Wolfish: Curseborne

by G. K. DeRosa

  “Wait,” Hunter whispered. “We have to make sure the area is clear.”

  He must have felt the desperation seeping through the bond. “I know, I know.” Tyrien still didn’t know who my grandmother was—or he didn’t as of a day ago. “Why do you think they’re here? Grams was certain no one had seen the house hidden beneath the cloaking spell when they captured Mom.”

  “Maybe they trailed us to the field last time…” His lips pinched. “Lucien could’ve had someone following us for weeks.” He muttered a curse, shaking his head.

  “It’s not your fault,” I said weakly.

  “Of course it is. I’m supposed to protect you, Sierra, and all I’ve have done is lead you straight to the wolves.”

  “That’s not true.”

  He loosed a frustrated breath and raked his hands through his hair.

  A dark shadow sped across the clearing, and my pulse skyrocketed. “There!” Two more wolves appeared, sprinting toward us.

  “Stay behind me,” Hunter growled as his reptilian wings uncoiled from his back, tearing through his shirt.

  “Like hell,” I muttered. I’d had enough of this. My wolf awoke, springing to the surface and a swirl of energy materialized in my center.

  More wolves appeared from the woods surrounding the clearing, coming at us from all four sides. Hunter hauled me behind him so we stood back to back. His heat seared into my shoulder blades as his dragon fire surged to the surface. He exhaled, and a wave of scorching flames shot out from his partially shifted snout. Wolves yipped and howled as the fire tore a path through the fields.

  Energy zipped through my veins, prickling my skin. Three wolves raced toward me, fangs bared and crimson streaking through bottomless irises. Vampire wolves? If they’d been Royals, Hunter would’ve felt them through the pack link. I tossed the thought away to deal with later.

  Behind me, a snarl spun my head as hot breath wafted across my neck. A wolf lunged at Hunter, but he dodged the hit and swiped at the animal with his talons. The rogue crumpled to the ground and another one took his place. The ferocious growls and roars echoed behind me as Hunter was forced to take a few steps away or suck me into the battle.

  Dragon fire singed the earth but no matter how many he took down, more wolves emerged.

  “Where the hell are they coming from?” I cried.

  “Someone must’ve opened a portal in the woods,” he hissed as another wolf lunged.

  Four more circled us as Hunter panted beside me. Sweat glistened on his brow, blood and dirt mottling his fierce expression. It’s time, girl. We have to show these wolves why everyone wants us dead.

  My skin itched, my wolf trying to claw herself free from her skeletal cage. But I didn’t need her brawn right now, I needed her magic. I clasped my hands together and squeezed my eyes shut, focusing on the flicker of power unfurling in my core.

  Hunter let out a yelp as two more wolves pounced. Warm blood splashed my arm, and a sharp pang pierced my side. My mate’s blood. It seared my skin and fury exploded within. Spinning around, I splayed my hands and bolts of purple energy shot from my fingertips. It slammed into one of the wolves and a web of violet magic curled around the beast. It shuddered and fell limp.

  Holy shift!

  “Sierra, watch out!” Hunter shouted.

  I ducked just in time as another wolf leapt over me, leaving his soft underbelly exposed. I dragged my claw across the soft spot and a spine-tingling shriek erupted from his maw. Power flowed through me, surging through my veins. Heady darkness uncoiled as I blasted each of our attackers with the deep purple bolts.

  “Hold my hands!” I reached for Hunter and forced him behind me so we were back to back once again. Palm to palm, I reached for him through the bond. I could feel him, feel his wolf, his dragon, the power behind both beasts. I called them forth, and they seeped into my skin, the fiery sensation filling every nook and cranny.

  The power built until my body thrummed with energy. “Now!” I released him and splayed my fingers across the field. A wave of energy rippled from my fingertips and engulfed every remaining wolf then blasted across the forest. Cries and howls ripped through the air as each one fell.

  My knees wobbled, and I teetered for a second before strong arms came around my middle. My head spun from the rush of power, and I leaned into Hunter’s firm frame. He hugged me tight against him, the charred scent of ash and sweat clinging to my nostrils.

  “I’ve got you,” he whispered, “I’ll always have you.”

  My limp arms encircled his waist as every bit of energy drained from my body.

  “You were incredible,” he murmured against the shell of my ear.

  “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  When he finally released me, I scanned the field of bodies. Dozens of wolves were scattered across the greenery. They must have come for Grams. Why else would they have enlisted such an army?

  A spike of fear doused the momentary high. If Grams was at the house, she would’ve come out to help. There was no way she would’ve left us out here to fight alone, not if she was the powerful high priestess Sonia claimed.

  Where was she?

  I jerked Hunter’s hand toward the oak tree, digging for the key in my pocket. When I reached the rough bark, my fingers trembled as I inserted the key into the hole. The air stirred and the cloak fell away, revealing the quaint red barn.

  I slipped free of Hunter’s hold and raced toward the door.

  “Sierra, wait!” he shouted but my legs wouldn’t stop, fear propelling me forward in a mad dash.

  I climbed up the steps and wiggled the old knob. “Grams!” The door swung open, and panic scorched a path through my insides. “Grams!” I called again into the quiet foyer.

  Hunter reached me, his own anxiety swirling with mine. “Let me go first,” he hissed.

  “There’s no one here,” I muttered. My grandma’s presence was all-consuming, and the house was an empty vacuum without her. I crept into the kitchen, and a yellow notepad hastily strewn on the table caught my eye.

  I bent over the familiar writing and scanned the note as fear’s claws scraped across my lungs. Each breath was harder than the first.

  My dear Sierra,

  I’m sorry I couldn’t deliver this message in person, but perhaps it is for the best. You are my only weakness left and likely you would’ve convinced me to act otherwise. I know your mother is gone. I felt it the moment her spirit passed onto the next world. Tyrien is responsible for her death, I can feel his evil through every fiber of my being. I also know why he took her, and I apologize for not being honest with you in that regard. Perhaps it would’ve changed the outcome, perhaps not. You likely know the truth now, but if you do not, I will confirm that it was I who cursed Tyrien’s son. I wanted him to hurt as much as he’d hurt you and your mother.

  I can also surmise why you’ve returned. To ask me to remove the curse on your mate. But I cannot. If I’d seen you in person, I would’ve likely given in to your pleas and that is why I’ve gone. My intent was not to cause you pain, but alas, fate has a wicked sense of humor. Perhaps I am being punished for my cruel deeds, but what’s done is done. Aristaeus will never love, never be mated to you. His bloodline is polluted by the sins of his father, and I would never allow that for you. I hope one day you’ll understand my motives and be able to forgive me. I love you, Sierra, and I’m only doing what is for the best.

  Do not search for me. You will not find me.

  Leave Moon Valley and escape Tyrien’s clutches, forget Aristaeus and find someone new. He is not worthy of you.

  Love always,

  Grams

  P.S. I never had a chance to tell you about your special wolf, and I fear the truth could fall into the wrong hands. Just know that she is blessed by the goddess herself, and you will discover her true purpose in time.

  I sank into the wooden chair, despair squeezing the air from my lungs. I’d lost them both, and now I’d lose Hunter too. With no hope in revoking
the curse, he’d never agree to complete the mate bond.

  Hunter folded into the chair beside me, hardness carved into his beautiful features. “I’m so sorry,” he muttered, the sorrow in his tone more profound than the Manta Sea.

  “Don’t be,” I managed. “Grams made her choice. She chose her desire for revenge over my happiness.” And still left me with unanswered questions about my purple wolf.

  He cupped my cheek, his thumb stroking my skin and drawing out the hot tears burning my eyes. “She was only trying to protect you from Tyrien… from me.”

  My head whipped back and forth as the tears began to fall. “No, don’t do it, Hunter. She was wrong. You are nothing like your father and you deserve love—to be loved and to know love. Please, don’t give up on us now.”

  His deep golden orbs seared into mine, and panic raced through the bond. I was going to lose him too. And I would die. I couldn’t live without him, I wouldn’t.

  He leaned closer, his strong hands framing my face. “I know what I should do. I know what the right thing is to do.” He paused, stroking my cheek. “I have to let you go. Hell, I should’ve done it all those years ago.”

  I bit down on my lower lip to keep from sobbing. “No…”

  He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “But I can’t,” he finally breathed. “I wish I was a better man, a stronger one, then maybe I’d do the right thing, but damn it, Sierra, I can’t let you go. I’m selfish, so selfish. But I want you, no, I need you by my side. You are my mate, my world.”

  The sob I’d muffled broke free, and my shoulders sagged as I leapt into Hunter’s arms. “I love you so much,” I whispered. “I don’t care if we have to search every inch of the human and supernatural worlds. We’ll find Grams, and we’ll make her remove the curse. No one effs with my mate.”

  A rueful smile tilted up the corners of his lips. “I know, I know we will.”

  Read on for a special sneak peek of Wolfish: Mateborne coming out on September 28th. You can preorder it now! Want more of the Wolfish world? Join my Facebook group, GK DeRosa’s Supe Squad for tons of sneak peeks and insider info!

  Sneak Peek of Wolfish: Mateborne

  Prologue

  Hunter

  I was doomed to a loveless life. Worse, I’d condemned Sierra to the same fate. With her grandmother gone, finding a way to break the curse seemed impossible. And still I refused to let her go. I simply couldn’t.

  Glancing down at my mate, nestled in my arms as we soared over Moon Valley, I ran through all the reasons why I should let her go. I could never love her like she deserved. Being mated to me placed her in constant danger. It had stamped another target on her back. As if being the last Mystic wolf wasn’t bad enough, now she had to deal with my father. And my father’s enemies.

  I held her tight against my chest, and a faint whimper slipped through her perfect lips. Sierra had fallen asleep the instant I’d cradled her in my arms upon our return from the human world. I’d contemplated bringing her up to my den since Father was gone for the next few days, but with everything that had happened today, I needed to fly. I needed to let my inner beast loose and free my mind, even if only for a short time.

  I’d sent word to Vander, and he’d convinced the Alpha Trial commissioner to move the Lunar Pack competition to the last event of the day. At least that had bought us a few extra hours. With the third round beginning, all bets were off. Few non-lunar competitors remained, and the real contest was about to start.

  My mind flickered to the past, to my fourteen-year-old self. Like all Lunars, I’d made it to the final round. I wished I hadn’t. It would’ve been much more merciful to eliminate me in one of the earlier events, but my father insisted I continue. Despite my condition.

  At fourteen, my wolf and I were only starting to get to know each other. I’d first shifted at thirteen, which was typical for alpha bloodlines but young for most wolves. I had zero control. I was barely a teenager with a killer beneath my skin.

  The flapping of my wings became more agitated as dark memories invaded my subconscious. I inhaled a deep breath and stilled my elevating pulse. Now was not the time. I didn’t need to start reliving those memories right before today’s events. I had enough to worry about it with keeping Sierra safe. Slowing the beats of my reptilian appendages, I decelerated to a more leisurely pace once again. Pressing her tight against me, I buried my nose in her hair. I lost myself in her sweet scent of magnolias, allowing her natural lavender perfume to quell the brewing storm within.

  My mate.

  The desire to complete the mate bond consumed my every waking thought. The more time I spent with her, the more I realized how perfect she was for me. It was as if the goddess Luna had created her with a sliver of my own soul. She was mine. Even if I couldn’t love her, the extreme range of emotions I felt for her were nothing like I’d ever experienced. They overpowered all rational thought, all self-control. Otherwise, I would’ve let her go a long time ago.

  Watching her read her Grams’ note nearly broke me. Her devastation surged through our link, filling every inch of me. What struck me most was that her grief wasn’t from knowing she’d never see her grandmother again. No, it was from her belief that she’d lose me as a result.

  When I felt that pain, I knew I couldn’t leave her, even if it was the right thing to do. Without the high priestess of the Lune Sacré coven, we’d never succeed in breaking the curse, and Sierra would be tied to a mate who could never love her.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Sierra’s brilliant violet eyes glanced up at me.

  I’d been so wrapped up in my dark musings, I hadn’t felt her stir. Had she felt my anxiety through the bond?

  “With all that’s going on in my head, you’d owe me a lot more than a penny,” I finally answered.

  A smile split her lips, and I had to resist the urge to capture them. “That sounds like something I would say.”

  “Maybe this mate bond is effecting us even more than we know.”

  Her hand reached for my cheek, and her soft fingertips caressed the thick stubble. “You know you can talk to me about anything right? We’ve never really discussed what my grandmother did to you…” The light in her eyes dimmed, and she snagged her lower lip between her teeth.

  “There’s nothing to talk about, Sierra. It was a long time ago, and our families’ past sins should have no bearing on us. I don’t hold you responsible for what she did any more than I’d hope you wouldn’t hold me responsible for my father’s misdeeds.”

  Her lids lowered, and she didn’t answer for a long minute. Finally, she fiddled with her fingers, her gaze intent on a chipped nail. “I don’t hold you responsible at all, but what I worry about is what will happen to us when I get my revenge on him. Tyrien may have done awful things, but in the end he’s your father, Hunter.”

  “In name only. That man doesn’t have a fatherly bone in his body.” My answer came out quicker than I’d imagined. I’d often wondered the same thing. I knew raising a hand against my father to protect Sierra would be innate, but what if there were no immediate danger? Would I be able to kill my own sire?

  Her arms tightened around my waist, and she nuzzled into my chest. My wolf chuffed happily at her proximity. “I’m sorry you had such a shitty dad. You deserved much better.”

  “Thanks,” I muttered. Sierra had never known her father and yet he’d tried to protect her even from the grave. I never knew that kind of love.

  I banked left and headed toward Sierra’s den behind Moon Valley University. As much as I would’ve loved to spend the rest of the afternoon flying across Marlwoods, they were waiting for us at the trials and Sierra had an event to win.

  Until I could ensure my father paid for his sins, I’d help my mate win his throne. Nothing would piss the supreme alpha more than for a she-wolf and a Mystic to snatch the coveted high alpha title. A smile curled the corner of my lips.

  “What are you so happy about? Don’t we have to get back to the arena?”r />
  I nodded. “I was just picturing the look on Tyrien’s face when he finds out you won the first Lunar Pack trial of the third round.”

  “Oh yeah, I’m winning today?”

  “Absolutely. I don’t care if I have to take down every other lunar male to make it happen. Today, you deserve the win.”

  To Be Continued in Wolfish: Mateborne releasing on September 28th. Preorder it now! And don’t forget to join my Facebook group, GK DeRosa’s Supe Squad for more fun.

  While you’re waiting, check out my completed series, Darkblood Prison, to find out more about Vander’s past and meet Azara :)

  Welcome to Darkblood Prison, where the worst criminals in the supernatural realm roam the murky corridors, A.K.A. my new home.

  According to my cellmate, there are three rules to survive the notorious prison:

  1.Don’t mix with the other supes, stick to your own kind.

  2.Anything can be made into a weapon so get creative.

  3.Stay away from the infamous Triad, the three brothers who run the prison.

  Rules aren’t really my thing so I doubt I’ll survive my first week, let alone my ten-year sentence for soul sucking an entire Fae village I have no memory of.

  As if coming to terms with my own demon and making nice with the scary inmates wasn’t bad enough, someone seems hellbent on permanently ending my stay at Darkblood. Thankfully, the devastatingly gorgeous and equally infuriating leader of the Triad, who hates me for no apparent reason, still manages to show up whenever I get into trouble.

  With his help, I begin to piece together my missing memories and discover there’s much more to my bogus incarceration. There’s a reason I was sent here, a dark family secret is coming back to haunt me.

  As it turns out, the baddies in this prison are nothing compared to the forces of the Underworld that are coming for me.

  Start Darkblood Prison now!