Page 46 of Wild Fated

James stopped a few feet in front of me, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Ironic, isn't it? That your desire to protect has brought you to this point of utter helplessness." His smile faded. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this. How many sacrifices I've made. But now, it's finally within reach."

I took a step forward, my hands curling into fists. I didn’t know what information he had. He hadn’t seen Lana as far as I knew. How could he know where she was? I wasn’t going to give him any more information that could be used against us.

I threw my arms out wide. “I don’t know what you were hoping to get. But I don’t have it.”

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "I can't lose, you know. If she succeeds, I'll be here to greet her when she steps out with the relic. If she fails, well . . ." He shrugged. "She has family, doesn’t she? It shouldn't be too hard to find more with her bloodline."

CHAPTER 21

Lana

The light was back, and I didn’t wait for it to speak. “Where is he! What did you do to him?” I was hyperventilating, imagining Destin back in his cell or with the bone stalkers.

My wolf clawed against my consciousness.Find him.Her voice rang in my head like a gong.

It is admirable that you worked together to face these tests. A Shadow Pack leader must be humble and inspire their back. But this final challenge is yours alone.

My eyes widened, and my voice broke as I demanded, "Tell me he’s safe.”

Daughter, the wolf is back where he belongs, and you are home. A place he cannot be. The shadow realm is a sanctuary for protectors. It is where your bloodline can be most effective, where you can fulfill your purpose. Other wolves do not belong here.

I thought of the riddles, and the truth of the Shadow Pack began to coalesce. They lived here? Beyond the veil of our world? “Why did they leave?” I asked. How had they left? I’d streaked the dagger relentlessly and barely made a tear in the fabric of this realm.

You are home. I turned in a circle, taking in the wood that had once felt comforting with Destin by my side. Now it only felt empty. Depressing.

"I don't want to be here alone—I'm not ready to be alone." My voice was barely a whisper, but there was nobody there to hear it.

The light and the voice had already vanished. My breaths came in shallow, rapid bursts, and my wolf's senses went into overdrive. She sniffed the air, her ears twitching at every creak and whisper of movement. She was desperate to find him. Desperate to protect him.

Mist again swirled around me, and a chill crawled up my spine.Final challenge.At least I knew it was ending. But how it would end . . .

The world shifted, and I barely flinched. Over the past three days, my body had adapted to the strangeness of this place.

Out of nowhere, mirrors appeared. They lined the walls, their silvery surfaces reflecting the mist and shadows. I turned in a slow circle, feeling a magnetic pull toward one of them. My feet moved on their own, carrying me closer until I stood directly in front of it.

The surface rippled like water, and I was enveloped in cool air. Like I was being sucked below the surface of a lake.

I stood in my childhood home. In the living room, to be exact. The familiar beige couch and dark wood coffee table sat in front of me, and the smell of my mother's lavender air freshener filled my nostrils. I heard footsteps, and my father's voice boomed from the hallway.

"Lana, what is this?" He held up a slip of paper, his face a mask of disappointment. I knew what it was before he even said it. My report card.

I swallowed hard. "I tried my best, Dad. It's just one grade?—"

"One grade? One grade can be the difference between success and failure, Lana. You need to work harder." His eyes bore into mine, and I felt that familiar pit open up in my stomach.

"I'm sorry, I?—"

"Your brother never has these issues. He brings home straight A's. Why can't you be more like him?"

I clenched my fists. I wanted to scream that I was trying, that I was doing everything I could to make him proud. But the words caught in my throat.

My father turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart in pieces.

This wasn’t real.I swallowed the lump in my throat, finding comfort in the details. The framed photos on the mantel, the patterned rug under my feet, the curtains my mother had sewn herself.

Then I slammed back into my body and staggered, struggling to catch my breath. The mist around me thickened, and I was dragged like iron filings to a magnet toward another mirror. I tried to resist, but it was like fighting a strong current.

My fingers brushed the glass, and the world shifted again. This time, I was standing in the middle of a crowded room. Music pounded through my skull, the bass reverberating in my chest. Strobe lights flickered, and I looked down to find a red Solo cup in my hand, the liquid inside sloshing as I moved. The scent of alcohol and sweat filled my nostrils, the buzz of the drink coursing through my veins. I was at a college party. One of many I'd attended during those years.

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