Rejected Mate (Feral Shifters 1)

“Do you feel like this all the time?” I ask.

“Yes.”

I slide my hand up and rest my arm over his, entwining our fingers. “I’m sorry.”

Nobody’s more surprised than me when I realize I actually mean it.

Frost doesn’t respond with words, but his arms tighten around me until I forget where he ends and I begin.

Wrapped in his warmth, I finally sleep.

Chapter 27

The next morning, we’re on the move before the sun even rises after Kian drags us all from sleep. He spares a loaded glance for Frost, who’s still wrapped around me, then tells us to get a move on because we’re burning daylight.

And it’s not even daylight yet.

His aggressive mood lasts all morning as we navigate the Devil’s Teeth and descend into the ravine behind the formation. He’s obviously in fine form, hard-edged as ever. Both Frost and I are moving slow, and I assume it’s because he hurts as much as I do, if not more. But anytime we fall behind, Kian’s on our asses, pushing us to move faster.

I know he wants to be rid of me, but damn.

The ravine isn’t so much a ravine as it is a deep, narrow valley between multiple small peaks. The trees are thick and lush, and the temperature stays cool and steady in the shadow of the canopy. Which is nice, because my body temp is running a lot higher than it should be, even in wolf form.

In the late morning, we stop long enough to eat and hydrate before Kian prods us back into motion. The low level pain I woke up with has sharpened over the course of the morning. Not as bad as when I had the last attack, but a constant ache that leaves me winded and irritable. No matter how bad it gets though, I keep pushing through and keep my complaints to myself.

No use in pissing off Kian this close to our goal.

After what feels like hours of traveling and searching, I sense the Tree of Life before I even lay eyes on it.

The magic is potent—an energy that radiates throughout the forest, pulsing like a heartbeat. Just being near the power emanating from the tree eases the growing pain inside me.

We break through a bunch of tangled undergrowth and step out of the constant forest into a small clearing. The Tree of Life soars high overhead, the most massive evergreen I’ve ever seen. It has to be ancient; it’s probably stood in this clearing since before people even mapped this area. I’m not even s

urprised the tree has magical properties.

Kian shifts first, then rifles through his pack for the mason jar of potion. “What’s the ingredient we need? Leaves?”

Frost shifts to human and tugs his clothes from his bag. “Sap.”

Kian sets the jar on the grass and reaches for his own clothes, as if just remembering he’s naked. “Do we know how much we need?”

Malix yanks his shirt on over his head, his voice muffled as he responds. “Erik didn’t say.”

Frost nods. “I imagine only a few drops would do. Witchcraft potions aren’t highly complicated.”

I pull on my jeans and tank top, then venture toward the magic tree as they continue discussing the merits of using too much sap or too little and how to extract it.

It seems warmer beneath the tree’s low-hanging branches. I trail my fingers over the soft, layered bark and listen to the tree’s heartbeat with my fingertips. I notice something shiny from the corner of my eye, and I find sap oozing from between the bark. I slide my fingers through the puddle and manage to get about a tablespoon’s worth in one swipe.

The guys are still bickering when I return. I reach past Kian and turn my fingers over above the open mason jar. The sap plops right off my skin into the potion.

A ripple passes through the air. Something invisible to the naked eye, but potent nonetheless—a wave of magic as the potion completes.

“See,” I tell them with a snarky grin, “the trouble with you assholes is you always need a plan. When the real answer is, just do it.”

My voice is a lot stronger than I expect it to be. The pain’s growing by the minute, even though we’re no longer moving across the rough terrain. At least now, I can drink the potion and feel like myself again. Relief settles over my aching body as I watch Kian close the jar and give it a couple of good shakes to ensure the sap is all mixed in. But on the heels of my relief, I can sense another poison attack coming.

Kian passes the jar to Frost first, who’s standing across from us. He sniffs the liquid, examines it, then chugs half of it down in one go.