Page 8 of Curses and Casualties (Hunters Hollow #3)

Georgia

T he moment Ethan bursts through the door, the atmosphere in the tattoo parlor shifts from relief to high alert. Ryan’s body tenses beside me, his arm instinctively wrapping around my waist.

“What happened?”

Ethan’s eyes are wild, his chest heaving as he bolts the door. “I spotted one of the Alpha’s enforcers down the street.”

A jolt of fear courses through me, echoed by the surge of alarm I feel through my bond with Ryan. Outwardly, he maintains his composure, but he can’t hide his true feelings from me. I lean into him a little more to offer comfort.

“Did he see you?” Ryan’s question is measured, calculated.

Ethan shakes his head and shrugs at the same time. “I don’t know. I hightailed it the moment I caught sight of him.”

Suddenly, a shout from outside shatters any hope we had of remaining undetected. “This way! I smell mutt.”

Jules gasps. “Get behind me!” Jumping to action, she traces a symbol in the air, using her entire body to push it toward the door. The air in front of the door shimmers, rippling like the surface of a pond.

“That won’t hold long,” she warns as she turns and gestures for us to follow. “Hurry!”

She ushers us toward the back room, where Ethan and Ryan quickly move a coffee table aside. Jules tosses back a floor rug, revealing a trap door surrounded by carved sigils.

“They won’t be able to follow if you leave through here,” Jules explains in a rush. “When you get to the other end, tell them I sent you, so they don’t attack.”

Attack? Holy shit. Where is she sending us?

I don’t have time to gather information before I’m hurried down a narrow staircase that leads to a dimly lit tunnel.

The air is damp and musty, the walls slick with moss, and I wonder if we’re in an old sewer of some kind.

The smell of mildew and stagnant water makes my nose wrinkle.

Ryan’s hand finds mine in the darkness, his grip firm and reassuring.

“This way.” Scarlett’s voice cuts through the darkness as she leads us deeper. The tunnel twists and turns, the darkness taking all sense of direction from me. Water drips somewhere in the distance, each drop echoing like a tiny drum.

“Can anyone see?” I ask, wondering if shifters have the same night vision that wolves do.

When the answer from everyone is yes, I’m left wondering if my bond with Luna will ever become more than this strange, cursed connection.

Too often, I’m feeling like I’m more of a burden than a true pack member.

Not burden, Luna’s voice whispers in my mind, weak but present. We are learning. Growing. Patience.

“Stay by me, love,” Ryan says. “I can see for the both of us.”

After what seems like an eternity of stumbling in the dark, there’s a flicker of light ahead.

My pulse quickens and we emerge into a small room lit by a single lantern.

A woman sits at a table, her eyes fixed on whatever is laid out in front of her.

As we enter, her gaze snaps up. At first there’s surprise, but that’s quickly followed by suspicion as she narrows her eyes.

“Who are you?” she demands, shooting out of her chair, her hand moving toward a dagger at her side.

Ryan steps forward, his voice steady despite the tension I can feel radiating from him. “Jules sent us here. We need your help.”

The woman’s expression softens slightly, but wariness—and the hand on the dagger—remains. “Jules, huh? That girl’s always bringing home strays.” She approaches us with careful steps. “What kind of help do you need?”

“We’re only looking for a safe place to lie low for the night,” Ryan explains, his tone measured. “We can be gone by morning.”

The woman’s eyes narrow further. “And what trouble might you be ‘lying low’ from?”

As Ryan hesitates, I feel Luna stir within me. Trust her, she whispers in my mind. I can sense great power here.

As in more witches?

No, she counters. Not just witches. There is more than one kind of supernatural being up those stairs. It seems like a sanctuary of sorts. We will be safe.

I acknowledge her assurances and take a deep breath, reaching out to Ryan through our bond. Luna says we should trust her. She’s guarding a sanctuary.

He gives me a nod and shifts his footing, turning his attention back to the woman.

“Let’s just say that we angered our pack Elders,” Ryan admits. “The Alpha has good reason to want us dead. We just narrowly escaped his enforcers back at the tattoo parlor.”

The woman’s sharp intake of breath is audible, her hand flying to her chest. “Is Jules safe?”

Ethan nods. “I believe so, ma’am. She spelled the door closed before she directed us here.”

Relief washes over the woman’s face. “That is a comfort. Come with me, quickly now.”

She turns on her heel and leads us up the stairs at a brisk pace, expecting us to follow. Ryan and I share a glance, but we do as she says, Scarlett and Ethan close behind. When we reach the top, she pauses, her hand on the door handle.

“Before we enter, you must understand that through this door is a place of refuge for all creatures. We don’t discriminate here the way your Elders do.

We exist alongside humans, even trust them.

If you have any prejudices or ulterior motives, it would be best to leave now.

Lest you be thrown out in pieces later—if you catch my drift. ”

Her eyes glint with a feral intensity, and I believe her threat.

“We’re here for sanctuary,” Ryan assures her. “Nothing more.”

She studies us for a moment longer before giving a curt nod.

The door swings open, and I blink against the sudden brightness.

It’s like I’m looking through a portal into another world.

As we step through, the dank, musty tunnel vanishes entirely.

In its place is a bustling tavern filled with the most incredible assortment of beings I’ve ever seen.

The air is thick with a dozen different scents—woodsmoke and spiced wine, something floral that makes my nose tingle, and underneath it all, a wild, electric smell like ozone before a storm.

Music drifts from somewhere deeper in the tavern, a haunting melody that seems to bypass my ears and go straight to my soul.

“Georgia,” Scarlett breathes. “You’re glowing.”

“What?” I look at my arms, and sure enough a soft, ethereal light emanates from my skin, pulsing gently in time with my heartbeat.

It feels warm, like sunlight from the inside out, and there’s a pleasant tingling sensation, as if every cell in my body is humming with energy.

It’s not as intense as when Ryan and I make love, but it’s unmistakable.

And it seems to be reacting to the energy in the room.

As I look around in awe, I realize that nearly every being in this place has some sort of magical aura.

There are creatures I only recognize from myth and folklore—faeries with gossamer wings leaving trails of sparkles as they flit between tables, a group of dwarves arguing over a game of cards with runes that glow when touched, a satyr playing a set of pipes in the corner that makes the flames in the fireplace dance in time with the music.

And there, by the bar, is a vampire sipping a glass of what I’m quite certain is blood and not the red wine his Elven acquaintance seems to be drinking.

It’s a veritable menagerie of the supernatural.

So many, Luna murmurs, her wonder matching mine. All different. All together. This is how it should be.

“Well now, that is interesting.” The woman tilts her head as she takes in my glowing form.

“That portal is spelled to reveal your true nature. There’s no hiding or pretending here.

You are what you are, and everyone can see it.

” She points to Ryan then Scarlett and Ethan, saying, “Wolf. Wolf. Wolf.” And sure enough, each of them has glowing yellow eyes along with extended canines and claws, revealing their wolves to the room.

“But you…” Her eyes return to me, narrowing as she studies me closer. “I have no idea what you are.”

I shift uncomfortably, wishing there was a blanket nearby I could wrap myself in, or perhaps a hole to fall inside of.

Despite Luna’s assertion that we should trust this woman, I’m feeling exposed and uncertain.

This world is new to me, and so far, I’ve done way more running than a chubby girl like me is ever comfortable with.

The suddenness of the change, the danger I’ve constantly been in, and my inability to fully protect myself. It’s a lot.

Ryan steps closer to me, his arm wrapping protectively around my waist. “She’s my mate,” he states simply, as if that explains everything.

The woman arches an eyebrow. “She’s not a wolf.”

“She’s…” Ryan presses his lips together like he’s not sure how much information to give. “She’s a wolf. She’s just…cursed.”

“Someone cursed her to be like this?” She takes a step closer, her hand hovering near me but not quite touching.

There is zero time to react before I feel the newly familiar, tingling sensation of a witch’s probe.

Unlike when Iris read my spirit back at the shifter compound, this woman doesn’t seem to need to touch me or verbalize a spell to do it.

Just a simple lift of her hand, and it’s as if invisible fingers are gently brushing against the inside of my skin, my mind, my very essence.

Strong witch, Luna observes, not resisting the probe but watching it warily. Very old power.