Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 168701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 844(@200wpm)___ 675(@250wpm)___ 562(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 168701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 844(@200wpm)___ 675(@250wpm)___ 562(@300wpm)
“Aunt Mimi,” I weep.
She’s dead. She’s gone. Gone. No, no, no, no. I rise to my feet shakily, feeling lost. Absolutely lost.
“She wakes up screaming, imagining this river,” Riley shouts in Aviva’s face, “is swallowing her because of the guilt she felt about disappearing on me,” Riley says, “She dreams of drowning over and over. You cunts made her hide for all that time when I could’ve had her. When she could’ve had me.” He thumps his fist on his chest then transforms to wolf again and lunges.
Aviva scrambles backwards as Riley’s wolf closes in, growling, teeth bared. He nips at her. She screams, trying to back away from him. I see her look over the edge and then she scrambles off the cliff to escape him. He stops growling and looks over the edge, then shifts back to human form.
46
Riley
Thunderous noise fills the air and I watch as the water below goes from still and calm to working into a frenzy, swirling fast when she lands in it. It’s gone from zero to a hundred, like Class 5 rapids. She disappears into a vortex that I hope will take her to a reckoning for her bullshit.
I would’ve laid money on odds between the two SCC witches that it wouldn’t be Aviva Starling that fucked things over. My money would’ve been on the stylish one with the resting bitch face. And I’m pissed because if we hadn’t gotten here in time, if Greyson hadn’t had the ability to break that witch circle and stop that cunt, my mate could’ve been lost to me.
Grey told me his aunt talked to him last night and again today about contingency plans, had given each of the Young girls a protective charm as well as given Greyson two other necklaces that would work to disable Lucinda and Aviva if need be. Another witch or a warlock from one of the three covens present would be able to breach that circle no matter which spell was underway. Grey had a conversation with Mimi today before we got here, giving him the rundown of how these circles work.
And at that old wood lot I was called out to do an early morning quote on the day I knew she was mine and thought I lost her forever, I noted there were several hunting tree stands. Seven years on, they were still there so we made use of a few of them. We planted them at strategic locations so we could get a look at what was happening in that clearing. It didn’t take long for Grey to get tweaked and take off in the direction of the circle like his ass was on fire. He was shifting from the stand directly running, not climbing down the fifteen feet to the ground. And the fucker was fast. Faster than he’s ever been. And me and the others were hot on his heels.
“Looks like the river’s pretty angry right now, Rikki,” I call over to my mate. “Never angry at you. Angry at her bullshit.”
She’s horror stricken. These women are all in this circle and my mate is the only one upright. She’s looking at me but it’s like she doesn’t see me.
“Here,” Greyson lifts her out of the circle and sets her down on the grass. “Get them out, too. You’ll all feel better.”
“I think she’s dead, Greyson,” she cries out brokenly.
Fuck, I feel her pain now that she’s outside that circle. That’s another thing. I couldn’t feel anything once shit started to go south, so that bitch did something that fucked with our connection. Right now, her pain is enormous. I make my way to her and put my hands on her face. “Baby,” I whisper.
Her chin trembles.
“Maybe not dead,” Grey says. “I feel her.” He taps his temple. “Don’t give up.”
Immediately, Rikki perks up just a little. “I feel the difference, feel my strength returning.”
Grey gently lays Mimi on the grass outside the circle.
“Get ‘em all out, boys,” he tells us.
I move to Dani and pull her out. Rikki starts pulling her sister Ronnie out, but Linc takes over, so she rushes back to Mimi. Mase has Vivica and Tyson has Jessica.
“You feel stronger, baby?” I ask my mate, but I’m eyeballing the other witch, Lucinda, who is still face down in the circle.
She drops her head, still squatting over her aunt, “I think she’s dead. I think she sacrificed herself so Greyson could have her power and use it to save us. Is that what those swirls were between you?”
“I don’t think she’s dead,” Grey says. “Her power is here – “ He taps his temple with his index finger – but I still feel like she’s connected to it. How do these links work?”
“I… I don’t know. Maybe it’s not too late? Wake up, Dani!” she pleads, shaking her sister, blue light pulsing from her fingers. “Vivi, Ronnie, Jessie!” she shouts.