Page 22 of 3 Shifters to Break a Curse

Break a law? They’re coming for you.

I was sad when my best friend left her job, but I also celebrated with her. She still did consulting work for the SOTF, and her men stilled worked with them, all but one. And I got to see Savannah more because she started devoting her time to the coven.

I missed her.

I thought about what Ezra had said about the cabin and wondered how Rin and Luke came into the picture. They didn’t exactly strike me as the type of guys that would normally hang out, so my curiosities were getting the better of me.

“How did Rin and Luke become involved?” I asked trying to fit the pieces of their puzzle together. They were an odd trio, in a way. Their friendship must have formed over something incredibly bonding.

“Oh, we sort of grew up together,” he said with a shrug.

“But not around here?” I asked, pointing to the ground. I was surprised my initial assumption was wrong.

Ezra shook his head. “Nope. A bit farther east.”

I nodded, grateful to have avoided talking about Jared for the time. I was feeling better and better, and it appeared that the more time I had away from him, the clearer I was. The more I was myself.

“So, how did you meet Jared?” he asked.

I frowned. I did not want to talk about him. I muttered, “Nice change in subject.”

“It’s okay if you’re not ready to talk about him yet,” Ezra said, keeping his voice soothing.

I settled my gaze on him and smiled softly. “I really would rather not.”

He nodded. “Again, I understand.”

“Do you?” I asked. My voice was filled with surprise.

“Well, I have never been through what you are going through, but I understand how it has affected you. Something like that shouldn’t be an easy thing to talk about,” he said.

“You’re right,” I said. “It isn’t.”

All I needed was to get away from my ex for good and make it to Washington so I can find the help my coven needed with the current problem in Denver. Becoming involved with these three sexy shifter men was just an unfortunate, but necessary, stop on the way that should never have happened. And now I had three other souls to worry about. Three other lives that could be severely impacted by Jared. Talking about him wasn’t going to help anything. Regardless of how much Ezra wanted me to.

Ezra tossed the blade of grass to the ground and cast his gaze up toward the moon. There was something in the way the fading silver light looked on his features. I bit my lip as another wave of arousal washed through my system.

Ezra had a certain calming effect about him as well, I had noticed. He settled my nerves and that was something I hadn’t felt in so long. I almost forgot what it was like.

But not much later, the shifting shadows within the trees reclaimed my attention. A branch snapped from somewhere in the distance, and I nearly leaped out of my skin.

“It’s okay,” Ezra said. “Branches fall from time to time. Nothing to be alarmed about.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, not convinced it wasn’t Jared.

Ezra nodded.

Though sitting outside had helped, the effect had worn off. Every shadow that moved had me holding my breath. My imagination took control, wondering which one was him… which one was Jared. Because I suspected one of the shadows would step out and reveal him.

Somewhere, in the woods, he was there. Biding his time. Waiting for the right moment to finish the job.

Of that, I was almost certain.

10

EZRA

I could tell simply by looking at Toni there was a lot more left to her story. And she tried to hide all the dark parts, but I could see them in the shadows that constantly floated through her eyes, and in the darkness filling her words. The nightmares from her life had tormented her for far too long. But I also understood, despite how badly I wanted to help her, how some memories and events might be too painful to recall. Especially when talking to someone she had just met only a few hours ago.

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