it out of Jaxon’s tent before the sun had fully risen. Not that he let me go. His massive black wolf stalked me through the early gray dawn, past the quiet claps from Gentry’s and the twins’ tents that made my cheeks flush bright red.

Jaxon’s wolf growled a bit, but he followed me to the training field where I stopped to scratch his big jaw.

“Let Alpha Kera know about the blood magic,” I said. “Tell her I’ll find proof, and then we’ll get out of here.”

His wolf whined and I wished we’d sealed our bond so we could speak telepathically, but we’d have the rest of forever to figure it out.

I’d make sure of it.

“I’ll find a way to come see you at the trials today,” I swore to him. Now that I knew what we were to each other, there was no denying the ache I’d felt in my chest my entire life. No wonder I always wanted to be close to him. Being near him made me feel like me. Brave, and strong, and powerful again.

Jaxon’s wolf pawed at the ground, giving me a chance to change my mind and come with him.

She won’t, my wolf grumbled. Stubborn human.

“Go now before you get me caught.” I kissed his big furry snout.

With one last whine, he bounded back the way we came, and I steeled myself for what was coming next.

I moved fast, creeping over the valley ridge and dipping into the shadows of the war tents, where nothing much moved except for a warlock or two on patrol. The first rays of sun were barely breaking the horizon when I found my tent.

That’s when I heard the screams.

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