Page 77 of Wolf Heart

"Juniper," I yell.

Before me, her body crumbles into ash. The fire rages into an inferno fifteen feet high.

Outside of it, a coven of witches chant.

Fuck! A magical illusion. That wasn't Juniper. It couldn't have been. Something about believing that loosens the vice squeezing my heart.

I spin around and find Aspen with his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He's looking at me like I'm the enemy.

"It's a trap,” I yell.

He looks at the fire, then back at me. His mouth opens and closes, but no words come out.

"Aspen, they'll kill you if you go in there."

"I don't care." Pain flashes across his face and I understand.

He cares for her despite the curse. Hell, we both do. Almost like we're fated to be with her. Except we can't be. Not even that kind of bond can break our curse. We've been doomed ever since that witch cursed us over her daughters. I accepted the punishment long ago, but Raven and his pack—his little sister—didn't deserve to be turned into lost ones.

Though now I don't know if I can give up Juniper to cure them.

I don't have time to convince him. The fire magic is too much for me to stop.

"If you want a fight, come and get us." I grin at them.

"Where is the girl you promised us?" one of them asks.

I can't tell who because their silhouettes are the only thing showing past the flames and smoke.

"You both are like rabid dogs," a woman sneers and I recognize the voice. Marian. "But we'll bring you to heel. You'll hunt the girl for us and bring her back without any delays."

No. My wolf howls and inside of me something snaps.

I'll kill them all.

I burst forward, shifting as I go.

My wolf's muscles work under my skin. I'm faster than the witches, I'm stronger.

I ram through the flames and lunge at the coven.

But the witches are ready. They scatter and leaves and dirt fly as they cast a circle of protection around themselves.

As I slam into the invisible wall, I let out a snarl and land in the cold, wet grass.

"Try again," Marian sneers.

The witches chant a rhyme, their voices growing louder.

Aspen falls to his knees, his fists at his temples as he roars in pain.

The promise I made to myself and Juniper rings in my ears.

Not even if they threatened me would I betray her. I would never give them anything they could use to find her.

"Fuck you."

A blast of heat hits my face as the flames swallow Aspen. I'm half-blind because the fire hits my eyes, too. It burns away my sight.

---