Page 63 of Cursed Wolf

“Narah, that’s not how I meant to say it. Fuck, I said the wrong thing. You mean the world to me.” I reach for her, but she retreats, anger and pain in her gaze. My chest constricts with a wave of awareness that she’ll be pissed with me until I return and make it up to her. This isn’t how I wanted to spend my last day with her.

“Yes, that’s exactly what you meant. I’m a weakness to you, an inconvenience.”

“No, that’s not right,” I growl and grab her arm, this time with purpose. “You are the most powerful person in my life who can face any danger and overcome it, whose power leaves even me slightly scared. But damn it, Narah, I love you too much to risk you getting hurt when you have Harmony to look after… should something happen to us.”

All the color drains from her face. “Even more reason I should join you, so we can protect each other.”

“And how well can you control your magic?” I say, a bit too harshly. This conversation is getting out of hand when the last thing I want is to argue. I just wish she’d understand I’m not doing this to ostracize her.

“I’ve been practicing,” she snaps. “You can’t stop me from coming.” Her adamant tone has me grinding my jaw.

“You’d leave Harmony so easily?”

She pauses, and I see the tears in her eyes. My heart breaks, but when I reach for her, she turns and runs back inside. My insides shatter like glass, and I feel like a piece of shit. Narah’s stubborn as hell, but on this decision, I won’t bend. I won’t relent when there’s too much at risk.

No matter how much I try to convince myself, the ache in my chest deepens.

I’ll give her time, but she has to see reason, even if it kills me to live in this state.

I’ll have the rest of my life to make it up to her.

Narah

Fury pummels into me, and my breath turns shallow. Marching the corridors of the fortress, I absently return a few smiles to pack members I pass. My sisters are watching Harmony as she sleeps.

Ragnar has no right to stop me, no fucking right. There’s so much vengeance I want to deliver to Martell, but that’s not why I need to do this. It’s because I’ve fallen in love with four Viking Alphas and can’t bear to lose them.

Not after I already lost so much.

Death seems to follow me, and I’m scared to hell that one of them will end up killed, and I’d have to live with the guilt that I did nothing. I felt a sliver of that heartache when I thought I drained Nikos to death, and it came close to completely destroying me. That small taste was enough to scare me for life.

At the door, I pause and try to pull myself together. A few deep inhales, and I tug my lips into a semi-smile, the most I can manage right now.

Inside, Jae and Kaira are sitting cross-legged on the bed, facing each other and playing cards. They aren’t quiet, which is okay since I want to teach Harmony to sleep soundly with noises around her.

“How’d it go?” Jae asks with her back to me, then turns to me and freezes. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything is great.” I attempt to blow it off with a tight grin and a shake of my head. “How’s Harmony?” I go to stare at her in her crib. She’s on her back, tucked in her blanket, looking like the world’s cutest caterpillar who will one day break out and become the world's most beautiful butterfly.

“Narah,” Kaira says with the stern voice she’s been using of late to correct us.

When I turn, Jae’s by her side, and they’re staring at me with serious expressions.

“You’re doing that strange face where you pretend to smile but look more like you’re constipated,” Jae says.

I roll my eyes. “When have I looked constipated for you to recognize that face? Don’t answer that.”

They just stand there, ready to pry the information out of me by any means, and I wouldn’t put anything past them. Besides, there’s no harm in sharing my anger with someone. I’ll go insane if I keep it inside.

“Okay, fine. I had an argument with Ragnar.”

Grabbing my arms, they drag me across the room to the bed. I sit on one end, and they sit across from me, slouching against the pillows, shoulder to shoulder, as if like this is going to be something juicy.

“So, what happened?” Kaira asks.

With a deep inhale, I let it loose. “Tomorrow, all four of my men are heading back to the Savage Sector, and they won’t let me go with them.”

They blink, waiting for the punchline.

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