Page 12 of The Wolf's Captive
“Are you sure?” I asked for the hundredth time.
Tilting her head to the side, Zoe opened her eyes wide. “We have a similar past, you and I,” she started, reminding me of the story about her mother, who had bipolar, “I will do anything I can to help you be free of your burdens.”
A lump came to my throat, almost choking me as I squeezed her fingers. Bonding over trauma had been easy. Would she forgive me if I accidently hurt her?
“You must cry out if it gets too much.”
Her small nod was accompanied by a glare. She was ready and wanted me to get on with it. Fine, I would try.
Closing my eyes, I cleared my mind and felt into Zoe’s wolf spirit. The connection between her wolf and mine was new but strong. As soon as I felt for her, she responded, howling in my mind.
I then planted my butt even firmer into the ground, pressing my coccyx as near to the concrete as possible.
A shiver moved me as I allowed my energetic chord to connect into the Earth, seeking Mother Nature’s magic. I was accepted, the magic instantly grounding me.
“Wow,” Zoe murmured. “That’s different.”
Humming an affirmative, I saw the greens and blues of the Earth in my mind’s eye. No amount of wolf life would make me want to give up magic. The soothing calm of the energy that filtered through me was like coming home. Could I give up my home to get rid of Kieran?
Concentrating on that deep insidious connection with the werewolf, I cringed. Yep, the arsehole was still well and truly my familiar. It was time to get rid of him.
My mouth opened as the magic filled me up, and I recited the disconnection spell. Allowing every pore to absorb the energy, I clung to Zoe’s hands and grimaced as my body was swallowed up by magic.
The force of it made my head fall forward and my arms shake violently. “Shit,” I breathed, pushing air out of my lungs.
“Be careful,” Zoe said, her voice straining.
Fuck, Zoe. Wrenching my eyes open despite the pain, I checked that the werewolf was okay. Her eyes were pinched, her mouth screwed up. Seeing her uncomfortable brought me back to reality. What the fuck was I doing?
I gasped in a breath and slowly released the magic, allowing it to travel back into the Earth. As the words of the spell started to reverse, I checked Zoe, making sure no magic was left in her. She breathed easier, her face relaxing.
“Did it work?” she asked, panting loudly.
A lump blocked my throat as a surge of emotion gripped me. I leant forward, sobs erupting as pain grasped my chest. “No. It failed, yet again. I can’t get him out!”
“Della?” Zoe was next to me, her arms around me. “What troubles you?”
Shaking my head, I tried to breathe as the agony of being apart from Malone tore my insides. I had been so desperate to get rid of Kieran, I had risked Zoe’s life. How could life have got so bad?
“I miss him,” I pushed through my teeth as Zoe stroked my hair. “So, so much.”
Her encouraging hum made me cry even more. “Who?”
“My mate.” The tears soaked my hands where I covered my face, hiding from the world.
“Oh, the complicated mate?” Zoe gasped, her hands going still. “Where is he?”
Sobering a bit, I sat up and took her hand in mine, squeezing it gently. My wet snotty face cooled as the air danced around my head. Shit, I’d forgotten we were in a cemetery. Anyone could’ve seen me break down. Or cast a spell.
Wiping my face with my sleeve, I sniffed. “He’s in England. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. He… rejected me.”
“He did?”
Her shocked expression made me feel even worse. Maybe I wasn’t being fair to Malone.
“Well,” I said, wiping away the black mascara from under my eyes. “It’s not quite as simple as that.”
“You don’t have to tell me anything, it’s fine.” Zoe put her arm around me and hugged me to her chest.