Chase pushed open O’Malley’s front door and shuffled into the pub. Amber stood behind the bar, and his sister sat on a stool near the corner.

Bekah spun in her seat to look at him, her face contorting into a mask of concern as she met his gaze. “What happened?”

“Noth—” The word got stuck in his throat. Damn it, he couldn’t even lie and say “nothing.”

“None of your business.” That was the truth. “Luke in the back?”

Amber furrowed her brow. “He’s not here.”

“Shit.” He plopped onto a stool and checked the clock on his phone. Whatever this emergency was, Luke had better get there fast. Chase had bigger problems on his plate.

Honestly, when the call had come through, he’d been relieved to get away from the bakery. Away from Rain. A million thoughts spun through his head, but he couldn’t seem to catch onto any of them. And with the truth spell active in his system, he might’ve said something he’d regret if he’d stayed.

Then again, truth spell or not, the thought that he should be there protecting her anyway clawed at the edges of his mind.

Bekah sat on the stool next to him. “You look like death warmed over.” She put her hand on his. “You feel like it too. What happened?”

He pulled from her grasp. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about his feelings with his sister. “Where’s Emma?”

“Mom took her to Shreveport to see the Imagination Movers show. They’re spending the night in a hotel.”

He nodded and checked the time again. Where the hell was Luke? As mixed up as his thoughts were about Rain, he didn’t like leaving her when a madman was after her.

Bekah narrowed her eyes. “Did you break up with Rain?”

“Not yet. I…”

“Not yet?” Amber stepped toward him and rested her hands on the bar. “You can’t break up with her. That’s not how I felt your future.”

Damn these women and their empathic abilities. He let out a dry chuckle. “How do you feel the future, anyway?”

Amber crossed her arms. “Tell us what happened, Chase.”

His head tingled, the truth rolling through his brain and out his mouth before he realized what was happening. “She needs my blood for a spell. She’s wanted it all along.”

Bekah’s eyes widened. “Does she know about…?”

“Yeah, she knows. She knows everything.” He fisted his hands on the bar. “I trusted her, and she betrayed me. All this time I thought she was falling in love with me, but in reality, she wanted my blood. Turns out my disdain for witches was well-founded after all.”

Bekah pursed her lips, tilting her head. “She does love you. I felt it in her the last time she was at the house.”

A flutter of hope shot through his heart, but he squelched it. “She loves what I can do for her.”

“What can you do? Why does she need your blood?” Amber asked.

He clamped his mouth shut as the truth spell tried to force the words from his lips. What the hell? If he stayed with her, the pack would find out about her curse eventually…and if he left her, what did it matter? “She’s cursed. Her powers are bound, and two drops of my blood can break the spell. Apparently, werewolf blood is a highly coveted ingredient for potions.”

Bekah gave him a confused look. “So you’re upset with how she asked you? I don’t understand the problem.”

“She didn’t ask.”

“Then how do you know she needs your blood?”

“Her sister showed me the spell. Two drops of blood from a first-born werewolf, given freely beneath a blue moon.” A sour sensation formed in his stomach. “Rain said after she learned about my past, she didn’t plan to ask me, but…” He balled his hands into fists, unable to stop the truth from flowing. “Why would fate bind me to someone who wanted to use me?”

“Exactly,” Amber said.

“Fate wouldn’t.” Bekah put her hand on his shoulder. “You’re bound to her because you’re supposed to be together. Because you need each other. I think you should give it to her.”

How could she even suggest that, knowing what the punishment would be? He shook his head. “It’s against our laws. Calista asked for some in exchange for Rain’s freedom earlier today, and Luke forbade it.”

“He wouldn’t let you give it to Calista,” Amber said. “Rain is your fate-bound, he won’t stop you from giving it to her.” She looked him hard in the eyes. “I know my brother…and you know him too. Stop using the alpha as an excuse.”

He let out a slow breath and mumbled, “I’m scared.” Damn this truth spell.

Bekah laughed. “I doubt two drops will hurt her.”

“It’s not that.” He stared at the bar and traced the wood pattern with his finger.

“What are you scared of then?” His sister leaned an elbow on the bar. “You found your fate-bound. That’s pretty damn special.”

His shoulders drooped. “But she’s not a were, so it only works one way.” Shaking his head, he huffed and lifted his gaze. “My heart is bound to hers for the rest of my life, but she could walk away at any time. That would crush me. What would I do then?” Hell, where had that come from? What else had he been lying to himself about?

Bekah laughed. “Wow. This is the most emotion you’ve ever shared out loud.”

He glared at her. “Don’t get used to it.”

“She’s not going to walk away.” Amber put her hands on her hips. “Fate wouldn’t bind you to someone who would. Besides, my premonitions about your future have been strong. Your heart is bound to hers forever. I think she’s worthy of receiving your blood.”

Who was he kidding? He couldn’t walk away from Rain if he wanted to. And deep down, he didn’t want to. He loved his witch with every fiber of his being, and if his blood would break her curse, why wouldn’t he give it to her? He’d give her the moon if he could pluck it from the sky.

“Do you believe her?” Bekah asked. “That she wasn’t going to ask you for it?”

“I do.” He pressed his fingers to his temples. “She was willing to sacrifice her unbinding spell to keep from hurting me.”

Amber gave him a pointed look. “That says a lot about her character.”

“You’re right. There won’t be another blue moon for two years. I can’t let her live with her powers bound another day. Not when I can do something about it.”

As soon as he finished whatever Luke needed him to do, he’d go to the bakery and break her curse. He checked the time again. “Where the hell is Luke? He told me to meet him here.”

Amber furrowed her brow. “Luke took a group of teens out for the first hunt. I’m surprised he didn’t ask you to chaperone too.”

“He called me half an hour ago. Said there was an emergency.”

“He was already in the swamp by then. He wanted to have the kids away from civilization before the sun set, so they didn’t do anything stupid.”

His stomach tumbled into his boots. The odd quality of Luke’s voice. The unfamiliar number the call had come from. “Shit.” He shot to his feet.

“What?” Bekah asked.

“If Luke comes back, tell him to call me ASAP.” He darted out the door and climbed onto his bike.

Peeling off the curb, he sped down St. Philip toward Royal, weaving his way around taxis, narrowly missing a pedestrian who stumbled into the street. When he reached the intersection of Bourbon, a crowd of partiers stood in the street, oblivious to the line of cars trying to get by.

The driver of a Mercedes laid on the horn, and a couple of people shuffled out of the way. A belligerent drunk man yelled a string of profanities at the driver and gave him a one-fingered salute.

“Hell, I don’t have time for this.” Chase revved his engine and wound around the string of vehicles. His shoulder bumped the drunk, knocking him out of the way of the Mercedes as he sped past.

Hanging a right on Royal, he plowed onto the sidewalk in front of the bakery and parked against the wall. Snow and Macey sat at a table inside the store, and Snow padded toward the door as he pounded on it.

“Where’s Rain?” He pushed through the entrance and marched through the storefront, into the kitchen.

Snow followed. “She’s sleeping.”

“Are you sure?” He flung open her bedroom door and found it empty. His stomach churned as he stepped into the room.

“Maybe she’s in the bathroom.” Snow ducked out and returned a few seconds later. “You don’t think she…”

“She went after Isaac.” He picked up the broken wedding cake topper he found lying in her bed. Half the groom’s arm hung from the bride’s hand where the two pieces had been connected.

Snow’s eyes widened. “She broke my totem. The circle of protection.” She took the bride half of the figurine from his hand. “Why would she go after him alone?”

His throat thickened. “She did it for me. To prove that I can trust her.” He dropped the totem on the bed. “Damn it. The bastard lured me away so he could get to her.” He brushed past Snow and stormed into the storefront.

Macey stood by the door. “What’s the plan?”

“I have to go after her.” He dialed her number, and it rang five times before going to voicemail.

“I can track her phone.” Snow pressed a few buttons on her screen. “She’s here.” Pointing at the map, she angled the phone for him to see. “There’s nothing out there but swamp.”

“That’s where he’s hiding. I saw his tulpa there the night he tried to drain me. Shit.” He clenched his jaw. He couldn’t shift. He could handle the witch himself, but that damn tulpa was another story. Real or not, it could do some major damage. “If Rain had her magic, could she beat him?”

“Goddess, yes. She was the most powerful witch I’ve ever met. Are you willing to give us your blood?”

He glanced at Macey. She’d be obliged to tell Luke, but dammit, he didn’t care. “I told you I’d do whatever it took to break her curse. Give me a knife.”

“Hold on.” Snow took a wooden box from a shelf and pulled out a copper bowl. “She has to pay me for mixing each ingredient or the curse will get me. If you give me your blood now, I might not make it out the door.” She poured a thick liquid from the bowl into a small glass jar. “We’ll do it when we find her. If she drinks the potion as soon as it’s mixed, the curse should lift before it has time to affect me.” She capped the jar and stuffed it in her pocket as she strode to the door. “I’m coming with you. I’ve got the incantation memorized.”

He nodded and looked at Macey. “Will you stay here in case she comes back?”

“Of course.”

“If you hear from Luke…”

She nodded. “He’ll understand.”

“Wait.” Snow darted behind the counter and took a cookie from the display case. “Eat this. For clarity.”

He looked at the blue-frosted question mark and shook his head. “I know exactly what I need to do.”

She held it toward him. “Rain said that if you can convince yourself the tulpa isn’t real, it won’t be able to hurt you. This will help. Trust me.”

Last time he ate a magic cookie, he lost his wolf. He cut his gaze between the cookie and Snow and clenched his teeth. Without the ability to shift, he’d need all the help he could get. He shoved it into his mouth and chewed. A tingling sensation spread across his tongue and down his throat as he swallowed.

Snow grabbed one for herself and followed him to his bike. He tossed her a helmet. She put it on and climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “We’ll find her.”

God, he hoped so.

Rain exited the highway and parked behind a cypress tree. With the cover of night and the dense forest, no one would notice her car in the trees until morning, and hopefully she’d be out of here before sunrise.

She climbed out of her car and clicked the door shut before peering into the trees. The blue moon hung high in the sky, casting the swampy forest in a silvery glow. Spanish moss wept from the branches of towering cypress trees, and a bullfrog croaked in the distance. The dank scent of rotting foliage hung in the thick, wet air, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she caught sight of a shadow bounding through the trees.

Hopefully it was the tulpa and not a werewolf. She shook her head. Did she really hope the monster lurking in the trees was the slave of the man who lured her out here to kill her? According to Chase, Isaac and his tulpa weren’t the only predators in the swamp she needed to worry about tonight.

She crept deeper into the trees, carefully placing each step to avoid slipping and breaking an ankle. Her shoes squished in the mud as if she walked on a wet sponge, the ground becoming soggier the deeper she ventured into the woods.

Her heart thrummed. Was Chase already dead? Had Isaac called her into the swamp to watch him bury the man she loved before he killed her too? She couldn’t think that way. Not if she wanted to stand a chance against Isaac.

A rustling in the brush sounded off to her right, and she jerked her head toward the noise. The shadow rushed her, knocking her into a tree before darting off to the left. Her arm scraped against the bark with stinging pain, but she caught a glimpse of the dull-gray aura before the tulpa disappeared into the darkness.

She leaned her back against the tree and tried to calm her breathing. What was she thinking coming out here alone? Without her magic, she’d have to rely on strength and wit to outsmart the man who’d spent seven years planning his revenge. She’d rushed out here with no plan. No idea how to stop him.

Slipping her hand into her shoulder bag, she gripped the knife handle and tiptoed in the direction the shadow had run. Maybe she could reason with Isaac. Maybe she could convince him to…what? Let Chase go? Forgive her for sending him to a fate worse than death?

She stepped around a thick tree trunk, and her breath caught in her throat. Isaac stood in the clearing, his spine straight, the skin that clung to his bones filled out as if there were muscle beneath, the lifeless body lying at his feet evidence he’d fed.

Her heart stopped for a moment, but the form was too small to be male. He’d drained a woman, using her life energy to rebuild his own body, gaining temporary access to whatever magic she possessed.

“Rain, you’re just in time.” Isaac smiled as the tulpa scooped the woman from the ground and tossed her body into the murky water.

“Where is Chase?” She tightened her grip on the knife in her bag.

Isaac laughed. “I’ve changed my mind about your boyfriend. I’m going to kill you first, so you can leave this world knowing that even your death couldn’t save the ones you love from suffering.”

Her lungs tightened until she could hardly breathe. “Why hurt them? It’s me you want.”

He tilted his head. “Because hurting them hurts you, my love.”

Her jaw clenched, and the nails of her empty hand dug into her palm. “Don’t call me that. You never loved me. You loved my magic.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I was infatuated with you from the moment I saw you, but you weren’t the slightest bit interested in me. You were too focused on your goals. Opening your bakery. Gaining your place on the national council. I wasn’t skilled enough to cast a love spell; you know how hard those are to create. An obsession spell, though…” He stepped toward her, clutching his back as if the movement caused him pain. “It wasn’t an easy task, but it worked.” He laughed again. “Boy, did it work.”

The tulpa hovered next to her, inching closer, making her palms sweat. It’s not real. It can’t hurt me.

The shadow swiped a fist toward her face, and its hand turned to mist, disintegrating around her head and reforming behind her. She swallowed the bile creeping up the back of her throat.

Isaac narrowed his eyes, and the tulpa grabbed her bag, twisting it around her shoulder and pinning her arm behind her back. She held in a groan as sharp pain shot through her arm. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

“He can still manipulate objects, whether you believe in him or not.” The tulpa used her bag to throw her to the ground.

She landed on the same shoulder, and another wave of pain shot through her body. Using her hands, she pushed into a sitting position. “Let’s talk about this, Isaac. You don’t need to hurt anyone else.”

“We could have talked about it when you caught me draining you…before you tried to kill me. Now, it’s too late.”

“I wasn’t trying to kill you. I was trying to make the one you loved most hate you. How was I supposed to know you loved your power more than anything? I never would have done it if I hadn’t been under your spell.”

“We aren’t so different, you know?” He took another step toward her and grimaced as he clutched his hip. “You loved your power more than anything too. You didn’t have time for love until I made you make time.”

“That wasn’t love.” She crab-walked backward until her shoulder smacked a tree.

“Obviously not.”

Using the trunk for support, she pushed to her feet. “We’ve both suffered.”

“You call your little curse suffering?” He spat out a dry laugh.

“I can fix this. The council…they sent me a spell to break the curse. If I get my powers back, I can undo the spell I put on you. We can both be free.”

He paused, rubbing the raw skin on his jaw. Confliction clouded his eyes, his brow furrowing as he contemplated her offer. The tulpa reached into her bag, yanking out the butcher knife, and Isaac’s gaze hardened. “We can both be free? Is that why you brought a knife?” The tulpa pressed the tip against the base of her throat.

She swallowed, and the sharp point pierced a shallow layer of skin. “It was a precaution,” she dared to whisper.

“The council may think you’ve served your punishment, but I’ll watch you burn in hell for what you’ve done.”

With the blade pressed against her neck, she couldn’t convince her mind the shadow wasn’t real. It grabbed her arm, wrenching it behind her back, and forced her to her knees.