Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 61 - Chapitre 70

Kurt POVMy wolf snorted, though whether in agreement or protest, I couldn’t quite tell. I hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but now that I had, I couldn’t take it back. Instead, as three heads swiveled toward me and two jaws dropped—Zach clenched his more tightly—I folded my arms and waited. Once their brains processed the suggestion, no doubt there would be more than a few disbelieving outbursts.Sure enough…“You’re fucking with us, right?” Zach exploded. “You think it’s a good idea to bind us all to this witch, and for what? Because of some fucking evil spirit that we fucking saw get fucking annihilated?”Ruby flinched at his words. My wolf growled, hackles rising. “Zach, stop,” Joe said, turning to him.Zach gestured wildly between me and Ruby. “Are you seriously fucking considering being a fucking mate to a witch?”I’d never seen him this angry before. I’d often thought that Zach was loud and obnoxious, but normally, it came through with an arrogant swagger. Not this explosive

Joe POVDawn had started to creep up the horizon behind the eastern mountains before we reached the town. Everything that had happened over the last few hours made my head spin. I was so full of shock, I couldn’t feel anything else. Even my wolf was quiet, though I expected it to have a much different reaction to having a mate. I hadn’t wanted a mate. I went into the forest thinking that I would do something to help Jessica, to bring her friend back.Instead, I was bringing back a witch who had an evil spirit attached to her… a witch who happened to be my mate. It had all happened so quickly!Kurt walked closest to Ruby as she stumbled over the uneven ground. Her shoulders drooped, her hair full of twigs and leaves. I carried her impossibly heavy pack. What was it filled with, bricks? Zach walked on my other side, staring at the forest floor with a furrow in his brow. I ignored the other two Alphas, focusing on Ruby. Her eyes were wide, probably because she could barely see.She was b

Ruby POVStupid fucking tears.I hated being so emotional. I hated not having control over my own body, that I would have this burning in my eyes and the tightening in my chest. It seemed no matter what I felt in a moment, if there were too many emotions, I started to cry. I wasn’t even sure what emotion I was dealing with most right now, humiliation or disappointment.The day was overcast and chilly, a bite to the wind that was more appropriate to November than the weather we’d been having. I shivered as I rubbed my arms; I was only wearing a t-shirt, which wasn’t enough against the change in weather. But it doesn't matter. I had clothes in the car and could put a sweater on once I was there. I might have mates now, but they might as well be complete strangers, and I didn’t have to live with them for their presence to continue to help me fight the spirit.A voice called behind me, and I practically jumped out of my skin, glancing behind me. It was only a mother chastising her child.

Zach POVThe sound of gentle piano music from a Bluetooth speaker drove me crazy. An hour ago, it had been helping me concentrate on the thick, old tome on the kitchen table in front of me. Now, I couldn’t keep my eyes on the words. Everything seemed to be distracting me. But if I stopped, it would take that much longer to resolve this situation.I lifted my head from the book and glanced at the notes I’d taken so far. I didn’t actually think any of it was useful, but maybe it was. Maybe this wasn’t an exercise in futility.Feeling helpless was not a completely alien feeling, but I hadn’t dealt with it since I was a child. Having it back now was unsettling at best. It was as though I was dangling over a cliff, only a frayed rope in my hand. As much as I clawed at the side of the cliff, I found no purchase, no way to pull myself back to the safety of solid ground.My gaze went to Ruby. She was bent over her book, her reddish-brown hair pulled back in one of those claw clip things. She

Ruby POVI couldn’t suck in a deep enough breath. A rushing sound sounded in my ears, and the air felt thick, like I was trying to breathe through a heavy blanket. The scent of smoke curled into my nostrils as the log smoldered.Would it burst back into flame again? I tried to fight through the haze of anxiety, trying to bolster myself against Zach’s inevitable yelling. It would only get worse if I didn’t.“Ruby, look at me.” Zach took my hands in his. They were warm and worn, calloused and huge. Like a farmer’s hands.I lifted my eyes to him. For the first time, I saw their color. I thought they were brown or black, but they were more of a burgundy color.They were beautiful, large, and framed by thick, long lashes. There was a softness to them right now that I’d never seen before. His brown hair fell into his eyes as he held my hands. He didn’t let go of me to brush it away. A warm scent, like amber, wafted from his golden skin.I’d never looked at him like this before. I always di