Page 59 of Soul Fated

Kael's hand shot out, gripping my arm. "Careful."

I looked up at him, my wolf pushing against my skin, urging me to get closer. "I have to see it."

He hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. But stay close."

I nodded, and we moved together, Bill following a few steps behind. As we rounded the shed, the pool came into view. It was larger than I'd imagined, the water a deep, clear blue that seemed to glow in the dim light. Steam rose from the surface in thick, swirling clouds, and the ground around the pool was a mix of wet earth and smooth, slick rocks.

I stopped at the edge, my breath catching in my throat. Lana was already there. She'd stripped off her coat and rolled up her sleeves, revealing her bare arms. Her breath came in quick, shallow gasps, and her eyes were wild. She lay down on her stomach and draped her arms over the side, dipping her arms into the pool. The water lapped at her skin, beads of moisture forming and then slipping back into the depths.

"Lana," I called out. I wanted her to look at me. To let me know that she knew what she was doing.

She didn't respond, her focus entirely on the water that now covered her elbows. The heat was oppressive, the steam making it hard to breathe. I took a step closer, but Kael's hand shot out, grabbing my arm.

"Wait.”

Lana moved, and I snapped back to reality. She pulled her arms out of the water, her skin glistening, and reached for the dagger. My breath caught in my throat as she gripped the hilt, her knuckles white.

"Lana, you don't have to—" I started, but the words died in my throat as she raised the dagger.

Time seemed to slow. The metal blade gleamed in the dim light, and I could see the intricate designs etched into the hilt. Symbols I didn't recognize, but that felt ancient and powerful. Lana's hand shook as she held the dagger over her arm, the tip hovering just above her skin.

I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. Her eyes finally met mine, and in that instant, I saw her. The real her. Not the desperate woman in the truck, but the strong, determined wolf who'd launched at Kael in the tent.

She looked down, and with a swift motion, she drew the blade across her forearm. Blood welled up, dark and crimson, and dripped into the pool. The water hissed as it made contact, steam rising in thick plumes.

Lana's breath hitched, and she bit her lip, her face contorting in pain. But she didn't stop. She drew the blade across her other arm, then thrust both forearms back into the water.

The air seemed to hum with energy, the steam swirling in frantic patterns. I took a step forward, but Kael's grip tightened. "Wait," he repeated, his voice a low growl.

The power built, a pressure against my skin that made my ears ring. The water in the pool started to bubble, the surface churning as if something massive moved beneath it. Lana's eyes widened, and she let out a strangled gasp. Her back arched, and the dagger slipped from her grasp, clattering to the rocks. She tried to pull her arms out of the water, but they were stuck, her muscles straining against an invisible force.

The ground trembled, and I stumbled, Kael's arm the only thing keeping me upright. The steam thickened, and the air grew so hot it was hard to breathe. My blood pounded in my ears, and my wolf howled within me, urging me to bolt.

"Lana!" I shouted, but my voice was swallowed by the roar of the water.

Then it happened. The pressure reached a breaking point, and with a deafening crack, energy exploded. I was thrown backward as the shockwave hit me. The world spun, and I landed hard on my back, the air knocked from my lungs.

When my vision cleared, I immediately looked for Kael. What I found made the blood in my veins turn to ice. Lana strode toward me, her eyes wild, her hand gripping the dagger. The runes on the hilt glowed a ghostly white.

This wasn’t my friend anymore.

This was my executioner.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

Kael

Ibarely had time to process Lana's movement before I was sprinting. When she lunged for Callista, every thought in my head disappeared.

Protect.

Nothing else mattered. Not Bill, not the dagger, not Destin or the alphas. What had gone wrong? One moment Lana was making the blood sacrifice, and the next, she was hunting Callista down.

I was a blur, moving almost faster than I could process. My vision narrowed to a pinpoint focus on my target. I slammed into Lana, and we both went down. Lana hit the ground hard, and the dagger slipped from her grasp. It dropped to the grass.

"Ah!" Callista doubled over, clutching her arm.

---