Page 60 of Freed By the Witchbone Knife

It had rained all day Thursday and Friday, making the ground soggy. Not an ideal day for hiking. And certainly less ideal for the UTV he kept stored in his workshop. But they’d make do.

They had a lot of ground to cover.

“Ready?” He looked at Rebecca, lingering over her features.

She was grinning. “I’ve always wanted to ride in one of these.”

He’d cornered her this morning over breakfast—told her there’d be a change of plans. That they’d be taking the UTV out today, that he had something he wanted to show her. She’d been wary but eager, especially when he packed lunches for them, making it clear they’d be gone a large part of the day.

She’d spent the time after breakfast getting the bunnies set for a day away, ensuring they had plenty of toys to keep them occupied in their absence. He might have stolen a few moments to watch her with them, feeling almost jealous over the way she doted on them.

He was mollified by the fact that he’d get her to himself the majority of the day.

It was a rough ride as the UTV bobbed along, climbing and descending the terrain. He knew the layout of his land, knew what routes to take. There were no paths or tracks—nothing groomed. But that’s where the UTV excelled.

Every time he went over a bump or sailed down a dip in the forest, his little witch made an excited noise. Soon enough, he was grinning too. There was something about feeling the breeze against your skin and the exhilaration that came with the vehicle’s speed.

Most of the time, it wasn’t as fast as he could have run in wolf form. But they had a lot of ground to cover. He’d meant what he said the other night. That they’d get Rebecca’s magic back. Do whatever it took.

And that meant he couldn’t hold back anymore. Couldn’t let his selfish desire to keep her close overshadow what needed to happen. It was especially clear after Ambrose Blackthorn overstepped one too many times.

The gobshite had since sent several more texts. But it was the call from her mother that had blindsided Rebecca and sent him over the edge.

He’d overheard the whole thing.

Rebecca didn’t know—hadn’t heard him come in last night. Her parents were pressuring her to marry into the Blackthorn family. They’d called her selfish for wanting to postpone the wedding when she could marry him tomorrow and bind their families together. Break the curse.

Over his dead fucking body was he letting his mate marry that fucker.

Which meant he could no longer avoid the one thing he’d spent the majority of his entire existence avoiding.

The vehicle ate up the miles that would have taken all day for Rebecca on foot, while he could have easily run the distance in his wolf form. But it was all the gear they were hauling that made it especially desirable. He didn’t know what they would find when they got there. He wanted to be prepared for all eventualities. She hadn’t seen what he’d packed, since he’d prepared the packs before dawn.

But she’d know soon enough.

An hour melted into two. It was a bone-jarring ride, even for him. The engine was loud, and they had to shout to be heard, so there wasn’t much talking. That was probably for the best.

He’d owned this land for over twenty years. Spent the first five meticulously mapping it out. Some parts were more familiar than others. Some parts he avoided more than others. One place in particular, he avoided at all costs.

Which was why, when he pulled up to the cave’s entrance and cut the engine, he barely recognized the site.

“Is that…? Is this…?” Rebecca’s voice was breathless, her gaze fixed on the black, yawning mouth, nestled in the deep ravine of the forest. Her hands trembled as she fussed and fumbled with the harness. He reached over to help her. She barely noticed, stumbling out of the vehicle, her eyes wide.

He climbed out and waited, standing a safe distance behind her.

Every hair on his body stood on end. His muscles were coiled tight. His breathing already erratic.

He kept his eyes on Rebecca. Not the cave’s entrance.

So he saw the moment the realization sank in.

The betrayal in her expression cut him to the bone.

He’d been prepared for it, but it still hurt. It was an expression he never wanted to see on her. Certainly not directed at him.

“You knew this was here.”

He said nothing, his tongue cemented to the roof of his mouth.