Page 13 of Cursed Magic (Rejected Fate Trilogy #2)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

T he room hung in a tense silence, the weight of his unspoken words hanging between us. He shook his head in disbelief and, for a moment, it felt as though time itself had paused.

“Emotion,” he muttered, the word tumbling from his lips like a confession. “She can manipulate emotions.”

A shiver ran down my spine, and the mating ceremony where Reid rejected me flashed through my mind. The pain, the humiliation, the overwhelming sense of betrayal—it all clicked into place. My stomach churned. “She was the witch overseeing the ceremony where Reid rejected me.”

Ryker tensed beside me and growled while Raven tilted her head.

Pressing his lips together, Bruce sighed. “The Blackwoods… They’ve always been protective of her. And after the night that your pack—” He cut himself off and grimaced. “I mean… A couple of days after that night, Perry Blackwood was plastered at the bar with loose lips, and he let something slip that someone overheard and asked him to elaborate on. ”

“She could make me feel something I didn’t?” The whisper was bitter on my tongue. I thought back to the rejection, to the way my heart had shattered into a million pieces.

“That was my first thought as well.” Bruce lifted both hands. “But he swore they never asked her to do anything like that and that fated-mate bonds were completely separate.”

Ryker’s snarl reverberated off the walls, deep and dangerous. His eyes narrowed. “You’re telling me that the Blackwoods had a witch capable of manipulating emotions all this time, and you’re just now mentioning it?”

Bruce’s jaw clenched, and his hands curled into fists. “I learned of it recently and kept it to myself. Even though Perry didn’t smell of a lie, I still didn’t know who was trustworthy! I didn’t want to expose my knowledge and place a target on me and my pack.”

“Which is exactly what happened anyway.” Ryker snorted and wrinkled his nose. “Not that I believe that you weren’t working with the Blackwoods. Fuck, you could still be.”

“I’m not now nor was I ever working with the Blackwoods,” Bruce shot back, his voice rising. “And just because they have a witch on-site doesn’t mean they can attack like this. ”

My stomach dropped, and my lungs stopped working. “Wait.” I swallowed audibly.

Raven leaned forward as if ready to spring into action.

Similarly, Ryker stiffened and scanned the room as if he were searching for the shadow attackers only I could see.

“I’ve been experiencing creepy sensations like I’m being watched.” I trembled, remembering that night in the park and when the shadows were nearly on me but couldn’t break through some invisible barrier. “That could be the witch’s doing.” I paused and bit my bottom lip. “But if they knew we were in the park, why didn’t they attack us then?”

Shoulders relaxing marginally, Ryker moved closer to my side and said, “They could have been watching us to see what we were up to. Every time there’s been an attack, it’s been on a larger pack with witnesses.”

That made sense, and if it were true, that would mean that I hadn’t been imagining things. Or, I was forced to imagine things, which was a far better reason than me losing my mind.

“Either way, it’s time for Bruce to leave.” Ryker lifted his chin. “We can’t trust him.”

Face flushing, Bruce bared his teeth. “If I were lying, you’d know by the smell.”

Raven stood tall, looking down her nose at him. “Not if you’re working with the Blackwoods and they can cover scents.”

“Then you wouldn’t be able to smell me at all, or I’d be very muted, like those invisible things that attacked and slayed half my pack.” Bruce jumped to his feet, the backs of his legs hitting the chair and scooting it back several feet. “I came here in hopes that we could work together, but you’re still treating me as if I’m the one who attacked you. As far as I can tell, not only did every one of you survive, but you managed to free Briar as well.”

Hot rage ripped through me, but I bit my tongue to hold back the awful words I wanted to say. I didn’t see any sheen masking him like I did with the shadows and Ryker’s eyes whenever he changed into a colder and harder person.

I took a deep breath, trying to quell the storm of emotions swirling inside me. “I’m sorry for your loss.” I placed a hand on my chest, acknowledging the cold, missing pack links that I suspected would always feel like ice now. “I do believe that a caring alpha wouldn’t agree to anything like that, and if it happened, he would want retribution.” I hadn’t even realized I believed that until I said the words. The uncertainty of whether he was lying had vanished. With the dark circles under his eyes and his pale skin, I saw this was an alpha mourning his losses. “But full trust will take time, especially after you held my sister against her will.”

Bruce’s jaw tightened as he nodded slowly. “You’re right.” He sighed and rubbed his hands together. “I understand why you are hesitant to trust me, but I do want you to know that I didn’t take keeping your sister lightly. She was near death, and I knew people were hunting her. To help her, I had to ensure she was confined and unable to leave. If I’d seen another choice, I would have made it. But desperate times…” He paused, letting the sentence hang.

That was the thing. I did believe him because I didn’t see any magical influence on him. However, I wasn’t going against the two people who’d truly had my back since the night I lost everything and almost everyone I cared about. I’d hurt Raven and Ryker enough; I refused to be disloyal to them now. “If you were innocent of working with someone, I would’ve preferred that you at least attempted to explain the situation to Briar instead of keeping her hostage.”

His shoulders slumped. “That was my intention, Ember, but we chained her because we didn’t want her to get scared and run, and we couldn’t always have someone there with her. She woke up when no one was there and freaked out. Between her dealing with the deaths of your pack and not being able to find you, she wouldn’t listen to reason. That was our best choice. When you walked into the bar, I realized I was wrong, and I had to do something about it before Ryker slaughtered our entire pack for holding her.”

“You son of a bitch ,” Ryker seethed, his body quivering. “We’ve never slaughtered anyone.”

“I realized that when the attack happened on our pack. Pack members alerted me to where you guys were during the chaos because, at first, we were worried that you were behind it. And then a few members saw you were, in fact, being attacked and even injured.” Bruce ran a hand down his face. “That’s why I risked coming here—I believe your story now, despite hearing that you’ve beaten people up and tortured them. I only wanted to talk to Raven alone because I knew you still wouldn’t trust us.”

My heart twisted, and my gut hardened. I wanted to tell Bruce he didn’t know the full story and ask who he was to judge, but honestly, I’d done the same thing. I still struggled with how Ryker had handled Simon when I thought about that incident, but I’d been able to push it to the side after seeing the sacrifice he was willing to make to save my sister for me—his own life.

“Every person who was tortured deserved it.” Ryker’s nostrils flared, and his muscles tensed. “I don’t have to explain myself to you, and the only people I’ve ever killed were the scum who would have betrayed us or harmed us at their first opportunity.”

I raised my brows, ready to ask questions, but I’d wait until Bruce left.

“The stories don’t include that.” Bruce frowned.

“The guilty are about making themselves look better, not the person who called them on their shit.” Ryker crossed his arms, his biceps bulging.

If Bruce didn’t leave, I had no doubt Ryker would eventually lose it. His strained expression and the sheen beginning to cover his irises told me everything.

“The three of us need to discuss how to proceed, and then together, we’ll decide how to move forward with you and your pack.” I inhaled deeply, trying to remain calm, though a warning sensation coursed down my spine.

Bruce studied me, and his face softened slightly. “How can we get in touch with one another?”

Right. I hadn’t considered that my phone had been lost during the chaos on his pack lands. “Uh…”

Raven leaned forward and held out a sleek black phone to him. “This is for you to contact Ember.” She rattled off the number as he took the phone. “It’s secure, and we’ve taken the liberty of ensuring it’s warded against any…unwanted listeners. We’ve had it for a while in case a moment like this happened.”

Bruce took the phone, his fingers brushing against hers briefly. He placed it in his pocket. “Thank you,” he said softly. “With the chaos and death surrounding our pack, I hadn’t even considered that anyone might be listening in on phone conversations.”

A lump formed in my throat. I understood that sentiment way too well. If I hadn’t needed to search for Briar, I wasn’t sure how logical I would’ve been. Even though I had her back, I now had an enemy who clearly saw us as a target. All those shadows chasing us couldn’t be a coincidence.

The heartbreak of losing our pack hung in the back of my mind like a nightmare and was a constant ache in my heart .

“I believe everyone in this room understands exactly what you’re going through. Even the vampires have lost lives at the same hands.” Raven touched her heart before her hand fluttered to her side.

Eyes darkening, Bruce nodded. “It’s something none of us should’ve had to endure.” He turned to leave, his broad shoulders squared despite the weight of the conversation. The sound of his boots echoed through the room, heavy and deliberate.

When the door to the office closed after him, Briar linked, I’m following him until he exits the front door to make sure he doesn’t do anything. Her disgust shrank the bond, making my stomach churn even more.

I couldn’t blame her for disliking him. He’d held her captive, something she might never get over. I’d tried to protect her all my life, and yet I’d failed, leaving her exposed to more trauma.

Pursing her crimson-stained lips, Raven faced Ryker and me. “He’s telling the truth,” she said quietly, her voice carrying the weight of her centuries of experience. “No magic was sensed on him when he entered, and he’s carrying grief and guilt. But there’s also something else—something he didn’t say.”

She’d confirmed one thing I’d already concluded, but I hadn’t picked up on the last one. I rocked back on my heels and lifted my brows. “What do you think it is?”

Raven tilted her head, her obsidian hair catching the light in a way that seemed almost otherworldly. “I think he’s scared. Not of us but of what’s coming. Whatever happened to his pack…it’s not over. And he knows it.”

A muscle in Ryker’s jaw twitched. “I still don’t trust him.” He crossed his arms. “Just because your spells didn’t catch magic on him doesn’t mean he has no spells on him. ”

I grimaced, remembering the conversation Raven and I’d had just days before we located Briar. She’d told me that the vampires could sense a spell on Ryker, but they kept pretending they hadn’t noticed it. That had to be why he was doubting their thoroughness. However, Raven had told me that in confidence, so I’d let her handle the explanation.

Still, keeping it from Ryker now left a sour taste filling my mouth.

“I’m very confident in our magic detection.” Raven smiled and clasped her hands in front of her chest. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t be? Do you know something I don’t?”

Before I could stop myself, I flinched. Ryker had unknowingly stepped into a trap.

Ryker jerked his head back slightly, but I noticed the sheen vanished from his eyes as they quickly widened before he schooled his expression into a mask of indifference. “I’m just questioning whether the spells that trace magic should be replenished. Spells can weaken over time, right?”

“Our spells are replenished as needed to keep them at maximum strength, don’t worry.” Raven smiled a little too sweetly, enjoying the game she and Ryker were playing. “Unless there’s something you need to confess?”

“I don’t need to confess anything.” He lifted his chin in challenge.

I needed to stop this before we broke into a fight among ourselves. “Now that you two settled that, I think the point is that we don’t have to trust him. However, we can update him every so often with low-level information and see if he shares anything with us.”

A flicker of frustration burned in Ryker’s eyes, highlighting the golden flecks. “You think I don’t know that? But what if this is a trap? What if he’s playing us?”

“I don’t think he is, and until you’re comfortable too, we’ll be strategic with what we share. If you wind up being right, then we’ll deal with it. But for now, bickering among ourselves is only wasting energy and time.”

“That’s something I can agree with. Even if he’s not working against us, he’s upset, and I fear he won’t make tactical decisions for the next bit because he feels guilty for kidnapping Briar and the attack on his pack.” Raven shrugged. “We’d be foolish not to have open communication with him in case he does find something valuable we want to research and act upon.”

I nodded. “We need more shifter allies, and I think Bruce has something to prove to himself and his pack.”

Closing his eyes, Ryker let out a deep breath. “So we’re all in agreement to be careful and discuss what we’ll share with him before it happens?”

He’s pulling down the driveway now. Briar’s relief flowed into me, helping to drive some of my stress away.

Good. I hated that Bruce being here had impacted Briar so much. I hadn’t considered how she’d feel when she saw him, and I swallowed, realizing I’d failed her once again. I wanted to say more, but I had to focus on Ryker and Raven. I could discuss Bruce with her in a bit.

“I can agree to that.” I rolled my shoulders back.

Raven steepled her fingers. “As do I. We don’t need to share everything with him.”

“Fine,” Ryker rasped. “But if he betrays us, I get to be the one to kill him.”

“Okay.” I didn’t argue. Ryker’s word was law, and if Bruce so much as hinted at betraying us, Ryker would act without hesitation. But I couldn’t let fear of uncertainty rule us. Not now.

“So what do you propose as our next step?” Raven propped her hip against the table.

There was only one thing that made sense. “I have an idea, but you’re not going to like it.”