Page 94 of The Cursed Wolf King

I stopped myself.Of course he would.Logan never backed down from a fight, never let someone else carry his burdens. My pulse roared in my ears as I imagined him there, his stubborn resolve driving him straight into the lion’s den.

Anwen cut through my spiraling thoughts. “Eve, I overheard them. The meeting isn’t about Orion. It’s about you.”

I felt like I was suffocating. “What do you mean?”

Kenza stepped forward, gripping my arm firmly. “The details are vague, but I’d guess Grayson’s looking for a way to get rid of you permanently, since Logan didn’t kill you as planned. You’re a liability. The wolves who have come from these other packs, they’re not leaders. They’re power-hungry scum who would sell their own for a taste of what he’s offering. They reek of desperation, of… worse.”

Her words churned in my mind, nausea rising as the truth sank in. This wasn’t a political maneuver. It wasn’t about territory or alliances. It was about me. And Logan was walking straight into it.

Anwen broke through my panic. “I knew the instant I saw him, before he’d laid eyes on you, that he was your fated mate. Everything we elders have heard through legends in our couple of centuries on Earth made it plain as day to me. Would you agree, Elder Raina?”

Raina nodded.

“If Logan sensesyouare the one in danger, you know what he’ll do. His wolf will drive him to protect you, nomatter what it costs. And with these alphas, with Grayson—he’ll have no chance if it comes to that. And if he dies…”

Those words hung heavy in the air. Even I knew from the old stories about what happened when a fated mate died.

If I was lucky, I’d die with him. If I wasn’t, I’d be roaming the earth, tormented. Feral. A demon wolf.

I swallowed hard and looked at Raina, then back to the two wolves who had risked everything to come here. They were right. Logan was in the line of fire, and if I stayed here, waiting for news, I might as well be signing his death sentence.

And everything within me told me exactly what I had to do.

Like Raina had said.

“I have to go,” I said, before I could second-guess it. “Back to Heraclid lands.”

Raina stepped closer. “Are you sure? You did so much to escape them.”

I nodded. “It’s the only way. If I can distract them, if I can draw their focus… maybe Logan can get out of there alive.”

Raina smiled, a sad smile. “And that, dear Eve, is indeed the only answer.”

Kenza’s grip on my arm tightened. “Then we leave now.”

Her confidence made me feel mildly less terrified, but it was my wolf’s growl of agreement that made the decision. She couldn’t andwouldn’tlet Logan face this alone. Not when I was the reason he was in this mess. Not when I had the power to stop it.

The decision had barely solidified in my mind when my wolf surged forward, clawing against the barrier that hadkept her contained for so long. It was like a dam breaking, and the flood of her was overwhelming. I fell to the ground with a sharp gasp, the force of her rising nearly knocking the breath from me.

Pain lanced through my body, sharp and all-consuming. My muscles seized and my bones ached as if they were being stretched and compressed all at once. A cry escaped my lips, but even as the pain threatened to consume me, there was a strange comfort—a whisper through the chaos.

I’m here. No one hurts him. He’s ours.

Her presence wrapped around me, soothing, reassuring. The pain dulled, replaced by a warmth that spread through my chest and limbs. I could feel her guiding me, encouraging me to surrender, to let go of the fear that had kept her at bay for so long. My fingers curled, nails splitting and reforming as claws. My skin prickled as fur rippled across it, soft and white, and my senses sharpened to a razor’s edge.

My spine arched, the final shift snapping into place with a force that left me breathless, my clothes shredded on the floor. My wolf howled, the sound resonating through my mind as I rose onto four legs, steady and sure. I felt grounded in a way I had never experienced before. I flexed my claws, felt the strength in my limbs, the power that coursed through every vein.

My friends appeared to be frozen in a stunned silence. Finally, Kenza pursed her lips and gave me an approving nod. Her eyes shone as she took in the sight of me.

“A most stunning wolf,” Anwen whispered. “We’ll lead you through the safest route we can find.” Anwen moved toward the door, her movements brisk and purposeful as she shed the robe, placed it in a sack that Raina held out,and shifted into her wolf form. Kenza did the same beside her.

“Eve,” Raina called softly, and hooked the sack over my neck. My wolf looked back. “Whatever happens, know that your bond is stronger than any curse.”

I had to believe her.

42

LOGAN

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