Page 86 of The Cursed Wolf King

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

I shook my head, my throat too tight to form words. The bond between us flared again, stronger this time, and I saw the flicker of pain in his face. He felt it too. Whatever was happening to us, it wasn’t just me. It was both of us.

“You’re weak.” I had never seen him like this, pale and confused. “Logan, I can feel how drained you are.”

“I’m fine,” he said, lacking conviction. His hands tightened on my arms, as if grounding himself through me. “Tell me what’s happening in you, Eve. There’s power in the bond between us, but at the same time…”

His voice faltered, and suddenly, his body swayed. I reached for him, my fingers curling around his forearms. The moment our skin touched, the bond flared again, a wave of heat and cold crashing through me with such force I gasped.

Logan’s eyes widened, his breath hitching as his wolf roared to the surface. His wolf was reaching for mine, desperate and wild, clawing at the edges of the bond. My own wolf responded, a faint echo that sent a jolt through both of us.

I needed him like I needed air.

Our bodies crashed together, a tangle of limbs and desperate energy as we clung to each other. It wasn’t a kiss,wasn’t an embrace—it was something deeper, primal, as if our very souls were fighting to stay connected. My head spun, my vision blurring as the bond flared brighter than ever and I felt I would burn up.

“Logan,” I gasped.

His arms tightened around me, his forehead pressing against mine as he whispered my name like a prayer. “Eve,” he breathed, his cheeks taut with discomfort. “What’s happening to us?”

“I don’t know.” I brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. “But it’s not right.”

He pulled back slightly. His eyes were dark and the weight of the curse pressed down on me. My wolf stirred weakly, like she was fading again—and so was Logan.

“I’m the reason,” I whispered.

Logan frowned, his grip on me tightening. “What are you talking about?”

“The curse,” I said. “It’s me. It’s always been me.”

His expression hardened, his jaw clenching as he shook his head. “That’s not true and we won’t talk about it again.”

“Logan, it is?—”

“I won’t have you talking about my fated mate like that.” He kissed my forehead. “She is the most magnificent, inspiring, honorable woman in this world, and whatever cloud has settled over her, I’m going to get to the bottom of it. Our fates are entwined, Eve. You see?” He caressed my cheek and it was comforting and stinging at once. “That’s why I have to leave today.”

“What?” The word shot out of me like a bullet. I straightened, pushing slightly against his hands. “Logan, no. You can’t.”

“I have to.” His tone was calm, but I felt the pressure simmering beneath it. “If we’re going to protect Orion, protect you, and begin to figure out this curse, then I have to go. There are still a lot of preparations to do today before I leave. I won’t do anything rash, but I must do this to avoid putting others in harm’s way.”

“You meanme.”

His expression didn’t change.

“No.” I shook my head, panic rising in my chest. “You can’t just leave. Whatever is happening between us, you’re weaker than before. You need to be in better form to face them.”

He sighed, his thumbs brushing over my arms in a soothing motion. “This isn’t a choice, Eve. If we wait for the official meeting, we’ll lose our chance to shift the narrative. I need to get ahead of it, speak to them directly, make sure they know what’s at stake.”

“Whyyou?” I demanded. “Why does it always have to be you?”

“Because it’smyresponsibility.” His hand moved from me to his forearm, where his tattoo lay hidden beneath his sleeve. “My brothers… This pack… It’s on me. You know that.”

That silenced my protests, because it was true. He always carried everything on his shoulders. That didn’t mean it was fair.

I nodded reluctantly, my heart pounding as his words sank in. My wolf paced restlessly, her instincts already taking over, seeking a plan I couldn’t fully comprehend yet. She needed to move, needed to run, needed to be in frontand not behind whatever was happening to me, to us, to Logan.

And that was what I’d feared. What I’d known, deep down, the moment our bond had flared to life.

Sealing a bond with Logan was always going to be a parting, not a beginning.

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