Page 54 of Cursed Magic

“Can you link with Ryker?” My wolf ached as I spoke, desperate to see him. “Let him know what’s going on?” It was a good thing that I couldn’t pack-link with him because I might have tried to talk to him despite our needing space from one another.

“Do we have to?” Gage pouted. “He might find her and not tell anyone. I trust you more than him.”

The words were a slap in the face. I’d kept something from them too, but if I had shared, then Ryker’s spell would’ve been outed by me. “Yes, we need him.” The words were both hard and easy to say. Ryker was one of the strongest wolves out there, and we needed our best to be involved.

Xander’s eyes glowed. “I just informed him and Kendric—they’re on their way back now.”

“The four of you should meet with them and resolve this issue before we try to locate the witch.” Raven stood and smoothed her tunic over her black pants. “Like Ember said, we won’t be able to take a massive group, so we need to be able to operate well with each other. I’ll talk withLucinda and the others and coordinate the group from our side.”

My mouth dried. She was right. We all had to talk, but I wasn’t sure that this problem could be fixed in the time we had. This issue was one of massive betrayal and lack of trust.

We all exited the study, leaving the laptop and maps scattered across the table. Raven headed out the front door, and Briar’s footsteps padded right behind me.

Raven’s right. It’s imperative we get on the same side before we head out. I’ll talk to Ryker first so we can determine how to solidify the group. Can you distract Xander and Gage so they don’t follow me outside?Even though all that was true, I also needed to see how bad things were between Ryker and me. I didn’t want to figure that out with an audience.

She nodded and gave my arm a comforting squeeze.I got you, sis.

As I stepped into the backyard, the cool mountain air hit my face, and my wolf grew restless. We hadn’t shifted in days, and she wanted to be free. However, I hadn’t wanted to risk running into Ryker while he wanted distance from me.

The sounds of leaves crunching had me looking to the right, and Kendric stepped out of the trees. Twigs stuck out of his dark hair, and his mouth was set in a deep frown. He slowed down to speak, but I wanted him gone before Ryker got here. I had to talk to Ryker alone.

“I’ll be in shortly with Ryker.” I stood straight, trying to appear more confident than the trembling mess I was inside. “I need to talk to him.”

His eyes flickered with understanding, buthe didn’t push. “Sure thing.” Then he slipped past me and went into the house without another word.

My gaze returned to the tree line where Ryker’s brown wolf was peeking at me from behind the tree trunks. He vanished, and bones cracked, informing me he was shifting back to human form. Moments later, he emerged in jeans, still pulling on a shirt as he walked toward me.

The way his abs rippled distracted me, and I noticed his wound had vanished from him being in animal form. Heat flooded my body, and my legs took a step toward him without my permission.

He frowned and stopped about fifteen feet from me, making it clear he didn’t want to get any closer.

For some reason, I hadn’t expected that, and I flinched outwardly. “I…I wanted to talk to you.”

He laughed bitterly, making me realize that maybe he didn’t want me at all anymore.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“Sonowyou want to talk?” His voice was sharp and harsh. “Right when we’re getting ready to go fucking fight?”

My pulse quickened, and I forced myself to hold his gaze. “I wanted to talk to you the other night, but when Briar came into the room, you left.”

He bared his teeth. “I stuck around after eating that steak, but you never joined me. In fact, you never came out of the bedroom.”

The distance between us felt like a chasm, and my chest tightened. He had actually waited for me.

“I’ve been out here for three days, and right before we potentially have to find a witch, you decide it’s time to talk?” He crossed his arms, his chest muscles taut beneath the fabric of his shirt. “If this is how you make yourself feel better before facing another threat, don’t bother.” He moved toward the door, passing right by me.

Snatching his arm, I turned him to face me, the jolt of the connection stronger than ever. My wolf surged forward,insistent I never let him go. “That’s not fair.” My voice cracked. “I didn’t know you waited on me.”

He pulled his arm out of my grip, his eyes a stormy haze. “That’s what I do, Ember, ever since I realized I can’t fight what I feel for you anymore. Wait on you. Chase you. But when it comes down to it, you’re the one who keeps pushing me away. I bared my heart to you, and you told me you weren’t ready. I respected that while holding out hope. Not anymore.”

His words cut deep, and I struggled to find my voice. “I don’t mean to push you away.” My breathing was uneven. “I was confused. After everything that happened…after you didn’t tell me about the magic…I didn’t know if I could trust you.”

For a moment, he just stood there, jaw clenched tight enough that I thought it might shatter. Then his expression gentled slightly. “You think this is all about me keeping secrets? You had one of your own.”

He turned again, ready to end the conversation, but something in him hesitated long enough for me to close the gap between us.

“If I had told you that Raven talked to me about detecting magic on you, it would’ve meant you’d never be able to tell me yourself. I wanted you to confide inmeand your pack. I kept hoping you would, but you never even seemed close to it.”

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