25. Kirsten

Emotions threatened to overwhelm me. Anger at Eren's arrival, panic at the idea someone on Jace's committee truly was helping the other alpha, but strongest of all was the feeling of hurt and betrayal.

I was smart enough to understand how rough things were between Jace and me in the beginning. For the first few days, I'd thought he was a total dick. He'd thought I was a danger to him and his pack. A plotting witch there to do even more. Once we'd gotten to know each other, however, things had changed—or so I thought. Now, hearing Eren's accusation and seeing Jace's reaction, I wondered if this had been his plan all along. He hadn't denied it. Rather, he'd turned his ire on Stephanie. All my doubts and worries surged to the surface. I gaped at him as he lifted a threatening finger, pointing at Stephanie.

"Is that true, Jace? I said, already feeling the sting of tears at the back of my eyes. "Is that all you wanted me for?"

Jace's anger vanished in an instant as he turned back to me. "What?" he gasped. "No. How can you even ask that?"

"You're not denying that you said it." I took a step back. The room was too hot, too stifling. Too many eyes on me. Was I being made a fool of up here? In front of all these people?

Jace closed his eyes, tilting his head in agitation. "That's not—" He shook his head. "Shit, it was just a passing thought I had. When I first met you. Nothing more. That fucker"—he pointed down to where Eren was grinning like a maniac—"is twisting this around. I barely knew you when I had those thoughts. I didn't know if I could trust you because of my aversion to witches. I'm sorry I even thought about it, but I don't feel that way now. I don't. It was just an early thought. That you could help remove my curse." Jace closed his eyes at that and muttered "fuck" as he rubbed his hands over his face.

At the mention of a curse, the crowd finally stirred. Voices, loud and insistent, called up to the stage.

"What are you talking about, Jace?"

"Curse? Who's cursed? You?"

"Who cursed you?"

"What does this mean?"

"Explain! Explain what you're talking about."

"Explain?" Eren called out, turning to face the crowd like a showman. "I'll gladly explain what your precious alpha has kept hidden for a hundred years." More gasps from the crowd. "It seems dear Kirsten's great-grandmother lived here many years ago and cursed your alpha to never find his mate or sire an heir."

Jace's lip curled in distaste as he turned back to Stephanie, danger sparking in his eyes. "You fucking told him?" Even in my own distraught state, the rage in his voice was terrifying.

Stephanie was openly crying now, tears streaking down her face. "Jace," she croaked. "I was just trying to get Kirsten out of the way. I wanted to save you from yourself." She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "I didn't believe her intentions were pure. I had to protect you and the pack. If you had any doubt, I needed to act."

"I can't believe you," Jace growled. "Who do you think you are?"

Their voices were almost drowned out by the crowd. In the back, Waylan and a hulking man tried to shout the crowd down, but they weren't succeeding. My head spun as the words from the pack registered through the chaos.

"Liar."

"Witch."

"Curse."

"Secrets."

Outrage and fear reverberated throughout the room. Every face looked upon me with distrust and suspicion. It all pissed me off. They didn't know me, they didn't understand my motives. All they thought was that I was some sneaky witch here to ruin their alpha and pack.

Jace was still having a conversation with Stephanie, him shouting, her sobbing, but even that was lost in the roar of the gathering. Eren looked on at what he'd created with a glee I'd only ever seen on the faces of children on Christmas morning. My magic sizzled across my skin and through my body, fed by my fear and outrage. It was all I could do to keep it contained. Never before had it struggled so hard against my control, almost like it was a living creature threatening to tear out of me.

The woman from the other night, Sandra, jumped up and pointed at me. "Her bloodline should not be brought into our pack. We never should have allowed her grandmother to live here."

Another shifter, a man, stood and yelled at the stage. "Witches should have stayed hidden!" He turned his gaze on me. "You need to leave. This is not the place for you."

Seething with anger, I opened my mouth to speak, but felt a strange pulse deep in my chest as I did. A whoomp echoed through the building, then one window shattered along with every lightbulb in the room, plunging the auditorium into darkness. The shouts turned to screams of terror, and the crowd backed toward the outer walls, pushing and clawing to put space between me and them. They were shouting that I wanted to kill them all, that I was only here to see them all dead.

Jace wasn't trying to defend me. His rage at Stephanie hadn't abated, even with my display. I was by myself. All alone. Just like I'd been since Nana died. No one was coming to save me.

Not him.

Not anyone.

I turned, walking to the back of the stage, leaving everyone behind. The cacophony of the disaster faded as I found my way to the rear exit. Ten minutes ago, I'd been so excited—scared, yes—but excited. I'd allowed myself to believe that things were going to work out. That I'd end up with some type of happily ever after. Now? Now I saw the truth. I never should have believed any of it.

"Kirsten!" a shout from behind me. Jace, screaming my name.

There was nothing I wanted to say to him. I slammed my palms onto the crash bar of the door and stomped out into the night air, sucking in a lungful to stave off the tears.

Jace followed, running out to catch up to me. "Please wait. Please," he begged.

"Wait for what?" I snarled, turning on him. "Wait for you to use me?" I ran a hand through my hair, turning in a circle, thinking. Finally, I turned back to him and shook my head. "You know, it's not even that. It's not the fact that you originally planned to use me as some tool—"

"Kirsten, I didn't—"

"Let me fucking finish!"

He bowed his head, recoiling at my outburst.

"What makes me both the angriest and saddest," I said, "is the fact that your pack was so quick to turn on me. Did you see what happened in there? As soon as any mention of a curse came out, they were at my throat. Making me out to be some kind of monster."

Jace looked at me, distraught, but he didn't interrupt.

A decision had been made. Deep in my mind, a switch had flicked and I was now seeing the truth.

"It's pretty clear this was a mistake. I don't belong here."

"What?" Jace sputtered. My heart hurt seeing the way his face warped into a look of pure devastation. I didn't think I'd ever seen a man look so miserable.

"You heard me," I whispered, the strength leaving my voice.

"No. You're wrong. I can fix this. They just need to understand. I can make them understand."

A familiar and welcome sensation descended over my mind and my heart. Barriers flying up, walls being rebuilt. Protection from all the things that might hurt me.

"I've always been a loner, Jace. I never had a big family, only one or two real friends. My father is a disappointment, and I could never rely on him. All I ever had was Nana, and she's gone now. I…" I paused, looking at him, the fresh sting of tears hitting me again. "I thought I might have found a place that would be that for me. A family. But I don't need that. I don't need this pack, and I sure as hell don't need them judging me and calling me a monster." I took a deep breath. "I'll free you of your curse, Jace. You'll be free to find the right person for you. Because that person, obviously, isn't me."

Jace's face crumpled, and he lowered himself down to his knees. He looked like someone who'd just had his entire heart torn out and stomped on, but I felt the same way. I guess we were in the same place. Before he could speak, I hurried away, striding around the building. I could still hear the sounds of arguments and shouting inside. It wasn't until I was in the parking lot that I remembered I hadn't driven myself. Fuck. Waylan had brought me.

Looking up at the darkening sky, I wished like hell I could actually fly away on a broom like a cartoon witch. It would have made my life so much easier. Jace might come looking for me any second, and I didn't think my heart could handle seeing him again. Did I start walking?

Thankfully, my decision was made when Waylan came rushing out of the front door, swiveling his head frantically, obviously searching for either me or Jace. When he spotted me, he rushed forward, boots crunching on the gravel of the parking lot.

"Kirsten! Are you okay? I'm sorry about all that in there. Where's—"

"Take me home," I snapped. The last thing I needed to hear was Jace's name.

"But…" Something in my face must have given him pause. Maybe the heartbreak or anger. Slowly, he nodded. "Okay. Yeah, sure. Come on, let's get you out of here."

He led me to his truck, and I climbed in, stewing in a soup of mixed emotions. Waylan started the truck and pulled out. In the rearview mirror, I watched the building as we drove away. No one had exited yet. Probably all still muttering about me. All worried about what the witch was doing to their pack.

"Don't give up on Jace," Waylan said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I ignored him, praying he'd shut up.

"He really does care for you," he continued. "I've never seen him like this. So head over heels—"

"For a witch who can give him what he wants?" I asked icily.

Waylan winced. "No, Kirsten. Maybe in the beginning, he did think about that, but once he got to know you, it changed. You know that. You must."

"And all your friends?" I hissed. "Your whole town is ready to burn me at the stake. They'll never accept me. Not after what I just saw. And why should I try? I don't need to prove that I'm worthy to a bunch of strangers. I have nothing to prove to anything or anyone."

Waylan looked lost for a moment. Unsure what to say, we drove in silence.

As he pulled up in front of my cabin, he said, "I don't care about the pack or the town at this point. I care about Jace and you. How this works for the two of you. I don't want this to happen because I know, in the end, it's going to hurt both of you beyond belief."

"Thanks for the ride. I won't be here in the morning. It was nice knowing you, I guess," I said, hopping out of the truck.

Slamming the cabin door behind me, I leaned against it, taking huge, steadying breaths. As I glanced around, my anger only grew. It seemed to take over my very being. This had been a place of good memories and happiness. Tonight had ruined more than my relationship. Instead of seeing the cabin as a refuge, a place where I'd had fun with my grandmother, it now looked dark and dank, like a prison. I had to get out of here.

After dragging my suitcases from the closet, I tossed my belongings into them. Underwear, clothes, toiletries—everything went in haphazardly. I didn't slow until I pulled my purse off the bedside table and heard the clinking of the two vials inside it. The cure for the curse.

For the barest second, anger almost overcame me. I wanted to smash them on the ground, stomp the glass to sand, and smear the potion across the floor. But mercy prevailed. I wasn't a vengeful person. Not even now. Jace might have had ulterior motives, but deep down he was a good person. He deserved to be free of this curse. Plus, it would sever whatever remained of the bond between us. Not even my great-grandmother's curse would tie us together anymore. It was the best way to end this.

Then? He could find the person meant for him. A person who wasn't me.