Page 107 of A Luna's Dynasty
“Yeah, me too. Felicia said she had more for us.”
Lita straightened up from Caspian’s arms.
“Wait … did you all eat these lollipops?” She listened as all the children hummed in agreement. She looked at Caspian in shock as his eyes darkened.
“I’ll go find her,” Caspian growled, storming out of the infirmary.
Did she intentionally deliver ingestible wicked magic to the children, or were the lollipops laced before she bought them and she didn’t know? There was no way of knowing without talking to Felicia.
“Lita, go in the back and take a seat. I’ll handle things here.” Kristen motioned for Lita to go down the back hall.
“I need to go help Asher.”
“You are in no position to fight. You’re barely standing.” Kristen gave her a stern look and pointed to the back. “I mean it, Luna.”
“Okay. Okay.” Honestly, Kristen was right. She wasn’t sure she even had the strength to shift. She walked down the hall toward the lounge in the back. She was almost there when she heard something outside.
It was a scream, high and thin, so far away it might have come from the opposite end of their territory. It wasn’t the shriek of a child, or the pain-bark of a shifter in battle. It was the dying animal cry of someone already past help, begging for a miracle. Someone needed help, and she couldn’t ignore them. She opened the back door and took off at a run. Pure adrenalinefueled her. She could rest later, but right now, someone was in trouble.
Chapter 64
The scream came again, closer this time. Lita had reached the edge of pack territory but didn’t hesitate to run beyond it and Caspian’s barrier. She ran through some thick brush, feetskidding on slick moss, and nearly fell. She needed to be careful. In her weakened condition, she wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight. She broke through the brush into a half-flooded clearing. In the center, her back to a black pool ringed with cattails, sitting on the ground, was Felicia.
She was on her knees, hands splayed out in front of her, hair hanging in a curtain over her face. There was blood on her arms, too much blood for the wounds Lita could see—but she seemed almost calm, like she’d been waiting there for hours. Lita skidded to a stop, eyes darting for threats but found nothing.
The other woman didn’t move for a long moment. Then, with a wet, rattling laugh, she lifted her head. Her face was a mask of contempt and satisfaction. There was blood in her teeth.
“Wow,” Felicia said, and the word carried in the hush. “You really came running.”
“You were screaming,” she said, the accusation barely a whisper.
Felicia grinned, too wide, showing all her teeth. “Did you think I was in trouble? That’s sweet.” She tipped her head, letting her neck crack. “But I don’t need saving, Lita. I never did.”
“Did you poison the children?” Lita narrowed her eyes at Felicia as her mind raced. What game was she playing?
“Did I?” Felicia clicked her tongue with a shrug. “Not poisoned. Cursed. There’s a difference. The spell would have worn off eventually. But you stayed behind playing doctor while Asher ran off to be the hero. That’s what I needed. For you to be separated.” She shrugged, as if discussing the weather.
“You’re sick,” Lita spat. “This is a new low, even for you.”
“Maybe,” Felicia said, and for the first time, there was a ripple of something in her voice, pride, or maybe just joy at the confession. “But I’m also patient. You know how long I’ve waited for him? How many times I’ve watched him throw himself at girls who barely lasted a week? I was there for all of it, Lita. Iwas there through his pain. Every time he lost someone. I was the one who comforted him when he lost his family and friends.” Her eyes shone with manic intensity. “And then you. The fairy girl. The home-wrecker.”
Lita blinked, the insult almost laughable. “You’re insane.”
Felicia took a step forward. “I’m real. You’re the dream, Lita. A hallucination that needs to be cured. Once you’re gone, he’ll come back to himself. He’ll see me.”
There was a heat behind the words that made Lita’s blood run cold. She tried to reach for her magic, but the well was nearly empty. She’d spent everything on the children. If Felicia wanted a fight, Lita would have to bluff.
She squared her shoulders. “You’re not even a wolf anymore,” she said. “You lost your shift. You’re just a jealous—”
Felicia’s laugh shattered the night. “Oh, sweetie. That’s what I wanted you to think.” Her body began to shake, arms twitching at her sides. “You have no idea what I am now.”
Lita took a step back, heart hammering.
“He used to love me. He used to be a real alpha. Now he’s just your pet.”
Lita opened her mouth but Felicia cut her off, her voice rising.
“I tried to do this the clean way. I tried everything to get rid of you. That demon attack at the pack and the rogues at the gala? That was me. I’ve done so much to get Asher. Why wouldn’t I now? You don’t even know half of it. The time Black Ice was attacked by demon wolves—"
