Page 24 of Cursed Magic

I placed my hand on his lower back, and the inexplicable connection surged again. My hand trembled, and my wolf whimpered and howled in frustration. She wanted to connect with him physically, but she also wanted him not to die. Fortunately, him not dying won, so I managed to guide him forward with a level head.

I noticed a slight tremor in his legs and the way his breath caught with each movement. He must have been so eager to find me that adrenaline overrode his pain. But after we’d kissed, it had caught up with him again.

As we reached the kitchen, I noticed Raven’s and Briar’s scents, but this time, they were stronger, like they’d recentlybeen here. As we continued to the door that led to the soundproof bedroom with the four queen beds, the scent went the same way.

When I opened the door, each Grimstone pack member was on his bed, and Raven and Briar were standing in the center of the room.

All eyes turned to us, and Raven’s attention went straight to Ryker’s wound. I tried to gauge her reaction, but her expression didn’t change.

“How,” she enunciated with deadly calm, “did his wound manage to reopen?”

Kendric, Xander, and Gage tilted their heads expectantly, not even attempting to come to our defense, while Briar’s hand pressed against her chest. Her wet hair appeared auburn and clung to her violet top, leaving wet spots.

“I’m still waiting for an answer as to why the three of them let him leave this room.” Briar glared at the three pack members who had left Ryker and me alone in the hallway.

On the left side of the room, Gage lifted both hands from his bed. “We did go after him, but he wouldn’t listen. He had to see if Ember was still here, and when he found her, the two of them argued. The three of us were super uncomfortable around the sexual tension brewing between them, and we felt like perverts watching. The entire hallway smelled like a brothel, so we left. We knew Ember would take care of him, or he would link to us if needed.”

Ryker snarled, and his body coiled, making it wet with fresh blood. “Never. Compare. What we share. To. A. Brothel.”

Briar’s head tilted back, her gaze darting between Ryker and me. The room fell silent, the only sounds the rapid beating of my heart and Ryker’s ragged breathing.

If I could have cloaked like our enemies, I would have done it in that moment. Ryker wasn’t even pretending to dislike me anymore, which meant I had to do something before people got the wrong idea.

I cleared my throat. “This conversation is irrelevant. Ryker and I weren’t having sex, so comparing us to a brothel is extreme. My priority is getting this pain in the ass in bed so he can heal.”

Ryker’s head jerked in my direction as he snorted. “I’mthe pain in the ass? Maybe you should go look in a mirror.”

I forced my jaw to drop, trying to relieve the tension in the room. “What? Me?Never!” Maybe I made things challenging for people who didn’t agree with me, but I only did what I felt was right.

“Hey, tonight you were a badass.” Xander bowed his head. “If it weren’t for you, I’m pretty certain none of us would’ve made it out alive.”

“Then I can count on you doing me a solid.” I directed Ryker past the others and nudged him down on the bed. The descending moon shone through the windows, giving the room a twilit feel. “Keep his ornery butt in bed until he sleeps for at least twelve hours.”

A loud groan escaped Ryker as he lay down. His blanched skin was almostvampire-light. My gut twisted. I wished I could take his pain away.

“They won’t have to.” Ryker shifted in bed, the skin around his eyes tight. “I’ll do it for you.”

From his spot across from Ryker’s bed, Kendric chuckled. “Of course he will.”

My spine stiffened, and my injury throbbed. Awareness that everyone was still watching us seized me. Still, I couldn’t stop myself from pushing his hair out of his eyes. “Please get some rest. Okay?”

His eyelids were already drooping. “Anything for you.”

A lump formed in my throat, and my vision blurred. I needed him to turn back into the guarded asshole who wasn’t so kind to me. I needed some distance. And fast.

I took a few steps back, already missing the heat of his skin. I forced myself to turn my back on him and focus on Raven. “Where do Briar and I sleep tonight?”

“We brought an air mattress in here. I figured the six of you would want to stay together.” Raven gestured to a mattress placed against another wall, already blown up, with covers and two pillows.

My shoulders relaxed. I hadn’t realized that I’d been nervous about not being in the same room as the Grimstones. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Raven yawned and opened the door. “All of you, rest. The vampires are on their way back, so once I debrief with them and the queen, I’ll be getting some sleep myself.”

The guys didn’t hesitate, relaxing in their beds as Briar and I headed to our mattress. The two of us got settled, with me taking the side where I could check on Ryker easily. I whimpered faintly as I tried to get comfortable.

Briar linked,What exactly happened between you two in the hallway?

Nothing that’s—I stopped myself because what I was about to say was a lie, and she’d know.Worth talking about.

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