Page 68 of Wolf Touched

Raffe shook his head. “There is an easy way to solve this problem. You go back to your homes and don’t come near us. If you get too close, she won’t have to kill you.I will.” His eyes glowed, his wolf emerging and emphasizing his words. “You’re blessed that I’m not ending your life right now, but that’s only because I’m sure we’d be attacked if I did.”

“Whether you two like it or not, you need me.” She patted her chest, fire lighting her eyes, making them greener. “Because of my tactics, an arcane-born managed to control her power for the first time in history. She will need my help to streamline it and see what she’s capable of. Do you want to risk her life and Olwyn and the others finding you because you didn’t like my tactics? I thought wolf shifters prided themselves on their strength and resilience. Times must have changed since I’ve been around any.”

Raffe snarled, but I placed a hand on his arm. Not to control him but because he needed my comfort to remain calm. He and I were strongest when working together.

At my touch, his anger ebbed, and he breathed through gritted teeth.

Lucy, Keith, and Josie inched forward, circling the priestess, ready to attack.

“You may have a coven, but don’t underestimate us,” Lucy said and edged beside me. “Even if Fane was okay with your awful plan to hurt my cousin, the rest of us weren’t, and we’ll make sure nothing like that ever happens again.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Fane flinch.

Good. He deserved to feel shame. In fact, when this conversation was over, I’d have some choice words for him myself.

But right now, we needed to focus on the priestess. I linked with the rest of the pack,I hate to say this, but she’s right. She did get me under control, and I could use her help.Though it was less than ideal and I didn’t trust her, she’dkept her word and released him. Raffe wouldn’t be going with me the next time I trained with her.

You can’t be serious?Raffe’s head jerked in my direction.You want to train with her again?

Olwyn won’t stop hunting us, and what sort of life can we have together if we’re hiding all the time?

A long one, which is exactly what I want with you,he linked, allowing his frustration and anger to course into me.

Between the intensity of his anger and my own, I felt like I might implode but in a different way than before.

She has a point. If she keeps causing earthquakes, they will find us.Josie frowned.And if they do, it would be helpful if Skylar knew how to use her power effectively.

Raffe’s attention snapped to her.

We don’t have to decide now.Adam glanced at us.We can talk about it when Sky has rested and we’ve all calmed down.Then he spoke out loud. “If you aren’t threatening us, then why is your coven heading this way?”

“They’re making sure I’m okay. I took a risk by coming here, but I needed you all to see that I was sincere.” Priestess Caroline huffed.

“You need to leave.” Octavia pointed at the door. “We need time to calm down, and Skylar needs rest after this afternoon. If and when we’re ready to talk, I know how to get hold of you.”

The priestess’s pale eyes focused on me once more, and her mouth pressed into a firm line. “My coven has spent centuries studying ways to control arcane magic and learning why each arcane-born has a connection with a wolf shifter. We understand that your power is tied to the earth and its vibrations. The only thing missing is why you’re fated to a supernatural.

“Now it’s clear—it’s the only way you can survive. Yourconnection is the bridge between human and supernatural. We believe that, after the original arcane-born passed and created the supernatural, one of her descendants gets their power activated when the balance of the supernatural world is under threat—which means you still need us and our guidance. I vow to you that we will never harm someone you love again.”

Some of my hesitation vanished because I didn’t smell a lie, but even more, her promise felt magical … more than just words someone said to another.

Still, I wouldn’t agree without talking to Raffe, even if we had opposing views. He’d been the one with a dagger to his neck.

“You heard my wife,” Dru rasped. “Now get out, or a wolf shifter and arcane-born won’t be your biggest problem.”

Priestess Caroline kept her gaze on me until she nodded, finding whatever she had been searching for within me. She then walked confidently out the front door, leaving us in silence.

Now that the threat was gone, there was one person who needed to understand how things worked around here. He might be my blood, but that didn’t make him my family.

I pivoted, glaring at my brother, and snarled, “You.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

As he took a step back against the wall, Fane’s eyes bulged.

I noticed, once more, how similar our eyes were, reminding me that my own blood had kept the priestess’s plan for me and my mate secret. My breath caught when cold realization settled deep within my chest. “That’s why you took Josie, Keith, and Lucy to the store, isn’t it?” The place had seemed so quiet, but I’d been enjoying my alone time with Raffe.

Fane averted his gaze to the floor, confirming everything I needed to know.

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