Twisted Fate

Chapter 39

Arlo

I'm burning holes through the warlock's head as he leans forward and looks through the magnifying glass. It's bad enough I had to watch him call upon some spirits for an hour to get this damn spell to work. Now he's taking his sweet time to read the name being scribbled by no one at all. The quill magically moves across the paper, informing him of the sender of that mysterious message box.

My patience is dangling at the edge of the cliff, especially because of those trespassers who tried to ambush the town. Killing the coven from Vermont was a big mistake on my part. I should've known word would spread fast. 

"Cassandra," Nicolas finally declares. "The person we're looking for is named Cassandra from the Jamerson coven."

"Does that name mean anything to you, she-wolf?" Louisa asks, and I try not to let it show that it bothers me. "My mate has a name!" I want to scream at her so bad, but it wouldn't do any good. Louisa is set in her ways. Nothing would ever change her. Besides, if she pushes Astrid's buttons enough, I won't need to step in. Astrid is a powerful woman, and I fear for the people who piss her off.

"No, I have no idea who that is," Astrid says. I can tell by the tone of her voice that she feels defeated. And I suddenly have the urge to kiss her again. Maybe it would put her back in good spirits. But I know she wouldn't appreciate the PDA. And my mind is switching to defense mode.

"What are we waiting for? Let's track her down and kill the bitch so we can all get back to our normal lives." The words flow out of me, but I don't mean the latter. Going back to normal is the complete opposite of what I want because normal is back home without Astrid. Despite the shitty circumstances, I enjoy spending each day with my mate, even if it means protecting her from Cassandra Jamerson. Whoever the hell she is.

"Don't worry about her," Blair announced her entrance to the lab. "I'll have my people work on that. Even better news, I found the rest of the pups. So, you'll need to take the warriors and head out before this coven catches on like last time. And you cannot go," Blair spoke sternly, pointing at Astrid.

"Agreed," I say, holding Astrid's gaze. She's definitely not coming. It isn't safe for her to step a foot out of Salem. But Astrid wasn't going to give up without a fight. I could already see the deep frown on her face. Here it comes...

"And why the hell not?" Astrid argued, on cue. Her shoulders are tense, and she's glaring at me like I'm the one trying to hunt her down. "Half of those pups belong to my pack. They're my responsibility, and I won't sit back and watch while my warriors fight my battles." Her fits clench, hot smoke blowing out of her ears. But Blair isn't having any of it.

"The second you step foot out of Salem, you'll be outside the protective lines, and those witches will come after you," Blair raises her voice, crossing her arms. "Without your help, Arlo and Kane have better chances of staying under the radar and bringing the pups home. No one gets hurt as long as you stay here."

Blair leaves absolutely no room for discussion, and Astrid eventually complies. But she's not happy about it. Not at all.

The morning flies by as we discuss a plan with the warriors. Astrid was present for the meeting, but she didn't talk to anyone. Kane tried to engage her in the conversation, but she just nodded, standing in the doorway of the library. Not even Derek could get her talking. She's still mad about staying behind, and I can't blame her. I'd feel pretty crappy if I couldn't help my people in a situation like this. 

My demon-wolf continues pacing angrily inside me. Since the morning, Astrid has done everything to avoid me, and it frustrates him. I've tried talking to her, but she's brushed me off with short answers. And she pulled away when I tried holding her hand. She won't even look at me for five seconds. I know she's mad about being left behind, but her safety overrules the way she feels right now.