“I found three more containers.” I set them at the foot of the table and went to Andie’s side, settling my palm at the center of her back.

  She shivered beneath my touch. “Thank you.

  “What else can I do?” I asked, half-expecting them to tell me to stand to the side with Holden, which I wasn’t going to do.

  “Stay with Andie and hold on to her,” Charlie said. “Share your alpha power, the connection through the bond, and anything else you’ve got swirling inside you once she begins pulling the dark energy out.”

  I wanted to tell her that the bond wasn’t quite right, but Andie had already said she needed me to believe in her, so I kept that bit to myself for the moment.

  Instead, I nodded and called my alpha power forward. It was easier than it had been any time before, and my skin tingled within seconds. I heard an intake of breath from behind me but didn’t bother to turn around. The pack, including Holden, knew I was an alpha, but it wasn’t my problem if they’d underestimated how much of my pack’s power I still had inside me.

  No matter how much I grieved and hated myself for failing them, their spirits never left me. I was more grateful for that than ever before as Andie’s hands began to glow a bright purple and she placed them over James’s chest.

  “This might hurt a little.”

  13

  ANDIE

  My muscles were twitchy, and waves of hot then cold chills rocketed through me while I looked over James. He was only thirteen. Not even a young man. Just a boy who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He didn’t deserve the pain he was experiencing.

  Charlie had used a spell to secure him to the bed as soon as she’d walked into the room. At first, I hadn’t understood why, but the darkening of James’s eyes when they finally opened, and the baring of his teeth explained everything.

  He truly wanted to kill me. At least, a part of him did.

  I did my best to focus on the task in front of me, but it was made exponentially harder knowing that something wasn’t right with Foster. He wasn’t being possessive. Instead, he was almost out of control, which worried me more than anything.

  When we left here, we’d be having a serious talk about the bond and possibly even asking for help from Beatrix and Holden together. We didn’t know what to expect with a cross-race bond, but if we failed to figure things out, we were only asking for our own failure—and I wasn’t going to let that happen.

  “What do you remember about helping Benjamin?” Charlie asked me.

  My hand hovered over James’s chest. “I remember a pull toward him when my magic touched his skin. I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing his hands and once I did, a connection ignited between us. More of my magic came out on its own and made a cocoon around him before the dark magic started soaking into my palm.”

  Charlie nodded and gave James another onceover. “Since he’s not unconscious, this won’t be as easy mentally. James is going to scream at you, but you have to ignore his words. It’s not him who’s talking. It’s the dark magic.”

  I nodded. “Got it.”

  “Can’t you knock him out?” Foster asked, the heat from his chest soaking into my body.

  Lila snarled from behind me where Holden was keeping a hold on her arms. “You will do nothing of the sort!”

  Charlie frowned. “We could try to force him to sleep, but I’d rather not. If his wolf can help us force out the energy, then we need to let that happen.”

  Holden gave Lila a pointed look, then he stepped to the end of the bed and placed his hand on the boy’s foot. The alpha’s pupils turned to slits, and his chest rumbled.

  A wave of power rolled through the room, and I shivered.

  “The wolf will fight as best he can, but he’s not all there right now,” Holden answered, his voice raspy, but his eyes were slowly going back to normal.

  “Thank you,” I said before glancing down at James again. “Are you ready?”

  He snapped his jaws, and his eyes turned nearly black. He wasn’t in control any longer. My presence had only continued to make things worse for him.

  I could really use your help, Aunt Junie. I don’t want this boy to die, I said mentally while calling my magic forward.

  Warmth settled over my chest and spread through my arms, all the way to the tips of my fingers. Pressure settled over both sides of my shoulders and I smiled.

  Mom.

  I couldn’t hear her, but I somehow knew she was there.

  My throat burned with emotions I didn’t have time to process. Instead, I focused on being thankful to have her there in whatever form she could be and that I was going to be able to help James, just like I had Benjamin.

  My eyes met Charlie’s, and she had a crease between her brows, but I shook my head briefly at her. She didn’t need to worry. We had all the assistance we were going to need.

  Energy pulsed around me, and goosebumps rose along my skin. I thrust my magic forward, and purple sparks shattered from my hands, landing on James, but unlike with Benjamin, James began to convulse and screech.

  “You can’t stop me. I’ll find a way to get to you!” he roared.

  I gritted my teeth and continued to push my magic out. Moira wasn’t even trying to disguise that she was taking control.

  “I have what you want, and yet you hide away. What is it going to take to draw you out, Andie? That wolf of yours seems awfully useful. Maybe he’ll be next.” James spoke, but his voice was a higher tone than when he’d first yelled.

  Lila began screaming obscenities about witches and burning them all, but I managed to ignore her rants along with Moira’s attempts at conversation. If the dark witch could have gotten to Foster, she would have already. She couldn’t take him from me. Not now and not ever. I wouldn’t let that happen.

  “You might think you’re safe, but I know where to cut the deepest, Andie. I know you, because we’re more alike than you realize. You want to help people you care about, and that’s all I’m trying to do.” The voice was softer this time, almost despondent.

  I finally broke. “We’re nothing alike. I’d never kill anyone else just to help another. Nobody’s life is more important than another’s.”

  Okay, maybe I might have considered a few people more important, like Foster or Charlie or Beatrix or…

  I gave myself a mental shake. Moira couldn’t deter me with her words. I had to focus on the task at hand.

  My hands pressed harder against James’s chest, possibly with too much force, but I had to get the shield to form over his body so I could make Moira shut the hell up.

  James’s body shook as Moira made him cackle. “Do you really believe that? If you could have traded your mother’s life with a stranger’s, wouldn’t you have taken the opportunity?”

  Was Moira hinting at her motivations? The answer to the question we’d said we needed to know just that morning? I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t keep her talking. Not when James’s life was at stake. As I’d told the dark witch, we didn’t trade lives. Not even for information we needed.

  I was almost there with the shield. I just had to focus. I pulled on energy from wherever I could, forcing it to aid in my efforts. Right when I was ready to collapse, Charlie called out.

  “Done!”

  As soon as I knew the dark magic would be contained within the shield I’d created, I began pulling it toward me. Except this time, I was replenishing all that I’d used to fight back against Moira’s energy, and I didn’t feel weaker because of it. This time, I was growing stronger from the dark magic.

  Foster’s palm settled over my spine, and I could sense his anxiety, but it was the least of my worries at the moment.

  You can’t stop me, Andie. I will get what I want, and the longer you prevent that from happening, the more deaths you’ll be responsible for. Say goodbye to the child.

  Moira’s voice echoed inside my mind, and my body quaked from the invasion, but I couldn’t let that distract me.

  James’s convulsions broke through Charlie’s spell. His arms and legs began to flail, kicking Charlie in the face and nearly punching my jaw.

  His eyes were all black, and he reminded me of the witch who’d disintegrated into the wall while we’d been in the attic.

  “No!” I screeched, yanking fiercely on the dark energy. I wouldn’t allow Moira to take this life. Not when I was so close to saving him.

  Snarls, likely coming from Lila, echoed around the room, but I trusted that Holden could keep Lila out of the way for however long it took.

  Blood trickled from James’s mouth, and I fought harder against the dark energy, taking everything that I could from my connection to Foster and counting on my mother’s presence to continue guiding my steps.

  Black tendrils moved up my arms, heading right for my chest, and Charlie leapt across the table. “Not fucking happening,” she snarled.

  Her golden magic cut off the path of dark energy and she forced it into one of the jars before closing the lid.

  My veins were darkening, but that wasn’t any different than before, so I kept going.

  Lila’s screaming turned into cries for help behind us, calling for her son, wailing for the Moon Goddess to make this right. To help fix her son and bring him back to her.

  I didn’t know their Moon Goddess, but I was going to do my best to act on Her behalf.

  Cracks formed along the boy’s skin, fueling my desire to save him. Instead of trying to transfer the dark magic to the jars, I soaked up more of the energy into myself, expecting discomfort and instead feeling a high of power fill me.

  Foster roared from behind me, and Charlie was saying something, but I ignored them, intent to finish what we’d started. James deserved that, and so did his mother.

  The boy let out an ear-piercing screech, one that I wasn’t sure had come from him or Moira. And then, his body stilled.

  Thudding sounded in my mind, and my legs could no longer hold me up. I was heading toward the ground, unsure if I’d accomplished my task or not, but there was nothing else that I could do. Not right then.

  Cool arms caught me and held me tightly against a heaving chest. “Did it work?”

  “Is my James alive?” Lila yelled over the first question.

  I couldn’t see what was happening, but I felt like death warmed over, so I hoped like hell my efforts had made a difference.

  “Charlie,” Holden warned.

  “Just give me a damn minute,” she snapped.

  I wanted to smile, but I couldn’t find the strength. If Charlie still had hope, then so did I. Moira hadn’t won. We’d saved James. She hadn’t taken him from his mother. She couldn’t put another death on me.

  Light-purple flickers fell onto the ground where my gaze was currently pointed, and Charlie let out a sigh. “Done. Holden, you’ll need to help him the rest of the way.”

  Freezing hands touched my arm. “Andie?”

  I groaned from the overload of magic and began to stand, but Foster wouldn’t let me.

  “She’s burning up like last time, but the temperature is more controlled. Why do I feel like that’s not a good thing?” Foster said with an underlying snarl.

  “Because it’s not.” Charlie’s voice quavered. “She took too much on, and the dark magic almost got to her core. We need to get her back to the coven to finish everything with Beatrix.”

  Foster’s chest rumbled against my side where I was still cradled against him. “Let’s go, then.”

  I broke the hold Foster had on me. “I feel fine. How is James?”

  Charlie pointed to my arms. “Look at yourself, Andie, and tell me you’re fine.”

  My eyes cast down and my veins were pulsating black. Shit. That wasn’t at all what I’d expected to see.

  I heard the door creak open and caught a glimpse of Mack’s wide shoulders in the doorway, but he stayed quiet, and Charlie continued speaking while digging through her bag.

  “On second thought. Holden, do you have a room we can borrow? I want to try something before we get her back to the coven and everything goes to shit.”

  Foster’s chest was heaving as he stood next to me. “Why would things be worse if we went to the coven for help?”

  Charlie nodded at James. “The controlling magic that was inside him is now inside our girl. We have no idea if Moira can force Andie to do something she wouldn’t normally. You know, like unleash all that dark shit flowing through her veins on the coven members, creating mass chaos. I’d rather not risk it. I can do a few things to make sure that doesn’t happen, but not in here.”

  The more my best friend spoke, the more I feared she was right. I’d heard Moira in my head, and I didn’t feel weak like before. There was a real possibility Moira was trying to make me a Trojan Horse, and I’d rather die than let that happen.

  “I can help with that. Follow me,” Mack said, his caramel eyes appraising the room while one hand rubbed over his buzzed dark hair.

  I was so used to Mack’s jovial personality that it was weird not to see him smiling, but hopefully this would all be over soon and things could go back to normal. Well, normal-ish.

  Foster moved to pick me up again, but I pushed his hands down, afraid of him getting hurt by me. “I can walk.”

  His chest rumbled, and I knew he wanted to object, but we didn’t have time for that. I strode forward behind Charlie, who was already following Mack into the hallway, and hoped my soulmate followed.

  We went down another hallway and entered a smaller room without a bed in it, but there was a table. Charlie directed me to lie on top of the smooth, wooden surface.

  “I need everyone to leave the room,” Charlie said once I was settled.

  Mack hesitated at the door, and Foster stood his ground. “I’m not everyone.”

  Charlie reached for his forearm. “Foster, you are hurting. I don’t know what’s going on, but you’re too susceptible to what I’m about to do. I need you outside of this room for the three minutes it’s going to take me to fix Andie enough that we can leave. Do this for her.”

  Foster growled, and his eyes darkened to a midnight color. He bent down on his knees, level to the tabletop. “I’m sorry, Andie.”

  I tried to reach for him, but he was standing up and backing away before I could. “It’s okay.”

  He gave his head a sharp shake from the door. “It’s not, but it will be.” His eyes turned icy, and he whispered, “I love you” before shutting the door.

  Once it clicked closed, Charlie got right to work without warning me. Energy exploded around her and created a dome around the two of us while she muttered words I could barely hear.

  When she was done, she circled the table, holding her hands over my supine body. “That wasn’t very smart of you to do back there.”

  “But he’s alive.”

  She nodded. “Because of you. Now let’s make sure you stay the same.”

  Charlie bent down and brought a jar and three rose-colored crystals back up with her. The three stones were placed evenly around me, and an icy shiver traveled through my chest. My back arched and I cried out.

  Charlie’s lips turned down, but she started muttering a spell I couldn’t hear over the roaring in my ears. The longer I lay there, the more I wanted to die. My hands itched to move, but I was frozen in place while agony ricocheted through me.

  Finally, Charlie quieted, and she grabbed another empty jar. Her cold fingers moved my shirt out of the way, then she slammed the glass opening down onto my chest.

  “Fuck,” I groaned, sucking in air I didn’t need.

  Dark fog rose from my skin and into the jar. When I glanced down at my arms, they were no longer pulsating with inky energy, and the high I’d been feeling before was easing by the second.

  Charlie pulled the jar up and sealed it. “That’s going to bruise, but you’re going to live. Unless you feel like I missed something, I think I actually got everything. There wasn’t much inside you, but what was there was strong and fighting against me.”

  My best friend was a badass. That was all I could think as she helped me from the table.

  I wrapped my arms around her. “Thank you. I don’t know why I took on so much when I didn’t before with Benjamin.”

  Charlie frowned. “I don’t know, but we’ll need to talk to Beatrix, because when I was poking around, there was something else not…normal that I don’t think has anything to do with Moira. It was likely the bond, so I didn’t poke.”

  I was surprised by Charlie’s comment, but I had too many other things racing through my mind to focus on any single one long enough to begin panicking.

  Instead, I thanked her for doing as much as she had while she took down the dome around us. As soon as it was broken, Foster barreled into the room, followed by Mack.

  Both men appraised us, and I was in Foster’s arms within the next second. “You’re okay.”

  My lips lifted into a smile. “I am, but I think we still have some things to figure out.”

  He grimaced. “We do, but not right now.”

  Foster’s agreement wasn’t making me feel any better.

  Mack stepped forward and gave Charlie a slight bow. “I’m Mack Adams.” He held his hand out, and Charlie returned his grin without accepting his hand. “It’s a pleasure to formally meet you.”

  “You as well, Mack Adams,” she replied coyly.

  He raised a perfectly arched brow. “Do I get to know your name?”

  “If you really want to know what it is, you’ll figure it out.” Charlie turned toward me. “We should get back to the coven.”

  Foster turned toward the beta. “This wasn’t exactly subtle. What are you going to tell the pack?”

  “We’re going to tell them that James is officially on the mend and nothing else. For now, that’s all they need to know. Lila will agree. She doesn’t want the pack to look at her son any differently. They came here to escape a shitty situation, and I don’t intend for them to be put back into one.”