Page 32 of Wild Fated

I searched the air for the ghostly light, waiting for some sort of acknowledgment and hopefully the book.

Nothing came.

Instead, the maze shrank away, leaving us standing back in the ethereal woods. Instead of a bright light, a table appeared. My breath caught in my throat as I saw what lay on top of it.

Chapter

Fourteen

Destin

Imoved closer to the table. Lana followed, her eyes fixed on the spread laid out before us. It was a thing of beauty, dark wood polished to a mirror finish. It stood in stark contrast to the haze around us, and thefood.

The feast stretched across the table like something out of a dream. Roasted meats glistening with juices, platters of vegetables seasoned with herbs. Grapes, figs, and pomegranates spilled from silver bowls, and baskets of bread, still warm and fragrant, lay nestled between soft cheeses. The dark wine in crystal decanters shimmered, its scent heady and rich. Hunger clawed at me.

Lana hovered beside me, her gaze locked on the spread. “If this is a trap, it’s the prettiest one I’ve ever seen,” she murmured, her still trembling fingers brushing the edge of the table. “Do you think it’s safe?” Lana asked, her voice low and uncertain.

I shrugged, the gnawing ache in my belly clouding my judgment. “There’s only one way to find out.” I reached for aslice of meat. The moment it hit my tongue, the flavor burst like fire, smokey and rich, perfectly salted. A groan slipped from my throat before I could stop it. It wasn’t just food—it was otherworldly.

Lana arched a brow, watching me carefully. “Well?”

I tore off another piece, chewing slowly to savor it. As if that was answer enough.

She hesitated for a second longer, then grabbed a hunk of bread and bit into it. The sigh she let out was almost indecent. “If this kills us, at least we’ll die happy.”

I laughed—a rare sound that surprised even me—and reached for more. A slice of pear, slick with honey, followed by a handful of grapes so ripe they burst in my mouth. Every bite was indulgent, every flavor sharper than anything I’d experienced before.

We found the wine next. Lana poured it into crystal goblets with a grin, handing me one without a second thought. “To . . . whatever this is.” She lifted her glass.

I clinked mine against hers. “To making questionable decisions.”

The wine was velvety on my tongue, leaving a slow burn in its wake. I drained half the glass in one go, the warmth spreading through my limbs, loosening muscles that had been wound tight for too long. Lana poured me another without asking, and we sat down on chairs that hadn’t been there a moment ago but appeared as naturally as if they’d always belonged.

The food replenished. Bread slathered with soft cheese, roasted vegetables drizzled with oil, wine refilling faster than we could drink it. Each bite left me craving more, and we indulged like we hadn’t eaten in days.

“So.” Lana sighed between bites, her eyes twinkling with something playful. “Tell me about you. I mean, the real you. Not the wild, grumpy lone wolf that plays with traps.”

Grumpy?I leaned back in my chair, rolling the wine on my tongue. “What do you want to know?”

She drew a breath. “How did you end up there? In the woods alone?”

I shrugged, setting my goblet down. “It’s a long story.”

“We’ve got time.” She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity, and for the first time, I didn’t mind the attention.

“I was born into Stikine Pack.”

She frowned. “I’ve never heard of it.”

I scoffed. “Count yourself lucky.”

“Not a good experience, then.”

I shook my head. “My alpha was a brutal bastard. He was obsessed with control. Every breath we took had to be by his rules.” The words flowed out of me with no resistance. It felt strange to say so much so easily.

“So you left.”

That was a simplified version of events, but even though expressing myself felt easy in that moment, I didn’t relish telling that story. How I’d battled my way out. How my mother had refused to come with me. Kael’s and my story weren’t all that different.

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