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I lifted the bottle, turned it up, and allowed the smooth brown liquor to travel down my throat with large gulps. It burned but I didn’t care. I needed something to mollify the chaos in my head.
After a few minutes I slammed the bottle on the counter, crossed the hall, and let myself into my brother’s apartment. He glanced at me over his shoulder before turning completely. His son,my nephew, was in his arms.
“She can’t stay here.” He spoke calmly and I narrowed my eyes but his expression remained unmoved.
“You don’t make decisions about my life, Laz.”
“Don’t I, though? I am…”
“Say that shit again and I will send my fist into your face. You’re only the Alpha because I allow you to be. Don’t you dare forget my role in this family.”
Laz snorted, bouncing the baby in his arms before he kissed his little head. The visual was strange. My brother softened for his kid. “You’re the oldest but you’re not acting like a leader, Xan. What the fuck is going on with you?Toyinis your mate. She was selected for you by the Moon Goddess. You have a connection to each other through the universe. Nothing is greater than that bond. Why would you deny her?”
“Because I have to. We can’t be together.”
“You’ve been together, Xan. You have a son.”
“Fuck…” I hissed and began pacing. “This can’t be happening.”
“It is happening. He’s here. There’s nothing you can do about it. Why don’t you just seal the bond and…”
“Because I can’t. You’re not listening,” I growled.
While I was erratic, Laz remained calm, watching me closely. After a minute he kissed his son on the head and placed him into a travel playpen before moving to me. He placed a hand on my shoulder and gripped firmly. “We need to talk. You’re going to explain what the hell is going on with you.”
My eyes darted around his apartment and he read my mind.
“She’s not here. Jo and Zion left with Toyin and the baby to make sure she made it home safely and that she was okay.”
I nodded tightly and he pointed to the living room. I followed and sat, dropping my elbows to my thighs and my face into my palms.
“Explain because none of this is making sense. I get that she’s human…”
“Awitch,” I stated tightly.
“Okay a witch, which is not ideal but not all that unheard of.”
“Not just any witch, Laz.”
“Toyin is a healer. Her magic is safe. Hell, if it weren’t for her, Jo wouldn’t be here. I know you’re not afraid of a little magic.”
“That’s who she is now. But if I claim her, she’ll become something else and we’ll all be in trouble.”
“Trouble how?” Laz glared my way and I closed my eyes, shaking my head.
“Toyin is an Equinox witch. A pure blood Equinox.”
I noticed the minute it registered.
“The stories Mom used to tell us?”
“Yes, but they're not just stories, Laz. It’s real. Very fucking real.”
Centuries ago when witches and werewolves were at war, those who crossed lines and indulged in forbidden love became victims of a standing curse. If they mated, the witches were granted access to magic so powerful it couldn’t be contained or controlled. The witches, no matter light or dark, shifted and were tasked with murdering their mate, their families, their entire packs. It was like a blood thirst that couldn’t be controlled, something the witches came up with to keep their covens pure. Both sides feared the consequences so mating was forbidden and avoided.
“You mean to tell me your mate is a descendant of the Sovran Coven and if you seal the bond and claim her, she’s going to try to kill you.”
“Not just me. Anyone I love—our pack, ourchildwho has my blood running through his veins. Bonding with me will not only make her want to do so, it will give her the power to make it happen. We can conquer everythingbutmagic. There won’t be a damn thing I can do to stop the thirst to kill, which will consume Toyin. It’s why I’ve rejected her all this time.”
