Dark Fates (A Paranormal Anthology)(11)

She wasn’t the strongest of wolves by far, but she was in no way weak. Since she’d made an idiot of herself in the bakery the day before, she’d been on edge. Other than having sex, she couldn’t think of another way to settle her nerves. Before she’d left the elders, she’d probably have gone to Edgar’s to, as she’d told Noah, scratch that itch; she wouldn’t be doing that again. No, in fact, just the thought of being with anyone other than Noah made her want to shudder.

Thinking of Noah between her thighs, his thick cock sinking deep inside her, however, led her to a new form of shuddering altogether.

Her paw caught a root, and she rolled forward. Thankfully, she made it to her feet again without slamming her head into the ground, but hell, that had been close. She needed to keep her mind off Noah’s cock and on what was going on around her.

She put Noah and whatever the hell was going on with her brain to the side and finished her run, letting her wolf take over. By the time she’d shifted back, showered, and dressed, she was running late for her date with Noah.

Well, it was almost a date. More like food while researching at his place. They were close to helping North. Emeline knew it. And having Noah there helped because he looked into the medical aspects of each magical curse and charm. He also hindered her thinking because she couldn’t stop wanting to rub her whole body over him. Goddess, she wanted him.

Not that she could have him forever. Despite what her body wanted and how happy her wolf was when he was near, she wasn’t his mate.

After all, she would know if that were the case. Right?

She shook her head and put those thoughts away again. No good would come from them. Yes, others had made marriages and babies with other wolves without a mating bond. With the chance of finding one’s mate such a slim thing over time, sometimes wolves just made a relationship work without that extra bond with their partner. While Emeline had started to think she could do that with Noah, she knew she couldn’t see him go through life without the mating bond. She cared for him too much to keep him from everything he deserved.

That thought, above all else, just about killed her.

By the time she made it to Noah’s her wolf was on edge again and her heart lay heavy. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand to be with him knowing she’d have to give him up. Decisions would have to be made soon, but not now. No, first they needed to help North. Then she could help herself.

Noah opened the door before she could knock, that dimple in his cheek deepening as he smiled. “Em, you’re here.” He ran a hand through her wet hair and pulled her close. “And all sparkly clean. Mmmm.” He kissed her hard then let go, leaving her aching.

“Hello, Noah,” she finally said.

“I made finger foods and antipasto so it will be easy for us to nibble while we’re working. Want a glass of wine?”

“Sure, that sounds lovely with the antipasto.” She made her way to his coffee table where their books, notes, and pencils sprawled. Off to the side, he’d placed a mortar and pestle, just in case she needed to work with herbs to try something out. He had everything ready for her, anticipating her every need.

Well, not every need.

She sat down on the floor, ready to get her mind off Noah and her needs and onto North’s blindness. Noah came to her side and sat next to her, two glasses of wine in his hands. She took one and nodded her thanks.

“To discovery,” he whispered, the look in his eyes telling her far more than his words.

She licked her suddenly dry lips and touched the rim of her glass to his. “To discovery,” she rasped out.

His gaze never left hers as he took a drink. She did the same, gulping hers so she could quench her parched throat. This wolf, oh this wolf, he was going to be the end of her for sure.

“To the books?” she asked, her voice shaky.

He gave her a look that told her he knew exactly what affect he had on her then started to read the text in front of him. Emeline swallowed hard, set down her glass, and then got to work.

She’d read over her own books hundreds of times it seemed and found nothing to help North. It hurt her to no end knowing she couldn’t help her friend. There had to be a way.

Caym had used a spell within the Pack’s inner circle that was meant to maim and even kill. North had been in the crossfire, thus losing his sight. However, there hadn’t been any sort of wound. Physically, his eyes were perfect. There hadn’t been a cut or scrape. Nothing had actually touched his eyes, or anything in his brain, that could have caused this.

No, it was magic.

And magic could be changed and spells reversed.

There would be a price, Emeline knew, but that was something she was prepared to deal with. She walked the fine line of magic, light versus dark, without actually being a witch. Because she was an elder, her long life had given her the ability to connect to the moon goddess on a level that not everyone understood. She herself didn’t quite understand it. Sometimes, when the wind brushed along her just right, she could hear the moon goddess’s song. Unlike Lexi and Logan, who had actually heard the moon goddess speak to them, Emeline could hear only whispers, vague ideas of the next step in her process.

That accounted for most of her daydreaming to some, she thought. She’d stand in the middle of a forest, her ear bent to the wind, listening to the song of the goddess. None of the other elders had that level of connection, and some had been resentful, Meryl especially, but as Emeline had no control over it, she didn’t feel too bad about it.