Page 346 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

Even though I hated myself for doing this to her, to us, I didn’t regret it. Not for one second. I would tear myself apart, a slow and miserable death, if it meant saving her life.

Ash squeezed my shoulder. “I thought she’d come out and tell you.”

I knew that tone and it wasn’t good. “Tell me what?”

“She came to see me today.”

My heart stilled. Seeing Ash was progress. Eventually, she’d see me, and I could apologize again. I wasn’t kidding when I said I’d apologize every day for the rest of eternity.

But the look on Ash’s face, combined with the sudden churn in my gut, told me otherwise. “Is she okay?”

He didn’t answer.

“Spit it out, Ash.” I growled, growing more impatient by the second.

Ash glanced between the house and me. “She’s leaving. Tomorrow. She came to see me about the will.”

My heart bled out right there in the woods. “What did you say? I thought she had to stay until the end of the summer.”

I thought I had more time.

“Technically, she can leave. She’s not putting the house up for sale until the end of the summer and she did live in it while she was here.” Ash shoved his hands in his pockets. “I think given the circumstances…”

My fucking brother betrayed me. My own flesh and blood.

“You asshole.” Fist clenched, I spun and swung at Ash’s face.

He caught my fist in his hand, then shoved it away. “You need to get your head out of your ass and wake up.”

“How can I? I drew her into this. Before she came here, she didn’t even know about shifters, about me, about her family. If I hadn’t told her, she would’ve gone on oblivious to everything.”

“I don’t believe that, and I doubt you do either. Joan left her the house for a reason. She wanted her to come back here. Why else include the condition in her will?”

“I’ve done nothing but break her trust. I wanted to atone for failing Joan, but more than that, I wanted my mate. I fell in love with her before I knew what the word even meant. Now I’ve ruined everything.”

“Instead of moping around in the forest hoping she’ll come to you, go fight for her.”

“She’ll never forgive me, no matter what I do.”

“Do I need to punch you? Of course, she won’t forgive you while you’re hiding out here like a stray pup.”

Ash glanced toward the sky, then back at me.

“You told me she was your mate. You’ve known that for fifteen years.”

I scoffed. “That’s rich coming from someone who doesn’t believe in mates.”

“I never said I didn’t believe. I just don’t believe there’s one for me. But I’ve witnessed the connection—with Mom and Dad, Ivy and Liam. I know it exists. And from what I’ve seen, nothing breaks a mating bond. Not even an ancient curse.”

He paused and my rage simmered.

“I think Joan knew that as well. After she stopped taking the blood, why do you think she still made that god-awful concoction to protect us? Because it also protected you. We all saw how she drove herself crazy trying to break the curse and I think when she realized you and Mia were fated, she finally discovered a way. Think about it. A hunter mated to a shifter. Joan made sure the Whitcome curse ended with the two of you.”

I kicked the dirt with my boot and thought for a moment. Joan did stop taking blood, but I assumed she did it because Dad died. Which happened around the time Mia came to stay with her. Did she sense the connection? Did she really believe Mia and I mating would break the hunter curse?

Ash squeezed my shoulder.

“You know what you need to do. Go do it.”

I stared at the house as the lights came on in the upstairs bedroom. I held my breath, waiting. A heartbeat later, the drapes pulled back and Mia peered out the window. Our eyes locked and, in that moment, I knew Ash was right.

What was with my brothers always being right?

I needed to fight for Mia. Regardless of everything that happened between us, and our two opposing worlds, and what our future held, she was my mate.

I’d die before losing her again.

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