Page 36 of Curses & Cold Brew
“I don’t,” I bit out.
Wyatt was next in line to be the alpha, unless he halted his ability to shift. And as much as he wanted to delay that reality, I didn’t want to be on the wrong end of a would-be alpha and his pack. The werewolves would run me out of town if I didn’t make this right.
And if I was out of town, I wouldn’t be near Iris.
That shouldn’t have been my first thought. That shouldn’t have beenanythought. But that fucking little redheaded witch was the first thing that flashed in my mind.
A sudden and terrible realization dawned on me: Esme wasn’t just stealing my souls. She wouldn’t have attacked Wyatt if she just wanted to break my sigil. No. She waskillingmy marks. Why else would she attack Wyatt instead of finding a more cunning way to break my sigil? I thought whoever was targeting my souls was toying with me, but this went beyond stealing debts. I should’ve known Esme would be more ruthless than that. And if she went after Wyatt, it would only be a matter of time before she went after?—
“Iris.” My cold, black heart sank into my stomach.
“What?” Wyatt sounded more animal than man.
His skin pulled tighter on his back as he turned tail and headed back down the hallway. Lucky for him, I lived on the edge of the haunted woods where he could change in peace, away from the eyes of his pack. I followed Wyatt to the front door, ready to charge into the night and find Iris. I already knew there was no way that little witch had heeded my warnings.
As he stumbled to the door, Wyatt’s fingernails grew into claws and raked marks into my wallpaper. I didn’t voice my objections, not with an almost-werewolf in my house, and instead ushered him to the door.
“You better catch the bitch who did this.”
“Oh, believe me, I will,” I said, giving him an assured nod. “Get to the deepest parts of the woods as fast as you can. It’ll be safe for everyone if you get lost for a few hours.”
He ran down the path from my entryway to the gate, practically barreling into none other than a wide-eyed Iris.
Relief coursed through me like a living thing.
She’s here. She’s safe.
The two of us watched as a shirtless Wyatt stormed to the end of the street and then disappeared into the shadows of the forest.
I folded my arms and leaned against the doorway, trying to mask the terror that was still heating my chest. “Just the witch I was looking for.”
Iris had venom in her gaze, and all my feigned nonchalance evaporated. I straightened, wondering if she’d had a run-in with Esme too.
Iris flung her hand in the direction of the woods. “What was he doing here?”
“Huh?”
“Wyatt!” Her voice rose an octave. “Are you sleeping with him? Is that why Willow was upset the other night?—”
“That’s not?—”
“I can’t believe you fucked my best friend’s girlfriend’s sister’s boyfriend!”
“One more degree and you’ll get to Kevin Bacon.” I winked, which only incensed her further.
“Why is Willow’s boyfriend leaving your house half naked?”
“I didn’t realize they’d made it official,” I taunted. “I guess I missed that piece of town gossip.”
She clenched her hands into fists. “I can’t believe you.”
A surprised smile stretched my lips. She was furious at me. A mix of satisfaction and glee mingled with the relief that she was here in front of me and not cornered somewhere by Esme.I normally liked getting this rise out of her, but this time, it was particularly savory.
“Jealousy looks so good on you, red,” I purred.
“I’mnotjealous,” she spat.
“Of course not.” I leaned back against the door, opening it farther. “But why don’t you come in and lecture me more about it?”
