Page 69 of She is the Darke

The black wolf beside her was tall enough that the tips of his ears were as high as her jawline. She rested her hands on his back. “Stay,” she rumbled.

The wolf peeled his lips back from long, sharp teeth.

Anger was the only thing that was left of Stacia, and it was all Matilda’s fault.

The evil wolf lunged at her and Stacia disappeared. The girl she used to be wasn’t here anymore. Now she fought. She ducked out of the way and threw her arms beside her, caught the wolf by the fur and twisted hard, then threw it with all her strength at the car. When the creature landed short of the car, she couldsee it—the flash of fear in the glowing orange eyes. The face morphed from the wolf, to the witch, to the wolf, to the witch…

“Stop!” Someone screamed behind her. Alex? “It’s Liam!”

Didn’t they see? Couldn’t they see the evil in the wolf’s eyes? It stank of bitterness. Of death. Stacia bolted to the wolf, buried her hands in its fur and ignored the desperate scrabbling legs as she slammed the creature backward into the flames.

Her skin was on fire, blistering, burning instantly, but she couldn’t stop. The wolf’s howls of pain turned to a screech, and the fur disappeared in her hands. It gave way to skin—gray and pallid. Cold, dead skin of a monster that should’ve died long ago.

“Oh my God,” Callum said from behind her, but she wasn’t done. And if she saw his face right now, she would falter in her work.

The struggle was great. The witch didn’t want to die. She was stronger than she should’ve been, but so was Stacia.

Burn her.

She held her in the flames, even as her arms blistered. Those eyes. The eyes of Matilda. She could see Iris dying and the memory kept her from feeling the pain.

She leaned in as the witch weakened in her struggle. And just before the glow faded from her ugly eyes, Stacia whispered, “No, bitch. He was always mine.”

The keening wail that lifted up into the sky was the soundtrack to what happened next. She was ripped backward by strong hands and cradled against a strong chest, but she didn’t stop watching the witch burn until her ashes floated up into the air like snow.

There were people around her, talking…what were they saying?

She looked up into Callum’s eyes. He didn’t have clothes on. Strong man, covered in scars, but no blood. Immortal werewolf, rocking her like a baby…like she was fragile, but she wasn’tfragile. She was Stacia, reincarnation of Iris, of the Wulfebound bloodline. She knew exactly why this town had been calling her to it all this time. This was her place, these were her woods, and this was her mate. Even if this moment right here was all she got, it had all been worth it.

“It’s going to be okay now,” she whispered.

Chapter Nine

Stacia wasn’t going to be okay.

Callum kept the wolves off her, but she’d been hurt in the accident, and then she’d burned the skin off of her arms holding Liam—no, Matilda—in the flames.

Matilda had been here all along? And she’d tainted some of his wolves. Turned them against him. Turned them against Stacia.

The night air was frigid, but maybe he was in shock. Everything had been fine this morning, but now he was kneeling in the street holding Stacia’s body as her light faded. Her bleeding had slowed. She’d been catastrophically hurt in that crash. Had she even realized it? A bitter, acrid scent filled his senses. He could smell it on her now—death. Fuck.

“I wasn’t going to Change you,” he told her. “Alex, what do I do?” He looked to his sister, but she only shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I think you have to let her make the choice.”

“I don’t want to,” he said. God, he sounded like he had all those years ago, when he’d been holding Iris. This wasn’t Iris. This was Stacia and he loved her. Loved her. He chose her, his wolf was devoted, he would give his life for her, but she was fading.

He’d lost Iris.

Now he was losing Stacia.

She was smiling sweetly, tears running down her cheeks. “It’s going to be okay now,” she repeated, and it ripped his heart out. Nothing would be okay without her. Didn’t she realize what she was?

“Maybe I can make the pain better,” he said hoarsely, “But there’s a catch. If you survive it, you’ll have to be like me.” Fuck.He shook his head and swallowed down the lump in his throat. “I’m immortal. The witch cursed me and the pack with it until I could find you. If I Change you into a wolf, like me, I can lift the curse. I thought I wanted to, but then I got to know you. And I…I…”

“Tell her!” Alex barked.

“I fell in love with you. Just you. And I don’t want you to be like me.” He leaned in closer. “I want better for you.”

She was gasping for air now…gasping. She was close now, and in so much pain. She leaned up and whispered into his ear… “Will I get cool-ass super powers?”