Page 96 of Cursed Beasts

“Will you be able to accept her?” He sat up with me.

As much as I wanted to say yes, I still had my reservations about her and her husband, even though I knew a little of their history. After what he has put her through, he needs to die.

“I don’t know,” I said, keeping up with my honesty. “I’m drawn to her, but she has a husband and what happens at the end of the year? What happens if she doesn’t break the spell?”

Lucien nodded his head. “I can’t think about the end of the year or else I feel like I’m going to lose it.”

“Just go talk to her, Lu,” I said, getting up, looking towards the house.

“I know I need to, but I’m afraid of what she is going to tell me and once I hear what she has to say. That's it, I’m going to have to deal with the consequences of my actions.” He ran a hand through his hair, looking so young and lost.

“It doesn’t matter what she has to say, you still have to deal with the consequences of your actions. You mated her without her consent, and I think some groveling is required.” I said, squatting down next to him, while he looked up at me. “I would take some cookies from Mr. Potter and something you know she’ll love.”

I pressed my lips against his for a chaste kiss, but he pulled me in for a kiss that reminded me of the first few times we had kissed. It was unsure but demanding.

“Thank you for trying to protect her from me,” he said, putting his forehead against mine. “I think if you and Zev would mate her, we could be really happy.”

“I think we could too.” I kissed him before getting up and walking away.

I grabbed a pair of pants from one of the bins but decided against it when it started to sprinkle. One stop in the kitchen to see what Mr. Potter was cooking and then I could look for Zev.

The dining room smelled like steak, giving me hope that maybe I could entice Zev with some food. I ate quickly but still loaded up two plates. Lucien walked in wet from the rain, I pointed at the cookies and pie that Mr. Potter had baked.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say Mr. Potter baked them so he could apologize with her favorite baked goods. Lucien nodded at me before he walked to the stairs, most likely to bathe.

“Last time I saw him was by the goats,” Mr. Potter said, bringing me a tray.

“Thank you,” I said, feeling so grateful for him.

“He can’t stay in his wolf form. You know the repercussions.” He helped me load the tray up with food. “I wish he wasn’t so angry.”

I looked up to see him appearing worried. Mr. Potter had been our mentor and yes, it was selfish, but I’m glad no one else was here with us. He was a father figure to us all, and I cared for him like family.

“His hatred has consumed him,” I said, feeling guilty for also fueling his anger.

“He has feelings for her, which is fueling his stubbornness. You know Zev, he is the most stubborn man I’ve ever met,” Mr. Potter smirked.

We all knew Zev’s thick-headedness and if his interactions with Vivienne were anything to go by, we might have to change our tactic.

“You think he has feelings for her?” I asked skeptically.

“I would bet my life on it,” he said, looking in the distance. “I was about to intervene with Katarina when I saw him looking murderous. He was feeling protective of her, and he barged into the room, ready to kill the man. I’m disappointed he didn’t.”

“She said her husband abuses her,” I stated, hoping he would confirm what he heard.

“He treated her like property, like she was cattle he purchased, and it also sounded like he came without the permission of her father, meaning he is acting alone.”

“How was he able to get through the wards?” I asked because it kept nagging me of the possibility that we were vulnerable.

“I don’t know. I’ve been meaning to do research on it, but my guess is they warded the place from us leaving and not the other way around.” He looked pensive. “We might have been lucky that it hasn’t happened before, but I think we need to figure out a way to re-enforce the ward in place just in case.”

“I agree, I’ll look into it too,” I said, picking up the tray. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” Mr. Potter said before I left to exit through the ballroom.

When I got outside, I inhaled a lungful of air. His scent was kind of fresh. He was close by, or he just passed through here. The drizzle was making it hard to tell exactly where his scent came from. I felt our bond and instinctively I turned to my left, following the tether of power. When I stopped in front of our garden in the courtyard, I was skeptical.

But when I noticed the gate opened, I knew he had to be in there or he was in there at one point. I pulled the gate open with my foot, peeking inside, seeing him immediately in the middle of the flowers sitting in his human form.

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