Chapter 49
-Grayson’s POV-
The past was something I’d buried years ago. Or at least, I thought I had. Whenever it started clawing its way back to the surface, I’d call on Maria to suppress the memories with her magic. It never lasted, though. No matter what she did, they crept back.
Like shadows that followed me wherever I went.
As soon as we got back from Italy, I went straight to Maria’s. Calling her would’ve been pointless–she’d take her sweet time getting back to me, and right now, I needed the memories gone. I needed my head clear, especially if I was going to be anywhere near Ava. Whatever this emotion was… wherever it was coming from, I had to shut it down.
“You know you don’t have to frown all the time,” Maria’s voice broke through my thoughts as she set a steaming cup of tea in front of me, eyes flicking up in that knowing, annoyed way of hers.
I frowned harder. “And you don’t have to live in a shack that barely fits one person, let alone your ego.”
She rolled her eyes, settling herself on a chair that looked like it had barely survived the last century. “You know, I like where I live, Grayson. It’s small, it’s mine, and I don’t have to answer to anyone in it. I know you think I’m practically begging to be dragged into the 21st century, but I don’t need your real estate advice.” She leaned forward, voice more serious. “Now, why don’t we focus on why you’re here.”
I leaned back, exhaling heavily. “The spell’s wearing off. I’m starting to remember.”
A flicker of sympathy crossed her face before she quickly pushed it aside. Maria knew better than to let pity show around me. She mirrored my sigh, crossing her arms. “I warned you, Gray. The more I surpress the memories, the more bad the eventual consequences will be.”
“And I’ve told you,” I snapped, jaw clenching. “I’ll handle it when it comes.”
Maria flinched, a subtle movement, but my wolf noticed, growling within. I closed my eyes briefly, reigning him back. “I didn’t mean to snap. It’s not you I’m mad at.”
“I know,” she said gently, her tone dropping. “You’re mad at yourself, and it’s leaking into everything. Your aura’s practically pulsing around this whole room.” She eyed me with a hint of suspicion. “Does this…. agitation have anything to do with her?
“Yes.”
The word left my mouth before I could stop it, and from the way her eyebrows shot up, she hadn’t expected it either. Silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable, and before I could reel it back in, more words came pouring out.
“I took her to Italy, and-”
“Oh, romantic getaway?” Maria teased with a grin.
I shot her a glare, and her smirk quickly disappeared.
“As I was saying… I took her to Italy. She got kidnapped and shot at. Ricardo was behind the kidnapping, but the shot wasn’t his doing.”
Maria studied me, tilting her head slightly. “So, let me guess. You’re already planning revenge, but you won’t kill him.”
I raised an eyebrow, surprised at her insight.
She continued, “You enjoy the rivalry between the two of you. You have plenty of enemies, but Ricardô is the only one who keeps things interesting. And knowing him, that shot was probably an accident. The man can’t aim to save his life–I’d know,
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Chapter 49
considering how often you have me keep tabs on him with my magic.”
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If I were anyone else, I’d have rolled my eyes. Apparently, everyone but me was aware of this… “friendly” rivalry I supposedly had with Ricardo.
“Is she alright?” Maria’s voice softened, snapping me back.
“Yes,” I muttered. “But… she’s latent. There’s no wolf in her to protect her. Other than her werewolf bloodline, she’s entirely human.”
Maria’s expression shifted, a new understanding in her eyes. “So you’re worried about her. She’s vulnerable, and if your enemies come after her again and you can’t reach her, she has no way to defend herself.”
The way she could read me so easily irked me, but I stayed silent. She didn’t need any more confirmation than that.
A smile crept onto her face, and I immediately knew I wasn’t going to like what she was about to say. “You care about a woman. You, Grayson, actually care. I never thought I’d see the day,”
“Don’t push it,” I ground out, jaw tightening.
She raised her hands in mock surrender. “Just stating the facts,” she said, though her teasing tone faded, replaced with seriousness. “I might have a solution to that problem. There’s a way I could link your essence to hers. Not a full bond like a mate, but… a connection. You’d sense if she was in danger, and if she really needed it, she could draw a bit of your strength.”
“Do it,” I replied instantly.
Her lips quirked up in amusement. “Isn’t that something you’d want to discuss with her first?”
I kept my face blank. “No.”
“No, because it would make you seem like you actually care?”
I stared her down, not saying a word. She let out a sigh. “Fine. I will do the spell but here is the deal. You only get one spell from me so you have to choose and I hope it will be to protect her because I can’t keep helping you suppress your memories, it’s not healthy Gray. You have to deal with the past, not try to forget it.”
“I told you to stop bringing it up. Just do the linking spell. I’ll find another witch to suppress the memories.”
She sighed, resigned, like she’d finally accepted that some things never change. “I’ll need a personal item of hers- something she’s touched, something that holds meaning for her
I reached into my pocket, pulling out the silver charm bracelet. I tossed it to her, daring her to comment.
Maria’s eyes sparkled with mischief, but she said nothing, only giving a small smile as she disappeared to gather her materials.
A few minutes later, she returned, arms full of herbs, a small silver bowl, and a vial of some dark, inky liquid.
She set the items down on the floor, drawing a circle with salt around us, and murmuring words under her breath. The air thickened, charged with a strange, electric energy. Maria placed the bracelet in the silver bowl, pouring the inky liquid over
- it.
“This is going to hurt,” she said, meeting my gaze.
I nodded, unflinching. Pain was nothing new.
She began chanting, low and steady, her voice rising and falling in a rhythm that seemed to reverberate through my bones. The liquid in the bowl started to bubble, releasing a dark, smoky haze that twisted and curled like something alive.
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“Give me your hand,” she commanded, holding out a small dagger. Without hesitation, I held my hand over the bowl, watching as she sliced a thin line across my palm. Blood dripped into the mixture, each drop sending a small ripple through the liquid.
Maria’s chanting grew louder, the words foreign and ancient, pressing into the air until it felt like I was breathing in the weight of it. The bracelet began to glow, faint at first, then brighter, pulsing like a heartbeat.
A sharp pain exploded in my chest, searing through my veins as the link began to take hold. My vision blurred, and for a moment, I felt something–a flicker of her presence, faint but there, a small warmth amidst the cold.
Then, just as quickly, it was gone. The glow faded from the bracelet, and the pain dulled, leaving only a hollow ache.
Maria’s chanting stopped, and silence settled over us like a heavy blanket.
“It didn’t work,” she said, her voice low and troubled.
I clenched my jaw. “What do you mean, it didn’t work?”
She looked up, frustration flickering in her eyes. “There was… resistance. Something blocking the link. I think you two need to be unified for me to cast this spell. I can do it when the priest announces it at the wedding. When is it?”
“Monday next week.” My tone was clipped.
“First of all, I’m offended I didn’t receive an invitation. And second, why are you marrying on a Monday? Weddings are on Saturdays.”
“Because I do what I want.”
She rolled her eyes, smirking. “You sound like a spoiled child. But that aside, I can cast the spell during the wedding. That might give you enough time to actually talk to her about it first.”
“No.” My answer was immediate, firm. “If it can only happen then, Monday is too far away. Anything could happen between now and then. I need this protection link done now.”
She shot me an irritated look. “Well, I’m not a miracle worker.”
“Unfortunately,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “That spell you do with papers to send messages, the one that always annoys me–do it now. Send a message to Ava.”
“Ava? We finally get a name,” she teased, then quickly raised her hands in mock surrender at my glare. “Fine, no need to get all growly. What’s the message?”
“Tell her I’ve decided to take over the plans for the wedding… and it’s happening tomorrow.”
SEND GIFT
