Page 31 of Cursed Magic

My vision blurred, and my eyes burned as tears filled them. I blinked, holding them back. I wouldn’t cry in front of Raven, and I damn well refused to cry in front of Bruce. I wouldn’t allow anyone to know that Reid’s words had hurt me so extensively.

“So when the Blackwoods alerted us that your pack had been attacked, at first, I was relieved that someone had taken care of a potential problem.” He grimaced. “But when I got on-site and saw the way your pack was massacred… It was brutal. Something beyond hate, and I instantly felt awful for being grateful for those few minutes.”

Wow. He wasn’t holding back. There still was no scent of a lie, which informed me that he was being sincere and brutally honest. “Well, it’s nice to know that one of the alphas my father considered a friend didn’t celebrate his death for too long.”

“You wanted full transparency, so that’s what I’m giving you.” Bruce crossed his arms, which made him appear more tired than flustered or ornery. “I’m still ashamed that I felt relief, but at that moment, I wasn’t picturing your father… I didn’t imagine his face, or even yours, as one of the dead. When I saw who had been slaughtered, it truly sank in. And I will never forgive myself for those few weak moments.”

Sis, Ryker is about to lose his shit.Briar’s concern poured from her.

I need a few more minutes. He’s telling me why he kept you captive, and after that, I want Ryker to join us.

“That night, I tossed and turned, so ashamed that I’d let a friend down. That I hadn’t taken his side when his pack and his daughter were being humiliated. Maybe if I hadstood beside you, the Blackwoods would’ve thought twice about attacking your home.” He rubbed a hand on his arm. “So I got up and went for a run. And that’s when I found Briar washed up on the embankment and barely breathing. In that second, I realized that even though I couldn’t undo what I’d done, I could at least try to make a bit of amends for abandoning you all.”

I wanted to lash out at him, but I’d made similar mistakes that had gotten me into that situation in the first place. Had I not fully trusted the Blackwoods, maybe I would’ve seen warning signs.

“And you held her against her will? That’s how you wanted to make amends?” Raven chuckled darkly.

“That wasn’t the intent.” He lifted both hands in surrender. “At first, we restrained her because we feared she might wake up when no one was near and run off. At that point, we hadn’t begun to suspect the Blackwoods, but we also didn’t know who we could trust anymore. I alpha-willed my entire pack to keep silent about her being with us.”

So he had a somewhat reasonable justification for doing it at first. “And why was she still handcuffed when we found her?”

“She was unconscious and recovering for almost a week. We’d begun getting worried about how long it was taking her to wake, but we suspected part of it was the loss of all her pack links. She’d only been awake a few days before you arrived, and when she regained consciousness, she was desperate to get away and wouldn’t listen to any reason. She refused to eat, drink, or anything unless she was freed to locate her sister. We couldn’t risk her escaping because it would not only bring danger to her but to our pack as well if she told people we’d restrained her.”

My heart twisted. I hadn’t considered that Briar might have been frightened upon waking. She was more sensitive and warmer than me, and I hated that the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind, but now that he said it, it made sense. “She said I was alive, but you seemed surprised to see me at the alpha meeting.”

“Because I was.” He patted his chest. “I thought she was struggling with grief and her connection to you was one that she had to pretend to maintain. And then, not only did you walk in, but you entered withhim. The very man who ran from an enemy to protect his own ass.”

Hot fury blazed through my veins as Bruce’s words hung between us, a challenge thinly veiled as a statement.

“If you speak of Ryker like that again, I’ll leave this room and never meet with you again.” I had to set boundaries and expectations so I was justified when I attacked him.

Raven adjusted the skirt of her black dress. “You won’t need to, Ember. I’ll have him removed from the premises because the vampires are allied with both your pack and the Grimstone pack.”

Nostrils flaring, Bruce pursed his lips as if he’d tasted something bad. “If anyone is part of these attacks—”

“He’snot. I can assure you.” My voice was steady but sharp as a blade. “He was on the brink of death after taking a knife in the side that had been intended for Briar. If anyone has earned my loyalty and trust, it’shim. And the vampires showed up tonight because of their relationship with Ryker, not me.”

I linked to Briar,It’s time.

Thank Fate. Ryker is literally pulling his hair right now.

Not even a second later, the door swung open, and Ryker entered.

Bruce looked over his shoulder and scowled. “I thought we were going to speak alone.”

“I gave you all the time I was willing to without Ryker by my side.” I held Bruce’s gaze. “From this point forward, Ryker and I are a package deal, with you and anyone else.”

Ryker’s eyes met mine, a flicker of something unspoken passing between us. He was a force of nature, his alpha energy commanding attention. He marched toward me and stopped once he stood on the opposite side of Raven.

“The only reason I didn’t demand to be in here at the beginning was due to my respect and trust in Ember.” Ryker wrinkled his nose as if looking at Bruce nauseated him. “The fact that you worked with the Blackwoods to attack us on your land was disgusting.”

Bruce’s expression became a mixture of anger and anguish, and he slammed his fist on the polished wood of the table. The sound echoed through the room, followed by his booming voice. “You think I’d willingly hand over half my pack to die to collaborate with the Blackwoods? What sort of alpha do you think I am?”

Not missing a beat, Ryker spat, “Apparently the same sort of leader you believeIam since you have no issue believing I left my pack, the royals, and my family to die.”

“Bruce, we understand your pain.” Raven’s expression softened as she leaned forward. “But if you can’t believe us, why should we believe you?”

“Because I’ve always tried to do what was right, and now that the enemy has attacked my pack, I want justice for them,” he snapped. “When I smelled the spilled blood of those I swore to protect and knew I’d failed them, I vowed to seek revenge, no matter the cost.”

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