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She chuckled. “I like you. Even when your situation is dire, you opt for honesty.”
“I’m tired of secrets. Can you help me uncover a few more?”
“Curse breaking requires multiple witches working in tandem. A coven, in other words. And as for your wolf, you’d have better luck asking one of the alphas you came with. I don’t know any magic that would help, and my own wolf is not an alpha. In fact, we might be less dominant than you. It’s hard to tell.”
“Ah, I see.”
Brielle was just a lone mage. She truly didn’t have the power needed to help, since she didn’t have a coven. And as for my wolf… the Howling Echo and the Moonblessed alpha pair had already tried — even the combined command of five alpha wolves hadn’t been enough to force me to shift. I tried to hide my disappointment, but she could probably tell my hopes were dashed.
As always, I was left hopeless, helpless, and unable to change my circumstances. The only way I’d escaped my fate as the lowest of the Ironwood pack was thanks to them throwing me out. Now I found out I had magic, which might have given me a chance to make my own way in the world, only for that brief flicker of hope to be snuffed out as well.
I numbly took a sip of my tea, then wished I hadn’t. It wasn’t to my tastes at all.
Naturally, the observant mage noticed and took pity on me, reaching over to take back the mug.
“Go back to your eavesdropping friends outside. I’ll come out after I get something ready for you.”
“What is it?” I asked, dreaming of a potion or an enchanted sword I could use to cut down the Ironwood wolves as they chased me.
“Nothing special. But leave me two strands of your long, white hair.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise, but I did as she’d asked, yanking out two of my hairs straight from my head. Then I laid them across her palm. I’d suffered much worse before, and Shante trusted Brielle, so I did as well.
“Go on.”
The mage shooed me out of her house like an unwanted puppy. It was time to face my new reality as a double-cursed witch/wolf hybrid… who was on the run thanks to a fake fated mate curse.
Chapter 4
Freya
Back outside, I found Shante loitering close to the window, alone. The three Howling Echo wolves were gone.
“Don’t worry,” my friend reassured me. “They’ll be back. Flint… needed to check on something.”
She gave me a crooked smile like she knew exactly what was going on but didn’t want to worry me.
With my emotions in a confusing mess, I couldn’t blame her. “I’m guessing you heard what Brielle told me?”
“I’m a wolf shifter.” Shante smiled and shrugged. “What did you expect?”
The sound of something heavy being dragged through underbrush and leaves caused both of us to turn. Flint hauled the body of a massive grayish brown wolf through the undergrowth by its rear leg. Though he wore pants, Flint’s naked arms and chest were splattered with blood, and I gasped and ran toward him.
“Flint! Are you okay?” I asked.
“Don’t worry.” Shante grabbed my arm, holding me back. “That much blood means the other guy is dead.”
Flint let go of the wolf, revealing a giant chunk of its throat was missing. A trail of blood led back into the forest. I didn’t recognize the wolf as being from the Ironwood pack, which meant he was likely a rogue alpha drawn in by my scent. Ishuddered, remembering the first time Flint had protected me. That had been too close for comfort.
“He killed a fellow alpha for you, Freya,” Shante murmured.
“It’s not the first time,” I whispered back.
With fresh eyes, I stared at Flint’s heaving chest, covered in blood. He bent to take the shifter’s sling bag, his arms and shoulders rippling like the predator he was. Then he wiped off his hands and face with the clothing he found inside, followed by his chest.
His eyes shone with pride and satisfaction, glinting gold with his wolf so close to the surface. He always protected me, whether or not I wanted him to. Against rogue alphas. Even against his own packmates.
My wolf was feeling a similar sense of pride — pleased with his ability and willingness to protect. And smug satisfaction that the other female wolf knew he was mine.
