Page 51 of Luna Cursed

Tor was gripping the steering wheel so tight, she thought it would break. Waves of alpha energy rolled out of him. "What the actual fuck, Ciara?"

"We made a promise to each other when we were kids. If we were ever bit, we would do it," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"So if you turn, you'll just let him shoot you in the head?" Tor's eyes were glowing with wolf and anger. "I won't ever let it happen, Ciara. You hear me?Never."

"Tor, take a breath. Lachie will only do it if I'm a danger to others. You don't know what I've seen over the years. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt anyone," she said. Years of horror washed over her, and tears filled her eyes. She would kill herself before Lachie could load his gun. "That's what I'm most afraid of. I won't be another monster in the world."

"Ah, fuck, Ciara, don't cry," Tor said, his anger vanishing. He unclipped her seat belt and pulled her into his lap. It only made her tears feel foolish.

Tor brushed them off her cheeks. "Look at me. If you turn, your whole personality doesn't just suddenly change. It's like magic. Whatever is in you will be magnified. You're a good person, bunny. Better than most. You act all grumpy, but under that, you fucking care. You wouldn't do such a dangerous job if you didn't."

"I can't know that for sure. Lachie would never hurt me just because I turned into a wolf. He would need a serious reason," she said.

Tor's hands tightened on her biceps. "It's not going to happen. I promise you."

"But what if I turn completely feral?"

Tor's mouth twitched. "More than you are now?"

Ciara pinched his chest. "You know what I'm talking about!"

"It's going to be fine, Ciara. I swear it." Tor leaned his forehead against hers. "Please just trust me."

"I do. More than anyone in a really long time. It'shardfor me to admit that, so don't make fun of me, okay?"

Tor smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "Wouldn't dream of it, Ironwood."

Ciara went to kiss him when something flashed outside his window. It was a streak of white and brown in a world that was all green.

"I just saw a wolf, three o'clock," she said. Ciara scrambled off Tor and grabbed the gun from her bag.

Tor was out the driver's door, shifted in a blink, and was running through the undergrowth. Swearing, Ciara grabbed the dagger from her bag, took the keys from the ignition, and raced after him.

It had stopped raining. The pine, birch, and fir trees were drenched and still dripping in the silence of the forest. Ciara kept her gun low, watching where she stepped so she didn't end up slipping on the mossy rocks or stepping into a trap.

"Where did you go, Tor?" she muttered. She didn't like being separated from him, and she pushed down the uneasiness. Tor was a warrior. He could take care of himself.

Snarls and snapping branches had Ciara picking up her pace. She didn't dare cry out and made sure she wasn't about to be ambushed from behind. Where there was one wolf, there were more.

Ciara felt a sharp tug through the bond, robbing her of breath and causing a sharp pain in her side.

Tor.

Ciara bolted through the trees until she came to a stream and found two massive wolves circling each other. Crimson was splashed down Tor's side, but it didn't seem to hurt him too badly.

Ciara raised her gun at the other wolf but didn't need to fire. Tor lunged in a lightning-quick move; the brown wolf feinted to the side, but Tor was too quick. He course-corrected, and his massive jaws clamped down on the beast's throat before tearing it free. The brown wolf collapsed, its blood steaming as it spilled across the moss.

Ciara stumbled out of the tree line. "Tor? Are you okay?"

The white wolf nodded and lifted his nose, scenting the air. He bumped his big head against her and gestured to the trees.

"Go. I'll follow you," she said and holstered her gun. "Lead the way."

27

Tor's senses were exploding with the scents of the forest and all the creatures that were moving in it. The wolf he had fought had smelled of the dark, terrible magic that had soaked the ground at Varg's other campsite.

I knew Askel wouldn't be his only shaman. Torcursed himself. He really hated being right sometimes.

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