Page 96 of Cursed By Fate

“Someone?”

He wanted to know if it was an ex. A romantic rival. As if it mattered. Vale and I were an impossibility.

“No one of consequence.”

“But someone from your past.”

I threw him a bone. “Where she belongs.” I cleared my throat. “I thought Keith’s plan was to rule the pack as its alpha. It’s to rule the whole island. He’s trying to crown himself king.”

“And you want me to kill the werewolf-who-would-be-king with my father’s sword?”

“I want it as backup. I’d rather not kill him, if at all possible, but I need your help.”

“Why isn’t anyone else stopping him?”

“They can’t. He’s manipulating their minds.” Penny! I had to warn Penny. With me out of the way, Keith might try to hurt her next. “I need to call my office.”

“Not in the hallway. Step into my study where it’s quiet.”

By the time I stepped into the grand study, I had Penny on the phone.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“I just finished my yoga class at the gym. Is something wrong?”

I inhaled slowly. “I need you to not ask me any questions and do as I tell you. Can you do that, Penny?” Of course she could. She was fury; it was ingrained in her.

“Anything you say, boss.”

Although her very presence on the island endangered my life, I couldn’t knowingly endanger hers.

“There’s a Neighbor named Laurel Oakes. She lives as off the grid as you can get on the island. A cabin near the marshlands. I want you to get in your golf cart and go to her. Tell her I told you to stay there until you hear from me again.”

“Maya, this sounds serious. I’m the assistant director of security. I shouldn’t be hiding.”

“Normally, I would agree with you, but in this instance, I need you to stay out of sight. I’ll explain later.”

“Okay. Take care, Maya.”

With Penny and me out of the way, Keith would proceed with his takeover plan, which would likely start with commandeering a better property, if his ego had anything to say about it. A move that could be easily undone later.

I spun toward Vale. “There’s a ritual that might help us. We need to find one that can break the magical sealant so that Hypnos’s blood stops recycling.” Once that happened, the god’s blood would leave his system naturally, leaving only the scrawny werewolf behind.

Vale massaged the back of his neck. “We also need to assemble a team.”

“We need a plan first. We can’t storm the island. Neighbors will get hurt.”

“Even with a plan, I can’t promise you no one will get hurt, Maya.”

I knew he was right. It was unrealistic, and yet I still wanted to do everything in my power to keep them safe. We’d welcomed a wolf among the sheep. The flock was my responsibility and I’d let them down. Judd was rolling over in his grave.

“Keith will expect me to come back with reinforcements. You might want to consider leaving the yacht here.”

“You can’t fly us all over in one go.”

“No, but we could take multiple boats. Spread out and arrive on different parts of the island. Divide and conquer. They may be less likely to attack if we don’t appear to be a threat.”

The thought of the witches collectively using their magic sent shivers down my spine. With Keith in control, all the rules and regulations were out the window.