The Cursed Prince by Teresa Roman (reading e books txt) 📕

now.” Nicolai pulled me closer to him. “Leave before my brothers find you and rip you to shreds.”

Peter laughed a hollow and vicious laugh. “You wolves may be powerful, but you’re not very bright. You didn’t really think I’d show up here without a plan, did you? I’m the one who sent your witch running back home. And I lured two of your brothers out to hunt for me. The other was no match for me and is barely hanging onto his life. I’ve never fed from a wolf before. I must say, it was surprisingly satisfying.”

Nicolai’s eyes widened, and his jaw clenched. “I’m going to kill you.”

“The only thing you’re going to do is give me Willow.”

Peter kicked at the door. We were trapped. Once Peter managed to get into the room, there was nowhere to go. Panic clouded my mind as I pictured Peter feeding from Nicolai, draining his life from him like he’d done with my father. Every second of it would be torture for Nicolai. I swallowed the lump of fear threatening to choke me. There was no way I’d let Peter take anything else from me.

“I know what you did to my father, and I hate you for it, you sick bastard.”

“That was an unfortunate turn of events. I hadn’t planned on killing him. All I wanted was a bit of that magic you told me had been used on him. Turns out your father was good for more than I’d anticipated. I learned so much from him as I fed that by the time I was done he was no more than a husk. Ending him was a mercy.”

I choked back a cry. Peter kicked at the door again.

“You will never get your hands on Willow again,” Nicolai said. “Do you hear me?”

The door splintered. “I will. And she will enjoy it as much as I do. That’s how it is with us. Isn’t that right, Willow?” When I didn’t answer, he continued. “Incubi know how to please their lovers. I’ve felt the way you trembled at my kiss. Imagine how I’d make you feel in bed. If it wasn’t for that nosy witch, you would’ve already had the pleasure of knowing.”

The door finally gave way. Peter stepped into the room, cornering me and Nicolai. Nicolai lunged at him. I stepped in front of him before he could make contact.

“Don’t even think about shifting, wolf.” Peter reached around to his back, retrieving a dagger. It hovered above his palm. “This is silver.” He glared at me. “Has your friend told you what silver does to werewolves?”

“My brothers will figure out that they’ve been tricked,” Nicolai said. “They’ll be back, and when they return one blade won’t be a match for three wolves.”

“One last chance.” Peter’s voice had deepened, and his pupils dilated until the blue of his eyes was completely eclipsed. “Give Willow to me and I’ll let you live.”

Nicolai growled and pulled me closer. “Never.”

“My patience is wearing thin.”

For a moment fear paralyzed me, but then my emotions shifted. Peter had deceived me, he’d killed my father, and if I didn’t stop him, he’d kill Nicolai too. I would not let him win. Fury ran through my body like a current from a live wire. Something within me, something I’d never truly realized I had gave me strength. I stepped to the side, away from Nicolai, held my arms out and my palms up in front of me and chanted the words of a pyrokinesis spell. One I’d just made up myself.

Fire and fury

Surround this man before me

Flames erupted from the floor, crackling as they circled Peter trapping him in the spot he stood. One step and he’d be set on fire.

His eyes flashed, and his facial features morphed into something monstrous. “Nice trick, Willow. But it’s not enough.” He lifted his arm, revealing talon-like fingers that now held the hilt of the dagger. It glistened in the light of the fire. “Extinguish these flames and come with me now, or I’ll kill the wolf.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

With Peter unable to move, Nicolai and I had a chance to make a run for it. Nicolai must’ve had the same thought. He grabbed my hand, pulling me after him.

As we ran to the door I glanced over my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted the dagger as it flew from Peter’s hand. Without thinking I dropped Nicolai’s hand and pushed him hard, desperate to get him out of the path of that silver blade. Nicolai stumbled. Pain that seemed to come out of nowhere gripped me. I screamed as I realized Peter’s dagger had just thudded into my chest. The force of it threw me to the floor. I grabbed at the hilt, wanting nothing more than to pull it out and stop the pain that burned through my body like the flames that surrounded Peter.

“Willow.” Nicolai’s face was frozen in horror.

Blood dripped from my wound. Too much of it. Pulling the blade out would only make things worse, but the pain. I couldn’t stand it.

“Just go,” I managed to tell Nicolai. “Save yourself.”

Nicolai roared, “No!”

I stared up at him, my eyes widening in disbelief as I realized something was happening to him. For a moment I was sure blood loss had me in shock and I had to be hallucinating. Somehow Nicolai had morphed into his wolf form even though he wasn’t supposed to be able to. He lifted his head and then lunged at Peter.

I yelped and tried to crawl away. Far from Peter and from Nicolai, who had sunk his large canines into Peter’s flesh. Peter tried to pry himself from Nicolai’s grip, but the powerful jaw of a wolf was too much even for Peter. Nicolai lunged again, this time biting Peter in the neck. Black blood sprayed from his wound, soaking into Nicolai’s fur. I collapsed to the floor, too weak to keep myself upright. My mind struggled to sort out what