Page 40 of Wolf Chosen

I take my ring back and turn it over in my fingers. “It’s my lucky ring given to me by my grandmother. I never take it off.”

A small smile graces Elara’s lips. “It’s the symbol of fated mates, given to us by the Goddess so that they may find each other. It called to your wolf shifter heritage and made you feel safe.”

“It kind of looks like the symbol on Liam’s nape, but his is different,” I say.

Mitch’s brows knit and a shiver of unease runs down my spine. “You have a mark on your neck, Liam?”

Liam’s expression grows dim. I take his hand in mine and squeeze his fingers. “We haven’t told you yet but…Rowan’s magic worked.”

Zane shoots out of his chair. “What do you mean?”

The bond dims with Liam’s guilt but I won’t have that. “You know what Lunarith told you.”

Liam squares his shoulders. “I went feral. The goddess came to us and saved us both. I have everything to be thankful for.” He holds up his hand when Mitch braces himself. “I’m in no threat of turning feral now, although at the time I was going to ask you to cull me. The goddess said it was a violation and now she’s back to help us.”

“Liam, may I see the back of your neck?” Elara asks.

Slowly, hesitantly, Liam turns, baring his nape. I hated the mark when I discovered it.

“It wasn’t there before Rowan found us,’ I said.

“It's the same marking we've found on the ferals,” Mitch says grimly, his jaw tight with tension. “But you’re saved.”

I nod. “As soon as I put my ring to his nape, the goddess came and broke through the hold Rowan’s magic had on Liam.”

Liam brings our joined hands to his lips, his kiss a brand against my skin. “Taylor is my savior,” he murmurs, his voice rough with emotion. “In every way that matters, she brought me back from the abyss.”

Tears sting my eyes, my heart so full it feels fit to burst. The room is bathed in thick silence as Zane finds his seat. Mitch turns his stunned gaze to Elara. “That’s how we can save them.”

I blink at my Alpha. “I’m sorry…what?”

Mitch’s gaze roams over all of us. “We use the fated mates symbol.”

Elara leans back in her chair, her silver eyes faintly glowing. “Yes. That would work. The positive will burn out the negative.”

“It will mean they need to get close enough to touch,” Zane says.

Aria shudders. “I never want to get close to another feral in my life.”

Zane put his arm around her, his gaze falling on Elara. “That’s true and we won’t ask you to do that. We won’t risk fated mates. Elara…the ferals we’ve seen are gone. There’s nothing left of their minds. They’re worse than wild wolves.”

“They’re still being directed by black magic and now we know who Rowan is, there has to be a way to reverse it. I’ll ask my coven. If there’s anything we can try, one of us will know,” Elara says.

Mitch's next words are laced with urgency. “Can you take us to where you found Rowan?” he asks, his gaze darting between Liam and me.

As we step outside, the crisp fall air fills my lungs, invigorating me from the inside out. The urge to shift, to let my wolf run free, is a palpable thing, thrumming through my veins like a second heartbeat.

I glance at Liam, a silent question in my eyes. He grins, his own excitement pulsing through our bond. “Go on, love,” he murmurs, his voice low and intimate. “Let her out to play.”

Without hesitation, I move behind a bush to strip and then shift. I don't need any further encouragement. With a thought, I release my hold on my human form, letting the change ripple through me in a cascade of sensation.

It's a rush like no other, the feeling of my body reshaping itself, fur replacing skin and claws sprouting from my fingertips. In mere moments, I'm standing on four paws, my russet coat gleaming in the dappled sunlight.

The world is transformed, every sense heightened to an almost overwhelming degree. The rich loam of the earth, the crisp tang of pine, the musky odor of small prey… it all crashes over me, painting a vivid picture of the life that teems in the forest around us.

My wolf is ecstatic, her joy a bright flare in my mind. She prances in place, her tail wagging furiously as she yips and spins, eager to explore every inch of this new, wild world.

Liam chuckles, “Easy there, baby. We've got a job to do first. But I promise, once we're done, we'll play to your heart's content.”

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