Page 29 of Wild Fated

Selfishly, I couldn’t have been happier that Destin was by my side. I felt safe with him. Even though neither of us knew what we were walking toward, it was a relief not to be alone.

We moved together, our steps careful and deliberate. The light seemed to beckon us, and I couldn’t resist its pull.

As we approached, the shadows around us thickened, and the air vibrated. The hairs on the backs of my arms lifted.

Then, in a burst of blinding radiance, the light expanded, and I felt a presence. It wasn’t anything I could make out with my physical senses, but it was there.

“I don’t like this,” Destin murmured.

My thoughts exactly. My wolf prowled, so on edge she couldn’t form words.

Without warning, the presence spoke.Welcome, daughter of the Shadow Pack.It wasn’t a voice in the traditional sense. Itwas more like a thought, a feeling that resonated deep within my bones. I shivered, the sensation both exhilarating and terrifying.

Destin bared his teeth. I didn’t know what to say or how to respond.

The light shifted, its glow taking on a different hue. As if it were . . . aware. I held my breath as the presence wrapped around me again, and I felt words as if they were being pulled from my own thoughts.You possess one of the relics.

My heart skipped a beat. How had it known? I hadn't said anything about the dagger. I hadn't even thought about it. The light pulsed.The relics are not easily found. They are meant for those who are worthy.

Worthy. I almost snorted. The alphas were anything but, and yet they had found the dagger. "What does that mean?"

The presence seemed to swirl around me, its energy like a river flowing through my veins.Worthy of their power. Worthy of their cost.

I frowned. "Cost?"

The presence withdrew slightly, and I felt a chill in its absence.You have questions. The presence rushed back in, its energy ebbing and flowing like a tide.

I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure it could see me. “Yes. I . . . I was looking for something. A Relic.”

The air around us seemed to hum with anticipation.The Relics are not easily found.

I swallowed hard. “I know. But I have to try. My pack?—”

Your pack is in danger.The presence finished my sentence, and a cold dread settled in my stomach.

“Yes.” I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. Not just my pack. All the packs. But what hit me the hardest is that this being had recognized that I still had one to belong to. The light pulsed, and I felt a pressure in my chest, like a hand pressing down on my heart.You seek the Book of Shadows.

I nodded again. So, it had a name. “Yes. Where can I find it?”

The presence seemed to hesitate, and then I felt a wave of something wash over me. It wasn’t quite emotion, not anger or frustration, but it was close.The Book of Shadows is not for the faint of heart. It requires a sacrifice.

My heartbeat pounded in my ears. “What kind of sacrifice?”

The presence didn’t answer immediately, and a cold sweat broke out on my skin. My wolf paced. Destin gripped my hand tighter in his.

Finally, it spoke again.The Book requires a test. A challenge of worthiness.

The adrenaline rushing through my veins was making me jittery. “What kind of challenge?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.

The presence seemed to shift, its light dimming slightly.That is not for me to decide. But know this, daughter. The Relics are not to be taken lightly. They carry great power, but also great danger.

I nodded, my throat tight. “I understand.” How was I going to explain this to Callista and Kael? I still wasn’t convinced we hadn’t died in the jaws of the bone stalkers.

The light pulsed again, and the pressure in my chest lessened.You have made it this far. The path will not be easy, but it is yours to walk.

I opened my mouth to ask another question, but before I could speak, the light began to fade. The presence withdrew, and the world around us started to shift back to the forest we’d left behind.

“Wait!” I called out, but it was too late. The light winked out, leaving me and Destin alone in the moonlit clearing. Why hadn’t I asked more about how we’d ended up here in the first place?What this place was?

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