Page 58 of Cursed Wolf

“You wanna play? I’ll show you who’ll win.” His lips thin, and he hunches his shoulders. The guy’s not joking.

Good. I love a challenge. I narrow my gaze at him.

“Fine, I’ll tear apart this whole fucking castle to find Narah first, and if I win, you’ll leave us the fuck alone.”

“Deal. And if I get to her first, she’s mine.”

Clenching my teeth, we fist pump, something he’s been doing lately after seeing another pack use it as a greeting. I think it’s dorky but don’t give a fuck, so I entertain him.

Then he’s gone, and my bare feet pound the stone floors as I searched every room for Narah, taking every corridor, then the steps up to the balcony, figuring I might see her outside. The sun’s descending, but that doesn’t mean she’s indoors. Upstairs, I sprint down the barren hallway, eyeing the balcony in the distance, when a familiar smell catches my attention.

I skid to a halt, inhaling the air deeply.

Blood dances on the air, and with it, Narah’s sweet nectar smell. My chest rises and falls rapidly. Is Narah in trouble? Goddess, the baby!

Following the faint scent, I dart along the hallway, turning down a corridor, then another. I come to a stop in front of the door where the strangest smells suffocate me. I don’t pause to knock, pushing the door open, and I freeze.

My gaze clashes with Narah’s watery eyes.

She’s in bed, blood staining the bedsheets, her mouth, and dress, clutching something tiny to her chest. It’s wrapped in a towel and making gurgling sounds. Shock pierces me. She had the baby! I can’t move because I don’t know where to look—at my gorgeous girl with our baby or the three bodies strewn on the floor, unmoving.

Nikos, Meira, and an older woman I don’t recognize.

My heart squeezes, and terror shreds me at the devastation. Did she drain the three of them for the baby?

“Crius,” Narah calls for me desperately, ripping me from my thoughts. Before I can respond, a flurry of wind hits my back when others join us.

“What the fuck!” Ragnar’s voice cuts across the room.

Narah

“I didn’t mean to hurt them,” I whisper, tears flooding my cheeks.

Ragnar growls as Stone and Crius hurry to the bodies on the floor around the bed. Dušan pours into the room, along with two other Alphas, all three rushing to Meira’s side.

I haven’t moved, can’t move. My jellybean is in my arms in a towel, and her eyes are wide open, blue like the brightest sapphires. I had a girl, and I’m happy she survived, but I’m completely destroyed, shaking uncontrollably at the heavy expense.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur and hold her closer, feeling as if my world is about to fall apart. “Ragnar, I didn’t mean to. It just happened. My magic struck them, and I think it drained them, so I could give birth because the baby was stuck.” My words race as my heart booms loudly in my ears. My gaze dips to Nikos—the man I absolutely adore might be dead. “What have I done?”

On his feet, Dušan shoves a fist into Ragnar’s chest, catching him off guard, and slams him up against the wall.

I flinch as the two huge Alphas’ growls flood the room.

“We had a fucking deal, and you broke it,” Dušan booms, his voice explosive. “Meira’s not waking up.” He jerks his attention my way, his eyes changing like a raging storm, heartbreak twisting his face. “What did you do to her?” his voice cracks with emotion.

I hitch a breath, trying to find my voice. “I don’t mean to hurt anyone,” I finally answer.

Crius and Stone jump to Ragnar’s side, hands fisted, and their fury thickens the air. The other Alphas are there, and a war is about to break out.

“They’re still alive,” Stone barks. “They’re not dead, so everyone needs to back the fuck down.”

I squeak out a cry, sobbing. I should have checked, but after they passed out just as I gave birth to my angel, I’ve been hyperventilating, weak, and exhausted. I assumed the worst when they didn’t wake up.

“That’s not the fucking point,” Dušan snaps. “You promised, Ragnar, if anyone in my pack was hurt, there would be repercussions.”

Swallowing hard, I glance down at my fingers. There are no black marks, but I know what I accidentally did, and it still terrifies me that I used my magic on them.

“I would never hurt anyone,” I say, desperate to ease the tension about to explode. When I attempt to move, I wince. Everything hurts, and the bed is stained with blood from both Nikos and from me. “Meira tried to help me.”

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