Page 17 of Cursed Magic

Relief flooded our connection as Briar replied,You’re right. Thank you.

Raven took a few steps and turned back to look at Briar.

“Sorry, I’m a little out of it. A shower is just what I need.” Briar followed her back through the living room.

Wanting to get out of my shredded clothes and wash the blood off me, I headed toward the familiar bathroom, my feet dragging. The gold filigree mirror reflected my haggard appearance—tangled copper hair, dark circles under my eyes, and smears of dried blood across my skin. I peeled off my ruined clothes, wincing as the fabric pulled at the gouges on my back.

The shower’s marble tiles were cool under my feet as I stepped inside. I turned the ornate brass knobs, and hot water cascaded all over my body.

The water stung my wounds at first, andI hissed through clenched teeth. But as the initial shock faded, warmth began to seep into my aching muscles, easing some of the tension I’d been carrying.

I tilted my face up into the spray, letting the water run over my closed eyelids and down my cheeks. It washed away not just the dirt and blood but some of the fear and anxiety of the past few days.

The water was pink from all the blood that had coated me, and the urge to get clean took over.

I grabbed a bottle of shampoo, opened it, and inhaled deeply. The scent of lavender and vanilla filled my nostrils, replacing the stench of copper. I breathed it in and scrubbed my scalp, needing to erase the sticky feeling.

Then I worked in the conditioner and soaped up my entire body. After a lot of exertion, I managed to eradicate every trace of blood, and my wounds ached but in a way that didn’t seem disgusting anymore.

If I hadn’t been about to fall asleep on my feet, I would’ve stayed in the shower longer, but that would have to wait for another day.

But when I reached to turn off the water, a loud snarl from outside the bathroom shook the walls. My heart clenched, and my spine tingled in warning.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Another snarl reverberated through the walls, followed by a crash like shattering glass. My heart raced as I grabbed a plush crimson towel from the nearby rack.

“Where is she?” Ryker’s voice boomed, deep and guttural. “Has she left?”

Adrenaline surged through me, chasing away the exhaustion that had settled in my bones. I wasn’t sure if he was talking about Raven, Briar, or me, but it didn’t matter. He needed to get his ass back in bed so he could heal.

I hurriedly dried off, wincing as the towel brushed over the wounds on my back. Water dripped from my coppery hair, leaving trails down my skin as I snagged the black pajama pants and gray shirt Raven had left for me while Gage replied, “She’s in the shower. Chill, man.”

As I slipped on the clothes, my back throbbed with each movement. The soft fabric of the shirt clung to my damp skin, and I bit back a hiss as it touched the wounds. Every muscle in my body ached, a stark reminder of the night’s events.

“What do you mean she’s in theshower?” Ryker barked,his voice closer now. “She said she’d leave as soon as she got Briar back. She needs to go!”

The intensity in his tone sent a shiver down my spine, even as my heart ached at how desperate he sounded for me to be gone.

Kendric said tightly, “Ryker, you need to rest. You’ve lost a lot of blood. Ember is safe, I promise you.”

I yanked open the bathroom door, straightening my shoulders, ready to confront Ryker and figure out what the hell was going on. But once I stepped into the hallway, I froze at the sight before me.

Ryker stood in the middle of the corridor, his massive body taking up most of the space. His bare chest heaved with each ragged breath, and he winced with every movement, likely in pain from his injury. The muscles in his arms and back were coiled tight, and the bandage wrapped around his torso was already stained with fresh blood, a harsh reminder of how recently he’d been at death’s door.

His wild eyes locked onto mine, the gold flecks in them practically glowing in the dim light, the iridescent sheen still missing. His expression smoothed out, softening the hard lines of his face. But just as quickly, that relief morphed into something darker, more primal.

“You,” he snarled, taking a step toward me. “You need to leave.”

His words knocked the breath out of me. After everything we’d been through, after he’d nearly died saving my sister, this was how he wanted things to end? My chest constricted painfully, and a lump formed in my throat.

“Ryker, I don’t underst-stand.” My voice, barely above a whisper, cracked. My wolf whined and growled. She was hurt just as much as my human side but also didn’t like howvulnerable I sounded. I hated how much his rejection hurt, how it echoed Reid’s public humiliation.

He moved closer, his towering frame dwarfing mine. The heat radiating off his body enveloped me, a glaring contrast to the chill that had settled in my bones. His scent—a heady mix of pine, rain, and something uniquely Ryker—enveloped me, making my head spin.

He reached out and gently grasped my shoulder. Pain shot through me, along with the sparks that sometimes came with his touch. But the agony was so strong that I whimpered, unable to hold back the sound.

Ryker dropped his hand and froze. “What the fuck is wrong?” His eyes narrowed as he examined my shoulder.

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