Page 20 of Cursed Wolf

Stone is suddenly there, staring down at me with a grin and offering me his hand.

“Forgot how to climb trees, old man?”

“Fucking tree’s cursed.” With his help, I get to my feet and dust myself off. “Gods, how long have they been stuck up there in the tree like that?”

Before Stone gets a chance to check out the tree, Jae yelps, and Stone’s instantly at her side, plastering a hand to her mouth. She points up, and he gives a guttural snarl.

“Fuck me!”

Next thing I know, he steps up to the tree and places both palms and his cheek against the trunk, listening to something.

Jae moves next to me, trembling. “Narah’s up there, isn’t she?”

“I’m afraid so.” I hold her near, scanning the grounds and the house, my eyes lingering on the front door. I want to go in there and make sure we are alone. I feel vulnerable out here, an easy target.

“Stone, what’s the verdict?” I ask, lowering my voice.

When Stone finally stops hugging the tree and turns to us, the runes across his collarbone and chest glow a bright blue, showing through his clothes.

“It’s a trap spell to capture anyone who approaches the house. Lucky for us, these kinds of spells are a one-off thing when cast.”

“Can you remove it?”

He arches an eyebrow. “Who do you think you’re talking to?” He’s cracking his knuckles.

“Without hurting them?” Jae blurts, the smartass taking the words right from my mouth.

“Now that, I can’t promise, but I’ll try. Every magic speaks differently. Now, step back.”

“Well, try your best not to kill them,” I snap as tension curls across my back.

“You got it.” Most of the time, I appreciate Stone’s aloofness, but sometimes, it sends my anxiety into overdrive.

Taking Jae’s hand, we move back toward the path, keeping Stone and the tree, as well as the house, in my line of sight.

Stone turns back to the tree, and his soft murmurs carry on the breeze. He’s had an affinity with nature since birth. It runs in his mother’s bloodline, and the runes she had inked on him at a young age work as an activation dial to access his power.

His magic comes from the land, from family, and isn’t as powerful or as varied as that of a witch, but it’s fucking impressive. The things I’ve seen him do still blow my mind. To think his father rejected him because of the runes. In the Alpha’s fucked-up mind, men didn’t harness magic. It was a female ability.

The first time Stone accidentally used his power at home, his father broke two of his ribs and tossed him out of their home. Stone had only been eight years old. My family took him in, and we grew up together as brothers. Not that my home was a prime example of family happiness, but he had food and a roof over his head.

“Will Narah be okay?” Jae tugs on my sleeve. “I mean, why are they tied up in the tree? Is something feeding on them?” She’s blinking a lot, and her eyes glisten.

“If anyone can find out, it’s Stone. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it.” I rub her back. “My mother once said when I let bad thoughts into my head, I was giving the universe permission to make them a reality. Instead, think of the positive things you want to happen.”

“So, what am I supposed to do? That’s all I can think of now.”

I laugh softly. “It’ll take time, but trust me, it works.”

Suddenly, the earth shudders under my feet, and Jae presses herself to my side. Holding her, we take a few steps back. Stone’s still facing the tree, his hands on the trunk, but the air’s changed. It feels charged, lifting the small hairs on my nape.

One moment we’re watching, the next, the ground shakes hard, the tree sways, and the branches shake. All I can do is watch in horror as the three bodies of those closest to me swing wildly. My heart lurches to the back of my throat.

“You know what you’re doing?” I call out. Stone doesn’t respond, but I trust him. Fuck, I do, but magic is an unpredictable bitch.

He’s suddenly thrown backward, but Stone’s never one to stay down and is back on his feet in seconds. Blue magic dances from his hands and stretches outward, coiling around the trunk. The tree hasn’t stopped swaying.

“Oh God, I think it’s trying to climb out of the ground,” Jae mutters, her body tensing against my side.

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