Page 22 of Their Fated Magic

It’s like she has me under her spell.

I’d almost had sex with her. There hadn’t been a question. The moment I’d touched her, I knew I was finally going to have her by that river. And I would have, if she hadn’t asked me that question. If she hadn’t shaken me free from her spell.

Fuck.

This has to be magic. It’s got to be a love spell, because that’s exactly what this feels like. Like love. Like she’s my mate. Even my damn wolf aches to be near her.

But I can’t trust her. She’s a witch. A witch who claimed not to be able to do Battle Magic, but then did it right before our eyes.

Lies. Witches always tell lies.

I have to shake this all-consuming feeling that I need her away and stay on my toes when I’m around her. I can’t slip up with her again, because I don’t think I could survive that if I did. I’d have to bury myself inside her, and then all our careful planning would be ruined. We’d be tied to the witches, and the bears, forever.

The plan. I have to stick to it. No matter what.

“We should set up camp here,” Garrick says.

Like he’s in charge. Which I hate.

And yet, this is the smartest place to camp. I would have suggested it myself, if I wasn’t so lost in thought. About Tara. Again.

After another full day of traveling, we’ve reached the base of the mountains. We shouldn’t start climbing in the evening. Yet, I don’t like it. I hate being this deep in bear territory. Things could get ugly, fast, with an attack from the bears while we have our guard down.

I don’t trust any of them, starting with Garrick. Sure, he fought the monster with us, but that doesn’t change my feelings. He’s a bear. And a bear doesn’t change its claws.

“This looks like a good place,” Arlys says, and gets off of his horse.

Following his lead, I dismount, and we all lead our horses to a nice open spot, surrounded by trees. The sound of the river flowing close by hums in the distance, and birds chirp. It might be nice, if we weren’t in a fight for the lives of our people. If we weren’t with a bear and a beautiful witch.

Our stuff is unpacked. The horses are cared for. And a fire is built up. I unroll my pack and set up my area to sleep tonight. Rinan and Arlys do the same. Garrick sets up his and Tara’s packs next to each other, and I fight the urge to demand to sleep next to her myself.

But who am I kidding, sleeping next to her would be hell.

But having him sleep next to her is a different kind of hell.

“I keep seeing carvings on big rocks on the ground. What are they? Do they mean something?” Tara asks Garrick.

Like he’s the only one who can answer. Like hell.

“Those are markings left by wolves in places where our kind was murdered by the bears,” I answer for him, knowing he won’t give the real answer. Let Tara see the truth. All they do is kill and maim, and they direct their violence towards us.

“Bears took just as many losses in those same battles as the wolves did,” Garrick says, directing his comment right at me.

I can’t stand this asshole. He waltzed in here, forced us to let him marry our wife, and now he has the nerve to talk about bear losses? I want to break every bone in his face.

Leaping to my feet, I close the distance between me and the damn bear. “You have some nerve,” I snarl, getting in his face and baring my teeth.

“No, you have some nerve. Painting us as savages when your losses are all on our land.” Garrick puffs his chest out and bares his teeth back at me.

“If your people stayed off of our lands, we wouldn’t have to come to yours. You don’t know anything about loss. We have lost so many of our people, and bears are always the aggressors,” I shout.

He glares. “Bullshit. I’ve lost a number of good men to the wolves. And now, that’s not the only thing killing us. My cousin just died from the Illness. And two others are sick right now. Don’t tell me about loss. I know what it feels like.”

Tara gasps and concern fills her eyes. Rinan and Arlys stop what they’re doing and stare at Garrick, mouths wide. In all this time, the bear hadn’t mentioned anything about this. Why? And why tell us now?

I reach for my anger, trying not to be distracted by his words. “Ok, and? Your two cousins are still alive, and we might be able to save them. I lost two brothers to the witches and their Battle Magic. The same Battle Magic Tara here said she just realized she can use.” My blood boils, thinking about how Tara could still be playing us. How all of this might be some big ploy.

I walk over to her, curling my hands into fists. “All witches are evil with your spells and magic. I saw what you did to that monster. And I’ve heard all the stories of what you’ve done to my people!” I’m nearly shouting the words, not caring about how her face crumbles with each word I say.

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