I bought the bakery and moved to Silver Valley, determined to forget about Dan. And life was perfect.
Until Shane fucking kidnapped me!
I try to hold my tears in again, but I can’t, and I end up sobbing into the pillow. The one thing I’ve been scared of more than anything else is that I’m cursed, and my current situation with Shane is only proof of it.
But the wolves are cursed. Am I bringing my own curse here? Are they designed to cancel each other out?
Everything I’ve learned about witchcraft and folk history stirs in my mind, but I’m too tired and upset to think about it now. I’ve finally opened up the old wound and let myself feel the true horror of my past—and I’ve realized why I can’t give in to Shane.
Being with him feels good. That’s the problem. I feel happy and free, as if all my problems are being solved. This is exactly how I felt before—and it’s the worst danger I could ever be in.
Cold fury pierces through my heart, making the pain of my memories fade. I embrace it, encouraging myself to turn my feelings for Shane from lust to something much darker.
It’s right to hate him for what he did. Falling into his lap is the stupidest, least rational thing I could do!
Even though I’m still crying, my muscles slowly begin to relax. I stretch out under the blanket, listening carefully to my body.
Okay. I’m attracted to him. That’s fine. But I’m NOT sleeping with him, no matter how good it feels. I will not make that mistake again!
Exhaustion slowly creeps over me, and I relax into it, hoping that when I wake, the terrible memories will be far away and I can avoid falling into the same trap that snared me last time.
***
When I wake, I’m still tightly bound in the blanket, but my muscles aren’t cramped. For the first time in days, I feel truly refreshed. I go straight to the bathroom to shower and change, coming into the kitchen feeling like a new woman. I’m about to make coffee when I notice Shane sitting at the table and almost jump out of my skin.
He doesn’t seem to notice me, just keeps his head in his hands, staring down at nothing.
Did he sleep last night?
“Shane?” I call softly.
He blinks, shaking his head a little as he looks up at me. “Hyacinth. Hi. I mean, good morning.”
“Did you sleep last night?” I ask, feeling compassion for him rising in my chest even as I try to balance it with resentment.
I’m not giving in and forgiving him just because he’s not well. I can’t let my guard down.
“Yes,” he says hoarsely. “But not much. I just gave up after a while. I’ve just been sitting here thinking.”
“About what?”
“Nothing,” he says, shaking his head. “Everything.”
He’s completely spaced out.
“Well, I want to get a move on,” I say. “I have to go to work today.”
“No,” Shane replies, a bit of force edging into his voice. “I need you here.”
It sounds so much like how Dan used to speak to me that anger blooms in my chest. I put my hands on my hips and stride over to him, waiting for him to raise his head so I can glare at him.
“We discussed this before. You have to give me some freedom. I’ll just be at the bakery. You can come and check on me anytime, and I’ll come back here tonight—then we can hopefully talk about the curse and how to break it.”
“But we should go to the manor,” he says. “Or the infirmary. We can’t just go about our lives as if nothing is happening. People are dying!”
“And if we go straight to the infirmary or the manor, can we stop them from dying?”
“No,” he admits.
