Page 68 of Curses and Casualties
“Or his wolf really is that powerful,” Jules finishes. “Which would explain how he shattered a binding that should have been absolute.”
Amara extends her hand toward Scarlett, magical energy crackling between her fingers. “May I? I need to see the full picture of what we’re dealing with.”
Scarlett nods reluctantly, and the moment Amara’s magic touches her, the witch gasps.
“The pull isn’t just to Fenris,” she says, wonder and concern warring in her voice. “It’s to both of them. Human and wolf, together.”
“No.” Scarlett shakes her head violently. “No, that’s not—Fenris is my mate. Magnus is just the asshole container he’s stuck in.”
“The Soul Bond doesn’t work that way,” Amara says gently. “It bonds souls, not just wolves. Whether Magnus wants to admit it or not, you’re connected to all of him.”
Scarlett stares at her for a long moment, then lets out a laugh that’s more hysterical than humorous. “Are you fucking kidding me? Are you telling me that the cosmos decided my perfect match is an emotionally constipated control freak who literally caged half his soul?”
“Well,” Lucien drawls from his perch on a picnic table, “when you put it that way, it does seem like the universe has a sense of humor.”
“This isn’t funny!” Scarlett snaps. “They are the Soul Bond.” She points to Ryan and me. “Not me!”
“It’s a little funny,” Lucien offers, chuckling when she glares at him.
“The Soul Bond sees what we need, not always what we want,” Amara says. “Magnus needs someone who won’t let him hide. You need someone who matches your strength.”
“I need someone who wants me,” Scarlett says, her voice breaking. “Fenris wants me. That should be enough.”
“Is it?” I ask quietly. “Is half a mate really enough?”
She doesn’t answer, just continues stroking Fenris’s fur with shaking hands.
“We’ll help him,” Ryan says firmly. “Both of them. But first, we need to finish what we started. Complete our bond tonight, and then we’ll have the power to help everyone else.”
Lucien raises his ‘coffee’ mug in a toast. “To heroic orgies of self-sacrifice, and to saving assholes, too.”
Amara begins working on Fenris’s wounds while Scarlett refuses to move from his side. The rest of the camp slowlyreturns to preparation mode, but there’s a new weight in the air now. Two Soul Bonds hanging in the balance, and only hours until the supermoon rises.
I clutch the pouch filled with our ritual ingredients to my chest. We have everything we need. The question is whether we’ll live long enough to use it.
Chapter 25
Ryan
Ican’t rest. The sun climbs toward its peak, marking time I simultaneously want to speed up and slow down. Georgia sits beside me under the pine tree, her fingers drumming a nervous rhythm on her thigh. She’s been doing that for the past hour—little anxious movements that tell me she’s as wound up as I am.
“I can hear you thinking,” she mutters without opening her eyes. “You need to stop.”
“You first.”
She cracks one eye open to glare at me. “I’m thinking perfectly reasonable thoughts about mineral compositions and tectonic plates.”
“Liar.”
“Fine. I’m thinking about how in a few hours we’re either going to be the most powerful couple in shifter history or very, very dead.” She sits up, brushing pine needles from her hair. “Your turn.”
“I’m thinking about how you have pine needles in your hair.”
She swats at me half-heartedly. “Ass.”
“Such language.” I catch her hand, threading our fingers together. “What would your mother say?”
“My mother would be having a full breakdown about her daughter running off with werewolves.” She squeezes my hand. “After she finished grilling you about your career prospects and whether you have a 401k.”
