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  Two bites caused her more pain, twisting and tearing Sebastian’s heart into pieces, but he couldn’t risk the warlocks’ spell overtaking this small amount of magic all weres wielded.

  The worst part was how Briony had no understanding of what was occurring. Her eyes were unseeing. She rocked back and forth, cradling her bleeding wrists to her chest. Gris-Gris sat next to Sebastian, watching her carefully, unblinking.

  How long do we have to wait? A woman, the one Sebastian was beginning to believe was their leader, asked.

  I’ve never seen someone turn into a werewolf before, a male child said, sounding excited.

  “She won’t become wolf tonight because the full moon’s not until tomorrow.”

  Gris-Gris cocked its head.

  “Tonight she’ll gain all the parts of a werewolf—fur, immortality and all—but she won’t change forms completely until tomorrow.”

  At least, that’s what had happened with Sophia and himself. There had been a two-week wait between their initial change and his first full moon as a were. During that moon he’d received his elemental abilities…and realized just how dangerous he was in his nonhuman form.

  He had not one ounce of control as a wolf, something that hadn’t changed in the slightest over the centuries.

  He held Briony while his words came to pass. Her hair turned to fur and back beneath his fingers, and her coloring brightened considerably. It was once her hands became paws, claws protruding and flashing into small, healthy hands that he knew their plan had worked.

  Briony was a werewolf, and she was alive.

  “I feel weird.” Briony wiggled in Sebastian’s grasp to turn and kiss him, her transformation complete. “I don’t remember coming back last night. Did someone spike the juice?”

  “No.”

  Sebastian let her sit up by herself. Gris-Gris was already settling himself in her lap, preening until she ran her hands through its fur.

  She must have looked down at her hands as she petted the cat, because she realized what happened with a gasp.

  “You turned me!” Her words weren’t accusing, but her shock was palpable. Expression inscrutable, she inspected the half-moon marks on her wrists.

  Sebastian couldn’t imagine passing out only to come to as an entirely different creature. Nodding, he waited anxiously to see how she’d react. Last night, she’d agreed to becoming were, but she’d expected more time and preparation before he up and bit her.

  Hell, he’d wanted to give her a few-week gap between her change and the full moon. This way, he’d basically thrown her into one of the most terrifying experiences he could imagine.

  “I never thought I’d like how my hands look so much.” Briony held them up, her smile genuine, carefree. The signs of exhaustion were gone from her face, replaced by immortal youth.

  She doesn’t understand about tomorrow.

  He would explain the full moon situation—but not now, when it would extinguish the glow currently radiating from her. Glow.

  Maybe she’d retained her magic after all.

  “You’re beautiful,” Sebastian said honestly, taking one of her soft hands in his. “All of you, witch or werewolf.”

  Still smiling, she leaned in to kiss him softly. “I may not remember how it is I got back here, or how I became a werewolf, but I do recall our talk last night. I trust you.”

  Rubbing her ears, her smile dimmed slightly. “I feel like my eardrums are healing. What happened?”

  Sebastian told her what he knew, finishing with her finally coming to once her body had been restored. “So I’m clueless about what went down once Heath left you and Leila, but maybe Gris-Gris can fill us in.”

  We’ll do something even better.

  Gris-Gris didn’t lift its head from its place on her knee.

  “Oh!” Briony gasped, her eyes going wide. Then her expression crumpled. “Poor Leila. She’s died before, and now her boyfriend’s gone. We need to go see her.”

  Rising swiftly enough to tell Sebastian just how much her body had healed, she made to leave the room until he took her by the elbow, careful not to touch her already-scabbed-over wrists.

  “Wait until Heath and Sophia have spoken with her. She’s unstable.” She hurt you, he wanted to shout, but he knew that didn’t matter to Briony. She wasn’t the type to hold a grudge, especially when she felt someone needed help.

  He felt terrible for Leila too, but he wouldn’t put Briony at risk again. She never should have been left alone with the immortal banshee, something he planned to remind Heath of.

  With a swift punch to the jaw.

  Briony’s eyes darkened, something they used to do when she’d been angry before her immortality was taken away. “Sebastian, that child is in so much pain that she doesn’t know what to do with herself. Alexandre means the world to her—you’ve seen them, they’re the most obvious pair of soul mates I’ve ever seen.”

  “Soul mates?” he asked skeptically.

  She raised an eyebrow. “I knew we were soul mates too, but we’re much more subtle. Our auras blend, but don’t match like theirs do.”

  “They have the same aura?”

  “They spend so much time together that their auras mirror one another. You won’t see it often, but it happens.” She tugged a stray curl, biting her lip pensively. “The longer he’s kept away from her, the more their auras will separate. All they’ll have in common is the sadness caused by their separation.”

  “Can you see my aura?” If she could, it would be a sign of her magic’s return.

  “No, but that doesn’t matter now that I’m a werewolf; I’ll get my own powers, right?”

  “Right.” And it’s going to hurt like hell. “I need to talk to you about that—”

  “Can it wait? I want to make Leila a calming tea before I go to her.” She held up her hand. “If it gives you peace of mind, you and Gris-Gris can come with me.”

  This time, when she rose he didn’t stop her. She threw him a wicked grin over her shoulder as she walked to his bathroom, grabbing a pile of clothes on her way. “If I didn’t have things to do, I’d invite you in the shower with me.”

  The lock clicked into place, and Sebastian debated bashing the door down to appease his now-rigid penis.

  When she came out five minutes later, her cheeks rosy from the heat and her hair wet down her back, he was waiting for her at the door. Tilting his head down to meet he lips with his, their kiss was anything but sweet. He tasted every inch of her mouth, savoring the subtle new scent that came along with becoming were. She felt right to him, like she was meant to become a werewolf. Sometimes newly changed creatures smelled off, as if their bodies were rejecting what they’d become.

  Briony only smelled more strongly of dark chocolate and ivy, the new parts of her changing nothing, only adding a slight indication of the creature she’d become.

  Good. He’d never intended to change her; he only wanted her alive and with him.

  “Leila comes first,” Briony whispered bracingly, her eyes still closed from their kiss. She opened them to reveal irises so light, they were almost gold. “Then we’re going to continue this, and maybe discuss…us?”

  She hesitated before finishing her sentence, as if he’d reject her use of the pronoun.

  Heart light, he pulled her to him and kissed the sensitive skin next to her ear. “It’s a date.”

  Despite the peril hovering over them all, despite Alex’s disappearance, Sebastian couldn’t help but smile when Briony flounced away, her long skirts swishing around her legs.

  He’d shower quickly while she made up Leila’s tea and keep watch to ensure the banshee didn’t have another episode. His future mate was safe and healthy for the moment, a victory he intended to savor.

  But the thrill of the battle won was water in his hands. By the time he pulled on jeans and a button-down, all of the threats against those he loved rang through his mind, demanding attention.

&nbs
p; They had a long road ahead, one full of obstacles with deadly intent.

  It was exactly the type of puzzle he relished solving.

  Chapter 14

  MAKING tea for various ailments was one of Briony’s favorite pastimes. Any anxiety she had about becoming a werewolf dissolved while she plucked through her bag of herbs, carefully choosing the leaves she felt would benefit someone scared and heartbroken.

  I’m no longer a witch. It was a tough pill to swallow, but her magic had been taken away before Sebastian bit her. I’m a…werewolf.

  That was the part she had trouble understanding. She didn’t feel animalistic in the least—the meat in the refrigerator still repulsed her, and she had no new instincts or urges to indicate the shift within her.

  She felt immortal again, and that was it. The question was, what was coming? This wasn’t all there was to being were, and once she felt like she’d helped Leila as best she could, she would navigate the changes to come with Sebastian.

  The mere thought of him made her lips twitch. He saved my life. It was nothing less than she expected from someone as caring and kind as he was.

  By the time she could pull the sachet full of rosehip tea and herbs from Leila’s steaming mug, the man who constantly invaded her thoughts ambled downstairs, his hair neatly combed to reveal a deep part on the side.

  Just to make him look slightly less perfect she mussed his hair, earning a grimace while he tried to make his short, now-vertical locks lie flat on his head. It was a war he’d never win; the only reason his hair had cooperated earlier was the water and, she was sure, determination on his part.

  “You’ve got a head of hair like Harry Potter—there’s simply no point in denying the inevitable.” She grinned when a dimple appeared on one side of his unwilling smile.

  “I don’t know how I feel being compared to a teenaged wizard,” he murmured.

  She laughed. “It’s a favorite conversation point among witches. I’d get used to it.”

  Grabbing the Tulane mug, she led the way upstairs. Their quiet amusement lessened the closer they came to Leila’s room.

  Sebastian swung the door open, revealing Heath and Sophia sitting and talking quietly on Leila’s bed, with Leila’s head resting in Sophia’s lap. Both of them appeared exhausted, as if they’d stayed with the young banshee for the past couple of hours.

  No light had broken through the darkness of early morning yet.

  “She died with her parents,” Sophia whispered, tears in her eyes.

  Briony felt the wind rush from her lungs. She’d known Leila died, but that wasn’t what she imagined.

  Sophia quickly wiped away an escaped tear near the top of her cheek. “Mary doesn’t know.”

  “And we’re not telling her,” Heath finished firmly. “We’ll wait until she’s back from her honeymoon, and Leila will tell her herself.”

  I should have told her. Even Alex said I should’ve told her, Leila signed, her eyes remaining closed. I screwed up royally.

  “What you did was almost kill Briony,” Sebastian said dryly. Shocked, Briony looked at him sharply, but he wasn’t paying her any attention. His expression wasn’t unkind, while he didn’t hide his disappointment in Leila’s actions the previous night, his eyes penetrating, his mouth a thin line.

  Slowly, Leila sat up. The remorse emanating from her was more than enough of an apology for Briony. From the dulled shade her skin had turned and the moisture in her eyes, she looked utterly miserable.

  I didn’t mean to. Her signs were slowly, carefully drawn. I knew I had the capability to do it, but nothing’s set me off that way before. She shook her head, her white-blonde hair clumping into thick strings. Not even when Mary was in danger.

  She told them about Wish’s warning and her work with Birgit over the past month, making Briony’s heart clench when she added, Alex was the only one who knew.

  Sebastian leaned forward and took her hands in his. “We’re going to find him.” There was no arguing with the iron in his tone.

  Leila smiled slightly. You’re going to look for him?

  Heath nodded. “We’re going to send Cael, Aiyanna, and the shapeshifters to look for him.”

  “Good,” Sebastian said approvingly.

  Leila didn’t share his opinion. What about the rest of you? You’re sending the only pack member who doesn’t have his powers back yet? Really?

  Briony spoke quickly, knowing Sebastian’s patience with Leila was perilously thin. “There’s another problem they have to solve,” she began, but Leila cut her off with swift swipes of her arms.

  I’ll never forgive you for this. She ignored their shouts and the pillow Sophia threw as she stomped from the room, refusing to look back at them.

  “That went swimmingly,” Sophia murmured. “We’ve let a crazed banshee loose.”

  “That crazed banshee’s been loose for a while.” Heath had the tips of Sophia’s hair in his hands. He tugged down, gaining a pinch to his arm.

  “I’ll call Wish.” Sebastian pulled out his phone. Briony had only ever seen him in passing, but it was enough to show her how close he and Leila were.

  More than likely, he was the person Leila was running to at this moment. The haint reminded her of something she’d forgotten almost as soon as she’d been told…and it was more important than she’d dreamed it could be.

  “Wait.” Briony’s cry came as sharply as the revelation came barreling through her mind. Sebastian took his phone away from his ear, and both Sophia and Heath looked at her curiously.

  I shouldn’t have discredited Leila’s parents.

  “At Mary’s wedding reception, before I lost my magic, I saw Mary and Leila’s parents.” Briony immediately backtracked at their bemused expressions. “Their parents are ghosts, and they’re planning to stick around until both of them have their college degrees. Anyway, they warned me about Alexandre. They said they wanted Leila to keep away from him, that he was dangerous.” She took a weary breath. “I completely ignored them.”

  Sophia offered her a small smile. “Any of us would’ve done the same thing.”

  Heath nodded in agreement.

  Frowning thoughtfully, Sebastian shook his head. “You were right, Bree. Whatever’s going on, Alex is no danger to us. I’m sure of it.” Dialing his phone to call Wish, he walked out of the room.

  “I really want to nap, but we need to make a plan for how to deal with the warlocks.” With that change of subject, Sophia rubbed her eyes and slapped her cheeks lightly. It did nothing to lessen the exhaustion hovering around her.

  “We’re going to sleep. Nothing good can come from whatever we think of now.” Heath stood and pulled Sophia up with him.

  “Promise not to mention it later if I ask you to carry me to our room?” Sophia stage-whispered.

  “I promise.”

  With Heath clutching Sophia in his arms, the two left Briony alone. She let herself fall into Leila’s prized beanbag chair, feeling mentally drained.

  “Wish is looking out for her.” Sebastian put his phone back in his pocket, his lips tilting downward. “Do you think she’ll…”

  Briony swallowed hard, uncertainty making her wish she hadn’t let Leila leave so swiftly in her current mood. As she’d displayed last night, she had every capability to hurt a human. “I don’t know. She’s so much better than this.”

  Sebastian held out a hand to pull Briony to her feet. But he didn’t only help her stand—he pulled her straight into his arms. Their kiss was enough to make Briony’s head swim; she had to clutch Sebastian’s shirt with her fists to keep her balance, and even then she was sure that without his strong arms around her, she’d have melted into a puddle of contentment.

  Just when his tongue swept against hers in a way that made her abdomen clench, he pulled away roughly, putting her at arms-length.

  He sank into an image she never thought she’d witness: he took a knee and looked up at her with blue eyes she knew inst
inctively were full of honesty…and a touch of fear. A few auburn spikes of his hair pointed to the ceiling.

  “I don’t know if we’re going to live through the month. We’re going to do our damndest to cut the warlocks off at the knees, but there are no guarantees. Once we’ve stopped them, there will always be someone else we have to fight.” He ran a hand down his face, his expression softening. “I don’t want to waste any more time when we don’t know how much we have. Be my mate, Briony, and for the rest of our lives I’ll do my best to make you happy and help you feel safe in this clusterfuck of a world we live in.”

  She couldn’t help herself; she laughed, relief and excitement pouring through her. He wants to be mated to me. It felt right, like she’d finally found what she was searching for.

  For centuries she’d known there was a piece missing from her life, and it was Sebastian.

  “Now that my curse has been lifted, maybe I’ll be the one keeping you safe,” she teased, reaching down to squeeze his fingers.

  His palms were damp. She kissed each one slowly, kneeling down to be level with him. “I’ve known I wanted to be mated to you since the moment we met,” she whispered. “I knew.”

  Fortifying herself for her next words, she kissed him. “But none of that matters if you don’t love me. Before we do something that will indefinitely link our lives, I need to know how you feel about me.”

  Smiling widely, he cupped her cheeks in his hands. “I love you, Briony Dubois. I knew it the moment I thought you might die, and I’m never letting you get so close to slipping away from me again.”

  She laughed again, tears of joy leaking to wet her cheeks. “And I love you, Sebastian Anderson. I think we’ll survive the month, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend another day without being mated to you.”

  A light bulb shattered over their heads, splintering into small pieces. Right as Briony covered her face, hoping not to avoid being cut, something cold and so soft it almost wasn’t there brushed against her hands and shoulders.

  The glass had turned to snow, which was raining down from all the light fixtures in the room.