The group walks away, leaving Bree and I alone. She sits on the ground beside me and tentatively reaches her hand out to pet my back. “Okay. I’m going to do a spell to help you shift, and all you need to do is imagine your wolf-side curling in on itself, as if going into hiding. I learned this from Grandma Em about a year ago. She thought I should know just in case you were able to shift in the future.”

  Smart grandma.

  My wolf stays resting on her side, completely comfortable, and I try to make myself as calm as my furry beast. I just imagine taking slow breaths and lying in the same position as my wolf, resting against the moist ground.

  Bree begins speaking in her ancient witchy tongue, and her eyes close as her hands rest gently on my front paws. It feels like something tugs on my body, and I make an effort to pull the wolf back inside of my mind. I have no clue what I’m doing, but it feels right enough.

  I look down at my paws as they morph into human hands and I start to breathe on my own again. The earth feels rough against my bare skin as the shift finishes and I’m once again just Maia Collins. But I’ll never really just be that again, will I?

  Bree smiles at me and wraps her arms around my neck. “I’m so glad you’re back, Mai. I’ve missed you like crazy.”

  I smile as her sweet scent fills my nose. The scent is a thousand times stronger than it used to be, but it’s still the same Bree. “You do realize I’m full on ass-naked right now, right?”

  She bursts into a laughing fit as she pulls away and I join her crazy giggles with my own. Someone clears their throat and I nearly scream before I spot Qadira and not one of the guys.

  “I can help you with some new clothes, Maia.” Her bright pink hair bounces as she steps closer with a sweet smile.

  “Oh, please, yes! Jeans would be heavenly right about now.”

  I stand from the dirty ground and wipe my body clean, realizing that I haven’t showered in days and I probably look horrible. Qadira notices my scowl and smiles again as she waves one of her dainty hands toward me. A wave of water washes over my body and through my hair, making me gasp as it cleans all of the grime away.

  In the next second a whirlwind blows me completely dry, taking my breath away, and then a dark pair of jeans materialize against my bare legs, while a black tank top hugs my torso tight enough to make a bra unnecessary.

  I wiggle around, feeling entirely comfortable in the magic clothes, and I sigh. “What was with the water and wind?”

  Qadira giggles and hurries to bring me into a surprisingly strong hug. “You smelled really bad. A nature bath was necessary.”

  She steps away and laughs along with Bree. I run a hand through my still greasy, but mostly clean hair. “You guys are jerks, but I love you both.”

  Qadira’s pink eyes practically glow with magic, and I realize it’s the first time I’ve ever gotten to talk to her without Wilk by her side. “Hey, Dira. I’m not sure when I’ll get another chance for this, so what’s up with you and Wilk?”

  Bree’s eyes widen and she spins on the faerie. “Ooh, yeah! I wanna know, too. Do you love him?”

  Qadira blushes a sweet pink, just like her hair. “Prince Wilk is a dear friend, and a powerful role model to the city of Fae. I have nothing but respect for him.”

  Bree and I share a look of disbelief, and Bree shakes her head. “No way, Dira. The prince cares about you as more than one of his subjects. Has he tried to kiss you or anything like that?”

  “Well,” she says, looking shy. “He holds my hand when it is unnecessary to do so, and he calls me beautiful when I do not feel so. I think I could love him, if he was not royalty.”

  I sigh and grab her hands. “You don’t choose who you love, Qadira. If you love him, you love him. It’s as simple as that. It wouldn’t be the first time a prince and a servant fell in love. Humans literally make movies about this like once a year.”

  Bree laughs and nods. “It’s called a forbidden romance, and definitely the hottest kind. Tell the prince how you feel.”

  Qadira smiles as her skin seems to glow even brighter. “I will see. Maybe when our journey has ended.”

  Satisfied, and more than ready to leave this hell hole, I look around at the place I have been held captive and nearly died in. My eyes fall on the tetherball pole that held me while I bled for the lupercus. All happiness leaves as a new rage fills me, and I step over to the place that will haunt me for too long, leaving Bree and Qadira behind.

  I grip the rusted metal pole in my hands and grunt as I use my new wolf strength to pull until the entire thing comes out of the earth. I throw it to the side and kick at the dirt for good measure. Tears fill my eyes, and I let them fall as I stare down at the empty hole by my feet.

  Large arms encircle me from behind, and Seth’s warmth spreads along my back, washing my tears away. He kisses my neck and then the tender spot just below my ear.

  “They’ll never hurt you again, Snow. You’re my mate, and we’re stronger than all of them when we’re together.” His whispers tickle my ear, and I want so badly to believe what he says.

  I spin myself around in Seth’s arms, noticing the girls have left us, and I look up at Seth’s perfect face. Every part of him is clearer to me now. The dark chocolate of his eyes shows specks of gold I never noticed before, and I could number the strands of his messy hair if I stared long enough.

  He smiles as I study him, and a warm blush fills my cheeks. “Why are you smiling, wolf boy?”

  He rubs his nose against mine. “I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have you as my fated mate.”

  I wrap my arms around his neck and breathe in his musky pine scent. Yum. “What does this mean exactly? Of course I’m very happy that fate put us together, but what do we do now? Like… get married?” I feel like an idiot even asking the question.

  Seth shakes his head. “Wolves don’t really get married. When they find their mate, they claim one another and… complete their bond that seals them together forever.”

  I squirm in his arms. I know what completing the bond means, but I need to be sure. Just grow up and ask the question, Mai! “So, we need to have sex?”

  Seth’s eyes darken and I think they’ll go fully black for a moment. “To complete our bond, yes.” His eyes drop to my mouth, and then meet mine again. “But we’re in no hurry for that, Snow. We’ll still be fated mates even if we don’t make love.”

  Make love? Gosh dang it, he’s so cute.

  I nod. “But, you want to, right?”

  His lips curl up into a perfectly happy grin and he tightens his arms around my waist as he drops his mouth to mine. A chill rolls through my body and I have to hold back a groan as he strokes my lips with his tongue. Oh, I’ve missed this.

  He kisses me hard and determined while I match him with a new strength of my own. Seth pulls away from me only slightly and his heavy breath flows across my cheeks. “Maia. You have no idea how badly I want to claim you as mine forever, and equally be claimed by you. I can guarantee it will be the main thing on my mind until that moment.”

  “Well,” I say with a quiver in my voice. “Let’s not wait too long, then.”

  Seth’s hands slide over my butt and he hoists me onto his hips as our lips collide again. Thunder rolls above our heads and rain drops cool my burning cheeks, dripping between our lips. I lick the rain from Seth’s mouth and his chest rumbles, matching the roar of the thunder. There’s a need in me that I can’t control, nor do I want to.

  Even though right now isn’t the time to complete our bond, I’m not about to stop kissing my mate before I’m utterly satisfied… My stomach growls, and Seth’s lips smile against mine.

  Okay, one other thing can stop me. Food.

  Chapter 34

  ⟣⟡⟢

  Maia

  “Dear lord, woman! Will you ever stop?” Bree’s wide brown eyes stare at the cheeseburger that I’m currently devouring.

  “Never, ever, ever,” I say through a mouthful of beef and bread.

  We’re only a few miles outside of Georgetown, where we’re planning to meet with the high priestess of the witches, and I cannot stop eating. It’s like my stomach has no limit to the amount of greasy fast food cheeseburgers it can hold. I’ve been told that with my new wolf abilities, my metabolism is extremely fast, and I need to eat a significant amount of food to keep my energy up. And the food is so good!

  Seth turns around and grins at me from the passenger’s seat of his jeep as I dig in for a beast-sized bite. I love that smile. And I love that he can still smile at me while I look like a rabid animal tearing into a carcass. Can you say true love?

  We had a long walk to get back to the vehicles the others abandoned when they came to find me. We stopped for a minute where they supposedly tied up Rylee, the fox traitor of our little pack. She was nowhere to be found, and I only hope she finds a better life for herself. She has been manipulated by the lupercus, and I hate that they’re the only family she has ever known. All she had to do was give us a chance. Maybe then she could’ve been happy.

  James is in the driver’s seat, nodding his head to the classic rock radio station while Seth guides him through the Delaware streets. Bree sits beside me, openly staring at me while I eat, and at this moment, I can’t imagine feeling any more content. The other wolves and the faeries follow behind us in Uncle Nate’s old trailblazer, and I make a mental note to switch the seating arrangements around on our way back home. I haven’t had any time getting to know Horas or Sasha since I met them both, and I feel guilty. They’ve done a lot for me already, and I owe them both so much.

  “We’re nearly there. You still want to talk to the old witch?” James eyes me in the rearview mirror.

  The high priestess expected us to visit two days ago, but thanks to the lupercus, we got a little held up. I called my dad as soon as we got back to the vehicles. He was freaking out, understandably, along with Uncle Nate and Aunt Lydia. Seth had told them I was taken, but they had no update for the entire night that I was healing inside that barn. Dad was already halfway to New York by the time I called, and I told him to turn back home. He’s only human, and though I wish so badly to curl up and cry in his arms, he’s safer with the Shaw pack wolves.

  Bree huffs beside me and crosses her arms. “Don’t call her an old witch. It sounds like an insult.”

  “So you’re saying your kind is an insult, then?” James teases Bree, and I have to hold back the urge to say “oooooooh”.

  Bree glares into the rearview mirror at James’ wicked smile. “Stop being a jerk, James! Just cause you don’t like witches, doesn’t mean you get to be rude to my kind, or any other creature for that matter!”

  One of James’ eyebrows raise, and even though I want to tell him to focus on the road, I just watch curiously as he stares back at Bree in the mirror, his smile falling. “Oh, little witch. You are my favorite kind of creature, trust me.”

  Oh damn.

  Bree sucks in a sharp breath and flicks her gaze to the passing scenery outside her window. With my new wolf hearing, I can count the rapid beats of her heart from here. She told me before that she was into the vamp once. I don’t think that crush ever went away, and it looks like maybe James is just as smitten with my best friend. They’re so into each other!

  James throws a quick glance back at me with wide dark eyes before looking back at the road where we leave the main part of the city and turn into an old rural neighborhood.

  “Great, you heard me. Of course.” I speak to him in my mind, but he doesn’t react again.

  “Well, do you love Bree or not?”

  I focus on the tensing of James’ hard jaw and his white knuckles on the steering wheel. His eyes turn back to me once more and only a slight nod confirms my suspicions. If it weren’t for my new keen sight, I likely would’ve missed the subtle movement, but it was there all the same. I want to squeal in excitement, but I hold it back so Bree and James can work out their relationship without my meddling.

  “That’s the house, there.” Seth points at the end of the long cul-de-sac, where a large haunted-style house sits, watching over the neighborhood like an old queen surveying her kingdom.

  “Wow, somehow it’s exactly how I imagined,” I say with nerves building in my belly.

  Bree laughs and shakes her head. “It’s super intimidating.”

  We pull up to the curb just outside the house and each of us steps out, standing side by side. Seth wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me close to his side and I sigh at the contact. How will I ever have a coherent thought with him touching me?

  The others pull up behind the jeep and join us. We stand as a small army staring up at the massive house. The black wood on the outside is peeling, and the high peaks at the top make the house even more castle-like. If I weren't here to find out how to destroy the cure that once flowed through my body, I might take a touristy picture by the ten foot tall front door.

  “It feels like we’re about to sell our souls or something. Should we just leave?” Horas’ booming voice breaks the tension. I can’t say I don’t agree with him.

  “Well, we came all this way, didn’t we?” I step out of Seth’s arms, tentatively moving toward the answers we’ve been looking for, when the tall door creaks open.

  I freeze, but my entire body calms when I see the sweet young woman step out onto the front porch with a beaming smile. Her long blonde hair is the color of sunshine and her pink cheeks are sprinkled with freckles, highlighting the baby blue of her eyes.

  She sashays in her flowy pink gown and waves at us. “Hello, friends. Come on in, and let us talk of your long journey to my home. I believe you need a lot of rest.”

  I look back at Bree, who shrugs, and I turn back to the gorgeous girl. “Thank you, but we came to see Priestess Aurelia. Do you know her?”

  The young woman smiles brightly and bows to us with a dainty hand on her waist. “That is me, Aurelia Masalis, at your service, Maia Collins.”

  If my eyes could fall out of my head, they would with how wide I stare at the beautiful young priestess. I turn around to all of the others, and they each have wide stares of their own. James laughs softly and crosses his large arms.

  He looks down at Bree by his side. “Well, I’m not taking back the old witch comment.”

  Priestess Aurelia opens her arms to us. “Come, all of you. We have much to discuss.” Her eyes land on James and she glares. “The vampire stays outside.”

  Bree giggles and to my surprise, she winds her arm back and smacks James right on his ass. “See ya later, old vamp.” She winks and we leave James with his jaw on the floor, dumbstruck for the first time since I met him.

  Chapter 35

  ⟣⟡⟢

  Seth

  Maia leads our little band of travelers into Priestess Aurelia’s massive house. The priestess shocked us all with her appearance. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t expect her to be an ancient-looking woman with wrinkles deeper than the Mariana Trench. The small blonde woman with a perky hop in her step is surreal.

  Maia reaches back to me with an open hand as we move into the candle lit entryway of the home. I lace my fingers with Maia’s and I can feel my heart flutter at the contact. Everything she does makes me crave the feel of her skin against mine, even as she tore those cheeseburgers apart like the ferocious woman I know her to be.

  Priestess Aurelia stops just inside a large living room with vaulted ceilings and ornate wallpaper that meets at the peak. Everything about the home screams Victorian age, and I can’t deny the magical feel of it.

  “You may all take a seat wherever you feel comfortable, but I would like Maia to sit beside me.” The woman smiles sweetly and takes Maia away from me to squeeze beside her on a loveseat.

  Maia gapes at the woman for a moment. “I’m sorry if this sounds rude, but I’m really curious about…” She searches for the words, but Priestess Aurelia chimes in.

  “…about why I look like a seventeen year old girl?” She giggles, only making her seem younger.

  Maia grins and I feel my lips mirroring hers. Gah, I love that smile. “Yes. I just wasn’t expecting the high priestess of the witches to be so young.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be over a hundred years old, priestess?” Bree asks, not in the know about her own leader.

  Priestess Aurelia throws her golden hair over her shoulder. “I am one hundred and sixty one to be exact, my young witch.” We all collectively gasp, and she giggles that twinkling sound again before whispering like she’s telling the room a secret. “My magic is connected to all of my people, therefore, I am able to cast a continuous age glamour over myself. I mean, who would choose an aching back and wrinkles when you can have this?”

  She waves a hand up and down, gesturing to her young body. She has a point, but knowing there’s an incredibly wise elder hidden below the innocent exterior makes me feel uneasy in her presence.

  “Thank you for having us in your home, priestess,” I say, hoping to make friends with the powerful witch. “Well, most of us.” Aside from James.

  She looks back toward the front of the house and raises an eyebrow. “I am sorry about your friend, but I dated a vampire once and I will forever loathe their kind.”

  Bree stiffens where she sits beside Qadira and Wilk, and I can hear her heart rate pick up. “Do you think vampires are untrustworthy?”

  Priestess Aurelia shrugs. “My Lucian was a pig. I am not naive enough to say they’re all the same, but I am also not willing to take the chance. I don’t have many days left in this life. I only want to share those days with the best company.”

  A week ago, I would’ve loved that James got left out in the night, but he has somehow become one of my most trusted friends. I want him to be treated with respect, but I have no say in a house that isn’t mine.

  “Well, I’m sure you know why we came to your home, priestess.” I’m ready to move forward with this night and be alone with Maia again.