Page 13 of Wild Fated

The growl came unbidden, curling up from my chest. I stood, fists clenched at my sides. “You don’t know me.”

Lana whirled, still holding her bowl. “I think I know enough.” She stalked to the kitchen counter, rinsed her bowl and set it in the sink. Kael and his mate sat stock still across from me.

The itch to run clawed at me, instinct pulling me toward the door, toward the safety of solitude. Kael stood, his hand raised in some kind of peace offering. “We just want to understand, Destin. If you know something?—”

“You’re a coward.” Lana charged back to the table, staring me straight in the eyes. “You can’t even hear him out. You sit here in your cabin in the woods not giving a shit what happens to anyone past your damn perimeter?—”

“I care.” My voice echoed off the walls, and the cabin stilled. My wolf surged, teeth bared in my mind.

Lana’s eyes locked with mine, fierce and unwavering. “Then prove it.”

I stepped toward her, my wolf prowling just beneath the surface. “You have no idea what I do for the wolves in my territory. You know nothing of the suffering they’ve endured?—”

She stepped forward, stabbing a finger into my chest. “I lost my brother. Watched him die while I stood there, helpless. I work with kids daily whose brains and bodies bind them in a prison worse than the one we just kindly removed you from.” Her words hit like claws raking across my ribs. She wasn’t backing down, and my wolf didn’t know what to do with that. “So don’t talk to me about suffering.”

Lana’s chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, and then she turned and stormed out the door. The slam reverberated in the silence.

Kael’s gaze weighed heavy, but I shoved away from the table, the need to move overwhelming. I was out the door before I realized it, the cold air sharp against my skin.

Lana’s figure cut through the clearing, her steps fast and deliberate, and my wolf lunged forward, driving me after her.“Lana!” The word ripped from my throat, but she kept going, her dark hair catching the wind.

Then a sharp sting cut against the skin of my neck. I grunted and stumbled back, searching for whatever had snapped against me, but the sensation didn’t lessen. It only burned hotter the more I moved.

When I looked up, Lana was there in front of me. “I recommend you hold still. Unless you don’t want to be able to shift for the foreseeable future.”

Chapter

Seven

Lana

Icrouched on the soft mulch in front of Destin’s steps. I'd been methodical, setting up the trap exactly as I'd seen it done when we approached. The filament was sharp to the touch, notched in a way that if it was pulled, it would dig deeper into the skin. I didn't know exactly what plant he'd used to coat it, but Kael had said it was some kind of natural poison. One that would keep a shifter from shifting. I needed more of that in my possession.

Now the trap was cinched around Destin’s neck. The porch banister had made it easy for me to lift it up without notice while Destin was busy in the kitchen. He let out a low growl and tugged, but the filament only tightened, digging into his skin. "Son of a bitch!" he spat, his voice rough and filled with fury.

"Good evening.” I stood and brushed dirt off my knees. "Fancy seeing you out here."

His eyes burned with anger, and he yanked harder against the trap. "Let me out of this, Lana."

I exhaled. “You know my name. I wasn’t sure until you yelled it like a curse word.” Destin seethed, and I shook my head. "I’m not letting you out until you tell me what I want to know."

I was fairly sure he was going to allow the barbs to rip through his skin at some point. Even if he didn’t shift, he had mass and strength on his side. I pulled the dagger and held it out between us. “Don’t test me.” I wasn’t going to use it, but he didn’t have to know that.

Destin’s hands balled into fists as he glared at me. His breath came in short puffs. He let out a low laugh but didn’t speak. His eyes were wild, his wolf so close to the surface, they shone.

"Don’t want to talk? I think I have a better chance than those alphas did." I stepped closer, the dried leaves crunching under my boots. Kael and Callista were still inside, and I was glad. I didn’t want him feeling sorry for his feral mentor.

I stopped in front of him, just far enough that his arms couldn’t reach without pulling on the thread. “They had one of the relics, Destin. This dagger? They were planning to use it to kill wolves in the area. They wanted to use our blood to control the packs.” I pointed back to the house. “I’m pretty sure you already know that, though. I heard Kael talking with you on the phone.”

Destin's jaw clenched. "And you think I give a damn about relics or alphas?"

I took another step closer, my heart pounding in my chest. "It doesn't matter if you care about relics or alphas. They're coming for us whether we like it or not. If we don't find them first, we’ll be at their mercy."

He scoffed. "And you think you can stop them?"

I nodded, my gaze steady. "I think we have a better chance if we work together." I paused, searching his eyes. "Look, I don't know what brought you up here, what made you turn your back on the packs, but I was mostly trying to piss you off in there. Kaeltalks about you like you’re a god. He helped deliver a baby in our pack because of the training you gave him, so I’m not going to pretend like all of this is the extent of who you are. I don’t think you’re a coward.”

Destin's expression hardened. "You don't know anything about me."