Page 5 of 3 Shifters to Break a Curse

I ran out of the house and down the sidewalk. Jared continued to chase me until I turned onto the main road. From there, I managed to flag down a cab and had them take me to the gates. On the way, I called Savannah.

She met me at the gate to our coven and helped me inside. I explained everything to the best of my ability while I packed my bags and got ready to leave.

“What are you going to do about Jared?” she asked.

“Not much I can do for now,” I said. “I’ll deal with him when I get back.”

“Not alone, you won’t,” she said.

I shook my head. “No. He’s not a shifter or a witch. You can’t become involved in this. And neither can your men. He’ll cool off by the time I am back, and I’ll break up with him then.”

“He should have gotten that point by now,” she said.

I nodded. “Maybe. But I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.”

“You should rest first before leaving,” she said.

I shook my head. “I need to go now. If I stay, it won’t be good. I need to hit the road and put as much distance between us as possible.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, eyes filled with worry.

I nodded and smiled gently. “I’m positive.”

“Call me if you need anything,” she said, leveling her gaze on me. She was serious about that, and I appreciated her more than ever.

“I will,” I said. “I promise.”

After helping me load everything into my car, I gave her a big hug. “Thank you for helping me tonight.”

“Any time,” she breathed into my hair. “I love you and be safe.”

“I love you too,” I whispered then pulled away, climbed into my car, and drove off down the driveway.

2

LUKE

Every once in a while, I get a specific feeling. A sensation that doesn’t go away. Then, I become restless. This especially happened if it had been a while since I last shifted. Normally, the only thing that helped was a weekend away in my Kodiak form. It satisfied my bear, and it took care of the restlessness.

For a short time.

While walking through the woods in my bear form, I was free. The freest I could ever be. These were the times when I considered making the change a more permanent one. But somewhere along the way, I somehow managed to remind myself of the reasons why I had to return to my human form.

Thus, the cycle continued.

The air was chillier than it had been in a while, and I knew the change of seasons must have had something to do with my urge to shift and hunt and run. At least, it was one of them. Winter was difficult to shift and move undetected. The season was harsh, and the enormous amounts of snow that always fell on the mountains drew a lot of people who loved to ski or snowboard from all over the country. Even off of the slopes.

Knowing that this was likely one of the last times I would be able to enjoy my animal form for the next few months, I headed toward my normal fishing spot, intending to spend as much time there as I needed. It was the one place where the fish were plenty and extra juicy.

I spent an hour filling up on fish and letting the water rush around me before the cold started to get to me, and I headed toward the ground to shake off the water, warm up, and then walk off my meal.

But after some time, my restlessness hadn’t eased. If I was being honest with myself, that feeling had been there constantly in some way, shape, or form. Always as a reminder of something missing in my life, though there really wasn’t anything I could think of that I would change or add.

For the most part, I had everything that I needed or could ever want.

Another hour or so later, my restlessness turned into a bad feeling I couldn’t shake. I decided to head to the Gas Mart in the small town of Gypsum. It was the closest town to where I lived. I figured I would use some time to check in on my adopted sister, Cadence. There was a reason for the anxiety that pulsed through my system, and she was the only one I thought of that could be in danger.

Before crossing the boundary of the forest I considered my home, I shifted back into my human form. I finished the trek to the gas station, peering through the windows in search of her. Initially didn’t see her, and figured she was working in the back. I walked through the doors and headed straight for the coffee. After grabbing myself some of the late-night brew, she strolled into the lobby from the coolers.

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