“The way he acted?” I asked incredulously. “You were going to zap him with magic.”

  “He first tried to bite me and then raised his voice at me. He needed to know that isn’t acceptable behavior in my coven,” she answered, then she pursed her lips. “I am sorry I hit you instead. Does that count?”

  There was no sincerity in her apology, but I didn’t care about what she’d done to me. My energy had flared when Beatrix had mentioned Foster not being my soulmate. That told me enough to know that he was important. Even if I didn’t understand how or why, something inside me wasn’t going to let her push him away.

  “Sure, it counts. I’m just going to see if Foster’s waiting outside like he said. If he is, I’ll let him know that I won’t be gone long.”

  “I see you’re going to be just as stubborn as your mother.” Beatrix sighed, then gestured to the three witches standing beside her. “This is Evelyn, Ava, and Benjamin. They’ll be joining us today. Let me finish with them, and then I’ll go with you. I need to grant you access to the coven anyway.”

  “Thank you,” I said before appraising the others present. The first one Beatrix had called “Evelyn” I remembered seeing the night before. She was older with hazel eyes and long, white hair that was braided over her shoulder.

  The second witch, named Ava, was younger, maybe in her forties with short ebony hair, light-grey eyes, and thin lips that turned down more as Beatrix spoke in hushed tones. She might have also been around the night before, but too much was happening to be sure.

  Benjamin, the last one Beatrix had gestured to, was the youngest of the three, appearing more like a teenager than an adult with his round face, curly auburn hair, and pale-blue eyes. There was even a smattering of freckles on his cheeks, adding to his youthfulness.

  Charlie turned her back to the group and leaned closer to me, keeping her voice low. “Evelyn has been Beatrix’s right-hand woman since we lost Junie. She makes Beatrix look friendly on her worst days, so watch out for her. Ava is chill most of the time unless she’s too stressed, then give her a wide berth. Benjamin, I still haven’t figured out. His mom kept him out of the public eye for a while, but Beatrix convinced her to let him help look for you since he inherited his dad’s tracking abilities.”

  “Thanks for that.” Even though my memories had come back to me clearer than should have been possible, I didn’t remember most of the coven. I knew there were dozens of witches and warlocks living here, but most faces were a blur unless they’d specifically interacted with me.

  Beatrix rejoined us. “They’re going to create a secure portal for us to walk through. It’s safer than teleporting, but it will take some time opening. While we wait, we can go see how the wolf enjoyed sleeping on the forest floor.”

  I had to bite my tongue to keep from snapping at her. Beatrix was supposed to be like family, and I hardly knew the wolf. Her snide comments shouldn’t have annoyed me like they did, but I couldn’t deny I wanted to stand up for him.

  The stone path led to the white wooden gate I remembered going through the night before. As we got closer, I could see a shimmer in front of the fence that I hadn’t noticed the first time.

  “Give me your hand,” Beatrix demanded, holding out her own.

  I complied but added, “You know, it wouldn’t kill you to be nice.”

  She raised a brow. “It might. I’d rather not find out.”

  The snarky witch pressed my hand between both of hers and started muttering. I glanced toward the trees, and the “dog” I’d seen the night before exited from the forest. Only he wasn’t a dog.

  In my previously panicked state, I’d mistaken a massive wolf for a house pet. I wasn’t sure how I’d done that, but I could only assume that my mind had processed him as something normal to keep me from spiraling further.

  The onyx-colored wolf stalked forward, bright-blue eyes staring directly at me. I sucked in a breath, and my body stiffened.

  Charlie nudged me with a grin on her face. “Bond or not, that wolf has your number. He can’t see us, but he certainly sees you.”

  Shivers ran down my spine, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the ginormous animal. He had to be close to four feet tall and probably weighed more than a couple hundred pounds under all of his dark, thick fur.

  The wolf stopped, and the air shimmered around him before his head dipped down, then I blinked and Foster was standing there, fully dressed in jeans and a dark grey T-shirt, still staring right at me.

  “How?” I asked, hoping Charlie was still next to me, even though I hadn’t turned back to her.

  “As I said before, the answer is almost always magic, Andie. Even wolves have their own kind, gifted to them from their creator, the Moon Goddess.”

  I took a step closer to the barrier, but Beatrix yanked on my arm, reminding me I was supposed to be paying attention to her.

  “Move again and this is going to hurt a lot more,” she grumbled.

  Just as I was about to ask what was going to hurt, shock traveled up my arm and over my chest, then spread through the rest of my body. My spine straightened, and I gritted my teeth, staying as still as possible.

  The current running through me lasted only a few seconds, but that was enough to know I didn’t want to do that again. Not ever.

  “You can come and go as you please now, but you can’t bring anyone inside with you without another coven member’s help,” Beatrix said before grimacing at Foster.

  “You don’t trust me?” I asked with a bite in my voice.

  She rolled her eyes. “We have a lot to learn about each other, Andie. If I didn’t trust you, you wouldn’t be here at all. You need magic to give someone else permission to enter. That’s the same for any witch here.”

  Oh. That made sense. I felt bad for snapping at her, but she’d brought it on herself. The witch seemed proud of her lack of niceties.

  Beatrix exited the barrier when I didn’t say anything else. I followed with Charlie at my side. As soon as I stepped through, Foster started to raise his hands as if to reach out to me, but then quickly tucked them behind his back.

  “Did you get enough rest?” he asked, his eyes traveling over my body.

  I nodded with a small smile on my face and tried to ignore the heat unfurling inside me. “I did, and I’d like to continue our conversation, but I came to let you know it will have to wait a bit. We’re going back to my house to grab some things. Charlie mentioned you might know I was gone and that I should give you a heads-up.”

  “I’ll come with you,” he said, then he finally looked at Beatrix, who was already shaking her head.

  “Absolutely not. You can’t be controlled,” she said.

  A rumble grew in Foster’s chest. “My control shouldn’t be the one in question.”

  “How about your snapping jaws? Your lack of respect for authority? Or your anger? Or a litany of other things I could name off, but we don’t have time for that. This was a courtesy, Foster. Don’t make me regret it. We’ll be back in five minutes.” Beatrix turned her back on him, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

  “I can’t let her go to the place she was just attacked at without my protection. I’m coming with you,” he growled.

  Shit. I hadn’t thought he’d be that protective of me. I didn’t know what to do, but I couldn’t just stand there.

  I stepped between them, once again choosing to act at the exact wrong time.

  Beatrix’s palm shoved into my chest, and I was on my ass in the next second.

  13

  FOSTER

  A snarl ripped from my chest as I shoved Beatrix back. I told myself the night before that I wouldn’t threaten her again, that I would do whatever was best for Andie, but I didn’t expect her to tell me they were leaving.

  The idea that Andie could be in danger and I wouldn’t be there to keep her safe made me snap. With the bond there, but not fully intact, I wasn’t myself. Add that to the fact that I’d willingly joined a pack that wasn’t going to let me fade into the background, and I was more on edge than I’d been in years.

  “She isn’t safe with you,” I roared at Beatrix after she once again hit my mate with unnecessary magic. I bent down, scooping Andie up, and held her tightly against me, as if my mere touch would make everything better.

  “If you’d quit acting like a caveman, Andie wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Either time,” Beatrix spat.

  “You’re trying to keep her from me, and I won’t let you,” I said, then glanced down at Andie.

  She was shaking, and her eyes were squeezed shut. I shifted my hold on her and used one of my hands to cup her cheek. “Can you hear me, Andie?”

  She didn’t respond, and I sneered at Beatrix. “What did you do to her?”

  “Move so I can fix it,” she said, stepping closer, but I didn’t trust the witch.

  “Not a chance in hell.”

  Beatrix’s hands curled into fists, and I turned Andie away from her in case the crazy witch tried to do anything else reckless.

  Charlie stepped forward, hands up in surrender. “Foster, give me Andie. You know I won’t hurt her.”

  I wanted to believe the golden-haired witch, but letting Andie go was proving harder than I’d thought it would be.

  She’s ours to protect, my wolf said. Just when I thought he was agreeing with my choice to keep Andie to myself, he added, But Beatrix is fighting for the same thing we are.

  No, she’s not. She keeps hurting Andie.

  On accident and you know it.

  Accident or not, Beatrix can’t be trusted.

  I wasn’t going to give my mate over to her again.

  What about Charlie? She loves Andie. You can feel the concern coming from her, my wolf said.

  I glanced back at Charlie. She was inching closer while Beatrix stood behind her, staring daggers at me.

  Andie whimpered in my arms. She was hurting, and I wasn’t going to make her better on my own. Damn it!

  I stepped toward Charlie and carefully handed Andie over, but Charlie asked me to hold her up instead of letting go.

  I moved my hands to rest under Andie’s arms, and she twitched in my hold. “Hurry,” I demanded of Charlie.

  She placed her hands over Andie’s chest and winced, then glanced back at Beatrix. “That was low, even for you.”

  Beatrix didn’t respond, not even with a scowl as her eyes stayed on Andie.

  Dark puffs of smoke rose from Andie’s chest, and when Charlie pulled her hand back, there were scorch marks on her palm.

  “She’s going to be okay now,” Charlie said softly, taking a step back.

  “Take her,” I said to Charlie.

  She reached out, grabbing Andie just as she began to stir. I wanted my face to be the first thing Andie saw when she came to, but I also had a witch to teach a lesson to. Beatrix couldn’t keep acting the way she was. Andie was mine and she knew it.

  I took two steps toward Beatrix before she held glowing silver hands up. “Touch me again and I will force you into your wolf form for the rest of your days.”

  “Stand down, Foster.” Holden’s alpha power rolled over me, and my steps faltered.

  I turned to see him coming out of the trees, breathing hard as if he’d sprinted all the way here.

  “She hurt Andie. Again,” I said, glaring at the smirking witch.

  “And we’ll talk about that, but that doesn’t give you the right to hurt Beatrix in return. If you truly want to help Andie, you’ll find a way to work with her coven leader,” Holden said.

  Just as I was about to snarl at him for taking the witch’s side, he faced Beatrix. “And you should be ashamed of yourself as a leader, Beatrix. You know their connection. We’ve even talked about what it would mean should one of your witches be his mate. I don’t know what games you’re playing, but they need to end. Now.”

  Beatrix straightened, losing her smirk. “As much as I’d hate to continue this conversation, we really do have somewhere to be and Foster can’t come. Andie’s magic could be in danger of landing in the wrong hands. Once we have it, we can resume discussing this unfortunate circumstance.”

  Holden clasped my shoulder, but his hold no longer contained me. “Are you saying Andie doesn’t have her magic?”

  My voice was devoid of emotion. I’d suspected there was something wrong with Andie’s magic thanks to my wolf, but given that she’d glowed pink, I didn’t think she was without it. This information changed things drastically.

  “It’s complicated, but essentially yes. That’s how she survived hiding amongst the humans for so long. Now, we need to go,” Beatrix answered.

  I wanted to argue, but Holden whispered in my ear. “Give them this. Show them you can be reasonable. Andie needs you to do that.”

  Damn him for being right. I turned to Andie, needing reassurance that she was okay. She was standing with Charlie, and there was still a slight shake in her hands.

  “I’m sorry,” I said while closing the distance between us.

  “That was nothing. I’m fine.” She was lying, but I wasn’t going to call her on it.

  “Do you want to go with them?” I asked.

  “I do. I’ll let you know as soon as we’re back.”

  Staring into her soft blue eyes, I knew she was telling the truth. She wasn’t trying to leave me. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have even told me she was going.

  Fuck. The bond was stronger than I’d realized. I wasn’t thinking right, but I didn’t know what to do to fix things.

  “Be safe,” I said, then took a step back.

  Charlie helped Andie back across the barrier, and they disappeared together. All I could see in front of me now were trees, but Andie’s presence was strong. I could feel her in my soul, even through the witch’s shield. I knew when she was getting farther away and when she paused, hopefully looking back at me.

  I softened my stance and nodded before turning to Holden.

  He and Beatrix were having a private conversation, but as soon as they saw me watching, she parted ways and disappeared without another word.

  Holden strode my way, hands in his jean pockets. “Want to tell me what happened here?”

  “I might have overreacted,” I said.

  “Care to elaborate so I have your side of the story instead of just Beatrix’s?” Holden pressed.

  “Not really.”

  He sighed. “This isn’t going to work if you don’t trust me, Foster.”

  Holden was right again, but trust was hard. Trust meant putting faith in someone else. It meant letting them in, which wasn’t something I was used to any longer. But as I thought about Andie and what would be best for her, I knew there was more I needed to do, even if I didn’t like it.

  “When Andie said she was leaving, I let myself believe if I didn’t go with her that she would get hurt without my protection, or worse, never come back. Then Beatrix began butting in and she once again tried to hurt me but ended up hurting Andie in the process.”

  That was something I wasn’t sure I was going to forgive myself or the witch for anytime soon.

  “You know I had a true mate, right?” Holden asked, and I nodded. “She died almost ten years ago now. We had almost eighty years together before she was taken from me. So much time has passed that I nearly forgot what it was like to fear losing the one meant just for you.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, trying not to let myself panic when I felt Andie getting farther away.

  She’s going to be fine, my wolf reminded me.

  She better be.

  Holden continued. “When I met Annie, she was young and wild. Our wolves instantly connected like with any true mate bond amongst wolf shifters, but my Annie… She wasn’t ready to settle down. She ran from me, and I gladly chased her. For weeks, that minx dodged me, but even though she was refusing me, I was getting to know her. Watching where she went, what she did, what she ate, and everything in between.”

  “How did you get her to stop running?” I asked, even though I didn’t actually think Andie was running from me.

  “I showed her I could be the man she was looking for. My Annie wanted a true partner to live life with, not someone to settle down with. I was older than her by nearly fifteen years, but I had no problem showing her that we had more in common than she realized. I think that’s what you need to do here.”

  “I don’t understand,” I said.

  Holden glanced behind me, a soft smile rising on his lips. “You’ve been through a lot, Foster. You’ve lost more than any man should have to lose in a lifetime. Those losses have changed you, but don’t let them define you. I can already see how much you care for the girl, but from the sounds of it, she has a lot of growing to do, and this world isn’t what she’s used to.”

  “Are you telling me I need to let her go until she’s adjusted?” I was suddenly regretting my choice to ask Holden for help and joining his pack.

  “No, but I am saying that you need to take a step back. Look at the situation with fresh eyes. Andie isn’t a wolf. She’s a witch. That itself is your first problem, but now we also know that she’s also a witch without her magic. Magic I assume that she needs to properly bond with you.”

  Shit. What irritated me most was that none of what Holden was saying was wrong. My wolf had already assumed the bit about Andie’s magic, but knowing and accepting all of it wasn’t an easy feat. Though, I’d do my best because that was what Andie deserved. My absolute best.

  “Thank you, Holden. I’m glad you showed up when you did,” I said earnestly.

  “Me, too. Once they’re back and we know what they found, then I can help you figure out how to proceed. Beatrix will back off, but you’ll need to do so as well. It took me decades to get along with the witch, but you don’t have that much time, and whether you want to believe this or not, she’s worth having on your side.”

  I scoffed. I found that hard to believe after all I’d witnessed.

  She did try to help you when you first arrived, my wolf said.

  No, she tried to pawn me off on another pack.