Page 12 of Cursed Magic

All sense of calm vanished. Before she could touch him, my possessive instincts took over, and I smacked her hand away.

I almost snapped,Don’t touch him. He belongs to me!But somehow, I managed to keep my lips sealed.

Briar’s gaze jerked in my direction. Her eyes widened as she placed her hand back in her lap. “What the hell? Why did you do that?”

“What’s going on back there?” Raven asked, her voice tense. “I still hear his heart beating, so you need to tell me what’s wrong.”

I rubbed my hands together, feeling gooeyness from the blood caked on them. The fierce protectiveness I’d felt moments ago began to ebb, replaced by a lump of confusion and guilt in my throat. I struggled to find words to explain myself, knowing I couldn’t reveal the possessive thoughts that had raced through my mind.

“I—I’m sorry,” I stammered, forcing myself to maintain eye contact with her so I didn’t come off even more peculiar. “We don’t know if there was anything on the blade, so it’s best if you don’t touch the wound, just in case.”

Briar’s eyes narrowed, but she nodded. “That makes sense, but why the hell didyoutouch the wound then? Your life is more important than mine.”

A wave of guilt crashed over me. I struggled to find the right words to explain my actions. While my excuse might make logical sense, I hadn’t even considered it until I’d wanted to hide the reason for my gut reaction.

She was right. If the blade had been poisoned ormagicked, I could have been infected. “I didn’t think about it until just now. I wasn’t trying to put myself at risk, but Briar, I’ll do anything to protect you. My life isn’t more important than yours, and I never want to hear you say that again.” Iwasprotecting her now, even from myself, since my gut reaction had been to inflict pain on her so that she never wanted to touch Ryker again.

I couldn’t believe the powerful possessive instinct that had surged through me, even toward Briar.

Inhaling through my mouth, I tasted the strong copper scent. It mixed with the salty, sour taste on my tongue. My heart seized inside my chest with so much pain and worry over Ryker.

He had become a distraction. One I couldn’t afford and had to get away from. Briar’s safety was all that mattered now. I couldn’t afford to worry about strange feelings or impossible healing, and I especially couldn’t give another man the power to hurt and humiliate me. I’d made that mistake once, and I refused to do it ever again.

Which meant I had only one choice. “Once we know Ryker is safe, we need to get you away from all this. We need to leave and start fresh somewhere away from here. Somewhere the shadows can’t find us.”

She bit her bottom lip. “But where else can we go? We have no pack, no home.”

Her words hung heavy in the air, the brutal truth of our situation hitting me like a punch to the gut. How could I keep Briar safe when I couldn’t even trust my own instincts?

I gazed out the window at the blur of trees rushing past, searching for answers in the shadowy landscape. The forest seemed to mock us with its vastness, offering a thousand hiding places and just as many dangers. Moonlight filtered through the branches, casting eerie shadows thatdanced and twisted, reminding me of the iridescent attackers only I could see.

“I’m using my centuries’ worth of patience right now, but it’s running low,” Raven said, steering the vehicle on the curvy road. “What’s going on with Ryker? I’ve only been able to stay quiet this long because I don’t hear blood like I could before. Were you able to clot it?”

My focus landed back on Ryker’s wound, and I could suddenly feel the floorboard biting into my knees. “I…I don’t even know how to explain it.” I filled her in. Shifter healing was quick and amazing, but he’d been so injured that it hadn’t done anything until I’d removed the knife.

Raven remained silent for a long moment. The SUV swayed as we took another curve, and I braced my hands on the sides of Ryker’s seat, trying not to fall on or jostle him.

Finally, she sighed and replied, “The knife must have prevented the progress. Removing it allowed his wolf to heal him. He’s from the strongest line of wolves now since the royals have passed, which means he should heal more quickly than an average shifter.”

The pieces clicked into place, and some of my bewilderment eased from my chest. I’d felt warmth when I’d touched Ryker’s wound with my bare hands, which shouldn’t have been possible, but I’d recognized an animalistic magic that felt very similar to mine. “That makes sense. I’m glad he was still strong enough to heal himself.” Fate only knew what would’ve happened if he hadn’t been.

The three of us fell into silence, with only the sounds of the engine and Ryker’s heartbeat to accompany the journey.

Briar sagged back into the seat with a deep exhale of relief. She leaned. “Thank goodness,” she breathed. “I don’t know what I would have done if he… If he hadn’t made it.” She ran a hand through her greasy, matted copper hair. “He saved my life. I owe himeverything.”

“That’s an interesting choice of words, especially since Ember doesn’t feel the same way.” I could hear Raven fidgeting behind me, my back still to the driver’s seat. “To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement.”

A knot formed tightly in my stomach. With her vampire ears, there was no question that she’d heard me tell Briar we needed to leave, but I had to push past the guilt. No matter what, Briar was my top priority.

“What do you mean?” Briar tilted her head and squinted at me.

I opened my mouth to attempt to mitigate the situation, but Raven continued before I could speak. “Ember mentioned leaving the mansion once we arrive. I’m curious about this plan, especially given the current situation.”

I swallowed hard, guilt constricting my throat. Raven’s words weren’t accusing but rather disappointed, which made them sting even worse. I couldn’t deny that she was right. After everything Ryker, his pack, and the vampires had done for us, leaving felt like a betrayal. But the memory of Reid’s public rejection still burned, a constant reminder of why I couldn’t let my guard down again.

“I…” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for us, but Briar’s safety has to be my top priority.”

As if on cue, Ryker let out a low, pained groan. His eyelids fluttered and his muscles tensed. I was acutely aware of every movement he made. I leaned over him, checking his wound to make sure it hadn’t started bleeding again.

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