Cursed (The Order of the Wolf) Read Online Free Page A

not where spells were concerned. Annie was all about the balance—you cast only what you think you can handle, because karma had a funny way of whooping your butt when you needed it. Darcy found Annie’s philosophy a little superstitious and besides, she might be using a curse, but she was doing it to right a wrong, so karma could kiss her ass.
    “Is this the spell you used?” Annie shoved the grimoire in Darcy’s direction, her finger posed above a spell Darcy knew intimately.
    “Yeah, that’s the one.”
    Annie nodded as she pulled the book back and flipped it closed. “I hate to say it, Darcy, but you’re screwed.”
    “What?”
    Annie slid the book back on the shelf. “I told you karma would bite you in the ass one day. That spell is irreversible. It’s a true curse. The only way to stop it is to terminate the source.”
    “Terminate the source?” New fear bubbled up Darcy’s throat and the tea she’d drunk came surging from her stomach.
    “Uh huh, and if those wolves find you, that’s exactly what they’re going to do.” She tapped her fingers on the table, clicking her nails in contemplation. “Unless…”
    “Unless what?” Darcy snapped her gaze to meet Annie’s, desperate enough to do just about anything.
    “You don’t happen to know any Hunters, do ya?” She took a casual sip of her tea. “Or better yet, a Huntress?”
    “You can’t be serious!” Darcy gasped. Hunters, the wolf slaying variety, were an ancient breed of males who trained their whole lives in preparation for initiation into the Order of the Wolf. Magical beings who passed their training, knowledge and powers onto their destined mate once they found her. The Huntress. A powerful female descended from Amazon warriors, the only known creature on the planet who could kill a werewolf. “I don’t want Raven dead!”
    Annie scoffed. “Likely him and his pack aren’t going to give you the same consideration.”
    “I’m shocked, Annie. I didn’t take you for a wolf hater.” Darcy shook her head, her mind reeling. Annie had always been indifferent, cautioning against meddling or even interacting with other species, but taking no other interest. “I thought you were more open-minded than that.”
    Annie narrowed her eyes, tapped her finger against the side of her cup. “You know very little about how the world works, girl. That much is obvious. You cursed a werewolf, a beast, and he’ll come for you, you can bet your skinny ass on that. He won’t rest until he finds you—that’s the way those creatures work. Better him dead than you, is what I say.”
    Darcy slumped, arms crossed over her chest, fear taking hold once again. “What can I do?”
    “Without a Hunter?” Annie shook her head sadly. “I suggest you leave the country, my dear, and pray that the pack doesn’t follow you, or you’re as good as dead.”

Chapter Five
    Raven struggled to regain consciousness, but his eyes were so heavy, his body weighted down by exhaustion, it was a difficult battle. It had been a long day—the witch’s spell weaving its way through him, his wolf fighting to keep it from taking hold completely. And now that the sun had set and he was in his human form, he lay totally annihilated, his energy zapped.
    His wolf had done what it could to keep the spell from binding fully, but it hadn’t completely won. That was the problem with magic: you could only battle it so much before you needed to go to the source. He needed to find that fucking girl and make her reverse whatever she had done.
    Yes, find the girl. Find her. She belongs to you. He had to admit, the ache for her had never really gone away. A longing that gnawed at his gut, a primal urge to locate her, and yet no real recollection of what she looked like or how to find her…even what her name was.
    Good thing he had his wolf. His wolf would scent her out. Her smell was all over him, all over his sheets—her essence seemed to have permeated his very flesh. And he wanted