Page 69 of Curvy Alpha Bride
Taking a deep breath, I turn the deadbolt and yank the door open, closing it softly behind me as I walk out onto the porch. I’m not worried about Mabel’s safety—the lock isn’t needed to keep the witch out. The wards are enough.
As I walk across the meadow towards the woods, I feel like I’m moving through a veil of electrified rope that shocks me in tiny, hot points, more annoying than painful. It’s an effect of my fear, but also the witch’s magic.
She can’t best me, I know it in my bones. I will find her, kill her, and return to town with her head! Valentine Creek will finally be free.
I keep walking towards the woods, the bright moonlight pouring down on me, filling me with strength. My wolf rises, the ancient will of the land manifesting in my human blood.
Suddenly, the thought strikes me that I’m right out in the open, exposed, a perfect target in the moonlight. Panic floods through me, stealing the breath from my lungs, and I almost turn around to bolt back to the cabin.
The witch can harness men, put them under her thrall! What was I thinking?
Just as I’m about to turn and run, a light breeze touches the edge of my cheek, turning my face back towards the woods. I’m surrounded by sweet scents—delicate jasmine, vanilla, and honey. My thoughts are clear, and my heart returns to a steady beat.
I can defeat her. Only I can. I’m a hero!
The full moon tugs even more strongly in my blood, and I shift into my wolf shape. As the animal mind takes over, any lingering doubt fades, and I race into the woods, searching for the witch’s trail.
The scent of old, rotted blood teases my nose, breaking through the sweetness in the night air. I feel like the entire mountain is a cathedral built in honor of my magnificence, and the songs of my bravery and triumph will ring through the Range for eternity.
This night is perfect. It is my destiny!
Following the scent, I come to a small grove. The trees are close together, making a patch of shadow that moonlight can’t break through.
Careful. The witch is stronger in the darkness.
I pause at the edge of the clearing, wary of a trap. The foul smell eases a little, but is strong enough that I believe I am in the right place. Then, through the whisper of the wind in the trees, I hear a song.
Even though I don’t understand the language, the words are clear to me. It’s a song of mourning and grief, of pain and terrible loneliness.
Poor creature! I’ve never heard such suffering. Is it one of the witch’s victims?
I pace forward into the darkness, my hackles raised, ready for attack. Across from me at the tree line, I see a shimmering blue glow. I plant my feet, baring my teeth.
To my shock, a lovely maiden dances into the clearing. She’s young and beautiful, with pale skin and long blond hair. When she looks at me, blinking her long lashes, I see her eyes are an enchanting shade of blue.
She dances in time to the strange song, naked except for the light she wraps around herself like a shroud. My heart aches for her pain, desperate to assuage her loneliness.
Yes, Xavier. I’m so lonely. I’ve suffered so. Only you can save me.
The words shock me back into my human shape, and I kneel on the ground, shaking my head as if I’ve just taken an arrow through my skull.
“Only I can… defeat her,” I mutter.
“Defeat who?” the maiden asks, spinning close to me, her lips almost touching mine. The flavors of honey and vanilla brush across my tongue, capturing my senses.
“There’s only us here,” the maiden sings, her voice part of the wind and the haunting song. “No one to fight or defeat. Just us.”
“Just us,” I echo, standing up and staggering after her.
“Just us,” she repeats, dancing close to me again.
I reach for her, hearing her giggle as my fingers graze across her soft, slim waist, almost catching her.
“Us,” I mutter, shaking my head.
There is something I’m supposed to remember… something important.
Or someone?
