Page 81 of Destined Mate

“A spell like this requires the death of the person you love the most at the requester’s hands. That blood must be provided to the witch who casts the spell.”

My stomach roiled. There were only a handful of people I cared about, and the people I valued the most were Stevie, Bodey, and Theo, with Samuel coming in close to the top of the list, too. I just hadn’t spent as much time with him. “I haven’t sacrificedanyone,” I said a little too loudly. A few people nearby stopped their conversation and looked at us.

Bodey slid between Dina and Samuel and stood next to me. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close to him.

His touch sent my heart soaring. Even through my dress, his hand was warm, and the heat sank into my skin. I wanted to lean into him and forget how things had ended between us.

Her forehead creased. She took in Bodey’s stance beside me and Samuel’s in front of me. Their body language was clear—they were protecting me. She sighed. “For her to carry a spell that strong, she’sgotto be hiding something.”

Tears burned my eyes as my cheeks warmed. If this witch was part of Bodey’s community, then I knew they respected one another. I feared what would happen if she convinced him I was a traitor. It was one thing for Bodey and me not to be together, but it would be another thing entirely if we became enemies. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not hiding anything. I can’t even connect with my wolf. If I were going to use magic foranything, it would be to have stronger wolf magic.”

Her head tilted back. “You can’t connect with your wolf?”

I nodded. “I can’t pack link or shift.”

“That makesnosense,” she said and moved to step around Samuel, but he countered her just as Bodey tugged me behind him.

Now they were being overprotective. If I was spelled, I needed to find out why. This might be my only chance to get answers.

“I won’t hurt her.” Dina straightened her shoulders. “Let me by.”

Samuel didn’t move.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine.”

He turned and took in my expression. Then he huffed and moved beside me so he and Bodey flanked me.

Dina rolled her eyes and placed her hands on my shoulders. Bodey tensed, and for a minute, I thought he might remove her hands from me. Instead, he stayed still with his arm taut, ready to strike if needed.

“Your wolf is strong. One of the strongest I’ve ever encountered.” Her gaze leveled with mine. “I can feel it inside you.”

My body tingled from her touch. “How is that possible? I can’t shift or link. I can’t do anything that other shifters can do.”

Bodey said, “The spell must have been forced on you to prevent you from accessing your magic.” His expression looked strained. “Which makes sense because you sure don’t act like an omega.”

My lungs quit working. “Why would someone do that? And why would I not remember?”

Dina lifted her hands. “If a witch spelled you like that, they likely also messed with your memories. What’s the first memory you have?”

I thought back, but all the images I conjured in my head were blurry. I remembered a beautiful, elegant voice singing, though I couldn’t make out the words. All I could hear was the melody, and I felt so loved by the singer. The memory was what had drawn me to music, especially lyrics because I’d always wanted to know what she’d been singing. “I…” I blinked a few times. “I don’t remember much before I was carried into Zeke’s pack and given to my adoptive parents.”

“Zeke?” Dina’s face twisted with disgust. “Well, no witch would work with him willingly.”

“It must have been cast as part of the reason you were abandoned.” Bodey scowled. He pressed so close to me that our entire sides touched.

“How does she unblock it?” Samuel frowned. “That might alleviate her problems with her pack.”

If I were stronger, the pack wouldn’t treat me like shit. Although I doubted it would change much. After all, I was female.

“I don’t know.” Dina bit her bottom lip. “I didn’t create the spell.”

“Can it be broken?” Bodey’s body shook, and I wasn’t sure if it was from fear or anger.

She nodded. “Magic can’t be limitless—there is always a way to end it. I don’t know how, though. Only the witch who spelled her can provide that information.”

I might be unable to connect with my wolf for my entire life. At least now, I knew there was a reason why, but I wasn’t sure if that knowledge had improved my situation. In some ways, knowing I should be able to shift made my inability that much harder. Before, I’d thought I was broken. Now I knew my ability had been stolen from me.

“What’s going on over here?” Zeke’s voice boomed behind Dina.

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