Page 52 of Curses and Casualties
“Don’t go!” Scarlett grabs my arm. “We’re teasing. Honestly, this is amazing. You’re transforming before our eyes, becoming what you’re meant to be. Even with fuck fangs.”
I roll my eyes. “Can we please look at the map?”
“Of course,” Ethan pulls out a chair. “Maybe by the time we find this witch, your... situation will resolve itself.”
“It better,” I grumble, carefully picking up my coffee mug with clawed fingers. “Or Evanora is getting a very strongly worded request.”
“‘Excuse me, powerful witch,’“ Scarlett mimics in a high voice, “‘can you please fix my sex fangs?’“
“I’m going to claw you,” I threaten, which only makes her laugh harder.
Despite my embarrassment, this moment is warm—us together, planning, facing danger but finding joy. Even with stuck fangs and claws, surrounded by friends who tease but would die for me, I feel at peace.
This is pack. This is home.
“For what it’s worth,” Scarlett wipes tears, “manifesting this strongly means you’re close to full shift. That’s incredible.”
“Really?”
“Really.” She grins wickedly. “Maybe get him to bite you again? See if you get a snout?”
“THCARLETT!”
“Valid theory! Double bite equals partial shift. Triple might?—”
I throw a dish towel she dodges. “Two days to find the witch. Can we focuth?”
“Right,” Ryan squeezes my shoulder. “Georgia’s situation aside, we need to be ready.”
As we huddle around the map, I catch Ryan’s eye. He winks at me, and I feel heat rise in my cheeks remembering exactlyhow I got these fangs. Maybe it’s embarrassing, maybe Scarlett will never let me live it down, but Luna is getting stronger.
And if the price for that power is a set of fangs and endless teasing? I’ll take it.
Chapter 20
Ryan
Iwake to find Georgia trying to eat breakfast with her fangs still firmly in place. She’s stabbing at scrambled eggs with unnecessary violence, and I can’t help but grin at the frustrated growl that escapes her when she accidentally bites her fork.
“Still stuck?” I ask, wrapping my arms around her from behind.
“Yes,” she grumbles, leaning back against me. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to chew with these things?”
I press a kiss to her neck, right over the second mark that’s now a silvery scar. The sight of it fills me with satisfaction. Two marks. No other wolf in history has managed that—not that I know of, anyway.
We are first. We are strongest.
Damn right we are,I agree with Kane.
“Stop looking so smug,” Georgia says, catching my expression in the reflection of the kitchen window. “This is your fault.”
“You weren’t complaining last night,” I remind her, which earns me an elbow to the ribs.
“I’m complaining now. How am I supposed to talk to a witch with a lisp?”
“I think it’s cute,” I say, which is true. Everything about her is cute, even when she’s irritated and sporting supernatural dental work.
Scarlett stumbles into the kitchen, looking like she hasn’t slept. There’s a sheen of sweat on her forehead despite the cool morning, and her hand is pressed against her chest again.
