Still smells like a dog, but at least he has good food.
“Do you know where your mistress is?” he asks and I concentrate.
No, I don’t know where my witch is, and for the first time in my enduringly long life I begin to panic.
Chapter 40
Ipace the cabin, fear licking up my spine.
Aster knows something, and I’m not sure how much she knows. All I know is that my witch is not back and Iris and Ember haven’t answered my calls.
There’s a knock on my door, and I quickly rush over to answer it.
I’m not sure who to expect, but an older woman with a cane and a ridiculous amount of jewelry stares at me.
“The rings, son,” she says, holding out her hand and I blink at the woman.
“What?”
“Give me the rings. A witch is needed to give them their abilities back,” she says and I just stare at her and she sighs. “You’re a good man, I’ve seen it. I’ve seen what happens. Give me the rings,” she says and then I realize the connection.
“You’re related to Iris?”
“Yes, my dear granddaughter has no memory of the past few weeks. I can only assume what happened, but I know where I’m needed,” she says.
I’m so scared for Violet’s life that I go over to Walter and remove the rings from his collar. He doesn’t even protest as I hand them to the woman.
“What do I do?” I ask her, feeling vulnerable and truly afraid for the first time.
She hands me a small pearl and closes it in my hand. “Find my granddaughter and give her this. Get your wolves ready.”
“I need to find Violet,” I tell her.
“Aster is many things, but a murderer is not one,” she says.
“Atticus Collins,” I reply, and the woman shakes her head.
“That was pure dumb luck. She wouldn’t do that kind of harm to her family.”
“I’ve seen the harm she’s done to that family,” I reply, and the woman gives me a soft smile.
“Aster doesn’t have all the pieces, only whispers of a disgruntled wolf. I will go to New Orleans, ask upon the Salvador Coven for help. You will band your wolves and give this to my granddaughter. I will return tonight,” she says.
Walter rubs his head against my shin and looks up at me with his creepy yellow eyes. He’s telling me to trust this witch. It’s against everything I feel in my gut, the need to find Violet and make sure that she’s okay. But I nod, the witch smiling at me and tapping her cane, before popping out of existence.
“She better not be betraying us,” I say, and Walter chirps with agreement.
I have a witch to find and a rat to kill.
Surprisingly, finding the wolf that betrayed us is easier than I thought.
“I told you we should’ve killed him,”Thorin says in my head. He’s just as anxious as me, pacing around my mind, worrying for Violet and Azure.
The man is on his knees. Jonas’ grip on the back of his neck is fierce.
“That’s my son. This is my fucking pack,” he snarls.
“Ah, but he’s mine. Paige is my mate. This pack never wanted you, Silas is ten times the Alpha you ever were,” Jonas snarls in his face.
