Page 89 of Wolf Touched

Raffe’s shock soared as Keith turned to me and rasped, “What?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Iinhaled harshly. I should’ve discussed this with Raffe first, but if this person hung up, I doubted she would answer her phone if we tried calling her back once Sedona was up. She’d think we were trying to manipulate her since we couldn’t get Sedona on the phone now.

Keith, please wake her up while I delay this woman for as long as possible.I rubbed my temple, trying to hold off a cough. Dirt still clung to the back of my throat, courtesy of Sedona. I hadn’t known her for twelve hours, and she was already the biggest pain in my ass. That sure seemed fitting, with her being Keith’s fated mate.

“You expect me to believe that the abomination fated to the king’s son would help the East?” Her voice was laced with suspicion. “You weren’t offering to help last night when you blew up one of my coven member’s hands.”

“Did you really expect us to help you when you attacked us unprovoked after your daughter buried mealiveand one of your coven members tried to set my mate on fire?” I hoped this was a test because, if it wasn’t, this priestess felt entitled to a level I would neverunderstand. “Let’s make sure last night’s incidents remain clear. We were sleeping, bothering no one, when you tried to sneak up on us and attack.”

Babe, I’m not sure that helping them get their freedom is the right move.Raffe nudged my leg.I mean, Dad—

Won’t be happy with us?I arched a brow.We started a new pack because he didn’t want us to be together. This would at least get the East to stop attacking us and prevent them from aligning with the Veiled Circle. I get that you don’t want to hurt your dad, but we are in an awful situation, and the Eastern supernaturals, or even Olwyn, could attack us again soon. I’m not sure we’d survive another battle with our small numbers despite Priestess Caroline’s coven aligning with us.

He huffed.You’re right. I hadn’t thought of it like that.

Keith sat on the edge of the couch, and his hand shook as he slowly reached for Sedona and cupped her cheek. His brown irises glowed as soon as their skin touched, his wolf surging forward, likely because of the bond that wanted to be forged between them.

“We were told you were volatile and untrained,” the priestess replied, parroting the same thing Sedona had said the night before.

Some of the tension in my body released, allowing me to trust Sedona a smidgen more.

At Keith’s touch, Sedona’s eyes fluttered, and she moaned. It had to be from the buzz of their connection speaking to her soul.

“Supreme Priestess Olwyn has a way of twisting facts in her favor. The coven here helped me understand my power and how it works.” I didn’t want to tell her that my fated-mate bond with Raffe helped me handle my power better or that I hadn’t been a shifter until the past couple of weeks.She didn’t get to know everything, just the bare minimum. “I understand she’s your leader, but she hasn’t done my fated mate or my pack any favors.”

“She may be my leader, but I feel the same about her as the wolf shifters do about King Jovian. Supreme Priestess Olwyn gave us her word that if we help defeat King Jovian, we will all be free. Besides, do you think I’m foolish enough to believe that the prince hasn’t informed his father of what happened? Prince Raffe would have informed him about what was going on as soon as you all figured it out. I’m insulted that you think I would be stupid enough to fall for any of this.”

Then why is she staying on the line?Not that I was complaining. I needed Keith to get Sedona up so she could speak to her mom and vouch for how we’d helped her.

She’s doing exactly what you are—trying to get information that can help them against us.Raffe hung his head and went to the bedroom where we’d slept, shutting the door behind him.I may be healed enough to shift back into human form, and that way, if she wants to speak to me, I can talk to her.

My gut screamed that if Raffe got on the line, this conversation would be over. Her staying on the phone with me surprised me, but he’d grown up preparing to be the next king and expected to handle situations like these.

But sometimes, women didn’t want to deal with men in power, and King Jovian had proven he wasn’t willing to listen to them, especially not to a woman.

“Keith?” Sedona’s eyes cracked open, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

“Yeah, hey.” He took her uninjured hand and smiled sweetly, no traces of the sarcastic, mouthy man to be found. “I’ve been worried about you all night. You were passed out when we got back here.”

“Your silence speaks volumes, my dear,” the older woman continued, and I realized I hadn’t responded. “That’s all I have to say—”

“Sedona is waking, and it distracted me.” I rushed the words, making sure she heard them.

She swallowed audibly. “If you’re messing with me—”

“I’m not.” I cleared my throat to get Sedona’s and Keith’s attention, barging into their conversation and ruining their moment. “She’s waking up. She lost a lot of blood last night from her injury.”

Sedona turned her head toward me and lifted her brows when she noted I was on her phone. She tried to sit up but moved only an inch before she groaned and lay flat.

Keith leaned over her. “Don’t get up. You need to rest.”

“Who is it?” Sedona nodded at him before glancing back at me.

“Your mother.” I bit my bottom lip, unsure of what to do. I wanted to hand her the phone, but if she wasn’t fully awake, the results could be disastrous, like her mom thinking we were tormenting her. “She called you, and I answered.”

The older woman gasped. “If she’s awake, give her the phone.”

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