Page 96 of Wolf Mate

Unlike the other books, this one didn’t have any vibrations coming off it. I almost wished it did to distract me from the dismay screaming within.

Those were the only words written on that page, and I suspected the coven members wanted me to think I knew how the story ended, but I refused to be manipulated. “What happened?”

When Priestess Olwyn flipped toward the end of the book, fear strangled me.

Eventually, the wolves attacked. Foster used his magic to slow the wolves, which is the only reason some of us survived. But I watched as he crumpled to the ground, and I felt his magic release back into the world. Though he learned to harness his rare magic, in the end, it took his life. We owe him ours for eternity. Either way, our coven has fallen, and I fear that savage men will now lead the supernaturals.

I sucked in a breath. “Foster died protecting the witches?”

Slade placed a hand on my arm. Every cell in me wanted to pull away from his touch, but I didn’t want to disrespect him in front of his mother and their people. “Yes. That’s the lastentry, and the fall of the coven is detailed in the priestess’sBook of Twilight. But this book contains insights into how Foster controlled his magic.”

I couldn’t believe this was the ending to Foster’s story. None of it added up. “What happened to his friendship with the princess?”

“It ended in his death.” Priestess Olwyn shut the book. “You read that, and now you know. We’re the only people you can trust, and more so, we need your help, Skylar.”

“Need my help?” My skin crawled. “How can I help? I can’t control myself, let alone help you accomplish anything. Besides, Lucy and I are friends. I don’t want to ruin that relationship.” Or the one I had with Raffe, though it was best that I exclude that particular fact.

“We don’t want you to hurt anyone.” Priestess Olwyn pulled the book to her chest. “Just be willing to listen to the struggles we’re facing … both vampires and witches.”

The world spun, and I gripped the arms of my chair. “I’m not sure what you expect from me, but my goal is to become a vet and help animals. I don’t want to get involved in a supernatural civil war.”

“No, dear.” Priestess Eva shook her head. “We don’t want a war, and you won’t have to hurt anyone or put yourself in danger. We are in different times. You’ve been lured in by the wolf shifters, and we want a chance for you to see things from our perspective. If you open your eyes and listen, you’ll see the struggles we face while we teach you about your power like our kind did for Foster.”

Every single person here was determined to influence me. Even though I certainly didn’t trust them, they had theBook of Twilightwith all the details about Foster. If I told them to shove it, I wouldn’t have anyone to train me, and I wouldn’t be able to read more of the journal. They clearly wanted somethingfrom me too; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so determined to win me over. I’d learned the hard way that everyone had their own best interests at heart, and once again, I was doubting Raffe.

Keep your enemies closewas an unfortunate mantra I needed to implement, both with the covens and with Raffe.

Priest Alastor snorted humorlessly. “She’s struggling with the decision. That’s quite insulting.”

My blood warmed to a hum. I cut my eyes to him just as his chair began to vibrate so hard that his teeth clacked together.

Priestesses Olwyn, Sabrina, and Eva jerked back in their seats, watching the debacle.

“Forgive me if I need time to process everything,” I spat, knowing that losing control again confirmed my answer. “I need your help, and I’m open to seeing things from your perspective. I was always willing to listen to Slade until recently.”

The priest’s chair splintered into sharp shards, and he crashed to the floor. Fatigue hit me, but it wasn’t incapacitating since I hadn’t lost control for long.

Silence descended.

Priestess Olwyn grinned. “It’s great to have you as part of our coven.”

I hadn’t meantthat. The words hung over me like a heavy blanket, and I didn’t know how to respond.

Sabrina and Eva beamed while Alastor scowled and climbed to his feet.

“Let’s get you home.” Slade stood and nodded in the direction we’d come from.

Before we reached the stairs, Priestess Sabrina said, “Oh, and Skylar. It’s great to call yousister.”

I glanced over my shoulder and saw her bright eyes and matching smile.

Throat constricting, I forced a smile. “Thanks. I’ll see you around.”

I swore she whispered, “Yes, you will.” But her lips didn’t move. Great, I was going crazy.

I followed Slade back through the library. At the end of the hall, he waved a hand, and the hidden door opened. The night sky greeted me.

The cool air was exactly what I needed. When I stepped outside, my blood settled to a jolt, and the urge to go home and to bed nearly knocked me over.

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