Jason’s wolf raged inside his body, and he wanted to yell that she was wrong and no acolyte was going to tell him what to do. But those beautiful, pale eyes arrested him. How did you rage at someone who was graceful as the wind? It was like finding a kitten drinking your milk. Part of you wanted to swat it away, and another part wanted to give it a good cuddle.
“I can manage my own darkness, thank you very much,” he said, the corner of his mouth turning up. “Maybe it’s you who needs to make peace with your dark side. You seem a little obsessed with mine.”
“Gerty, is there a way to lure a dragon fae from her mountain?” Silas asked, taking charge again.
“Hmm. Not exactly.” Gerty cocked her head. “A dragon fae’s magic comes from her heart. It isn’t a coincidence that she decided to help Alex. She loved him, which made her vulnerable. Whatever relationship she had with Jason, it was powerful enough for her to seek him out when she needed help. She may come for him again.”
“And when she does? How do we stop her?” Laina asked.
Gerty’s eyes landed on Jason. “When she comes for him, he needs to be ready to fight her.”
* * *
Every partof Selene’s body felt heavy as if someone had injected liquid concrete into her bloodstream. She wavered slightly, slight enough that only Jason noticed. He was glaring at her, unblinking. Why did he hate her so much for trying to help him?
Silas placed his hands on his hips. “Gerty is right. Jason needs to be ready when Nickelova returns. We can’t set a trap for her if he’s going to cave to her seduction or be too weak physically to fight her.”
“Hey, I’m not weak! And I’m not going to cave,” Jason yelled. “I’m telling you, this… this girl doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” He pointed a hand at Selene.
Laina smoothed the front of her wedding dress. “I think Selene’s right. You need help. Nickelova took advantage of your vice before. We can’t let her do it again.”
“Says the woman who married her vice.” Jason’s face reddened with anger. “It’s been weeks since I indulged my wolf. I’m doing fine on my own.”
“Then what was the ring for?” Laina countered.
He scrubbed his face with his palms. “I told you. The ring was to offset her curse.”
Laina placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve done a great job, Jason. These past weeks had to have been hard. But you look like you haven’t eaten in days. You passed out. You were barely breathing. Selene knows what she’s talking about. You are too weak to face this alone.”
He bared his teeth. “You’re wrong.”
Was that humiliation she saw in his eyes? Selene couldn’t be a part of that. “I didn’t mean to suggest he was weak, only that Nickie will trigger the curse again if given the chance,” she blurted.
“I’ve heard enough.” Silas puffed out his chest and went full alpha on Jason, who seemed to deflate slightly. “Gerty, do you think Nickelova knows Selene’s broken her curse?”
The elderly fairy peered at him over the top of her glasses. “Probably not. The magic Selene used is rare and likely not on her radar. But she will know. The longer Jason stays away, the more she’ll suspect something’s gone wrong. If she hears he’s reverted to his old ways but hasn’t come to her, she’ll know immediately. I highly recommend against that. The best course of action is to make Nickelova believe that he is still suffering under her curse for as long as possible.”
Selene fisted her hands. “I can help you break your vice. With the help of the goddess, I can lead you through a program to end it and with it the curse that lingers there. If we destroy the vice, you’ll be strong enough to face Nickelova when she comes for you. And she won’t be able to reactivate it.”
Jason growled. “I don’t need your help. Frankly, you’ve done enough.”
“What exactly does this program entail?” Silas asked.
“Daily meditation, prayer, diet, and the practice of ritual aura cleansing—”
“No way.” Jason sneered at her like the mere thought disgusted him.
Laina huffed. “This is your life we’re talking about! Selene is offering you a way out.”
“Laina’s right,” Silas said. “Every day you are out there living your old life is a danger to the pack. Even if you abstain, she’ll come for you again.”
“I can beat this thing on my own,” Jason promised.
“I know you won’t ask for help,” Silas said, his voice infuriatingly kind. “None of us are good at accepting assistance. Losing our parents has made us all independent as hell. So I’m going to make this easy on you. I won’t make you ask. I’m just going to order it.”
Jason’s eyes darted between her and his brother. “What exactly does that mean?”
“I’m putting you in Selene’s care, full time, until we get this thing figured out,” Silas said.
