Page 67 of 3 Shifters to Break a Curse

I dashed to the side, dodging the hands that reached for me, and ran toward the assholes heading for Toni. They were too close to her, and I was losing time. Fighting against the dizziness that caused me to nearly lose my balance, I launched myself into the air… hoping I could stop them before they reached her.

Because if Toni was interrupted, all hope would be lost.

29

TONI

Waiting was the hardest part of the entire day. I was anxious to get this spell done and over with so I could move on with my life. And I also worried a little for the men. My men.

The sound of calling them mine in my head made my heart race. But it felt right. I loved them. And they loved me.

Once I had finished setting everything up, I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of my men. I spotted the shadows moving between the trees and frowned. Of course, Jared brought reinforcements. I should have known he would do something so drastic. He was desperate, and I knew from past experiences desperation made him exceptionally more dangerous than ever.

Ezra rushed to the boundary of trees and let out a roar. That was my signal. Jared was here, and it was time to begin the spell.

I shifted my focus to the setup in front of me. I had memorized the incantation. I had all the materials I needed. The only thing left to do was start.

But I couldn’t stop worrying about the men. Especially after Luke’s painful groan. And then Rin’s. I knew I wouldn’t forgive myself if something were to happen to them. And allowing my doubts to creep in again wasn’t going to help them at all. I couldn’t afford to have my attention split.

Ezra’s painful cry made me want to run to them, even though I knew I couldn’t. My help best came from me doing the spell. But I had to do something. Anything.

I needed to trust in them and have faith they would be okay and pull through the fight coming for them. So, I push the doubts fully away and decided something else was needed. Something a little extra. Something powerful and exciting, and exceptionally motivating.

I smiled to myself. Not only was I about to be rid of Jared. But I knew where I had gone wrong from the beginning.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath through my nose, letting it slowly slide out from between my pursed lips. As my breath left me, I conjured an image. It was detailed, intricate, powerful, and perfect. From the sparkling pebbles lining a path I imagined myself walking on, to the golden, glittering sunlight that shone on my skin and illuminated the rolling green hills and trees cropping up on either side of the path, filling the image in my mind. Up ahead, at the end of the path, stood a massive stone archway with intricate carvings of vines and flowers and latticework.

And standing underneath the arch were my men, dressed in identical three-piece suits. Black and white. I wore a delicate, thin creamy dress with tassels and lace and silver glitter. Each of them smiled at me as I took careful steps closer to them. My heartbeat was filled with excitement as I stared at each of them, drawing closer with each step I took.

Then I laughed at myself and started running. The men joined in, and I closed the space between us. The men caught me, wrapping me in their strong arms, breathing me in, and planting kisses on my forehead.

I opened my eyes as I felt strong, capable, and worthy of their love.

Chaos started around me, but I refused to let it in. I kept my focus on the spell and picked up a piece of rope in one hand and used the other to start pulling the strings.

“Untie the bind that holds,” I said and pulled the string free from the rope. I felt a little tug inside me. Magic prickled along my skin.

Huh, that was easy, I thought. But I still had a long way to go. And I was confident the spell was going to succeed. Thanks to the three men who showed me what it truly meant to be loved and accepted. Without them, I wouldn’t have come nearly this far.

I owed them my life. And I hoped to give that to them. In every way possible.

Growls and the sound of battle grew louder and crashed all around me. I dug deeper into my concentration. The tricker parts had yet to come. And I couldn’t afford any distractions.

“Unravel the promise,” I said and pulled more strings. The rope started to fall apart, and more tugs pulled inside me.

“Take away the hidden deeds.” My words sounded like an echo. More of the rope fell apart, and even more tugs happened inside me. They were growing stronger, centering at my belly button.

The ground vibrated with the fight that surrounded me. But I still couldn’t pay attention to what was going on. I had to trust the men would keep the fight from me. I had faith in them. They had shown me so much in the past few days. Much more than I could have ever wished for.

I let out a deep breath. They had my back. And I had theirs.

“Untie the bind that holds,” I said, starting the chant over.

I repeated the steps. Several times. More and more magic filled my body, flushing the attachment Jared had to me. More and more strong tugs within my belly and much, much deeper, coming from somewhere hard to reach. Magic continued to tingle my skin, but there was something blocking it from fully being released.

There was only one step left, and it would be the most difficult yet. Because Jared’s attachment went deep. And he was the source of the tugging, I was sure of that much.

“Release the heart,” I said the final line and pulled on a string of the barely-there rope.

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