Page 33 of Cursed Wolfsbane

It’s not that much of a surprise that Briar has ultra-powerful mates, though. Her mom and dad were also super strong. We always knew her magic would be pretty powerful. Although, if she’s a wolf, I guess she won’t be getting any mage magic. I’m not sure why Nan had her take that potion.

“So, you grew up with Briar?” Malachi asks.

“Yeah. I knew her from the day she was born to the day she left with her mom.” My throat tries to close up at the thought of that day.

I knew I wouldn’t see Briar for a while, but I still had to give her one last hug and promise to see her soon. It felt like a fifty cal to the gut. I’ve simply been existing, just going through the motions of life. My heart only started beating again when I saw her for the first time today, even though she didn’t remember me.

Holding Briar in my arms, it felt like I was able to take the first full breath in for over a decade. She’s so much different thanwhen she left. Gone is the adorably awkward kid. In her place is grown-up Briar.

Her tall frame with curves in all the right places, heart-shaped face, stunning ice-blue eyes, and full pink lips are no longer cute. She’s hot as fuck, and I had an inconvenient boner from the moment I saw her today. Luckily, Briar didn’t seem to notice. It would’ve been awkward to explain to her why a man she didn’t know got an immediate hard-on when he saw her.

Bastian tilts his head as he assesses me. “Was that hard?”

“Would it be difficult to watch Briar walk away now that you know her?” They all look sick at the possibility. “Yeah, it was fucking agonizing letting her go, but her mom said that was the only way to keep her safe, so I didn’t have a choice. Although, she wasn’t all that safe, was she?” Her mom never told me what she needed to be kept safe from, but I assumed it was the Knights of Aeneas. All Evie said was that moving was the only way to keep Briar from the bad guys, and I couldn’t stay in contact with Briar without risking her.

“No,” Xander rasps.

My fists clench as anger flows through me. The magic in my chest sparks at my rage and tries to flow through my veins. Gritting my teeth, I shove it back down. Lighting something on fire or causing general chaos isn’t going to help anything. “What happened?”

Malachi swallows a few times before he can force any words out of his throat. “Her stepfather beat her after her mother’s death until he almost killed her.”

At the knowledge that my little shadow has been hurting for years, my magic escapes its chains. The powerline above us sparks before I can stuff all the magic back down. I haven’t lost control like this since I was a young mage just starting to figure out my powers.

Mages usually have an affinity, typically one of the elements. My magical affinities are fire and electricity, so that’s why sparks rained down on some very confused and alarmed wolves.

“What the fuck was that?” Bastian narrows his eyes distrustfully at the powerline overhead.

“My magic isn’t happy that our mate was hurting for years.” That’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one. My magic feeds on my rage, making me even more livid. I can vividly picture how satisfying the destruction I could wreak to avenge Briar would be.

Going on a magical rampage until anyone who harmed her is dead is tempting. Very tempting.

“Saint,” Briar whispers in front of me. I snap my eyes open, not even realizing I had closed them. I’m stopped on the sidewalk. The wolves and Emmy look on curiously behind her. “I’m okay, I promise.”

I shove my hands in my pockets so I won’t grab Briar and haul her against me. I don’t know what she’s comfortable with touch wise, so I’ll keep my hands to myself unless she initiates it. “Are you? You have shadows in your eyes that weren’t there before. You flinch at sudden movements when you didn’t before. You watch everyone warily, like you never know where the next hit will come from.”

“I’m different. A little—or a lot—broken, perhaps.” Briar’s voice breaks, and she looks at the ground instead of me. Clearing her throat, she continues. “But just because I’m different doesn’t mean that I’m not okay.”

I lean down until we’re nose to nose. “You are many things, Briar, but broken isn’t fucking one of them. Understand?” No one gets to talk badly about Briar, even herself.

Her lips inch up in a sad smile. “I am. I may have survived Papa and Mama dying and Patrick’s beatings, but I didn’t do it in one piece.”

“May I touch you?” I grit out, struggling to keep from hugging her. When I get a nod, I wrap one arm around her waist and tug her until she’s flush against me. I gently tip up her chin with my thumb until her icy blues are focused on my face. “You survived, little shadow. Sure, you’ve changed, but none of it broke you, because you’re still here. You still get up every day and do what you have to do. You still keep putting one foot in front of the other. I’m so damned proud of you, and you should be too.”

She flicks her gaze between mine, trying to find the lie, but she won’t be able to because I meant every word I said. She closes her eyes for a moment before croaking, “I don’t know who I am anymore, Saint.”

“Well, then we’ll figure it out together. We’ll find out who you are and who you want to be. Together,” I vow.

“How?” Her voice hitches hopefully.

“By trying things and experiencing things and just living on your own terms. I promise you, I—and your other mates—will help you figure it out.” I debate about what to say next. Blowing out a breath, I tell her, “But, honestly, I’m not sure any of us know who we are. We’re all just muddling our way through life, making shit up as we go along.”

Her forehead develops a cute little wrinkle as she processes what I said. “You always seemed to have everything figured out.”

I can’t help the chuckle that bursts out of my chest. “I’m about as far from having everything figured out as anyone can be. It’s only in the last year or so that I’ve actually thought about having a future. Before that, I was just focused on making it through each day.”

“Why?” she asks quietly.

I give her a bittersweet smile. “Because I lost the three people who mattered most to me. It didn’t seem like there was much point to a future if I was going to be alone.”

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