Page 44 of The Fearless Witch

“I have a reason to believe they’re an Elder. And your people stand no chance against an Elder. Not even you.”

Isaac gaped, several emotions passing through his face—anger, surprise, fear, and then, more anger. In the next instance, he was invading my personal space.

“Why the fuck do you have a goddamn Elder murdering people on your turf?”

Holding back a snarl, I cocked my head and smiled.

“Why do you think, wolf?” I asked, flashing him my fangs. “Because I helped you get your people at the cost of mine.”

For the first time since I’d known Isaac Linwood, he looked utterly and undeniably speechless. The way he stared at me, the way he stopped breathing and his heart slowed down, made me wonder if maybe he was having a heart attack. But then I saw it, the shift in his gaze that dispersed the anger and hatred, leaving something new, something raw, staring back at me.

“Why would you do that for my people?” he whispered, his shoulders sinking and his whole presence calming. I huffed out a laugh.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” I said. “I did it for her. Because she wanted to save them and help you.” A lash of hurt passed through his face, as if the mention of Celeste brought him pain, but in a blink of an eye, it was gone. “You may continue to hate me, it’s all the same to me. I’m not a good person. She is.”

“Yet here you are, warning me of the danger and telling me to protect my people,” Isaac fired back while I spun on my heel. “Maybe there is hope for you yet, bloodsucker.”

“I wouldn’t hold my breath,” I said, waving him goodbye without turning. “Get your people out, Isaac. Their safety is your priority, not mine. And stay away from Oscar and his nest. If I hear one of yours attacked them unprovoked, there will be two vampires leaving bodies around these parts.”

A low warning growl came from behind me, but he didn’t attack. Instead, he shouted, “And where am I supposed to take them?”

I shrugged, although I wasn’t sure if he could see me anymore.

“You’re the Alpha. Figure it out!”

There was no reply this time, so I continued until I was too far away for him or his people to see me. Then I went after that faint, almost indistinctive smell, hoping that I wouldn’t find anything today.

Chapter 19

Lily

Iwas alive, or I was in Hell—one of those things must be true because the amount of pain and stiffness I felt should be illegal in Heaven.

When I finally peeled my eyes open, I stared at the white ceiling until it stopped spinning, only to realize I wasn’t in my bedroom because for one, there were small white flower ornaments on the edges and two, the curtains were red, not blue. So where was I?

I tried to sit up, but the effort proved more than I could handle. So I looked around helplessly, taking in the cot I was lying in and the heavy blanket that covered me up to my neck. Despite my body refusing to cooperate, I could distinctively feel the sweat pouring out of every pore and I was sure that when I got up, I’d find the mattress soaked with it.

There were other beds in the room with people sleeping in them, most of which were covered in bandages or groaning in their sleep. Panic started to slip into my mind when I suddenly spotted one of the paintings on the wall—a depiction of a forest at night with fireflies fluttering between the branches of the trees… and a pair of eerily lifelike red eyes staring at me. I knew that painting because it scared the crap out of me when I gave myself a tour of Roman’s mansion for the first time.

I was still in Roman’s home, which was great, but why was I in his biggest reception room, and where did the beds come from? And why…

The sound of running steps made me focus on the figure that appeared by my cot, her large, warm eyes staring at me with such relief that I felt my body relax even though I wasn’t sure what the danger was exactly. I recognized her immediately—how could I not recognize my mate, who looked like she was taking a breath for the first time in her life? But why was she here, and why was she looking at me like that? Where were Mom and Dad and Roman and…

“What…” I started, but when she circled the bed, reaching out for me, I sucked in the words. Hurt flashed in her eyes as she retreated, but the smile on her lips was wholly genuine.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said softly, catching her arms behind her back. “You mustn’t move yet. I’ll explain what is going on and then I’ll call your parents, alright? They’ve been waiting for you to wake up.”

I swallowed the embarrassment that twisted my stomach in knots and nodded. My mouth felt so dry that when I licked my lips, I was sure someone had poured sand down my throat. Her eyes lowered to my mouth and before I could say a word, she was rushing to a table set by the opposite wall. A few seconds later, she returned with a small crystal glass, hesitating as she moved to where I was lying.

“I have to come closer, so don’t be alarmed. You must not move your body too much until the potion clears the rest of the toxin.” I had no idea what she was talking about, but I nodded. Even that tiny gesture sent a shot of pain through my neck, but I tried my best not to show it. She sat on the edge of the bed, keeping plenty of space between us even while sliding a hand behind my head to lift it. I didn’t know where she got that water from, but it tasted divine, easing the scorching thirst and making me choke all in one breath. “Easy,” she murmured as she set me back down. By the time I stopped coughing, she was back at the foot of the bed, cradling the cup to her body while studying me from head to toe.

“Why are you afraid of me? Do I have something contagious?” I frowned, looking down at my body again. My hand had slipped out of the covers so I could now see green stains on the sheets where I lay, but I wasn’t sure if it was an ointment or something coming out of me. I couldn’t remember a single thing in Roman’s house that was dirty or worn out, so whatever got me into this bed, it had to be related to the green stuff.

“Afraid?” Her brows pinched in confusion. “You’re the one that’s flinching every time I come near. I just…” She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. “We can talk about this later. There are more important things to focus on now. How are you feeling?”

I shifted uncomfortably, trying to hide my blush under her scrutinizing gaze and failing. Because, for all intents and purposes, this woman was a… werewolf. A very human-looking shifter. She looked a bit older than me, but if learning about the supernatural world taught me one thing, it was never to believe my eyes. Also, she was Isaac’s older sister, and I knew he was at least ninety years old, so… how old was she?

I gasped when I ran my thumb over my fingers, but felt no ring there. A moment later, I remembered I had started wearing it around my neck because with Isaac and the other shifters coming around the house, getting burned had quickly become annoying. Someone must have taken it off my body while I was unconscious.

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