Wulfric

"So?" Edmund asked once we arrived back at the magic shop. I ripped off the blindfold and glared at the wall across from me.

That didn't go the way I expected. We were supposed to pop in and out. Fen was supposed to tell me where my soulmate was so I would know what part of the world to avoid, and then I was supposed to be free.

I wasn't supposed to know his name was Griffin.

I wasn't supposed to have made what had to be a truly bizarre impression on a man I never meant to see again, whose opinion somehow still mattered.

And Griffin sure as hell wasn't supposed to have ever known I was there, or that I was his soulmate.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded, whirling to face the fae man whose eyes were full of turmoil.

"What?"

"That! We weren't supposed to stop to chat. In and out. That was the job," I ranted. Maybe I was being irrational. After all, it was clear Fen knew these people, and the fact he'd removed me from that situation at all was a minor miracle.

"We left right away!" Fen protested. "I barely said anything."

"You said too much." Now I knew about Griffin and he knew about me. He knew I was a vampire, knew I had found him through Fen.

Fen, who I was antagonizing... and who probably wouldn't keep doing me favors if I bullied him. What if he brought Griffin to me?

"I'm sorry. I was just surprised," Fen said, looking and sounding wretched. He looked helplessly to Glenna and Safiya, who had been watching us up to that point.

"Oy, cut it out," Safiya demanded, glaring at me.

I massaged my temples and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to ignore the way the world had gone red. Anger was a very visceral thing as a vampire, something that fogged our minds and whet our appetites for violence and blood. If I didn't calm down, things could get ugly.

Arms gently enfolded me. Edmund. Another body slammed into ours, joining in on the hug. Arlo. I breathed them in, and when I opened my eyes again the world had regained its normal color.

I looked to Fen, whose arms were wrapped around himself. His shoulders hunched inward, and he looked terribly guilty. "Sorry," I begrudgingly said. "Can we sit down and try this again?"

He nodded and even tried to smile a little at me, which only made me feel worse for lashing out, even though I was still angry at how things went down. Edmund refused to let go of me and I ended up wedged onto a sofa between him and Arlo. The witches and Fen sat down, too, watching me expectantly.

"What happened back there?" I asked even though I wasn't sure I wanted to know more.

Fen swallowed and looked to Glenna for help. She nodded encouragingly, offering him a warm smile full of love and support. Thank goodness she was here if he needed this kind of nurturing, because I wasn't the type to provide it. "I'm sorry for lingering. I wasn't expecting to know your soulmate."

Safiya perked up at this. "Ooh, who is it? A mer? A fae?"

"Griffin," Fen said softly, looking guilty and conflicted.

"What!" Safiya said too loudly. "Little baby Griffin? Everett's Griffin?"

Everett? Who the hell was Everett and why would he have any claim over my soulmate? Unwelcome feelings of jealousy flared without warning and that red tinge started encroaching on my field of vision again. Stop it, I commanded myself. It didn't help.

"Yeah," Fen said, looking even guiltier.

"Damn," Safiya whispered. She and Glenna exchanged a long look I couldn't interpret, and I watched expressions play over their features like they were having a silent conversation. Finally, Glenna nodded.

"This is a complication," Glenna said in that sweet, gentle voice of hers. "Griffin is a werewolf. One of the few creatures in this world who can sense their soulmates."

Her eyes held on mine, making sure I took in the full impact of her words. And I did. I was screwed. By seeking out my soulmate, I brought myself to his attention. And he had all the tools he needed to find me.

I looked at Edmund, whose brow was furrowed with worry. He bit his lower lip and I could see that his fangs had extended some, probably from stress. I had failed him.

"Will you bring him to me if he asks you to?" I asked Fen.

Fen looked like he wanted to disappear. Were all fae this delicate? His eyes pleaded with me for mercy I wouldn't offer. I simply watched him until he sagged in defeat and shook his head. "No."

I was honestly surprised. Not by his answer, but by the fact that I believed him. "Why not?"

His eyes drifted to my brother and I understood before he explained, "This is a family matter."

Maybe Fen had a little brother he protected as fiercely as I did my own? I wasn't sure, and in the end, the reason didn't really matter. "Thank you. And... I apologize again for snapping at you earlier. I shouldn't have done that."

Now he offered me a genuine smile I didn't deserve and seemed to fully relax in my presence for the first time. "Don't mention it. I understand. You're not the first person I've met who doesn't handle stress and anger well."

Such a comment should have ignited my anger again. I was already on edge and I hated my capability being called into question. Yet, the more I talked to Fen, the harder it was to be upset with him. Something about him defied the notion. His earnestness, his promise not to betray me, the tender way he looked between my brother and myself... Even now, his eyes were soft as he smiled at Glenna and accepted a steaming mug from her.

"Well, this has been an eventful morning," Safiya said wryly.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble," Edmund said.

Arlo snorted and said, "Don't you ever get sick of apologizing for Wulf?"

"Not so far," Edmund replied, unphased by the teasing. He was remarkably even-tempered, especially for a vampire.

Glenna refilled Arlo's cup and he nodded his thanks at her. Safiya pulled out her phone and started texting. Fen shifted in his seat like he might be preparing to leave.

"What can you tell me about Griffin?" I asked. Safiya sat up straight in her chair immediately, putting her phone aside and staring intently at me. Glenna's delicately-arched brows raised in surprise. Fen took the question into stride, which I was grateful for. "Well, he was always the quiet sort," he began.

I shook my head. "No, no. That's not what I meant." The last thing I needed was to hear more about him as a person. "Where does he live? What places should I avoid?"

Safiya cast me a disappointed look and slid back down into her chair, phone back in hand. Edmund bumped his leg against mine in a silent reminder that he was by my side. As if I needed reminded after centuries spent relying on each other. Fen bit his lip and looked sad again, but answered the question.

"He lives in the Tourmaline pack. It's near here, a little to the southeast. Really, you should stay away from this whole region if you want to avoid him. I don't think he does much travel, but with wolves you never know," Fen said.

"What do you mean?" Arlo asked curiously.

Fen's eyes met mine, then slid away. "Well, they get impatient sometimes waiting to find their mate. It's not uncommon for werewolves to go out searching for them."

I pressed my lips into a thin line. Especially now that I'd called attention to myself, Griffin might come looking. We didn't live anywhere near here, but was it still too close? How far away was too far for him to seek me out?

Had I really come all this way without gaining any new geographical freedom? Would the smart thing actually be to move even further away? Would the curse lead him to me anyway? Maybe I was a fool for ever thinking I could outrun fate.

I dropped my head into my hands, feeling defeated. I didn't know how to save myself and my brother, and the grief from losing my sister was still too fresh. I didn't know what to do.

Edmund rubbed circles on my back and asked, "Is there anything we can do? Maybe a masking charm or something to keep Wulfric hidden?"

That pulled me out of my head and I looked up in time to catch the sisters exchanging a look.

"No," Safiya said, but it was clear she was speaking to Glenna rather than answering Edmund.

"Safiya-"

"No, I won't do it. Soulmates are the best thing that can happen to a person. I don't know what you have against them, but I can't believe you're willing to support something like this. It's already gone far enough."

"Safiya, please-" Fen tried, but Safiya stood and put fisted hands on her hips.

"I said no. Think about what you're asking of me. Fen, what if someone cloaked Zale from you? What if you knew he was out there and could feel the bond you share, but no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't find him? You want me to do that to Griffin? It's not happening," Safiya ranted.

Fen looked stricken, and his eyes filled with sadness. He looked to me and Edmund again. It was easy to see how conflicted he was feeling.

"Wait, what do you mean he can feel the bond?" Arlo asked.

I frowned as the question sank in. Safiya glared at me before she answered him. "Werewolves are special. Glenna already told you that werewolves can sense their soulmates. You were near him, right? Near enough that Fen recognized him. So, you were near enough for Griffin to smell you. His bond with you would have awakened. I can't imagine what he's going through right now."

Her anger fizzled out toward the end as sadness took over, and an unexpected wave of guilt churned my stomach. "What does that mean for him?" I asked, even though I really, really didn't want to know the answer.

Glenna answered, "It means that he'll feel your loss."

"He's going to hurt as long as you aren't there," Safiya added, her tone harsh. "Every single day."

"Wulf, maybe we should talk about this," Edmund said quietly. His teeth were really digging into his lower lip now, enough that a small bead of blood was forming. His tongue darted out to lick it up and he switched to anxiously twisting his hands together in his lap.

"There's nothing to talk about," I said, despite the sick feeling building in my gut. Everything about this was wrong. But I couldn't be responsible for Griffin's happiness. It was already stretching me to my limit, trying to ensure mine and my brother's. Griffin would have to find a way to handle his own problems.

Silence fell over the room, along with an odd sense of comradery, even with Safiya. I understood her. If our positions were reversed, I'd probably be arguing her side. If someone hurt Edmund the way I was apparently hurting Griffin, no way would I sit quietly by and let it happen.

If anyone was going to help Griffin find me, it was her. And I couldn't be upset with her over it. Not that I was going to sit back and let it happen.

"Let's try this from another angle," Glenna suggested. "The whole problem is your curse, yes? Maybe we can find a way to break it."

"It's no good. Breaking the curse would just make them human sooner," Arlo pointed out.

"Okay, we won't try breaking the curse. What if we tried modifying it?" Glenna said.

"Can you do that?" I asked.

"I don't know," she muttered, looking troubled. "I've never dabbled in curses."

"First time for everything!" Safiya said with sudden energy, running into the magic shop.

She came back several minutes later with her arms full of books. Arlo hurried to his feet and took several thick tomes from her, earning a grateful smile, and Glenna cleared the coffee table so they could be piled there.

"This is everything we had handy on spellcasting and cursecraft," Safiya said, brushing her palms together and sending spirals of dust into the air.

I reached out and took the closest tome, Ars Verhexen. A quick rifle through the pages confirmed what I already suspected: I couldn't read a word of this. In fact, only a couple of titles looked English-friendly. I exchanged a look with Edmund, who timidly raised a hand into the air. "Um, can you guys actually read all of these?" he asked.

Safiya smiled, her eyes glinting with satisfaction. "'Course we can. Any witch worth their magic can translate a spell book. We're talking Magic 101 here."

She pulled a small cloth pouch out her pocket. It was cinched shut with thin leather straps that came apart when she tugged them. Inside were several long, prismatic crystals. They were almost completely clear with just the slightest rainbow sheen betraying that they were minerals rather than glass. She pulled one out and held it up, casting rainbows throughout the room.

"Watch this." She got too close to me, opening the book on my lap and placing the prism down over a line of text. When I peered through it, the ink underneath wavered and shifted into English.

"Incredible," I murmured. She grinned wider and handed it over to me so I could try it out on my own. I moved it down along the page and watched in awe as words moved in and out of my comprehension following the slide of the prism. Edmund and Arlo leaned in to watch, and Arlo immediately made grabby hands toward Safiya.

"I want to try!" he said eagerly. She chuckled and passed prisms out to everyone in the room, even Fen. And we all got to work.