“Hi, Luciana.” What was with the brujos and my given name?
Chris stood behind me with a hand on my shoulder. He was ready to step in if needed.
“I hoped you’d come before now,” she said.
“I came because your spell has made Meredith Molloney extremely sick.”
“And you think I should break it?”
Even if it was a long shot, I had to at least try. “Yes. If there were some way to convince you…”
She grinned, but it made me shiver. “I think we could come to an arrangement.”
I was pretty sure I didn’t like where this was going, but there was no guarantee the books would help Meredith. I walked down a step. “What kind of arrangement are we talking about?”
“Nothing too big.” Her smile widened, and it made me more nervous. Like a monster was getting ready to swallow me whole. “I’d like for you to live here, where you belong. To study with us and learn our ways.”
The people watching were completely still and silent, waiting for my response.
It’d come in handy to know more bruja stuff. I actively wanted to know more about it and learn more about my abilities, but there was no way I was leaving St. Ailbe’s. The place had grown on me, and I liked being close to Dastien and far away from Luciana. “What about the pack?”
She spread her hands wide. “You’d be training to take over the coven when I’m ready to step down, like we’d always planned. You’d have to leave the pack.”
That’s what I thought she meant, and it so wasn’t happening. “Even if I wanted to leave the pack, which I don’t…at all…what makes you think I have any aspirations to lead the coven?”
“Everyone wants power.” A few members of the coven nodded their heads.
I snorted. “Not me. And you’re forgetting one tiny, little thing. I’m a werewolf.”
Shit. The look she gave me told me I’d stepped into her trap. Chris must’ve known it too because his hand tightened on my shoulder.
“I could take care of that if I cast the same spell on you that I cast on Meredith.”
I swallowed down a growl, barely. The people closest to me took a step back. Except Luciana. She took a step forward.
“Your wolf would go into hibernation,” Luciana kept talking, ignoring my reaction. “You wouldn’t feel any pain. Your emotions would be under control again, and you wouldn’t have to fear shifting ever again.”
I had to hand it to her. She knew exactly what buttons to push. Yes, my emotions being all wonky bugged the crap out of me. I didn’t enjoy feeling out of control. And yeah, I was still a little freaked out about the whole shifting thing, but that didn’t mean I wanted to end it all. I was adjusting. Slower than Dastien—and pretty much everyone else—would like, but I was adjusting all the same.
“This lady is a freaking nut job. We should go. Now,” Chris whispered in his barely-audible way.
I grunted quietly. Luciana wouldn’t get to me. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. I fisted my hands by my sides. “News flash, lady. Your spell doesn’t work. Meredith’s dying. She’s literally wasting away as we speak. Even if I hated being a Were, why would I risk it?”
“There wouldn’t be a risk. Meredith was born with her wolf, you weren’t. It’ll be easy to cut it off. And if it did wake, I’d be there to put her down.”
Put her down. My nails lengthened, drawing blood as I kept my hands tightly fisted.
The crowd took another step back, but two people stepped forward. Daniel and a girl. Back-up. But for who? Me or Luciana?
This was going to turn into a situation if I didn’t get a grip on my wolf, but she wanted to rip Luciana’s throat out.
Chris pushed some power toward me, trying to keep me calm. It wasn’t as potent as Dastien’s, but it was enough. That said, Chris was right. We needed to leave before anything bad happened. “Thanks for the offer, but no.” My words were sharp. “I don’t want anyone else messing with who I am.”
“I wouldn’t be messing with who you are. I’d just be putting you back the way you were before you were attacked by rabid dogs. We can overlook your mutt connection, but only if you—”
“Excuse me? Did you just call me a mutt?” My voice was gravelly and lower than usual.
Luciana muttered something, and it felt like something slapped my face.
Red filled my vision. I tried to lunge, but Chris held me back. I spun, snarling at him. Before I could order him to let me go, he clapped his hand over my mouth. He looped his other arm around my waist, holding me firmly against him as my bones popped. “We’re leaving,” he said.