Free Cursed (The Order of the Wolf) by Angela Addams Page B

pushing when Annie was pulling.
    “That spell will only hold for ten minutes, tops…maybe less if his wolf is strong. We need to get clear of here until the Hunters arrive.”
    “The Hunters?” Darcy stumbled into the cool spring day, only then realizing that she was garbed in a T-shirt and nothing else.
    “Yes, girl, you’ll be safe and in their care shortly, united with your destined Hunter.”
    “Werewolf Hunters?” Darcy’s mind raced as Kat’s words played over in her head. United with your destined Hunter. “What are you saying? That I’m a Huntress?”
    Annie opened the door to her truck and tried to force her in. “Yes, girl! That spell you cast, the vengeance spell, didn’t ever work properly. You’d maybe feel a jolt, get thirty minutes out of it but then it would sizzle. You’re not powerful enough to wield a curse! Had a feeling something more was up when you said your spell on the wolf felt different—like a rope snapping into place is what you said. That’s why I called Kat. She’s in the Hunters’ service, on the lookout for wayward Huntresses.”
    Realization dawned on her a moment later and she pushed back, taking a step away from the truck door. “This was all a set up?” She pointed at Kat. “You made me think the spell had worked! I thought I’d cursed him!”
    “Way I see it, you shouldn’t have been meddling with curses anyway.” Kat scoffed, arms crossed over her chest.
    “I believed myself a murderer,” Darcy hissed. “I thought I was going to find a trail of dead men that I’d cursed. That’s horrible! How could let me think that? I thought I’d destroyed Raven’s life.”
    “I know this is confusing, Darcy. You two weren’t supposed to be here until later tonight! We needed time to get the Hunters in position,” Annie explained.
    “You told me I was screwed! You said the wolves would kill me if they caught me!”
    “I needed to get you afraid. No way was I gonna let you go to their side. This is war, Darcy. Hunters against the beasts. How did I know they wouldn’t kill you if they caught you? The wolves have killed other Huntresses before.”
    “Many.” Kat confirmed with a nod.
    “This is bullshit!” Darcy fumed. “If I’m a Huntress, shouldn’t I feel something? Wouldn’t I know?”
    “This is not the time to talk!” Kat yelled. “Annie, let’s go!”
    Annie touched Darcy’s arm gently. “Honey, trust me on this okay?”
    Darcy shook her head, her gaze snapping to the hotel, her heart tugging her in that direction. There had never been a curse. No byproduct of the spell.
    “Did you lure Raven here to die?” Darcy blurted the words, her brain jumping miles ahead as all the threads pulled together. If she was a Huntress… “Did you know I would be captured? That the wolves would find me? What was I, bait?” No, couldn’t be, that was too callous even for Annie.
    Annie gave her a hard shove, ignoring Darcy’s questions altogether. Her shins hit the step of the truck door, forcing her to scramble into the seat, Annie following close behind with Kat on the other side.
    “We suspected they’d catch up with you. Curse or not, when a wolf finds his mate, he won’t rest until she’s under his paws.” Annie finally said, picking over her words carefully. “I was doing what I thought best.”
    “You are destined to kill those beasts, not mate with them. You won’t know your true powers until you bond with your Hunter,” Kat snapped. “You won’t understand your proper alliances until you have your Hunter at your side, gracing you with all of the knowledge and power of the Order.”
    A howl echoed around them and Annie quickly shut her door and slammed her keys into the ignition.
    “So what I was feeling…what Raven was feeling…?” Darcy gulped back a lump in her throat. Every Huntress was tied to two males—the Hunter and the Beast. Choosing would effectively put her on one side, enemy to the other. If this was all true, she could