Page 20 of 3 Shifters to Break a Curse

Then I picked up that sickening scent again.

I grunted at Rin. He turned his face toward me. He was already searching the woods around us. He had caught the scent as well. Good. Once he turned his attention to me, I nodded once, signaling for him to go check things out.

He dropped the bags and headed off into the distance. After some time, I went ahead and shifted back into my human form then walked to a nearby tree where I had left my jeans and phone. I pulled on my jeans, instantly grateful for the additional warmth, and then sent Cadence a text. “Unexpected guest showed up at our door, pretty beaten up. May need your womanly help.”

The winter months were quickly approaching, and this year, it would seem we were heading for an early one.

Once I finished with sending the text and placing the phone back in my pocket, I grabbed all her bags and started walking. A couple of minutes later, Cadence texted back. I stopped to check her response.

“By womanly help, I’m gathering the unexpected guess is female?”

I sighed and texted back, “Yep. Why aren’t you asleep?”

“What is this sleep you speak of?” she replied less than a minute later.

I laughed then texted, “Get some rest and come as soon as you can.”

“I’m already on my way,” she replied.

“Take your time,” I said. “Just gathered her things from her car. Give me another hour or so.”

I already figured it would be a couple of hours yet before she would show up. That gave me and Rin enough time to make it back and get in another hour of sleep before she arrived.

That was all provided we didn’t have an additional guest to deal with, especially with my sister coming by. If anything, Cadence could take her to a bus station at the very least. Or back to her car so she can go home or wherever she was heading before this unfortunate event. And that was only if needed be.

We had agreed on Toni staying until her friend could pick her up. I intended to keep that agreement unless something happened, and my hand was forced. But I doubted things would come to that.

Though I didn’t much care for the idea that whatever had made that stench was drawing closer to the house, I took comfort in one small fact. That was Rin would chase the creature or thing off or kill it before our home was ever closed to being compromised.

At least we would have one less problem to worry about.

9

TONI

As a peaceful silence settled over the cabin, my anxieties started to raise. Along with the soreness of what Jared had done to me. Things had become too peaceful. Too settled. Warnings flared through my mind. After several minutes of my nerves bouncing through my system, I found sitting still was damn near impossible. The sensation of running away weighed heavily on me, itching my leg muscles to move, triggering my flight response.

Once Ezra had me inside, I had taken a seat on the couch and curled into the arm rest. He told me he would be back in a minute and disappeared upstairs, leaving me on the couch, in the silence, and stuck in my thoughts.

Without the distraction, I was forced to face what I had just gone through, and I wasn’t dealing with it very well at all.

“Are you okay?” Ezra asked as he walked into the room.

I turned my attention to him. He carried a blanket and a pillow with him. He brought both to the couch, setting them next to me. I shook my head and bounced my knee. “Not so much.”

“Want some more tea? That seemed to have helped you earlier,” he offered.

I nodded and smiled softly, though I really didn’t feel it. Meeting his brilliant brown eyes, I said, “Tea would be amazing.”

He disappeared into the kitchen to make some of his wonderful tea, and the silence that settled around me grated on my nerves. Impending doom covered my skin and filled my lungs with each breath I took. Something was wrong in the energy around me. It was uncomfortable, and the longer I was left alone, the stronger that feeling became, and the more I thought of Jared.

When the whistle on the kettle blared into the silence, I jumped a little in my seat. My heart rate hiked. My lungs froze for a microsecond, stealing my breath away. It took me a moment to get myself somewhat under control. A couple of minutes later, Ezra handed me a steaming cup of his tea.

I blew into the cup before sipping on the piping hot liquid, willing the herbs to do their work as fast as they could. As the tea slowly cooled, and I took sips, Ezra sat next to me in silence. I appreciated he was willing to give me the room I needed to think through everything.

Once the tea was gone, my nerves calmed a little, but I still wasn’t completely comfortable. And I knew that the herbs from the tea would only work for so long until I was right back where I was a few moments ago. There was only one other thing I figured could work. I was attuned to nature. Normally, being outside was the only thing that gave me clarity.

I handed Ezra the cup.

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