Page 33 of Cursed Magic

Shoulders relaxing marginally, Ryker moved closer to my side and said, “They could have been watching us to see what we were up to. Every time there’s been an attack, it’s been on a larger pack with witnesses.”

That made sense, and if it were true, that would mean that I hadn’t been imagining things. Or, I was forced to imagine things, which was a far better reason than me losing my mind.

“Either way, it’s time for Bruce to leave.” Ryker lifted his chin. “We can’t trust him.”

Face flushing, Bruce bared his teeth. “If I were lying, you’d know by the smell.”

Raven stood tall, looking down her nose at him. “Not if you’re working with the Blackwoods and they can cover scents.”

“Then you wouldn’t be able to smell me at all, or I’d be very muted, like those invisible things that attacked and slayed half my pack.” Bruce jumped to his feet, the backs of his legs hitting the chair and scooting it back several feet. “I came here in hopes that we could work together, but you’re still treating me as if I’m the one who attacked you. As far as I can tell, not only did every one of you survive, but you managed to free Briar as well.”

Hot rage ripped through me, but I bit my tongue to hold back the awful words I wanted to say. I didn’t see any sheen masking him like I did with the shadows and Ryker’s eyes whenever he changed into a colder and harder person.

I took a deep breath, trying to quell the storm ofemotions swirling inside me. “I’m sorry for your loss.” I placed a hand on my chest, acknowledging the cold, missing pack links that I suspected would always feel like ice now. “I do believe that a caring alpha wouldn’t agree to anything like that, and if it happened, he would want retribution.” I hadn’t even realized I believed that until I said the words. The uncertainty of whether he was lying had vanished. With the dark circles under his eyes and his pale skin, I saw this was an alpha mourning his losses. “But full trust will take time, especially after you held my sister against her will.”

Bruce’s jaw tightened as he nodded slowly. “You’re right.” He sighed and rubbed his hands together. “I understand whyyouare hesitant to trust me, but I do want you to know that I didn’t take keeping your sister lightly. She was near death, and I knew people were hunting her. To help her, I had to ensure she was confined and unable to leave. If I’d seen another choice, I would have made it. But desperate times…” He paused, letting the sentence hang.

That was the thing. I did believe him because I didn’t see any magical influence on him. However, I wasn’t going against the two people who’d truly had my back since the night I lost everything and almost everyone I cared about. I’d hurt Raven and Ryker enough; I refused to be disloyal to them now. “If you were innocent of working with someone, I would’ve preferred that you at least attempted to explain the situation to Briar instead of keeping her hostage.”

His shoulders slumped. “That was my intention, Ember, but we chained her because we didn’t want her to get scared and run, and we couldn’t always have someone there with her. She woke up when no one was there and freaked out. Between her dealing with the deaths of yourpack and not being able to find you, she wouldn’t listen to reason. That was our best choice. When you walked into the bar, I realized I was wrong, and I had to do something about it before Ryker slaughtered our entire pack for holding her.”

“You son of abitch,” Ryker seethed, his body quivering. “We’ve neverslaughteredanyone.”

“I realized that when the attack happened on our pack. Pack members alerted me to where you guys were during the chaos because, at first, we were worried that you were behind it. And then a few members saw you were, in fact, being attacked and even injured.” Bruce ran a hand down his face. “That’s why I risked coming here—I believe your story now, despite hearing that you’ve beaten people up and tortured them. I only wanted to talk to Raven alone because I knew you still wouldn’t trust us.”

My heart twisted, and my gut hardened. I wanted to tell Bruce he didn’t know the full story and ask who he was to judge, but honestly, I’d done the same thing. I still struggled with how Ryker had handled Simon when I thought about that incident, but I’d been able to push it to the side after seeing the sacrifice he was willing to make to save my sister for me—his own life.

“Every person who was tortured deserved it.” Ryker’s nostrils flared, and his muscles tensed. “I don’t have to explain myself to you, and the only people I’ve ever killed were the scum who would have betrayed us or harmed us at their first opportunity.”

I raised my brows, ready to ask questions, but I’d wait until Bruce left.

“The stories don’t include that.” Bruce frowned.

“The guilty are about making themselves look better,not the person who called them on their shit.” Ryker crossed his arms, his biceps bulging.

If Bruce didn’t leave, I had no doubt Ryker would eventually lose it. His strained expression and the sheen beginning to cover his irises told me everything.

“The three of us need to discuss how to proceed, and then together, we’ll decide how to move forward with you and your pack.” I inhaled deeply, trying to remain calm, though a warning sensation coursed down my spine.

Bruce studied me, and his face softened slightly. “How can we get in touch with one another?”

Right. I hadn’t considered that my phone had been lost during the chaos on his pack lands. “Uh…”

Raven leaned forward and held out a sleek black phone to him. “This is for you to contact Ember.” She rattled off the number as he took the phone. “It’s secure, and we’ve taken the liberty of ensuring it’s warded against any…unwanted listeners. We’ve had it for a while in case a moment like this happened.”

Bruce took the phone, his fingers brushing against hers briefly. He placed it in his pocket. “Thank you,” he said softly. “With the chaos and death surrounding our pack, I hadn’t even considered that anyone might be listening in on phone conversations.”

A lump formed in my throat. I understood that sentiment way too well. If I hadn’t needed to search for Briar, I wasn’t sure how logical I would’ve been. Even though I had her back, I now had an enemy who clearly saw us as a target. All those shadows chasing us couldn’t be a coincidence.

The heartbreak of losing our pack hung in the back of my mind like a nightmare and was a constant ache in my heart.

“I believe everyone in this room understands exactly what you’re going through. Even the vampires have lost lives at the same hands.” Raven touched her heart before her hand fluttered to her side.

Eyes darkening, Bruce nodded. “It’s something none of us should’ve had to endure.” He turned to leave, his broad shoulders squared despite the weight of the conversation. The sound of his boots echoed through the room, heavy and deliberate.

When the door to the office closed after him, Briar linked,I’m following him until he exits the front door to make sure he doesn’t do anything.Her disgust shrank the bond, making my stomach churn even more.

I couldn’t blame her for disliking him. He’d held her captive, something she might never get over. I’d tried to protect her all my life, and yet I’d failed, leaving her exposed to more trauma.

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