Chapter 11: What Happened Here?

CORALIE

He leads us through the woods toward the eastern border. We walk the path in a comfortable silence.

I can feel him watching me as I take in the beauty of the forest around us. I remind myself that his people are not accustomed to the ways of my kind, having only fear of witches and our abilities.

His pace slows as we approach a small clearing with a large, flat rock at the center that sits roughly four feet high, resembling an altar.

I take slow, cautious steps toward the stone. The energy of the ancient grounds crackles and pulses. It feels as if the ground around me is breathing. I let my fingers glide along the rough, flat surface of the stone. I can feel the power coursing through it.

“Do you think this rock will help?” He seems skeptical.

Of course, he can’t feel everything I can. I turn to face him, trying to minimize the amount of energy I absorb from the land. The energy here is not as good as I had hoped.

“What was this land used for?”

He takes a few steps toward me but maintains his distance from the stone.

“For the last two generations, they’ve used this land for mating ceremonies. Before that, I don’t know.”

I have enough knowledge about sacred land to know that the energy I am feeling is tainted in some way. Without knowing the cause, I cannot determine if it will be safe for use in our ritual.

“Mating ceremonies? Something’s not right,” I mumble. Only one person can help me with what I need to know.

I remove Luca’s amulet and set it on the altar, then focus on our bond. His image manifests on the altar. He’s getting weaker.

“Cora, where are you?”

“Luca, I am trying to tie things up as fast as I can. I need you to filter the energy here; tell me if we can use this for the ritual site for creating the alpha’s bond.”

“This land is stained with blood. You cannot draw on the energy here without drawing in the darkness.”

“Shit. We will have to keep looking, then. Luca, Darius came to see me. Caleb is catching up. I promise you, I will come for you.”

“Cora, I love you, but I think you need to let me go. Please, please let me go.”

His image fades away then, and I am left staring at his amulet on the rock in front of me. I want to cry.

“I know of another place that might work.”

Alpha Jordan’s voice snaps me out of my thought-filled void. I grab the amulet and slip it back over my head, then wipe at the tears that I hadn’t realized were falling from my eyes. With a deep, steadying breath, I turn to the alpha and try to ignore the sad expression on his face.

“Lead the way, alpha.” I follow him back into the woods.

He breaks the tension between us after a few minutes. “Why is he telling you to let him go?”

“Because he is a stubborn bastard who doesn’t want me risking myself for him.” I lower my head and kick a rock in my frustration.

“Is your friend, the vampire, going to help you?”

I shake my head, still focusing on the path in front of me. “Not yet. Darius will do what he can for me.” The sound of his footsteps vanishes.

I turn to see him standing several feet back with an angry expression.

“You make it sound like rescuing your brother will be a suicide mission. Let me help.”

I am caught off guard by his concern. It’s sweet, but I don’t want him to get involved. He’s got enough responsibilities of his own.

“It very well may be, but in the grand scheme of things, it would just be one less witch in the world, right?” I turn and continue walking, my legs acting as though they already know the way.

I feel bad for throwing his people’s hatred for my kind in his face, but part of me feels the truth behind my words. I can sense him a short distance behind me. Neither of us makes an effort to close the gap. It’s probably for the best. I know better than to get attached during a job.

After nearly an hour of walking, I feel an undeniable surge of energy. This energy is both pure and powerful. I slide the strap of my bag off my arm and carry it to the point where the energy is most heavily saturated. I kneel down and place my hands on the damp earth, digging my fingers into the soil and letting its energy ripple through me.

My beast feels alive under my skin. I push her back down so I can work.

“This will work perfectly. We need to assure your future luna prepares herself for the ritual. We only have a few weeks to get everything in order.” I try to shake off the guilt and anger, focusing on the task at hand. I have to finish this job so I can save Luca.

“Okay.” The single word is spoken with such emotion. It’s almost too much to bear.

“Alpha, I…I’m…” My words catch in my throat as a searing pain shoots through me, shocking every nerve from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.

A scream rips free from my throat, shattering the peaceful ambience. My bones begin to break and reform. My claws extend. My gums bleed as my sharp canines tear free from their confines.

I shouldn’t let go like this, but I feel myself giving in to the change. My beast is rising inside me. I can’t fight it any longer.

I feel a warm hand on my shoulder. A static charge erupts from the touch. My pain subsides, and my body returns to me. I look down at my arms to check that I’m back in my normal form. I’m in control of myself again. But I’m a panting, crumbled heap on the forest floor.

“What’s happening? What can I do to help you?” The panic in his voice cuts through the fog in my mind.

“I’m okay, I’m fine.” I struggle to my feet to prove it.

He keeps his hands on me to steady me. I don’t hate it. His touch is warm and electric.

“That, that was not okay. That was not fine.”