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Chapter Twenty-Eight

They pulled into the farmyard where it was pure chaos. Wolves attacked wolves. Growling and snarling was all he heard. Wolves clawed each other and ripped flesh from bone.

Blood covered the ground.

“What a way to bring the pack together.” Cass shook his head. He didn’t like the carnage anymore than Iven. His pack fighting for a cohesive purpose wasn’t much of a consolation prize.

There was a small dome in the center of the yard. Iven’s instincts told him Marric was inside and one of his boys was protecting him.

Maggie stood on the porch, plucking off the Timeston’s wolves one at a time as if they were feathers on a goose. “Twelve,” she said. She might have been counting, but she took no satisfaction in killing them. He could tell by the tears rolling down her face.

They exited the car at the same time. Cass stripped and shifted into his third form, throwing himself into the fray.

But it was Kinnison who had the most effect.

He shifted only his face. His nose and mouth grew into a snout and hair sprouted all over his face.

Ears grew at the top of his head. His roar hurt Iven’s eardrums, but it was his strength that stopped everyone in their tracks.

It was as efficient as any freezing spell.

Each wolf turned to Kinnison as if waiting for his direction. Even the Fortune Falls wolves seemed to hold their breath.

The barn door banged open. A witch came out with his hands in the air. Blood coated his shirt on his right side. Sweat covered his face. An old lady followed him.

Shards of pointy glass followed them. The witch seemed to understand how dire the situation was. His expression was grim. But the old lady sneered.

“Marie,” Kinnison growled.

Riley followed behind them. He wore a stoic expression.

Kinnison’s power didn’t seem to affect Riley the way it did everyone else.

He met Kinnison’s gaze with his eyebrows raised, as if deciding if he was a threat.

He must have deemed him safe, because Riley waved his hand and everyone froze in place.

“Marric is still suffering. We take care of him first.”

Kinnison nodded. His face went back to normal.

Cass came to and shifted, going straight to Riley and gathering him in his arms. Their embrace was short-lived, though.

Riley took control of the situation, even when Kinnison and Iven stood at the dome, waiting for it to come down.

“Griff, let us in,” Riley demanded.

The dome disappeared.

Iven’s heart lodged in his throat when he saw Marric.

He knew he made a sound because Griffin glanced at him with no small amount of surprise.

He wasn’t sure what noise he made. Maybe it was a cry.

He could have screamed for all he was aware.

All he knew was he must have said or done something, because everyone around him gave him a wide berth. Even Griffin moved away.

Marric lay in the fetal position, shivering as if he were in an artic blast. Sweat covered his body, soaking his clothing. Otherwise, he was as still as stone. He didn’t make a sound.

Iven fell to his knees and gathered Marric into his arms. “Please, honey. Please don’t leave me.”

Marie drew closer. Iven saw her move out of the corner of his eyes.

A dome came around them. He wasn’t even sure if he conjured it. When Riley spoke, he realized he hadn’t. Riley had. His dome trapped Griffin with Iven and Marric. “Keep them safe, Griff.”

Griffin nodded and stood as though he were a sentry, guarding them with his life.

Iven rocked Marric as he watched Riley outside the dome.

“If I kill you, does the curse disappear?” He addressed Marie, as if her age gave her more insight. But Iven would bet the witch knew way more about curses.

Each word Riley spoke created more shards of glass. Riley met Cass’s gaze, as if seeking his advice. “Should I just do it and take our chances?”

The witch tried to make a run for it. He learned just how sharp the shards surrounding him were and who wielded them.

Riley sent a shard into his wound.

The witch doubled over, gripping his side.

Riley stepped closer to him. “Is killing you what I need to do?”

The witch shook his head. “I’ll end it! I’ll end it. Just no more glass.”

“No! He’s an abomination. Let him die.” Marie ran toward them with her claws out. She didn’t get far before glass pierced her in a dozen places. She fell to the ground. Her last breath was a gasp.

When the glass left the witch’s body, he cried out. He fell to the ground, but he pulled something out of his pants pocket and handed it to Riley.

Riley called for Zinnie. When she came to him, he handed her the pouch. She looked inside and sniffed it before chanting some sort of spell.

“Let the dome down, Riley.” Iven knew he had to use his dad voice, to penetrate through Riley’s fearful determination. Riley had a hard time listening when he was hyper-focused and scared. But Riley listened to Iven most of the time.

“Not with the witch so close.” Riley shook his head.

“You have control of the witch, son.” Iven could feel Marric slipping away. “He won’t make it if you don’t.”

Cass slid next to Riley. “I’ve got you, baby. I’m here.”

The dome coming down was almost a relief.

Zinnie kneeled in front of them. She chanted a different spell and whatever was in the pouch turned to powder. She blew it on Marric. Some of it hit Iven, but it must not have been dangerous because it didn’t do anything to him.

For Marric, his fever went down almost immediately. He turned his face into Iven’s chest and breathed in his scent. “Hey there, Sheriff.”

Iven hadn’t cried in a long time. Not until the moment Marric stirred to life. He hugged him. “Thank the gods.”

Marric wrapped his arms around Iven. “I’m tired.”

Iven’s little witchy wolf went through a harrowing experience. They both had. They would probably sleep for a week.

Iven stood, keeping Marric in his arms, and headed to the house.

He could hear sirens in the distance, marking the end of their entire ordeal.

“I learned one thing today,” Iven whispered.

“Just one, Sheriff?” Marric still sounded as if he were on the verge of passing out. But it was just exhaustion.

“Other than your father has a big mess to clean up.” Iven would help, but most of the dirty work would fall to Kinnison. He had saved him from a two-year prison sentence. It was the least Iven could do and Kinnison was right. They were family now.

Marric sighed. “Can’t think about that right now.”

“I know, love.” Iven tightened his hold as he stepped onto the porch.

Regan and Emery ran out the front door. Emery grinned. “It’s over. No more curse. I can feel it.”

“Is papa gonna be okay?” Regan asked.

“Papa just needs a lot of sleep. He’ll be better from now on.” Iven carried Marric inside, with Emery and Regan on his heels.

“Can I sleep with you and Papa tonight?” Regan followed them up the stairs.

“I want to too.” Emery went ahead of them and opened Marric’s door.

“You both can.” It wasn’t Iven’s first experience with having scared kids in his bed, although it had been a while. Not since his boys were little.

Iven could feel Marric’s lips turn up into a smile. “You never told me what you learned.”

“Right.” Iven had almost forgotten. “I learned that I never want to live without you.”

“I love you too.” Marric kissed his neck. “For the record, I don’t want to live without you either.”

With his little witchy wolf criminal and their family, there would never be a dull moment. But that was just the way he liked it.