Page 73 of Cursed Love
She did not bother replying to him and sipped her tea after blowing on it. Scooting to the edge of the couch cushion, she planted her feet flat and sucked in a breath.
“Test your bond, but don’t try the other thing. You need to recover a little longer.”
She nodded and let the magic around her swirl.“Rye? Can you hear me?”
Silence, a faint familiar buzz, and more silence.
“Anything?”
“He’s not responding, but I can kind of feel him. It’s not very strong, but if I can—”
“No!” Peter’s eyes flashed gold, and his alpha magic overwhelmed her. “Absolutely not. This isn’t a discussion. In another hour or two, you can, but I will not have you hurting yourself or the baby. Now… do you think we can trace his magic and figure out where he went?”
Her attention shifted to the shimmering threads still in the air. “He found me by following my magic. I should be able to do the same.”
She pushed to her feet and followed Ryan’s path.
“Finish your tea first,” Peter said and hurried to the kitchen. He returned with a few more bars and two water bottles. “Eat another one now. Once you’re done, cloak yourself, and only then will we leave. Are we clear?”
Brandy accepted the bar and rolled her eyes. “You realize I can freeze your ass again and do this my way, right?”
His mouth pulled into a thin line, and a menacing growl vibrated through his chest. “And when I unfreeze, I’d find you dead because you’re so fucking stubborn you got yourself killed. Your death would surely kill Ryan. Neither of those scenarios is acceptable, so don’t you dare defy me again.”
Peter’s words clawed at her heart. The images they created were so vivid, she gasped for a breath and felt the room spin.
“Babycakes?” His voice called through a narrow tube. “Are you okay?”
Brandy shook away the vision and inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry.”
His hand wrapped around her neck and drew her to his chest. He pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “You hate being pushed around. I get that. I’m not trying to be an ass, but you need to understand my need to protect you, not only for Ryan but because now you’re part of my family. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, and I’ll promise to at least make you think you have a choice.”
She scoffed at his words but nodded against him. “I’ll eat the damn bar.”
After eating and drinking, she used the bathroom. Meeting Peter at the door, she cocked her head to the side. “Didn’t you tell Serena you’d call her back?”
He shrugged. “I don’t report to her. If Ethan is with her, he’s sort of safe and—”
“Sort of safe?”
He rubbed the back of his neck as he pulled open the front door. “The woman is a bit of a man-eater.”
“Witches are cannibals?”
Peter choked on a laugh as he peered down the hall. “Cloak yourself. Let’s go,” he said and urged her out of the condo. “I don’t mean literally.”
“What do you mean—”
“Do you really want to talk about Ryan and Serena?”
Her brows knit together as she kept her eyes on the magic that lay ahead. “How big is her coven?”
He chuckled but did not press her change of subject. “I’m not really sure. I think I’ve come across more witches out of it than in it. So many are like you, not knowing what they are. Unlike you, their powers are weak and can fill books for odd, unexplainable events.”
“I don’t suppose Xander has gotten back to you?”
His shoulders tensed at her question. “No.”
“Call him?”
