Page 217 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

Chapter 10

‘Can you pull back a bit, Ivy?’

She blinked her eyes open at the question. She’d floated away after Iris had poked at the broken thing inside her, the pain an echo she could still feel. ‘What?’

‘Try and pull back the power you’re feeding into Paul.’ Iris’s face wavered over her as her eyes focused.

‘How?’ She didn’t even know how she was doing it, so how could she change how she was doing it?

‘Close your eyes and think about pulling back.’

‘But what about Paul?’

‘We’ve got him. He won’t fade away just yet.’

‘Yet?’

‘We’re still not sure what he’s done, but we’ve got him for now. You can pull back.’

‘For now?’ She shook her head, thoughts suddenly much clearer. ‘If whatever you’re doing isn’t a long-term solution, then I’m not going to stop. I’m not putting Paul in danger.’

‘You have to.’ Paul’s voice vibrated through her head—she was still lying against his chest. She should feel embarrassed, but she didn’t. It felt too right.

‘No. You can’t make me do something that will hurt you.’

‘Ivy, please. For me. Save yourself. You have to save yourself.’

She moved her head to look up at him—whatever Abby and Iris were doing had made her feel better. He looked better too despite the direness of their uncertainty. ‘We can’t lose you,’ she said.Shecouldn’t lose him. Her wolf couldn’t lose him.

‘It is very honourable of you, Ivy,’ Iris said. ‘But the danger isn’t as great as it was when you were brought in and you can’t continue to feed your life energy into Paul. The pack needs you too.’

‘Why? I’m not anything special. There are dozens of maternal wolves more special than me. The pack does need Paul, though, if it is to survive.’

Paul began to push at her. ‘No. You have to stop.’

‘Paul. Cease struggling,’ Iris hissed. ‘You’re making this more difficult.’

‘But you have to make her stop it, Aunty. I can’t lose Ivy.’

‘You already have, you stupid boy,’ Iris snapped. ‘You cut the mating bond.’

Ivy stilled, the words ringing in her ears. Mating bond? But that couldn’t be. They weren’t mated. And yet … Images flickered in her head of kissing him and touching him and there being so much joy it filled her soul.

‘This wasn’t supposed to happen.’ Paul’s words brought her back with a snap. ‘She was supposed to be fine. She wasn’t supposed to remember. I changed it.’

A chasm opened up inside her, one dark and deep and filled with pain. He’d rejected her. Somehow, they’d mated but he’d rejected it. Her wolf howled and she couldn’t help but let out a sob. ‘You don’t want me.’ She wanted to pull away from him, crawl into a dark corner and die. Would have if she could have.

‘No. Don’t go, Ivy.’ Paul’s voice was a rough whisper. ‘You don’t understand.’

Deep inside she felt him wrap around her and her wolf, hugging, holding tight, not letting them slip away.

‘Paul. Stop that. Abby, can you pull her back?’

‘I’m trying, but she’s so hurt. I don’t know why I didn’t see this before.’

‘Because my stupid nephew has played with fate. None of us could have seen what he’d done until Ivy started to remember.’

Remember?

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