Mated by Fate (Hunted Mates Book 1) by Christa Wick & C.M. Wick

Author:Christa Wick & C.M. Wick [Wick, Christa & Wick, C.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Two fated couples…
Published: 2021-08-12T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Already a full month into her pregnancy, Lana Howard rubbed at her expanding belly as she sat in Esme's living room a few days after the trial.

"You weren't kidding about 'other factors' when you mentioned the difference between carrying a human child and a shifter." Pausing, she pointed at the visible baby bump. "I don't have to be a she-wolf to know this is one of those differences."

Esme nodded, her frown barely concealed. "I felt it was too…well, alien from a human perspective to tell you at the time. You might not have come with us, and it wasn't safe for you to remain off clan lands."

Lana leaned over and patted Esme's arm. "No blame. And, hey, three months instead of nine saves me six months of being bloated and cranky by my math."

Esme laughed. Truth was, it was saving Lana from being bloated and cranky at all. Her body was behaving exactly as a she-wolf's would: calm, strong, already carving out a den in Seth's former bachelor's pad, and fiercely protective of those she cared about.

"Coop wanted me to spy on you," Lana continued. "I might have told him to shove the idea up his overly tight ass."

Starting to swallow a sip of hot tea, Esme choked on it. Coughing and laughing at the same time, she sloshed some of the liquid onto her blouse.

"I haven't told anyone—not even Seth—about the artifact, either," Lana added as Esme moved into the kitchen to grab a towel. "Or the transcription you let me read before everything got crazy."

"Crazier," Esme corrected with a smile. "And thank you for keeping their existence quiet."

Twisting the towel in her hands, she stared into Lana's gaze as if searching for something.

"That's like the fifth time you've looked at me weird since I pulled into your drive," the young woman said. "Anything you need to say or do, you can trust me."

Trust me.

Everyone who had ever lied to Esme had used those words. Still, she couldn't keep the news locked up and Lana was the only one she trusted to help her who might actually be able to help her.

"Something happened with the artifact after the attack. Layers I could feel were there but had always remained locked suddenly opened up. It temporarily exhausts my magic to extract and read the new material, but that's the main reason I've been holed up."

"And why you haven't finished healing?"

Esme nodded. "I've learned more about spells and charms in the last two weeks than the first fifteen years of my life. I don't know if it's because of what happened to me or some side effect of all the crystals we brought back from Quentin's lair."

"The artifact contains spells?" Lana asked, her gaze pushing wide as she sat a little straighter. "Like an instruction manual?"

Another quick nod from Esme as she dabbed at her wet shirt, her thoughts distracted with the question of whether she should change into another blouse. Before she could decide, the charmed dance of silver bells on her porch plucked at the witch's spine.

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