No.
I struggled to breathe, flinging my head toward the ceiling.
I’m fine.
Rocking back and forth. Counting backwards from five.
I’m fine.
My sister’s hands wrapped around each of mine. Toya sat on the cold floor by my feet without a word.
Tears stung my eyes.
Breathe.
I managed an empty smile when Toya cleared her throat, and her thumbs stopped stroking the back of my hands. “Joey, do you know what this means?”
I looked at her with a pitiful gaze. “That ninety-nine percent efficacy means shit,” I whispered.
“Right… except… from my understanding, the odds are usually much better when the partner is a werewolf…”
I gasped.
A… werewolf.
A crushing heaviness expanded in my core. My muscles grew weak, and my hands trembled in my lap.
A werewolf.
And the next words Toya spoke made me dizzy.
“Unless the Goddess willed it, sis… Which would mean… you’re fated to be his mate.”
Darkness spread from the corners of my vision. My body stilled, and my sister’s face blurred, until the world went black.
???
“She’s waking up,” a frantic voice said. “Sis, can you hear me?” So, it was Toya. Her warm hands caressed my face, giving it a few gentle taps. “Joey?” Her tone hardened. “Mucus, are you done yet?”
“Does it matter? We’re screwed if she can’t do the damn spell.”
When did Marcus get here?
“Well, she can’t right now,” Toya hissed. “So, hurry up, so I can bleach the motherfucker.”
I peeled open my eyes and gasped. “Toya, I can’t see!” I squealed. “I can’t—”
“Shh,” Toya begged. “The lights are off, Joey. And we pulled the blinds.”
I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. “Why are the lights off?” I asked in concern.
“Because your fucking sister decided to kill an alpha,” Marcus grunted. A loud thump came from his direction, followed by the sound of shower doors closing. “Are you sure you can clean this up quickly?”
“Yes,” Toya snapped. “His blood is already on me. Just get my sister out of here.”
My mouth slackened. “I’m not leaving you here. Let me try the masking spell.”
Toya’s hands forced my head to a halt. “I need to give you time to leave. I’ll be fine.” Her voice lowered as if she turned her head. “You sure you got the list?”
