Page 118 of Wolf Cursed
I shook my head, irritated I hadn’t thought to bring any, but he nodded at a jug in the corner. I grabbed it and uncapped the top, doing my best to feed it to him without drowning him in it.
When I lowered it again, I gave him a rueful smile. “Sorry about that. Looks like we’re both the same amount of soaked.”
He grunted, looking me up and down with suspicion. “I’m not going to talk, and you can tell the rest of them sending in an innocent girl won’t change that.”
“The others don’t know I’m here,” I said.
“Huh.” He eyed me with renewed interest. “What do you want?”
“I’d like to ask you about the curse.”
He blew out a breath, instantly stone-faced again. “Like I said, I don’t have anything to say—”
“Do you recognize this?” I peeled the waistline of my jeans away to reveal the wolf mark on my hip.
The hexerei stared at it then finally looked up at me. His eyes were wide with disbelief and something else. Wonder.
“I don’t understand. She said you’d work with us. But you’re here with them.”
“Who said?” I asked. “Who am I supposed to work with? Your people? Can you tell me what I’m supposed to do?”
His eyes narrowed again. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.”
“Well, then, tell me how itissupposed to be,” I said. “A life for a death, is that it? Am I supposed to defeat someone or something? Or kiss someone? That one is definitely a weirder option, but I’m willing to do what needs to be done. Well, except for murder. I don’t think I can do that. But kissing a weird stranger, I guess, is doable.”
He shook his head. “I don’t understand. You’re the savior we’re waiting for. And you think you have to kiss someone? This isn’t Snow White.”
“Good, because if a bunch of dwarves show up, I’m out. This is all very witches, werewolves, and what the fuck. You know what I mean?
He stared at me. “You don’t know about any of this, do you?”
“No,” I admitted. “I was hoping you could help me with that.”
“But you have the mark.”
The impressed look he’d given me before was gone. Now, he just looked annoyed. Impatient. That made two of us.
“I do have the mark, but I didn’t even know what it meant until recently,” I said. “All I know is that I can supposedly break the pack’s curse. Give them back their humanity. Let them choose an alpha and mates and hopefully settle them the hell down so they stop trying to kill me. But how?”
“Humanity.” He curled his lip. “The wolves cannot regain what they never had.”
I frowned. “What does that mean?”
“That curse belongs where it is.”
“But the mark—”
“The mark bearer is our chosen one. It signifies the power you hold. The wolves will know who rules them, and it will not be one of theirs.”
“I don’t understand. Your chosen one? You think I’m the chosen one of your tribe? Why?”
He shrugged. “The mark chooses its champion, and we must honor it.”
“If I break the curse, am I still your champion?” He didn’t answer. “Answer me,” I demanded. “If I set the wolves free, what then?”
“The lupin are beyond saving.” He closed his eyes, his expression anguished. “The only peace that awaits the lupin is on the other side of their destruction. The curse will accept nothing less for our sworn enemies.”
I huffed. The guy either talked in riddles or not at all. And we were running out of time. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it and leaned closer.
