Page 56 of Cursed

I inhale his smoky scent and truly appreciate the smell of smoke for the first time. It comforts me, knowing my dragon is on my side.

Branden races off to case the perimeter of the hospital. He returns with a frown. “I don’t see anything suspicious, which is more of a red flag than not. So either they have taken Myra already, or they may all be inside.”

“Let’s go,” Quade orders. “If we have beaten them here, then we should take advantage of that.” He stares into my eyes, then gives me a desperate kiss as if we were saying goodbye. He says to Arden and Landis, “At the first sign of trouble, you are out of here. We rendezvous at our appointed backup location. Got it?”

“Got it,” they chime back.

Branden gives me a soft peck on the lips.

Then Rourke, still feeling precarious about our status, cradles my chin in his warm hand and kisses me on the forehead.

“Come back to me,” I whisper.

“Always.” Rourke gives me a crooked smile, almost as if we were back to that first night.

My heart stutters. I want to chase after my dragon shifter, make him mine completely. The urge to bite into his flesh is almost overwhelming.

They move down the forest line, eventually crossing the road so as to not give up my location to any eyes watching for trouble.

I whimper when they slip into the building at a side entrance.

Landis and Arden pin themselves to my sides and soothe me with their presence and warmth.

I don’t want to voice my worries as we wait… and wait. I worry my two empaths might say everything will be alright and jinx us.

But as soon as I have that thought, I feel it.

Theyarein trouble.

Quade tries to shut down our bond, so I won’t react. Branden is panicking, which is a fucking horrible sign. And through Rourke’s bond, I feel the ache of wanting to shift. He wants to see them all burn for what these monsters are doing.

I don’t think.

I just run.

To help my mates.

Arden and Landis curse and, thankfully, don’t try to stop me. Because if they did, I don’t know what my magic might do.

A raging bubble of magic grows rapidly inside me. I could go off like a bomb.

When I crash through the front doors of the hospital and I see what’s going on, I believe I will do just that.

18

WRECKED

BRANDEN

Iglance back to Shayla’s hiding spot in the tree line and regret agreeing to be part of the team to go inside to get Myra. Of course, it makes sense. I’m the fastest, so I will be able to race her out of there if need be. But my instincts tell me to stay with my mate. I don’t know if they are just my primal instincts insisting I protect my love, or if it’s something outside of that. I don’t have enough experience with being bonded to know.

Fear that something will happen to her while I’m distracted grips me to the point where I’m ready to piss her off and abandon this mission.

Sure, it’s the right thing to save Myra. Not only is this victim a good friend of my mate, but she might hold valuable information. If she can identify the council members as being behind the magic draining ring, then we will be that much closer to ending their operation.

Many of the Enforcers are bought and paid for, but the public at large will not take kindly to the fact that they are only a magical food source for the rich and powerful. So many have lost loved ones to this disgusting situation. There will be an uprising if we can get the word out.

But first things first. Get Myra and get the fuck out of here before one or all of us is captured or killed.

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