Page 151 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

“Oh.” She cast her eyes down, her mouth twisting to the side. “Okay, that’s fine. I guess I’ll see you later?”

“Definitely,” I said, giving her my best smile. “See you soon.”

Before I could stop myself, I hurried away, rushing toward the stairs. My palms were slick with sweat, and there was a hard lump in my throat. The farther I got from her, the more the desire faded, but it never quite went away.

I’d have to discuss it with Kirsten. And soon. Otherwise, my inner wolf might go mad.

Chapter 13

Kirsten

It had been nearly an hour since Jace left. I was still sitting at the table in my room, glaring at the fruit. No matter how hard I tried, the illusion didn’t hold. At least I could make it happen now, but as soon as I lowered my hand, the illusion disappeared.

Jace’s medallion, which sat beside the necklace Tinsley had given me, was doing something, though. The crystal hummed and vibrated more strongly than it had before, almost as though the medallion was fueling it somehow.

Harley hadn’t returned, probably giving me some time alone to work on it, which I appreciated. From what I could feel, it was right there, on the outer edges of my mind. Like my fingertips were just brushing it, but unable to grasp the whole thing and bring it under my control. Illusionary magic was very difficult.

“Okay,” I muttered under my breath. “One more time.”

I shoved the apple out of the way. Perhaps focusing on one object would make it easier. Placing my hand on my chest, I covered the crystal and the medallion, then let my hand hover over the orange. The items against my chest thrummed to life, and I took a deep breath, focusing on the power within me. The medallion warmed beneath my fingers—a similar heat to when Jace pressed his chest into my back and wrapped his arms around me. A faint smile twitched at my lips, and I murmured the incantation.

A second, perfect orange appeared beside the other. I held my hand still, waiting, but the illusion held. Slowly, I moved my hand back and watched in delight as it continued to hold. Once I knew it was stable, I leaned forward to inspect it. There was no way to tell the fake orange from the real one. They were identical in every way.

Leaning back in my chair, I pressed my hand to my mouth and laughed. Still, the illusion held. Eventually, I waved my hand across it, and the orange disappeared in a flash. I wanted to try more illusions.

I did the same with a book, a pillow, and a lamp. I even managed to get the lamp to turn on and cast a wavering, almost real light on the floor. By that time, I was exhausted and decided to take a break. Some fresh air would do me good.

Harley was asleep on the couch when I came downstairs. Rather than wake her up, I tiptoed to the front door and went out on the porch. The late summer air was thick and hot, but it felt nice on my skin. As I leaned on the railing, barking, howling, and angry growls echoed through the trees.

“What is that?” I called over to Tank, who was leaning against Jace’s mailbox.

He grinned at me over his shoulder. “You mean the noise? Jace and the others have a whole crew of people from town up here in the clearing. Putting them through the moves of how to protect the town.”

“Really?”

“Yup.”

That intrigued me. I’d never seen a whole group of shifters fighting together. Would it look like the movies, or would it be more brutal? Maybe even less?

“Can you take me down to watch?” I asked.

Tank looked unsure, glancing from to the forest and then at me again. Finally, he shrugged.

“Anyone else in the house?” he asked.

“Harley is taking a nap.”

“Okay, let me tell Brad. He’s the other guy on guard duty.”

Tank jogged to the rear of the house and then returned a few moments later to lead me to the forest. Once we’d stepped into the sanctity of the woods, the sounds of battle grew louder. A sudden and intense howl erupted, sending gooseflesh up my arms. Even without seeing the wolf who’d made the noise, I knew it was Jace. Something about the sound spoke to and connected with my magic.

After trudging through underbrush and around saplings, we stepped out into the same clearing I’d been training in, though it looked much different now. At least two dozen wolves were sprinting around, launching themselves at one another. Jace sprinted through the midst of battle, easily recognizable due to his size. Compared to the other wolves, he was a giant.

“Are alphas always bigger than the rest?” I asked Tank.

He shrugged. “Usually, yeah. It’s part of it. Higher strength and speed, more testosterone, size, all that stuff. Langston and I are bigger than Jace in our human forms, but his wolf dwarfs ours.”

“Wow.”

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