Page 22 of Wolf's Providence

The bond between us hummed, stronger now than it had been before. I found when I thought of her, it got stronger,encouraging me towards her. I could feel her, like a whisper in the back of my mind, and sometimes it soothed me, and sometimes it only made my guilt worse.

I took a step into the clearing, the snow crunching under my boots. Should I have stayed away? Probably. I should have run so far that even this bond couldn’t pull me back to her.

But…I couldn’t. Staying away from her seemed to be impossible. How many times had I tried? Something always kept me coming back to her.Draggingme back to her, forcing me to face the one thing I didn’t want to accept.

I needed her.

That thought alone made me want to tear the world apart. I was analpha, I didn’t need anyone. I was a shifter—strong, wild, and stronger than most. My lips curled in a snarl, a low growl emanating from me as I once more pushed down the dark thoughts.

Willow… Well, she wasn’tjustanyone. She was human. Fragile. The exact kind of person that shouldn’t hold my attention.

Weak.

I should have stayed away from her. But I hadn’t.

And then the Goddess made sure that I couldn’t.

I cut a straight path through the snow, my thoughts in turmoil as the two parts of me warred with themselves. I briefly wondered if that would be my life from now on, never knowing which part of me was in control. If I even knew what control was.

The shaman’s words were also a constant presence, sticking to my head like a thorn in my side that I couldn’t dig out. He told me the Goddess had chosen Willow to save me.

I scoffed in the quiet of the night.Isaved Willow that night.Yes, Luna blessed the magic, but it was my actions that saved her.Myblood.

My blood kept her alive, and because of that, she would never be free of me.

Or me her.

The very idea of it should grate, but it didn’t. A small part of me hoped what the shaman hoped. That by saving Willow, I had somehow saved myself. I’d spent ten years fighting against the wildness, keeping my rage at bay for what I’d lost. Ten years I had been in control. Now, through my own actions, I was tethered to someone who needed me.

Wasn’t that the irony? I was bound, by the blessing of the Goddess, to Willow, and there was no escape.

My gaze lifted skyward. The moon hung low, half-hidden by the clouds, its pale light showing me the way. I had the urge to flip it the finger. A swirl of wind caught me, causing me to almost lose my balance, and I could hear the laughter on the wind. Frustration boiled inside me, but instead of raging against the Goddess, I clenched my jaw.

This was how I was going back to her? Furious, frustrated, and wanting to howl at the moon? Willow deserved so much more. She’d been dragged into my darkness and into this world that would rip her apart if she let it.

IfIlet it.

Blowing out a deep breath, I wondered how I would keep her safe. Again, my inner voice argued with me, telling me she was supposed to be safe the further she was away from me, but I wasn’t listening anymore.

I’d failed her once, and now she was a part of this mess, bound to me, in ways neither of us fully understood.

The best way to keep her safe was to keep herwithme. The Goddess and the shaman both thought this was the answer, and who was I to argue with the divine and her vessel?

That didn’t stop the rising panic that was threatening to crush me. These last few months, I had let myself be ruled bymy emotions, even when I never realized it. My anger had been simmering for so long below the surface, I hadn’t recognized the danger until it was too late. I accepted the beast within myself, I knew it would always be there, and I knew I had a fight on my hands to wrestle back control.

This was who they wanted to go back to her? This was what I was laying at her door, and part of me felt even guiltier for knowing I would do it anyway.

Because the bond was growing every day. It was no longer a thread between us—it was a lifeline.

I also needed to be honest with myself. I needed to see her. I needed to see her with my own eyes, to see the look on her face when she saw me. Because I knew I had to face what I’d done, and maybe—Luna willing—I could figure out how to make things right.

As much as I hated to admit it, and I would probably deny it if asked, the shaman had been right about one thing. Without Willow, I was lost. And if I was lost now, then it would only be a matter of time before I was lost for good.

Looking up to the sky, I watched the last of the moon get swallowed by clouds. Walking in amongst the trees, I felt my steps get heavier than before. Blackridge Peak packlands weren’t far. I could already sense the edges of their territory, the subtle shift in the air, as I got closer to their land.

I didn’t know what I was going to say to her when I saw her again. I expected her to not want to see me, and after everything, I wouldn’t blame her if she refused to talk to me. But the bond between us wouldn’t let me stay away, and I could only hope that when I faced her, she was willing to listen.

The tall shifter Ned was waiting at the bottom of the mountain. I wasn’t mistaken, he was definitely waiting for something, and I didn’t need to guess at who he was waiting for.

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