Fated (The Stratton Pack Book 1) Read online

  “Hazel turned her back on my mother, and you did, too. Just like him,” she accused. The rogues around her snarled and bared their teeth as one of them dragged the silver-bound Silas into the clearing. His face was bloodied, and the silver burns stretched across his chest and neck, but he was still alive.

  Wyatt and Kitt growled at the sight of their father. Teddy could sense the wolf’s bane in his system as it weakened him. “He’s your father, Cora,” Teddy announced. “Yes, he did a bad thing. But this won’t make it right.”

  “Save the sob story,” Cora scoffed. “In fact, tell Ella yourself.”

  With a wicked smirk, she headed toward Hazel’s tree and raised her hands. She began to speak the incantation for the Revival, and Teddy glanced back at her aunts. She gave a quick nod before running after Cora.

  The rogues attacked, and the Stratton wolves ran at them. Andie snuck her way over to Silas while Seph used her powers of Alchemy to assist the wolves’ defense. Teddy felt the power of the full moon running through her veins. Her moonstone ring burned brightly, and she channeled the energy into her strength and speed.

  She powered through the throng of gnashing teeth and wild fur, stopping in her tracks when Emmett blocked her from Cora. “Emmett,” Teddy whispered, fear coloring her voice. He dropped to his knees, contorting as he shifted into his wolf. She tried to get past him, but he was too fast.

  A fire burst at the base of Hazel’s tree, and Teddy felt the wind knocked out of her. She felt the impending loss of Hazel’s spirit in her own soul, and the pain brought her to her knees. Emmett stalked toward her, his jaw open and eager to tear her apart.

  Teddy glanced at Seph, who’d been knocked off of her feet by one of the rogues. Andie had been cornered by another rogue, but she refused to leave Silas’ side. Panic seized Teddy’s throat, and, while she wanted to scream, she fought to make a sound.

  Emmett stood over her. “Emmett,” Teddy called tearfully, staring at the snarling wolf crouched over her. His jaws were inches from her throat, and his eyes glowed a violent purple. “It’s me. It’s your Teddy.” He growled viciously. “Come back. Please. Come back to me.” She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall down her face. “I love you,” she whispered, as his jaws inched closer.

  The next thing Teddy felt was Emmett’s cold nose pressed in the hollow of her neck. He breathed in her scent, letting it wash through his senses. She opened her eyes to see his bright, blue eyes staring back at her, and she grinned. “Emmett!” she cried, sitting up and wrapping her arms around his neck. He relaxed against her touch.

  “It can’t be,” Cora cried out, fear in her voice. “How did you break the spell?”

  With Emmett by her side, Teddy stood and glared at her cousin. “Because there’s no stronger magic than love,” she warned.

  Cora fumed. “Attack them!” she shouted at the remaining rogues. She raised a hand to send all of the other rogues at Teddy and Emmett, but Emmett stood in front of his mate protectively. He released an echoing howl, calling his fellow wolves out of Cora’s spell. Wyatt and Kitt joined in. Freed from his chains, Silas howled, the call of his pack healing his wounds. One by one, the rogues were released from Cora’s Enchantment. Teddy sent her healing energy to them, finally cleansing the wolf’s bane from their systems.

  As they rejoiced in their freedom, Cora glared at the wolves. “You haven’t won yet,” she laughed evilly. Smoke wafted into the clearing from the hazel tree, and the witches stared in the direction of Hazel’s grave. Silas and the wolves cornered Cora and pinned her down as Teddy raced toward Hazel’s grave. Emmett darted after her.

  Panic and fear rose in Teddy’s throat as she approached the burning tree. She raised her hands, letting the power of the full moon flow through her. With her Gift of Vigor amplified, she channeled every happy memory that she had of her family. Love flooded her heart, and her ring burned under the full moon. As she focused, the tree began to grow back, its burned branches healing. The flames died down just as the moon ascended its peak.

  Teddy turned to see her aunts standing beside Ella’s grave, where the rosebush burned. The last embers of the flames from Hazel’s tree had floated to the rosebush, sparking alight. The bush’s flowers were withered and black, its leaves burnt. Seph wiped a single tear from her eyes. “Ashes to ashes,” she spoke.

  “Dust to dust,” Andie concluded, staring at the grave.

  Gingerly, Silas approached the pair with Ella’s moonstone in hand. With the rosebush burned, Ella’s spirit was officially vanquished. She would never return to the world of the living, never to haunt her daughter or any other Kane witch ever again.

  Teddy approached her aunts, her magic stilling within her. “It’s over,” she announced. They turned to face her with pride in their eyes. “It’s finally over.”

  “She would be proud of you,” Seph pointed out.

  “Hazel?” Teddy asked.

  “Your mother,” Andie corrected. “All Maggie wanted was to right Ella’s wrong.”

  Teddy smiled, glancing at her mother’s tree and feeling like she could almost hear her mother’s voice on the wind. The wind danced through the branches of Maggie’s magnolia tree, and she breathed in the soft fragrance of the blossoms. She could practically hear her mother’s voice, and she wiped a tear from her eye.

  Emmett appeared by her side, his eyes curious. Teddy leaned her head against his neck. “Let’s go home,” she whispered into his fur.

  Epilogue

  The townspeople of Eaton knew how to throw a Harvest Festival. Children laughed and ran around, getting their faces painted, playing carnival games, and stuffing their faces. Andie came out to host a fortune-telling booth. Silas sat with Cora, getting to know his new daughter. Wyatt entered the pie-eating contest and won. Kitt and Phee sat on a picnic blanket, kissing and feeding each other. Waylon proposed to Seph with fresh cinnamon buns and a vintage ring.

  And Teddy and Emmett strolled through the pumpkin patch, hand in hand. They’d slept in each other’s arms the night of the full moon. Emmett told her every evil thought that Cora had forced into him while he was a rogue, and Teddy had helped him ease the fear in his mind. The next morning, he said he’d never slept so peacefully.

  Under the setting sun, Teddy leaned her head on her boyfriend’s shoulder, breathing in the scent of maple that lingered on his skin. “Thank you,” he said suddenly, as they watched the setting sun.

  “For what?” Teddy wondered, looking up at him.

  He turned and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. “For letting me be your wolf,” he answered, toying with a lock of her hair.

  “Always,” she replied, leaning closer to him. “As long as you don’t ever scare me like that again.”

  Emmett laughed and took her face in his hands. “I will never hurt you, Theodora Kane, as long as I shall live,” he promised, gazing into her eyes.

  “I know,” she murmured, closing her eyes and pressing her forehead against his. “But what about after the grave? In my experience, people can cause a lot of damage even after they’re dead.”

  He chuckled and sighed. “Point well made. How about this?” he offered. “I will never hurt you, Theodora Kane, because I will always love you.”

  Her cheeks warmed at his admission, and she kissed him. “I love you, too, Emmett,” she promised. They kissed again, and Teddy’s magic flourished within her. Just as she had when she was a little girl, Teddy knew that she was home.

  About Stella Blue

  Stella Blue is a lover of all things paranormal, unbelievable and in every sense of the word: fantastic. She can’t claim the title of human until at least her second cup of coffee every morning, but loves to wake up early. When she’s not pouring her heart into her writing she loves to explore thrift stores, always looking for the next imperfect piece to refurbish for her home, or visiting farmers market for her next attempt at culinary success.

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