Page 27 of Cursed

“Oh, my love.” He lays back over me. His strong body is a blanket of perfection covering me. He presses his lips to mine. “I felt the same way, my soulmate.”

10

MOTHERLODE

QUADE

“What are we doing here?” Kat crinkles her nose at the dilapidated house.

Maxum volunteered to come with me this far, and then he’d take Kat and Douglas somewhere hidden afterward. They aren’t the targets in all this, so they should be safe.

There’s a broken-down car in the yard. Dead weeds dot the cracked concrete. The neighborhood is a bit tired, but true neglect colors this place a drab and dreary gray on this cold winter’s day.

I dread knocking on this door. I’m not sure if I will be able to contain my rage for this… evil creature.

“Shayla’s mother lives here.” I don’t call it Shayla’s home because this place was never a home. It was never a place to feel safe, a place to retreat to.

No. This place was a prison—a torture facility.

Kat glances at Douglas, and they both widen their eyes. “Here?”

Maxum says it first, “Can you feel that energy? It’s like pure poison.”

“That would be her mother.” I grit my teeth. This might be harder to deal with than I thought. But I have to know the truth of the threat, besides Shayla will want to know about her father. And I won’t make her face her mother again.

I hold the drawing Maxum created for me from his vision in Millie’s mind of her father. The bastard has been very careful not to be identified in public. Since supes and technology don’t mix, there aren’t internet databases and files on everyone. We keep our Supernatural Council members’ lives and personal information as private as possible so the witches don’t assassinate our leaders.

I’m of the mind to leak their identities to the mortal witches so they can potentially rid us of our problem. But we don’t need another war on our hands.

Kat clears her throat, pulling me from my dark thoughts. “I don’t know exactly what her mother was like… Shayla doesn’t talk much about her past. But I expect it wasn’t very pleasant to live here from the vibes I’m getting.”

“You would be right about that. It probably goes beyond anything you can imagine, but that isn’t my story to tell. I just want you to be alert. She may attack. She has fire magic.”

“I can block that if need be,” Maxum offers.

“Hopefully it doesn’t come to that,” I say. “Shayla mentioned her mother has a violent live-in boyfriend, so don’t let anyone sneak up behind one of us.”

“You talk as if we are going to war.” Douglas cocks a brow in disbelief.

“From what I hear and know about her mother? We might be.”

Maxum says quietly, “There are eyes on us. Across the street. So be careful. I sense the neighbor has been waiting for an excuse to turn Shayla’s mother into the authorities. Don’t get dragged into an altercation.”

“Got it.” That means I have to be on my best behavior too. I stride forward and knock on the door.

“Who the fuck is that?” a male yells from inside.

Heavy footfalls approach. The door flies open, and a burly-looking male—a badger shifter from the energy and looks of it—stands in the doorway. He snarls at me. “What do you want?” He has a fresh cut over his left eye.

I try to breathe calmly, so I don’t knock this male on his ass. “I wish to speak with Leeann Willows.”

“I don’t give a shit,” the badger says.

“I must insist. It’s about her daughter, Shayla Willows.”

“What about her?” Her mother staggers up to the door, reeking of booze.

It’s an eerie sight to see her mother. She looks horrible, with matted hair and bruises on her face. I can tell once she wasalmostas beautiful as Shayla, but she has long since lost her luster, not from mere years, but from all the hate that inhabits her body, and an excessive amount of alcohol.

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