Vinny looked like he might argue but agreed. “Fine. I’ll be around though,” he said to me. “Call if you need anything.”

  He cast a glance at Kel and then let himself out.

  “We need to talk,” Kel said when we were alone.

  I grumbled at that. The one time I literally couldn’t speak to her and now she wanted to talk?

  Kel smirked knowingly.

  “Look, we have about three minutes before your mate comes charging up here, so yes, I’m taking advantage of the fact that you can’t interrupt me.”

  I huffed.

  “That magic is eating you alive.”

  I did the best version of a “duh” eye roll my wolf was capable of.

  “This isn’t a permanent fix,” she added, and I felt the disappointment draw my shoulders down.

  Well, there went my brilliant idea.

  “Your wolf will probably keep this form for a few hours,” she said. “Enjoy it. Eventually, the magic will win out again, and your wolf will lose control.”

  I stared back at her with a thousand questions on the tip of a tongue incapable of asking them.

  “Think of it like Cinderella. When the clock strikes midnight, you’ll turn back into a pumpkin. A very powerful, very dangerous pumpkin. After that, I don’t think you’ll be able to do this again.”

  She looked sad, and that, more than anything, sent a ripple of fear through me. My wolf dismissed it. She was way too cocky for that kind of bad news. As far as she was concerned, we had this under control. But I knew better than to doubt Kel.

  She might not always come through when I wanted her to, but she was never wrong.

  From outside, a howl sounded. The familiarity and impatience of it stirred my wolf. She pawed the ground, urging me toward the door.

  “Come on, alpha girl,” Kel said. “Let’s take a walk.”

  Downstairs, the shop was empty. Vinny had left, which meant it was only a matter of time before the others knew what had happened. I had a feeling letting them see Kel here—now, after all this time—wouldn’t go well.

  “Your mate’s outside,” Kel said. “This way.”

  She led me through the garage, which was empty since Oscar had decided to close early for the party tonight.

  Kel pushed through the back door and held it open for me.

  I trotted out and immediately spotted Kai pacing in the gravel lot. He spotted me, and relief filled his tense expression. Then, he shifted, sending his clothes shredding and scattering over the ground.

  He ran toward me, his wolf knocking me down as it licked and nipped and basically did the wolf equivalent of scooping me into his arms and kissing me senseless.

  My wolf ate it up and gave as good as she got.

  The magic inside me barely registered at all now. In fact, the longer I was a wolf, the harder it became to even notice it. I wasn’t fighting for control anymore. I wasn’t fighting at all.

  It was the most peaceful I’d felt in weeks. And my mate felt it too.

  When I finally broke away from him, Oscar had joined us.

  He spoke quietly to Kel, who assured him I was fine. She left out the part about how I wouldn’t be fine forever. I was glad for that. Even if his relief was only temporary, he deserved the reprieve.

  I took a step toward the woods, and Kel took my cue.

  “We’re going to take a walk,” Kel told Oscar.

  Oscar didn’t argue, which told me they must have come to some sort of agreement already. Even still, considering how protective he’d been lately, I was surprised. He gave me a nod as we left, which was the equivalent of a hug from him.

  I nodded back.

  That was love.

  The moment we hit the woods, my need to run took over. I couldn’t think beyond it, not about Kel and not about magic. Not even the ticking clock of this night mattered right now. I gave Kai a nudge and headed for the woods. He chased, and my wolf sped faster, loving the sensation of being pursued.

  I lost track of time as we ran.

  Our bond sprang back slowly and then all at once. Kai’s relief and happiness at being together this way filled my awareness, and I heard the echoing of his words in my mind as we nuzzled one another’s necks.

  I missed you, mate.

  My wolf preened, basically offering the response of damn right you did.

  Wow. We really needed to talk about her level of sass.

  Finally, someone cleared their throat nearby, and Kai and I sprang apart, immediately on guard. I looked at Kel, surprised to see her standing beside a wide oak a safe distance away. We’d gone pretty deep into the woods during our little reunion. And with wolf speed, too.

  How had she found us?

  “You’re wondering how I kept up with your little jaunt, aren’t you?” She tapped her temple. “I guess you could say I cheated.”

  Kai stepped in front of me, making it clear he still didn’t quite trust her presence here. I rolled my eyes but, without the luxury of a voice, couldn’t exactly tell him to stop.

  “I need to say a few things,” Kel said, ignoring Kai’s display of protectiveness. Clearly, she’d seen enough to know he wasn’t a real threat. “First, Ash, remember what I said earlier about limited time. If I were you, I wouldn’t try to shift back, no matter how much you think asking all your questions will matter.”

  I whined, and Kel’s expression turned grim. “Listen, I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner so we could actually talk. I know it’s been hard for you. I got here as soon as I could.”

  Kai growled at that.

  Kel went on, “So, while I have your undivided attention, just listen because there are some things you need to know.”

  Kai’s shift back to human form surprised us all. I blinked as he marched his naked human body right up to Kel.

  “She might not be able to shift, but I can,” he said, eyes flicking to the trees nearby. “What the hell is this? Are you using this as an ambush?”

  “I’m here as an ally, Stone. If you’d shut up and listen, you’d know that. it’s not like I have endless time either. Are you really going to waste it tossing threats at me?”

  “I don’t know what to think,” he shot back. “You’ve been ghosting us for weeks, and now you show up at the exact moment Ash can’t—”

  “Can’t what?” Kel shot back. “Your girl’s a wolf, not a puppy. If anything, she’s more deadly to me in this form, and that makes my coming here even riskier. Not to mention how hot-tempered your wolf is running. I’m not stupid, Kai. I’m trying to help you.”

  “Then where have you been for the last month?” he shot back.

  She squeezed her eyes shut in obvious frustration. When she opened them again, she didn’t sound quite so angry. Instead, she sounded tired. And maybe a little sad. “That’s a long story. I’ll tell it if you back up and put on some damn clothes.”

  Just in case Kai was thinking of refusing, I waltzed over and nipped his hand, dragging him back.

  “I’m going,” he muttered.

  Clothes weren’t exactly an option, but he sat with his knees pulled up and his arms slung around them. I sprawled in front of him, and we both looked up at Kel expectantly.

  She took a seat on a downed log and stared at her hands.

  “You should know that I wanted to come,” she said, looking at me with regret in her eyes. “Right after everything went down, I wanted to be here. To tell you I didn’t blame you.” She looked up, her gaze fixed on me. “What happened was… none of us saw that coming. Cohen least of all.” She snorted, and I wondered for a brief moment what it had been like to witness his defeat after he’d watched the magic choose me over him.

  “Why didn’t you?” Kai asked.

  “Cohen.” She seemed to almost choke on the word. “We’d barely made it home when Merle came for me.”

  “Merle?”

  “The one who took Ash,” she said.

  Kai swore under his breath, and Kel went on.

  “They locked me up in Cohen’s basement for two weeks. Every day, they… well, as you can see, it wasn’t pleasant.”

  She held up the arm cradled in a sling.

  I let out a whine, hating the idea that Cohen and his monsters did this to her.

  “After each…session,” she swallowed hard, “Cohen would come in and check my mark.” She held up her palm, and I looked at the scar there, startled that any of this would have to do with that. “He’d look at it and then curse and leave again, only to do it all over the next day.

  “Why?” Kai asked.

  “I didn’t understand it at the time. Or him. But then, five days ago, everything changed. It, well… look.”

  She held up her hand, palm out, and I stared at the unblemished skin. There was nothing. No scar. No mark. As if it had never been there at all.

  No wonder I’d forgotten about it, I realized.

  I hadn’t seen mine in weeks either.

  The oath mark had disappeared on us both.

  “What does it mean?” Kai asked.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But Cohen looked happy about it, and then he actually let me go, which makes me think it can’t be good.”

  “Why would he let you go?”

  “I think he found what he was looking for.”

  “You think he wanted the mark to disappear?” Kai asked.

  “I think he wanted to know what would affect Ash,” she said. “And how badly he could hurt her without killing her.” Kel gave me a haunted look. “He wants the magic, and if you don’t give it to him, he’s going to take it from you by force. I think the mark protected me somehow—and maybe protected you too—but now, I don’t know what will happen.”

  Protected me.

  I jumped to my feet, desperate to voice my realization.

  The pain I’d felt.

  That hadn’t been the magic trying to kill me after all.

  That had been Kel’s torture.

  Our oath had bonded us. I’d felt her pain. And Cohen knew it.

  “Is he watching you now?” Kai asked.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I can’t see it.”

  Kai was silent.

  “Listen, I’m not sure what he learned from hurting me, but whatever it is, the future has changed. He’s not playing defense anymore, and he doesn’t need me or the oath mark for whatever he’s going to do next.”

  “What does that mean for Ash?” Kai asked.

  She looked from him to me. “It means Cohen’s coming for you, and I have no idea how or when.”

  “What about your mom?” Kai asked. “Can she find out what he’s planning?”

  Kel shook her head. “Cohen’s threatened by our family. Always has been. It’s why he married Arnie the moment he realized she was open to his manipulations. But he’ll never trust her.”

  “Dammit,” Kai said heatedly. He ran a hand through his hair then shook it out again. “You came here with a lot of nothing, you know that?”

  “I came here and saved her life,” Kel snapped. “Again. What have you done for her lately?”

  Kai jumped to his feet. “I fucking love her,” he yelled.

  “Then act like it,” Kel hissed.

  Well, shit.

  I stepped in front of them and growled at Kai.

  His gaze flicked from Kel to me, and his expression transformed slowly.

  “You’re taking her side?” he asked in disbelief.

  I bared my teeth at him. Internally, my wolf screamed at him to stop being an idiot. But Kai’s stability only went so far—even with me as a wolf. He shook his head, his anger draining away into disappointment.

  “Wow,” he said softly. “It’s like that, huh. I’ll just go then. Leave you two alone.”

  It hurt like hell that he was taking this so personally, but it was better than rage. When he turned and walked off into the trees, I let him go.

  When I looked back at Kel, understanding shone in her eyes.

  “If it makes you feel any better, the same thing is happening to the hexerei,” she said. “This manic rage is part of the curse.” She hesitated and then said, “You know it’s not broken, right?”

  I huffed and lowered my body to the ground again to signal that I was listening.

  “The mark where we took our oath might be gone, but the curse isn’t. Ash, you need to be careful. Whatever he’s planning, I can’t see it.”

  I hated how blind we were in all this.

  And how trapped.

  “Listen,” Kel said, pushing to her feet. “I just wanted you to know where things stand. I’m doing what I can from my end. And I finally saw a scenario where my coming here didn’t send all of our futures into the worst possible outcome. But I can’t control him, and I can’t win against him. Not without my full magic.”

  She held up her hand as I bared my teeth. “I’m not asking you to give it up. I think you’re insane for letting it kill you, but I can’t say I’d do it differently in your shoes. Just… be careful, Ash. He isn’t worth dying for.”

  I wanted to thank her. To let her know how much I appreciated her risking it all by coming here in the first place. For intervening earlier when Kai might have hurt Vinny. Mostly, I wanted to find a way to feel more like family than strangers. Or worse, enemies.

  But in the end, all I could do was bow my head at my cousin.

  “I can’t come back,” she added sadly. “I need to heal, and my people need me.” She paused and then added, “When the time comes, I’ll stand against him, for what that’s worth. But that’s all I can offer you now.”

  She dipped her chin at me before turning and heading deeper into the trees.

  I watched her go, thinking not of the hexerei but of the pack. If Cohen was coming for us, I had to use the hours I had left wisely. To prepare. I thought of Silas and the angry pep talk he’d given me when I’d first woken. To step up; be a leader. He’d been right, and it was time. Tonight, after the party, before my carriage turned back into a pumpkin, I’d leave. Kel was right; I couldn’t stop the inevitable. The magic would come for me—and it would come for Cohen too.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The council hall had been entirely gutted and redone. On four paws, I stood in the doorway and took it all in; gleaming hardwood floors freshly waxed and sealed, exposed beams meeting at the highest point in the vaulted ceiling above, and custom molding so intricately carved, it looked too delicate to be in a place that had once felt like nothing more than a glorified board room.

  But that place was long gone. This was something different. Something completely and totally ours. Isaac wasn’t just a foreman; he was a design master. His creation had changed the energy so much that I barely remembered standing in this space the day Kai had been led away in handcuffs. Or the way Drake had threatened me openly in front of the entire pack. Even the unease from the memory of Warren trying to force me out of town was gone.

  The Town Hall, as Isaac had named it, was nothing like what I remembered. And for that, I wanted to kiss him. When, you know, I had human lips again. Hell, maybe I’d do it anyway. A lick right up his entire face. It was tempting.

  “You okay?”

  Oscar’s voice came from beside me. He’d stayed pretty close since I’d walked into the Throttle earlier. After Kel had left, I’d searched and searched for Kai. But my wolf knew what it took my human side an hour to admit: He didn’t want to be found. Not even by me.

  So, I’d gone home and let Oscar fuss over me. And then he’d brought me here. A goodbye, even if he didn’t recognize that’s what it was.

  Besides, I had a feeling Kai would show. Even as angry or hurt as he was, his wolf wouldn’t let him miss the pack run. This had been his dream as much as mine. And now that I was here, the idea of leaving it all behind made my throat burn.

  “Ash,” Oscar pressed, and I realized I hadn’t answered him.

  I turned and pressed my snout into his hand to let him know I was fine.

  He frowned. “I’m going to get changed.”

  He walked off without waiting for a reply. I’d tried to offer time for him to get ready at home, but he’d waved me off. I had a feeling he was dreading the dress-up part of this evening and wanting to put it off as long as possible.

  I couldn’t blame him. Although, the idea of a fancy dress didn’t seem terrible. I had never once worn a dress as nice as the one I’d bought myself for tonight. And now, I guess I never would.

  My wolf rolled her eyes at my wistful thoughts. And to prove her lack of empathy, she nudged us forward and strutted into the room.

  Overhead, the chandelier lights had been set on some sort of swivel setting so they moved in wide circles over the bodies below. I stared out at the crowd, entranced by the lights glinting over sequins and sashes. Some of the men had pulled out tuxes, and the dresses—they’d clearly gone outside of the Falls for some of the gowns I spotted.

  On the stage at the far end of the room, a band played a light beat that made you want to sway to the sound. On the right, buffet tables had been heaped with food. On the left, Teddy served a menu of cocktails Isaac had helped to custom create just for tonight.

  Teddy had insisted on working even though we’d all tried to point out he was supposed to be here to enjoy himself. Apparently, bartending was enjoyable.

  “So you can still become a wolf.”

  Tiffany. The voice was too haughty to be anyone else.

  I turned and found her standing over me, wrapped in a black dress that looked glued to her curvy body. She was gorgeous, I’d give her that. My wolf huffed her disagreement.

  “Kind of attention-seeking,” she said, looking down her nose at me. “Showing up to a formal party as the only wolf.”

  I did my best eye roll.

  “But I get it,” she went on. “And for what it’s worth, I think all that magic is badass. I’m around if you need anything.”

  She strode off before I could decide if she’d just insulted me or not.

  “Ash.”

  Kai strode up.

  He wore dark slacks and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbows. The black ink of his tattoos peeked out from underneath the fabric. His collar was open where a tie should have been. And his hair wasn’t quite as groomed as it should have been for such a fancy night. He looked windblown and dangerous. Like some kind of supernatural monster straight out of a haunted forest.