Page 105 of Fated to the Warrior Wolf

“Maybe, or maybe he was lobotomized while none of us were looking.”

“You’re crazy, you know that?”

“I’m your favorite crazy person, though, right?” I said with a grin.

“Absolutely.” She grinned back, but it didn’t last long. “Cristian just sent up a note that my Aunt Kari has arrived and is settled into a rarely used pack cottage in the village. She says she can see us this morning, if you want to go now.”

I sucked in a deep breath, struggling now that the time had come. Gael might not have argued about me not buying maternity clothes, but he sure as shit was going to raise hell when he found out I’d gone ahead with the curse. I let my eyes sink closed against the pain and nodded.

“Where are the guys going to be?” I asked, hoping to avoid an immediate confrontation. This was just a consultation to make a plan. Unless she said I needed to get the curse early, I’d wait until the last possible minute, so Petal and I had as much time together as possible before the curse took me. Hell, maybe I’d make it twenty years. I was strong and fit.

I can do this.

“They’re loading up right now to go back to the IGC and get an update on the status of the new petition. I made excuses with Kane so you and I didn’t need to go, but Shay and Oliviaare going with the guys, so it’s just you and me.” Her smile was tight, and I knew how much it was costing her to do this for me. Personally, and as a friend.

I hugged her hard, and her arms flew around me to squeeze me back. “It’s going to be okay, Bri. This is the right choice for Petal, okay? And I’m choosing this.”

“I’m not sure I can watch you do this, Leigh. I’m not strong enough to watch you die.” Her voice cracked as she sobbed quietly against my shoulder, and it took everything in me to be the strong friend she knew and expected.

“You’re not going to watch me die,” I insisted as I rubbed her back. “You’re going to watch meliveand enjoy motherhood. And when it’s my time to go, I’ll do it with a smile, because I know that Petal has the best aunts and uncles and dad to take care of her.”

“I know. I know you will. And if you can be strong, so can I.” She pulled back, swiping away her tears and squaring her shoulders before checking her phone for the time. “Let’s go. Cristian has a car waiting for us out front.”

I blew out a steadying breath and followed her out the door with my chin held high.

We climbedout of the discreet black sedan in front of a tiny but well-maintained white cottage in the foothills just outside the village. I immediately sensed Kari inside, her power too large to be hidden fully. It was odd to feel the stinging edges of her power as we walked through the bright pink flowers planted along the walkway. But after a moment, the discomfort faded away, and Brielle was knocking on the front door.

Karissma was just how I pictured her from Texas, her aura popping and fizzing with light almost constantly. Her thick, natural curls seemed to have grown half an inch, but thoseplum-colored eyes were still unnervingly sharp, exactly as I remembered. She waved us inside without preamble, giving me a once-over before her gaze settled heavily on my bump.

“I see why you’ve asked to meet, Brielle. Please, have a seat. Can I get either of you a cup of tea? I have a kettle on.” She pointed us toward the small living room, where a pin-tucked white couch with clawed feet sat proudly in front of a stone hearth.

I wasn’t usually a tea drinker, but the idea of having something to hang on to during this conversation was appealing, nonetheless.

“I’d love a cup, if you don’t mind,” I said.

“Just a minute, then,” she said and disappeared into the kitchen. I sat on the edge of the stiff seat, hands gripping my knees. I was nervous as hell, which made no sense because I’d been planning this for a while. But something about sitting here, ready to have the conversation, made it all very, very real. The sharp whistle of the teapot nearly sent me into the stratosphere, and I gripped my knees harder.

It was less than ninety seconds later that Kari pressed a cup of something that smelled like yard clippings into my hands. She walked back out and then, a moment later, brought a tray with milk and sugar cubes. Once she’d deposited it onto the coffee table in front of Bri and me, she settled into a single chair off to the side.

“So, you’re having the next omega, and I take it you want me to curse you like I did Brielle’s mother.”

I gripped the cup like it was the only thing keeping me tethered to the earth.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I need.”

FIFTY-ONE

Gael

Leigh refusing to buy herself maternity clothes should have surprised me, but it somehow didn’t. But as soon as I stepped out of her room, I was on a mission. I found Cristian in his usual sitting room, right off the foyer. The fact that I managed to surprise him with a knock on the door to his private sanctum gave me a sick sort of glee; the man was never caught unawares.

He was on his feet in an instant, buttoning his suit jacket as he stepped out into the foyer with me.

“Master—” I arched an eyebrow, and he cleared his throat, changing tack midstride. “Gael. How may I assist you?”

“I need to place an order for some new clothing for my mate.”

“Your mate? Why, I hadn’t heard the news. I offer my felicitations as well as my services. What do you need?”

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