Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

T he sharp sound of branches snapping to her right drew her attention across the river. In between the trees, the shadowy figure of a man appeared and stumbled through the brush, his steps labored and full of resistance. When he reached the streaming blue moonlight, Astrid gaped. “Erec?”

His expression was one of determination and extreme agony. Even with a vest covering most of his chest, the exposed blue tattoos on his right shoulder gleamed like hers.

“Erec!” she yelled his name as loud as her phantom lungs would allow. Although her legs were like jelly, she was able to climb to her feet, but the sudden movement made her head spin.

Erec’s storm-colored eyes found her. “Astrid…” His voice was a croaked whisper, but it was the sweetest sound she’d ever heard. “Astrid!” He tumbled into the river, struggling to close the distance between them. The water was up to his hips, but he didn’t seem to notice the depth or the temperature. With his desperate gaze locked on her, he pushed against the current.

The glow of the moon bathed everything in sapphire light. In Astrid’s ears, her heartbeat echoed, having slowed down from its fearful race to a singular thump … thump … thump … She swayed forward, but Erec was there suddenly, snatching her wrist and pulling her against him. They collided, falling into each other’s arms and collapsing in a heap on the ground.

They didn’t know what to do besides clasp onto each other tightly. Neither of them dared move. The moon’s painted light encased them entirely, and somewhere in the distance thunder rumbled. Pressed against Erec’s chest, Astrid counted each breath he drew in, afraid that one would be his last. She listened to his dying heart under her ear. Like hers, its beat was weak and too scarce. She closed her eyes, praying it would never stop.

A gust of wind blew past them, tossing up Astrid’s hair and making goose bumps rise with the chill. It smelled of rain. With the freezing temperatures of winter, they hadn’t had rain in months. Only snow. But there was no doubting it. A storm was coming. The air was changing.

Another blast shot around their huddled figures. As it gathered in power and speed, whirling around them like a tornado, Astrid cracked one eyelid open. What she saw made her jerk back in disbelief. The swirls on Erec’s shoulder were lifting off his skin and floating in the space between them.

Frightened, she lifted her hands. Like Erec’s, the glowing blue ribbons around her fingers were slowly unwrapping themselves. As they peeled off her flesh, they twisted and turned in the air in front of her.

“What’s happening?” she screamed over the roar of the cyclone encasing them.

“I-I think the curse—it’s lifting,” he called back, eyes wide as he watched the strange luminous, dancing bands. His grip tightened on her arms, but his touch was still lost from the numbness.

The curse’s markings whipped sideways, combining with the spinning air before shooting upward toward the moon and disappearing altogether. A second later, the wind died down, leaving Erec and Astrid shocked and flustered but completely unharmed.

Gradually, the tingling in her limbs faded away, and the sensation of Erec’s fingers wrapped around her arms came to her. He glanced at the contact, too, as if he was feeling it for the first time.

Then his gaze lifted to hers. “It’s over…” he said, his voice a hoarse whisper. “I can’t believe it. We made it. It’s over now.”

That’s when she realized she was breathing hard, and her pulse was a constant drum against her temples. She never thought such simple things would bring her such relief. She clenched and unclenched her hands, thankful for the movement in her muscles again. Her skin was free of the blue tattoos, the paleness now completely smooth and unmarked, besides her freckles. She was alive. Erec was alive. They had beaten the curse.

They were meant to be together.

Through the pack bond, Erec’s happiness encased her, wrapping her in a beautiful and radiating warmth. Or maybe that was her own joy. She couldn’t tell. She could sense his emotions as if they were her own. His love for her rushed across their bond as strong as a river current, drowning her in heat and peace. Her wolf lifted its head and howled in triumph, and Astrid could have sworn she heard Erec’s animal echoing it through her subconscious.

Before she could say a word, Erec tugged her against him again. His heartbeat was hammering now under her pressed ear, and his warm breath tickled the top of her hair as he breathed in and out. His cedar and smoky scent filled her nose, and she drew it deeper into her lungs, loving every part, every thing that was uniquely him.

He was her mate, the one the sky spirits had chosen for her, the other half of her soul.

“I love you, Erec.” The words flew from her lips with ease this time, and she didn’t dare try and stop them. She had held them back for too long. “I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I was scared. I was…”

Erec’s lips skimmed the top of her head as they lifted into one of his smirks. After a few breaths, he said softly, “I know. I’ve known for a while, but I didn’t want to push you. I knew you would tell me when you were ready.”

She snaked her arms around his back and squeezed him hard. She had almost lost him too many times. It hurt to even think about possibly never being able to tell him all this. “I do love you. Truly. With everything I am.”

“I love you, too, Astrid,” he said. “But you knew that already.” Chuckling, his fingers caught her chin and tilted her face up toward his. He captured her lips for a mind-blowing kiss, one that spoke of every fear he had of losing her and every hope he had for their future. It was enough to leave her breathless and her chest pounding.

When they pulled away, Astrid peered up at the moon. It still radiated like a sapphire gem in the night sky, its light pushing through the dense clouds. Thunder rolled again, louder and closer this time, and the scent of rain intensified. Her wolf perked up in worry.

Remembering what had happened before when she had tried to change, she reached deep down to her animal. The power of the shift slapped against her so quickly, she had to force it to stop before it bolted throughout her body and took over. The change hadn’t come that effortlessly before. Now without the curse, the moon didn’t control her shifting anymore. She could reach her wolf whenever she pleased.

She was free.

A wolf’s howl resonated from the forest beyond the river, capturing both her and Erec’s attention. They recognized the tones right away. It was a cry of the hunt, of predator catching its prey. Of war.

Whether it was from one of Jerrick’s men or their pack’s warriors, Astrid couldn’t tell, but the night certainly wasn’t over yet. They had to get to Jerrick’s camp and join in the battle. After seeing the dirty way Jerrick’s men fought, their pack was going to need all the help they could get.

Erec’s worried glance reminded her that he had missed out on a lot during his imprisonment and wasn’t aware of the plan. She told him all about Filip’s injury, the surprise attack on Jerrick’s pack, as well as her part in it.

When she finished, he said, “There’s a reason your brother is the alpha. Jerrick wouldn’t expect to be hit first.”

“Filip and I got the idea from you,” she replied. A drop of rain hit her cheek, taking her off guard. Soon after, another one landed on her forehead. “I just wish he was going to be there to lead us during this…” They needed his guidance now more than ever. Not to mention his presence was usually what eased her worries.

“It was smarter to leave him behind. From what you said about that knife and the bleeding, it sounds like he needs to rest more than anything else.”

“I know…” Thunder boomed.

“He’ll be happy to see you beat the curse after,” Erec said. “That is if we survive this battle.”

Astrid slid off her fur coat and shucked off her boots at the same time. “He knew you were my mate before I did, you know.”

“Oh?” Erec’s fingers fumbled with the tie of his pants. “I always liked him.”

Astrid smiled as she tugged the knitted shirt over her head. When she pulled off her stocking, an icy breeze nipped at every inch of her exposed skin. She turned around to see Erec completely naked, too. Sweet Moons, he was glorious to look at. She bit her bottom lip, knowing now was not the time to be distracted.

Erec’s gaze roamed her body as well, and his desire was a fiery caress through the bond, but he shook his head to refocus himself. Maybe it was because of the newly strengthened link between them, but she knew what he was thinking in that moment. It was the same thing she was considering herself. If they somehow managed to make it out of this seemingly endless night alive, they weren’t going to leave their bed until the next Blue Moon.

“We beat the curse just to possibly die again?” he teased. “Seems unfair, don’t you think?”

“You said you wanted to die on your own terms, right?” she said.

He lifted an eyebrow, impressed. “That’s right, but I don’t plan on it happening anytime soon.”

“Good. Me neither.”

The air around them sparked with electricity as they both started to shift. Like lightning, the power rocketed through every muscle and nerve. Even as Astrid’s body realigned and reformed its shape, there was no pain, just a feeling of absolute serenity and completeness. Now on four legs, the rain began to fall harder, pelting her back and turning the piles of snow around them into muddy slush.

Shaking out her fur, she faced Erec’s golden wolf form and nodded toward the river. He snorted in acknowledgment and took as much of the clothing as he could in his mouth.

Astrid went over to her spear, placed it securely between her jaws, and braced herself for the jump. Erec was by her side the next second, matching her movements. Wasting no more time, they ran full speed toward the riverbank and launched themselves over the icy depths, ready for whatever it was that lay ahead.