Page 45 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

She was right. I could feel the new ward. The sensation was already fading as the spell settled into place, but there was no doubting it. She’d created a new ward.

“Holy shit, it worked,” she repeated, setting the jar down. “Oh, holy shit.” All the reverence had left her voice, panic setting in.

“Are you all right?” I asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“I don’t know,” Kirsten croaked. “I just did magic. Like, for really real magic.”

“Let’s get you some air,” I said, leading her to the door as she pulled in heaving gasps of air. I was worried she was about to have a panic attack.

“You’re okay,” I said. “Big, deep breaths now.”

Her breathing settled somewhat, and then she was laughing. Great belly laughs of enjoyment.

“Jace, I did it!” she shouted, beaming at me. “Magic is real, and I did it!”

Her smile was infectious, and I grinned, my shoulders sagging in relief now that I knew she was okay. She’d done magic. She’d created a ward, and I’d been a part of it. There was no doubt in my mind that touching her had somehow helped fuel the magic within her. Strange but amazing. I couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of pride that I’d managed to help her in some way.

“This is so crazy,” she went on. “I’m a witch. I’m supposed to just be a teacher, you know? I teach kids how to read and write and do math. I’m not some professor at a magic school or something.” She paused and looked at me with renewed interest. “Wait, are there magic schools? Like in the movies?”

It was my turn to laugh. Once I recovered, I shook my head. “Not that I know of.”

“Just checking.”

Kirsten ran her fingers through her hair and turned in a slow circle, obviously still coming to grips with everything. It was endearing to see her with her guard down, simply enjoying the moment.

Letting her take a moment to process, I walked to the edge of the ward. My skin buzzed as I drew near. It actually felt stronger than the previous ward. A testament to Kirsten’s power, maybe?

“Thank you, Jace,” Kirsten said.

“Me? For what? The herbs?”

Kirsten rolled her eyes. “For being here. Helping me. I’ve never been big on asking for help. Especially in the last few years when Nana was sick, I did all the helping. It’s not something I’m used to, but it does mean a lot. So… thank you.”

“Anytime,” I said. “At least now I can deliver your groceries to the front door. You won’t have to come out and meet me in the driveway.”

“True. Maybe I’ll figure out some way to remove your curse, too, now that I’ve proven I can do stuff.”

“That would be great, but I don’t want to put any pressure on you. If you can, it would obviously be great.” I shook my head to get it back on straight. “I need to fill you in on tonight.”

“What’s tonight?” she asked, her forehead wrinkling.

“Nothing bad,” I said, holding my hands up in defense. “I just remembered what tonight is. With all the excitement, I almost forgot. Do you know what a pack run is?”

She nodded. “I’ve heard of it. You guys all get together and, like, howl at the moon and stuff?”

“Sort of,” I chuckled. “The whole pack gets together and runs through the pack lands. Best way to describe it is that it helps us build camaraderie and blow off steam. Mostly, it’s instinct, and we’re sort of driven to do it.” I sighed in frustration. I was getting sidetracked. “Sorry. Tonight. We’re doing our run tonight. I figured I should let you know, though I doubt many of us will come anywhere near your cabin. But in case you see a bunch of wolves running around, I don’t want you to freak out.”

“Oh, well, thanks. I probably would have freaked out, so it’s good to know. I appreciate it.”

“Good,” I said.

“Good,” she agreed.

We stared at each other, the silence growing ever longer. The more it dragged on, the more awkward it became. This had been a very strange day, and I had no clue how to end this little encounter.

“Well,” I said lamely, “I guess I’ll head out. Do you need anything else?”

“No. I’m all good. Thanks again.” Kirsten looked like she didn’t know how to say goodbye, either, worrying her lip between her teeth. A small solace.

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