Page 48 of Rejected By the Winter Wolf

Some psycho-babble bullshit.

“Greetings, Alpha,” the pack responds.

My skin crawls as their attention turns to me. Some hot, some chilled. All angry. All ready to kill me if I so much as twitch the wrong way.

My amulet is warming up again.

I stare down at my bare feet. My skin is streaked with dirt, bits of loose grass clinging to my toes.

Kian clears his throat, and gazes snap back to him.

“I know many of you have questions for me.” He inclines his chin. “I’ve been acting with our best interests at heart. I seek to end the curse that has plagued us. But this path is going to take me away from you for a while.”

I narrow my eyes. He didn’t say that.

Yeah, he said we were going to track down a blood witch. But I assumed he meant he was going to interrogate me, or use me to find covens, or… I don’t know, scry for one.

Scrying did not work out so well for you last time, Astra.

“The witch has promised her help to break our curse.”

That gets a bigger reaction. Gasps and horrified looks. The room breaks out into murmurs, some much louder than others. Kian lets them voice their protests uninterrupted. The anger doesn’t stop building, though. If anything, it seems to swell.

I shift my weight. It’s all directed my way, isn’t it?

Kian raises his free hand. “Enough.”

They stop.

“This is not up for discussion. This is not a debate. Matteo is in charge while we’re gone. You know the rules.”

He’s taking me away from here. Really.

The relief that courses through me is strong enough to knock me over.

“What if she betrays you?” someone calls.

My head jerks up.

Jessamine. She leans forward, her chin propped on her fist. “Will you kill her?”

I scowl at her. “I’m not an idiot.”

She smiles.

Kian releases my arm. The amulet is heating against my skin in warning, but I step away from him anyway. Closer to his sister.

“He just said I promised to help,” I say. It was a slight fib on his part, but whatever. I’ll roll with it. For now. “Do you think my word means so little?”

She rises. “I think your word means less than the dirt under my shit, witch. I think my brother is a fool to put his faith in you⁠—”

Something we have in common.

“—and you’re better off put down.”

“You hide behind this curse,” I scoff. “You think that’s the root of all your problems. The real problem is that you’re afraid, dog.”

She lunges for me.