A Curse of Shadows - Page 69

There’s no way I’m going back and losing Asher again. It doesn’t matter if he’d know where I was this time. One way or another, I’m going to figure this out before it’s too late.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you again,” Asher promises, and while the sentiment behind his statement is appreciated, I know this isn’t up to him.

This is on me.

“Grayson said we need to head east in the forest,” Asher adds, taking my hand. “Estee has been hiding out there.”

The eastern part of our island is desolate. The river doesn’t extend there, meaning there’s very little animal life, and the things that do grow there typically aren’t edible.

Damn it, Estee. Why couldn’t you have trusted me with what you saw?

“Let’s go,” I tell Asher, giving him one more kiss before stepping away and calling my wolf forward. Just as the shift starts to happen, I realize I should have taken Asher’s shirt off, but it’s too late. Well, maybe not. If I’m bonded to Asher, even if done unconventionally, I should be considered part of the pack now, which means his powers are now mine, and I shouldn’t lose my clothes when I shift. I guess we’ll find out soon.

As I appear on four legs and my wolf gives our body a solid shake, there’s no questioning which direction we’re supposed to go in. Gods, I really love just knowing these things now.

Another random thought comes to be, unrelated to the situation, but it feels just as important to remember how we came to be.

The twin moons of Lunara exist because the god who created us had twin children. One son and one daughter. He dedicated this world to them, thinking he was giving his children something to play with. Little did he know that his children would give us the ability to be like them so that they would have friends to play with. Though that only lasted so long before they grew bored of us.

There’s a deep sense of peace from remembering who I am, where I come from, and what I want. For so long, I’ve been lost. Centuries of living half-fulfilled lives, never finding love, never having a family of my own.

My lives were spent alone and miserable until this last one. I don’t know why the gods chose this life to bring Estee and me back together, and I might not ever know, but I do know I have zero intentions of taking this second chance for granted.

A howl builds within me and as we let the hollowness of the last five hundred years go, I know there is nothing and no one who can hurt me again.

Asher’s wolf joins us, his head rubbing against our front flank, eliciting a deep rumble from both wolves. It isn’t fair to just get everything we ever hoped for and not be able to bask in the light of our bond for as long as we want, but Asher and I have eternity to spend together.

Estee needs me now.

Together, mine and Asher’s wolves run at top speed. Our claws dig into the earth, propelling us forward at an unmatched pace. We run for miles and there is no slowing, not for any reason.

Asher’s mind is distracted as he communicates with not only Grayson, but his head advisor, Malimorte. I didn’t know Mali before, but I hope to know him better now. I chuckle to myself. He wasn’t alive when I was murdered, so I can at least cross him off our suspect list.

Everyone else, though, is fair game.

My mind goes through all possible options, without bias. It doesn’t matter how close I was with someone. Besides my parents, Estee, and Asher, it could be anyone.

I hate to think that, but I have to be smart about this. Was it one of the dozens of women who were jealous of me having Asher? Or someone within the pack who wanted to see the royal family shaken?

Worse, I have to consider that Asher’s dislike of Noen’s and my friendship wasn’t unfounded.

I may not have seen it before, but that boy was in love with me. Had he decided that if he couldn’t have me himself, nobody could?

With how close he’s gotten to Asher over the years, I hate to think so, but I need to find a way to remain impartial to this situation. I can’t let emotions cloud the facts.

Someone wanted me gone and once I figure out why, then I’ll be one step closer to figuring out who.

“We’re here.” Asher’s voice carries through my mind, disrupting my thoughts.

My wolf takes a deep breath and it doesn’t take much effort to scent my sister, or blood.

Without explaining myself, I barrel toward a patch of sparse trees. I don’t know what I’m going to find, but I can’t hide from this. Not even when Asher pleads with me to let him go first.

I come to an abrupt halt, my heart hammering in my chest, as I finally get eyes on Estee.

Tear tracks stain her cheeks, she’s still wearing the same dress I last saw her in over a week ago, and fresh claw marks have crimson dripping down her chest.

My wolf relinquishes control to me and in the next second, I’m running toward where my sister is and joining my dad, who’s pressing his hands over the gaping wound on my sister’s chest.