Page 73 of Wolf Cursed
When he still didn’t speak, I decided ripping off the Band-Aid was probably best.
“If you’re going to throw me out, just do it, and spare me all this build-up.”
Finally, he looked up at me and met my eyes. Confusion shone back at me as his brows dipped and he shook his head. “I’m not throwing you out.”
“You’re not?”
“No, why would you think that?”
I dropped my arms and blew out a breath. “I don’t know. Because I’m a spy or an outsider or whatever else.”
“You’re family,” he said firmly. “I’m not turning my back on you.”
For some reason, the simplicity of it all tugged at my heart, and I felt a pang in the same place I felt my dad’s loss every second of every day.
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
He continued to frown.
“But something’s on your mind,” I added. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re brave for volunteering to fight,” he said. “But you can’t win unless you can shift.” He ran a hand through his short, graying hair. “We need to figure out a way to get you out of this.”
“I appreciate your concern, Oscar, but I can’t continue to live in this town with a target on my back.”
“If you show up to that fight, unable to access your wolf, that target will become a bull’s eye, and those guys don’t miss.”
“What else am I supposed to do? I’m not allowed to leave. So, I either walk right up to them or let them hunt me down.”
He hesitated. “We’ll ask the twins to train you. If anyone can draw out your wolf, it’s one of them.”
Hope rose in me. Training with Idrissa sounded terrifying, but Oscar was right; it was my best chance. “Okay.” I nodded. “How long do you think they’ll give me before the fight?”
“Not long, knowing those jackasses.” He glanced me up and down. “You’ll need to put in some serious conditioning. Take a few days off. I can pay you vacation pay or something.”
“No way. I’m not skipping out on my responsibilities.”
“You’re stubborn.” He shook his head. “Just like your old man. Fine. Half days, and I’ll dock your pay.”
“Fine.”
“You shouldn’t go anywhere alone.”
“Agreed.” For the first time since arriving, I wasn’t going to argue about the whole house arrest situation.
He grunted, apparently satisfied. When he turned to walk away, I made a decision.
“Oscar,” I said.
“Yeah?”
“I think I need to show you something.”
He looked instantly wary. I couldn’t blame him. “What is it?”
I peeled the waistline of my pants down just enough to reveal the mark on my hip. Oscar stared at it for a long moment then looked up at me, eyes wide.
“That’s the mark of the curse breaker,” he said. Then his eyes widened. “Holy shit, I just said that. How in the hell… Do you know what this means?”
