Page 86 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

The crowd watched her intently. She gave me a questioning look, and I nodded for her to go on.

“I’ve read some of the histories,” she began. “I know how bad things got. The revolt of the witches. I know that many wolves were killed in the trouble that came after. I want everyone here to know that I do not take pleasure in harming people, and I would never hurt anyone in this pack. I’ve begun to grow close to several of you, and I hope that one day, I can call you my friends. I know that what I am may be scary, but I’m embracing my new life, and I would like for you to embrace me as well.”

“Bullshit!” a voice called from the back door.

I knew that voice. I released Kirsten’s hand and stepped in front of her, balling my hands into fists and snarling. Voices rose in alarm as Eren Miller strode through the crowd toward me.

How dare he come here? Now? The asshole truly did have a death wish.

“Lovely words,” Eren said, raising his voice to be heard above the crowd. “I guess I should apologize for coming to this sweet little announcement uninvited.” He grinned up at me, a nasty little slash of a smile. “My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail.”

Langston began pushing his way through the crowd, but I shot him a warning look that made him stop short. I wanted to hear what this lowlife had to say. He could dig his hole even deeper. Nothing like a few hundred witnesses to corroborate his disrespect of pack law.

“This is a meeting for the Crestwood Pack, Eren. Not for other alphas. What do you want?” I sneered.

“Oh, I just thought there would be no better place to tell the lovely Kirsten what kind of man she’s hooking herself up to. What kind of douchebag he really is.”

I shook my head in derision. “If all you’re gonna do is talk shit about me, you might as well just leave.”

Eren kept striding toward the stage. “I’d like to tell Kirsten about a little conversation that happened the other day. Between Jace and one of his trusted pack mates. A member of his very own council. Be honest, Jace.”

Eren glared daggers up at me, and even though I had no clue what he was talking about, a pit formed in my stomach. Something about this smelled wrong.

“Did you,” he said, “or did you not, plan on just using Kirsten and her magic to get that pesky little curse off your shoulders? She was… how did you put it? ‘Going to be a tool and nothing else?’”

A fury like nothing I’d ever experienced surged through me. It fueled my hatred as I turned an accusatory glare on Stephanie. She stared at me, face so pale I could almost see the veins in her cheeks. Her head shook back and forth slightly as if to deny what was already proven true.

“Traitor,” I snarled at her. “You were feeding him information. Admit it, Stephanie.”

But before the other woman could speak, Kirsten’s voice sheared through the moment like a cold knife stabbing into my heart.

“Is that true, Jace? Is that what all you wanted me for?”

Chapter 25

Kirsten

Emotions threatened to overwhelm me. Anger at Eren’s arrival, panic at the idea someone on Jace’s committee truly was helping the other alpha, but strongest of all was the feeling of hurt and betrayal.

I was smart enough to understand how rough things were between Jace and me in the beginning. For the first few days, I’d thought he was a total dick. He’d thought I was a danger to him and his pack. A plotting witch there to do even more. Once we’d gotten to know each other, however, things had changed—or so I thought. Now, hearing Eren’s accusation and seeing Jace’s reaction, I wondered if this had been his plan all along. He hadn’t denied it. Rather, he’d turned his ire on Stephanie. All my doubts and worries surged to the surface. I gaped at him as he lifted a threatening finger, pointing at Stephanie.

“Is that true, Jace? I said, already feeling the sting of tears at the back of my eyes. “Is that all you wanted me for?”

Jace’s anger vanished in an instant as he turned back to me. “What?” he gasped. “No. How can you even ask that?”

“You’re not denying that you said it.” I took a step back. The room was too hot, too stifling. Too many eyes on me. Was I being made a fool of up here? In front of all these people?

Jace closed his eyes, tilting his head in agitation. “That’s not—” He shook his head. “Shit, it was just a passing thought I had. When I first met you. Nothing more. That fucker”—he pointed down to where Eren was grinning like a maniac—“is twisting this around. I barely knew you when I had those thoughts. I didn’t know if I could trust you because of my aversion to witches. I’m sorry I even thought about it, but I don’t feel that way now. I don’t. It was just an early thought. That you could help remove my curse.” Jace closed his eyes at that and muttered “fuck” as he rubbed his hands over his face.

At the mention of a curse, the crowd finally stirred. Voices, loud and insistent, called up to the stage.

“What are you talking about, Jace?”

“Curse? Who’s cursed? You?”

“Who cursed you?”

“What does this mean?”

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