Page 48 of The Alpha's Fated Destiny

The forest is just up ahead.

The night air is silent. Even the insects seem to have sensed the dangerous creatures afoot.

The heavy footfalls have ceased.

I look in the direction of my pursuers and stumble to a halt when I realize none of them are moving. Instead, they're standing eerily straight, staring at me. Unnerved and disturbed by the sight, I take a few more steps.

Why are they just standing there watching me like that?

A dark feeling of foreboding washes over me. This field of corpses tells me that they are dark witches who deal in death.

I have to get out of here!

My body moves desperately.

I've barely managed to take a few steps, when I feel a painful slash against my back. The sound of my shirt tearing is secondary to the white-hot agony radiating from my back. I can smell my blood in the air.

I nearly fall over, but when I turn slightly, the witches have not moved.

I try to summon my magic, but whatever was in the beef stew, it's done something to me. I can't shift. I can't use my magic.

It could either be something they've done to me, or it's because of whatever has been happening to me lately.

My lungs are burning as I receive slash after slash against my back, my vision blurring from the pain and the fatigue. The bond! I can't even feel Alex. I have no strength left. But I can't give up.

I make it out of the fields and I hear screeching sounds from behind me. I'm not waiting around to face whatever the hell made that noise. Staggering through the forest, I'm no longer tracking any scent. Now this is just about survival. I've lost too much blood and I'm losing even more. I need a place to hide.

I need to escape.

I try to bring about my shift once again, fueled by desperation, but no matter how much my wolf struggles, it can't come out.

Outrunning the witches is becoming harder and harder.

If I was in my wolf form…if only Alex was here…

A boost of energy comes out of nowhere, almost as if my desperation and fear have reached through to my mate. My wolf immediately takes control. I've never experienced a more violent shift, but I'm running on all fours now, my back still bleeding.

Get away!

We have to get away!

That's the only thought raging in my mind at this moment. I still can't use my magic. It's almost as if my wounds are festering and affecting my agility. Another boost of energy. This time I know it's from Alex. He’s using the mate bond to send me energy. I didn’t even know this was possible.

But he's also weak.

Are these Karina's witches?

Did she send them to infiltrate the South Alliance to capture me?

I can't let myself get caught.

This second boost of energy has the air around me crackling with magic, but I'm not a fool. Using magic right now would weaken me considerably. I have to hold on until I’m backed into a corner. A blast of fire from behind me has me howling. I'm thrown into the air, my body slamming against a tree.

I feel a sharp pain in my ribs that has me whimpering.

Unable to hold its form anymore, my wolf collapses inside my mind, and when I look down, my bruised human hands are before me.

Damn it!

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