Page 28 of Wild Fated

My jaws clamped around the first Bone Stalker's throat as it tore toward my belly. I shook it like a rag doll, and tossed it toward the rock face. With a sickening crunch, the creature went limp. It wouldn’t last long.

I bolted toward Lana, knocking the stalker back, then growling and tossing my head toward the stone.

Lana understood instantly. She didn’t hesitate, just dragged the dagger over her palm, wincing as the blade bit into her skin. Blood welled up, and she smeared it across the surface of the stone.

The second stalker was on me, and the first was lifting to its feet. I fought. My jaws snapped, but I was tiring fast.

At first, nothing happened, but then the stone began to pulse with a soft, inner light. The air around us grew thick and heavy, like the atmosphere before a storm.

The Bone Stalker growled, lashing out, its movements jerky and desperate. Something was happening. It lunged withferocity toward Lana, and I threw my body in front of it as the light from the stone grew brighter, tendrils of light beginning to curl and twist, reaching out like living things.

I didn’t have time to admire it. I lunged, crashing into the Bone Stalker on my left. The creature screeched, its bony claws scraping against my fur, but I didn't back down.He was not getting to Lana.

Then pure energy surged through me. The bone stalkers screeched in unison, their bone-white forms blurring as they lunged. But it was too late. Lana’s hand was on my back, and I was being dragged back toward her.

My vision blurred, the air around me thickening like I was falling through honey. Darkness swirled, punctuated by flashes of light. This was it. We were being swallowed up.

But it felt nothing like the first time. The ground wasn’t shaking, instead it seemed to disappear entirely. My stomach lurched as if I were plummeting off a cliff. I wanted to cry out, to search for Lana, but even the sound of my breath was swallowed by the void. There was nothing but the rush of air and the strange, otherworldly glow.

Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over. My feet hit solid ground.Feet, not paws.The world snapped into focus, and I blinked, my eyes adjusting.

Everything was quiet. Too quiet. I spun, my heart still racing, and realized we were no longer in the clearing. Or at least, not in the same clearing. The trees around us were the same, but there was a quality to the air, a softness to the light that made everything seem ethereal. Like we were in a dream.

“What is this place?” Lana’s voice was a whisper.

I whirled to face her. We were both human again, but not the same. Lana wore a dress that looked like it belonged in a museum. The fabric was soft and flowing, with intricate lace detailing. A corset cinched her waist, and the sleeves puffedout at her shoulders before tapering down to her wrists. It was beautiful, but by the scowl on her face, she wasn’t a fan.

I couldn’t blame her. It was completely impractical. I glanced down and saw I was magically clothed. I wore a waistcoat over a crisp white shirt, with dark trousers and polished boots. I frowned, running a hand through my hair. "This is... I don't know what this is."

This was insane. It had to be some kind of hallucination. Maybe we'd hit our heads on the way down. We were dead and didn’t even know it.

We turned as one to look at the stone, and I sucked in a breath. The bone stalkers were still there, their skeletal forms prowling the clearing. But they seemed . . . confused. They sniffed the air, their glowing eyes scanning the area, but they didn't seem to notice us standing there.

It was like we were in a different dimension, watching a scene play out in front of us. My heart pounded in my chest.

What had we done?

Lana's eyes widened. "Destin, look."

I turned to where she was pointing. A bright light, glowing in the distance. It was the only thing in this strange, ethereal landscape that seemed solid. Real.

I took a step forward, and Lana followed. The bone stalkers continued their search, oblivious to our movement. As we approached the light, I felt a pull, like a magnet drawing us in.

Lana reached for my hand, and I laced my fingers through hers.

"I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I didn’t—you were supposed to leave. I don’t know what this is, Destin. Maybe you can?—”

“I’m going with you.”

She looked up at me, her eyes wary. “You’re not responsible for me, remember?”

That was bullshit. And we both knew it.

Chapter

Thirteen

Lana

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