Page 83 of Enspelled

“Die?”

I nod my head.

She blinks. “Ever?”

“No. And it won’t happen.”

“Because?”

“I’ll protect you.” My wolf chuffs in agreement.

We will protect her.

“Because we slept together?”

I shake my head sharply. “No. Because—” And then I stop because I don’t know.

I don’t know why it’s so important that nothing happens to Briar Fenix. Or when I stopped thinking less about getting revenge on the witch who killed my pack, and more about getting the souls out of her before they change her into someone I won’t recognize.

She gazes up at me expectantly.

I clear my throat. “Because it can’t.”

“So, the souls, then?”

Not because of the souls.

But I don’t tell her that, because she’d want to know why I care whether she lives or dies. So instead of answering, I dip my head and kiss her. The moment I make contact with her soft lips, I regret it.

We should be getting off Wolfe pack land and as far away from danger as we can, but now all I want to do is take Briar to the ground and spend the next week wrapped around her, kissing her…

With a growl in memory of how good she tasted, I deepen the kiss—not only wanting more, but craving it. And her.

When she moans and presses closer, her kiss as hungry as mine, I tear myself away. “Fuck. We have to stop.”

She blinks up at me. “You kissed me.”

I fight back the urge to do it again. “I know, but I shouldn’t have. Come on, let’s go.”

Turning away from temptation, I pull at her hand and we start off again. “But where?”

“To see a witch.”

“Sera?” she asks.

“No.” I feel her confusion, so when I dart a glance toward her, I’m not surprised to find a frown creasing her brow. “How do you feel?”

She doesn’t look or feel any different since I stuck Mara’s stone in her sweatpants pocket, but it can’t hurt to make sure.

“Okay, why?” she asks.

“Just curious.” I lower my gaze to the bruise on her throat and force myself to shut down my killing rage at the sight of it. “Tell me about that. Why didn’t you shift?”

“I couldn’t.”

“You tried?” I ask, telling myself it wasn’t my fault. That Briar’s abilities come and go whenever they want to.

She shrugs. “I did, but it’s not like I’d expected it to save me when I’ve had years of this other power being just as unreliable.”

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