Free Cursed by Destiny (WG 3) by Cecy Robson Page A

other end receded. “Thank you,” he finally said.
    Misha called from the doorway. “My darling, may I speak with you a moment?” I hadn’t even noticed him step outside.
    “I’d better let you go,” Aric said quietly.
    “I guess you should,” I answered back. I stared at the screen when he disconnected before tightening the robe around me and walking to the porch, where Misha, Gemini, Koda, and Shayna waited. The tow truck and Taran’s birthday gift were gone; only a line of vampires standing at parade rest remained along the street.
    Misha clasped his hand over mine. “Celia, neither you nor your family will be staying on the premises this evening,” he said. “We can’t be certain more Tribesmen won’t return.”
    Liam spoke to my sisters. “The Elders want us to come back to the Den and bring you so you’ll be safe. You’ll need to pack for at least a few days.”
    Shayna crinkled her nose at him. “What about Celia?”
    The wolves exchanged glances, probably trying to find the right words to tell me I wasn’t welcome. I saved them the trouble. “Shayna, the Elders don’t want me anywhere near the Den.” Or Aric.
    “Celia, it’s not Makawee or Martin. It’s Anara who’s opposed to your presence,” Gemini said quietly.
    That was a hell of an understatement. Anara despised me from the first moment we’d met and had made it clear I needed to stay far away from Aric. As a pureblood werewolf he believed himself of superior status. Pures and whatever I was shouldn’t mix, in his almighty opinion.
    Koda glared at Misha. It wasn’t until he glanced down at our hands that I realized his anger stemmed from Misha’s contact. Aric and I were no longer a couple. The scrutiny from the wolves made me uncomfortable. I was about to release Misha’s hand when I stubbornly decided against it. I found it hard to believe one of them would ever tell Aric’s fiancée, Barbara, that she shouldn’t touch Aric. Misha and I were friends, and considering the day I’d had, I welcomed his comfort. I wanted to call the wolves out until Taran interrupted.
    “What the hell? It’s my goddamn birthday. I want Celia with me.”
    “I know, sweetheart,” Gemini said. “And I apologize, but try to see the invitation as a compliment. They consider you valued members of the Alliance and wish to keep you under their protection.”
    Taran scoffed. “It’s more like they want to keep us on a leash, Gem. The only reason they want us there is because they’re worried we’ll join Team Misha.”
    Shayna’s long black ponytail swung when she shook her head. “And how can we take it as a compliment when they insult Celia by excluding her?”
    I didn’t want my family upset, especially on Taran’s birthday. The Tribemaster had seen pony rides and lollipops enough. “It’s okay, peeps. That’s what I get for throwing demon brains in Anara’s face.” I tried to laugh. No one laughed with me.
    Misha tightened his grip on my hand and moved me closer to him and away from Shayna. “You will stay with me, as always.”
    The way Aric’s Warriors glared, you’d think they had caught us in bed. My eyes narrowed, despite the flush to my face. I didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about, and they very well knew it. “Thank you, Misha. I’ll be ready as soon as I wash up.”
    I stormed to my suite, wanting to scrub the maggot juice off me and to distance myself from the wolves. Shit. Didn’t they realize that, if Aric hadn’t left me, I’d never have chosen the vampire road to Nutsville? Yes, I would have continued to hunt the Tribe. But it would have been at Aric’s side. He fortified my strength and bolstered my courage. Only in his arms had I ever felt truly safe.
    I washed my hair, pausing when I thought about how his fingers used to bury deep into my long waves when he kissed me. When I swept the sponge over my biceps, it was easy to envision those muscular arms that held me close and silently promised to protect