Page 91 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

“Also, make no mistake, Stephanie. Your feelings for me were never, have never, and will never be reciprocated. You may be a part of my pack, but I will never trust you again. Kirsten is my mate, and if I lose her, then I will happily spend the rest of my days alone.”

The door opened, and Waylan rushed in. The look on his face did not help my mood. I didn’t think I’d ever seen him so worried or strained. He had bad news.

Looking at Abigail, I said, “Get her out of here. Take her home.” I waved to the crowd. “Go home, everyone. We’re done here.”

The rustle and thump of people filing out, boots on wood, clothes rustling, aggravated me for some reason. Like wool on sweaty skin. They were going back to their lives, happy and content. Mates to share their beds and lives with. All while mine was slipping through my fingers.

When Waylan made it to the stage, I pulled him aside. “Did you find Kirsten?” I asked.

He nodded, a pained look on his face. “Yeah, she was outside. I gave her a ride home.”

“Well? How is she?” I was desperate for any word. Any news.

“She’s not happy, bro.” He cut his eyes over at Stephanie as Abigail led her from the stage. “That chick should pay for what she did.”

“I’ve allowed her to stay, but under very strict rules. I won’t turn out a woman who’s been manipulated. Even if what she did was, in the eyes of most, unforgivable.”

“It should be her leaving town, not Kirsten,” Waylan hissed.

That sent an icy knife of fear into my chest.

“She’s leaving? Kirsten’s leaving town?”

Waylan shook his head, a distraught look on his face. “It’s what she said. Told me she wouldn’t be here tomorrow and basically wished me a good life.”

For a moment, I stood there, unsure what to do next. I’d tried to talk to her in the parking lot, but that hadn’t gone well. Yet, there was no way I could let her go. Not without one last shot.

Not bothering to say anything to Waylan, I leaped off stage, shifting mid-air. My wolf wove its way through the crowd, and once I was outside, I picked up the pace. My paws rasped over gravel, then dirt, then the smooth blacktop of the road as I sprinted toward the cabin. Toward Kirsten.

When I was close, I shifted back and closed the distance between us, wondering what I’d say to her to try and make things right.

Chapter 27

Kirsten

After packing my bags, I flopped face down on the bed, wanting nothing more than to pass out and spend the night in a dreamless sleep. After only five minutes, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Too many thoughts battled in my mind. Rather than lie there while sleep eluded me, I put on a robe and went outside to look at the garden.

The little patch of herbs and flowers reflected the moonlight back at me. The plants were nearly three times the size they should have been this early, some already blooming—a testament to the magic that flowed through me. It was both a blessing and a curse. Maybe it would have been better if I’d never found out about it all. My life had been easier without all this magic. All this drama. Wolves, witches, love, heartbreak, stalkers. None of it would have happened if I hadn’t come to the cabin.

Was I running away? Or was I simply ending something that never should have started in the first place? I couldn’t fathom staying here, not after what had happened. How could I walk through town when everyone had looked at me with such disdain and mistrust?

No, I was making the right decision. I’d leave, then talk to Harley about putting the cabin up for sale. I’d sorted most of Nana’s things. All the items I wanted to keep were boxed up. Anything left behind? The next owner could have it. Their problem, not mine.

I could feel the tingle of my green magic reaching toward the plants even though I was still several feet away. What other types of magic might I discover? If I truly was an eclectic witch like Tinsley said, the possibilities were endless. Along with that power came the enhanced lifespan.

I sighed. Would I ever find love? How did you explain to a human that you would remain young and healthy while they slowly withered and died? Before coming back to Crestwood, I’d thought my life was complicated. A deadbeat father I had to take care of, a grandmother who had died from cancer, a stressful job? All of it paled in comparison to what awaited me now.

The hairs on the back of my neck rose, crackling with magical energy. I closed my eyes, knowing what it meant. A signal to who was approaching. My heart cracked, but my irritation tamped that down as Jace burst from the forest in his wolf form.

“Kirsten?” he said.

My magic buzzed and hummed at the sound of his voice, pulling me toward him, and I gritted my teeth.

“Can we talk?”

The night’s events had left me reeling, upset beyond belief, but since I was leaving, it would be fine to let him have a final word. He couldn’t hurt me any more than he already had.

“Go on, then,” I said, keeping my back to him. “Say what you need to say.”

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