Page 82 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

She started painting my nails, and my mind drifted again to the fight Jace and I had. Over the last couple of days, I’d begun to get the sense that maybe I had overreacted. How could I get mad at someone else’s culture? After it all went down, I’d scoured the internet and found that, much to my chagrin, the whole alpha challenge thing was pretty common knowledge for anyone who paid attention to shifter history. I obviously hadn’t. Local municipalities had even made special rules for the challenges. As it was cultural and an inherent part of shifter pack hierarchy laws, it wasn’t even considered murder as long as all rules and ceremonies were abided by. Very strange.

My fear for Jace was only one part of what had set me off. The other was that I still had this mental block. A terror that everything that was happening would leave me somehow broken-hearted and alone. His last words before leaving that night still haunted me. Was I pushing him away just to stay safe behind my walls? Not only did I have to worry about Jace getting killed in this challenge, but I had to navigate my own past.

Just as Lory finished my nails and put my feet in a tub to soak, an electric chime announced more clients. I smiled when Shayna stepped in, but the smile died on my lips when Stephanie entered behind her. I was still pretty positive she had been with Eren that day in St. Louis, though I couldn’t fully confirm it. She’d worn a hat and huge sunglasses and had kept her distance from me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling. The way she’d moved, the color of her hair, her mannerisms… it was all too familiar. It could have been someone else, yes, but I’d pretty much made up my mind.

Lory stood. “You hang out here, Kirsten. I need to go get one of my ladies from the back to come help out. I’ll be right back.”

When Jace’s sister saw me, she grinned in delight. Lory left, and the two women sat beside me.

“Hey, Kirsten. How’s it going? Are you ready for tonight?”

“Yeah, are you excited?” Stephanie added, but I thought there was a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Shayna, being Jace’s sister, and Stephanie, as a council member, were some of the few who knew exactly what would be discussed at the meeting.

“I don’t know that ‘excited’ is the word I would use,” I said. “Nervous is a more apt description.”

“Don’t worry,” Shayna said, leaning forward to pat my knee. “Everyone in the pack loves Jace. They’ve all been hoping he’d find someone to make him happy. They’ll all be thrilled that he’s found someone, regardless of whether or not you’re a witch.”

Lory returned with another of her technicians, and Shayna lowered her voice. “I bet you guys will have powerful kids. Super strong, with both shifter and witch blood.”

“Kids?” I gulped. I hadn’t even thought about that much the last few days. We’d joked about it once, but that had been it. Of course that would have to happen if we went through with all this.

Shayna must have seen the look on my face—a combination of surprise, realization, and fear. She laughed it off. “That’s something to worry about later. Way later.”

“It’s a privilege to birth the next heir of the pack,” Stephanie said, ice coating every word. “I’d think you’d be more excited. Grateful.”

“Steph?” Shayna hissed. “What the hell?”

I didn’t like the tone Stephanie used with me. It had a jealous tinge to it. This woman probably had a thing for Jace. Was that why she’d been helping Eren? Allegedly, I mentally added.

She ignored Shayna’s warning and kept glaring at me. Yeah, that was what was going on here. I’d taken what she wanted, and she was mad. Angry enough to go to the other side? Betray her own pack? It was a possibility.

“Well,” I said, recovering, “I’m sure lots of women would love that privilege, but it’s too bad none of them will”—I looked into Stephanie’s eyes—“ever get that chance.”

We stared each other down, tension rippling in the air between us.

Lory came back over and stopped in her tracks. “Are, uh, are we good?” she asked tentatively.

“I don’t know,” I said. “Are we?’

Stephanie remained silent. It was Shayna who broke the tension.

“So, Steph, it looks like Lory is a little busy right now. Let’s, uh, let’s come back later.”

“Good idea,” Stephanie said, pushing out of her chair and storming out the door.

“I don’t know what that was about,” Shayna said to me with a pained expression. “I’m sorry.” She turned to Lory. “We’ll come back in an hour or so.”

When Shayna left, following Stephanie, Lory turned to me. “What was that all about?” she asked.

All I could do was shrug. Clearly, Stephanie and I wouldn’t be friends anytime soon.

After finishing at Lory’s, I headed across the street to the dry cleaners to pick up the dress I’d dropped off the day before. It was only by a happy accident that I’d packed it. It was far too nice for a summer in the woods, but it was perfect for the meeting. Jace had told me to dress nice, and since I wasn’t supposed to be going outside Crestwood, it was all I had to wear. It was an eye-catching little number, and after the interaction I’d had with Stephanie, I was less self-conscious about it. Honestly, I hoped she’d feel even more jealous when she saw me on Jace’s arm in that dress.

It might have been petty, but I didn’t care. The way she’d stared daggers at me in the salon had removed any doubt I had about her. Jace and the others could say they didn’t think she’d betray the pack, but I wasn’t sold. I never asked Jace to choose me over her. The cards were dealt the way they had been, and there was nothing to be done about it. Soon, I’d give Jace the potion, and all doubt would be removed.

Before I’d even returned to the cabin, my phone rang. My stomach lurched. Eren. I was not in the mood to deal with him, but it was best to find out what he wanted. I answered while turning into my driveway.

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