Page 25 of Cursed Magic

Oh, come on.I felt her flip toward me.I need to know. We tell each other everything.

However, now that I was clean and lying down, my muscles ached and my eyelids grew heavy. I focused on listening to the sounds of Ryker’s breathing.Can we talk about it tomorrow? I’m exhausted.

She sighed dramatically.Okay, fine. But you’re not getting out of it tomorrow.

Fate knew she’d make sure I didn’t.

I closed my eyes, missing the warmth of Ryker’s body near mine.

Something cold brushed my cheek, and my eyelids fluttered. The coolness felt like being cast in shadow. The faint scent of something familiar hit my nose.

No. This couldn’t be happening.

CHAPTER TEN

My pulse thundered in my ears, and my eyes popped open as I sat bolt upright. Sunlight streamed through the massive windows, casting long golden rays across the floor. Each of the Grimstone pack members slept deeply, their chests rising and falling, and Briar lay beside me, completely unaware, her light copper hair splayed across the beige pillow.

There was nothing out of place or amiss.

Everything inside me screamed that someone had been in here. I leaned toward the edge of the bed where the person must have stood in order to touch me, and for a split second, I smelled the faint aroma again before it vanished into thin air.

It didn’t smell like shifter but rather like the unique floral odor I’d smelled in the woods when Ryker had been hunting Simon.

The scent didn’t seem to come from this world.

My wolf stirred, her magic pulsing through my body as if in agreement.

My mouth dried and my head spun.

Had I really just thought a scent couldn’t be from this world? Maybe I was losing my mind after all. I wanted to focus on locating the enemy and eliminating the threat, but if my grief kept messing with me like this… I needed to take the time to mourn my parents, the loss of my alpha and pack.

The mere thought of them had pain radiating from my heart to the missing spots of my packmates. My lungs struggled to breathe, and I slowly lowered myself back on the bed, not wanting to disturb anyone.

My wolf, however, disagreed. She prowled inside me, her senses heightened and alert.

I agreed that something seemed off, but I wasn’t sure if I could trust my logic. The cold touch, the ethereal scent—it felt like a warning, a whisper from something beyond my understanding.

Of course, my traitorous gaze landed on Ryker. He lay on his back, his chest rising and falling steadily. Even in sleep, he looked powerful, his muscular frame proof of all the training and fights he’d had all his life. Seeing the return of his olive complexion soothed some of the ache in my heart.

Despite it being late morning, I knew all of us needed more rest, including me. I turned on my side so I could see anyone who stood beside me. Every time I tried to close my eyes, they popped back open, scanning the area for the intruder.

I concentrated on my breathing, attempting to calm myself, but my mind wouldn’t stop, and my wolf hadn’t settled.

That cold touch replayed across my cheek, worsening my unease.

My wolf paced restlessly inside me, her senses alert.The magical energy that always hummed beneath my skin felt different—sharper, more electric. The air itself seemed charged with an otherworldly tension that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end from both some unexplained recognition and fear.

The weight of the unknown pressed on me like a palpable force that made it hard to breathe. I had to get a grip. I couldn’t allow fear to dictate my actions, especially when there was no way someone could have been in the room without one of us stirring… and yet, I couldn’t shake what I sensed was true.

I took a deep breath, focusing on the familiar scents of the room—the comforting musk of Briar, the earthy aroma that clung to Ryker, and the faint traces of the other pack members. But the memory of the phantom scent lingered, a ghostly reminder of the presence that had invaded my space.

Stop. No one could’ve been here. I was allowing my imagination to run wildagain.

I fidgeted, trying not to wake Briar, my wolf growling softly in my mind, urging me to take action.

I glanced at Ryker, his face serene in sleep. I walked toward him, needing to close the distance between us. With each step closer I took, the panic that clawed inside me eased. I propped myself against the wall near him, and eventually my wolf relaxed, and my heart returned to its normal rhythm.

The late-morning light filtered through the windows, casting golden rays across Ryker’s sleeping form. My fingers itched to trace the line of his jaw to confirm he was still alive and healing, which was asinine. I could hear his heartbeat and see his chest rising and falling.

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