Page 36 of Wild Fated

"Let go," he whispered, his voice rough. "I want to hear you."

I couldn't have held back if I'd tried. He lowered again, and I shattered, my body arching off the bed as waves of pleasure crashed over me. My wolf howled, and I reached for him, needing his weight. My hands gripped his shoulders, dragging him over me.

He was flushed, his breathing ragged. I loved that I could affect him as much as he affected me. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him closer. He was everywhere, his scent, his touch, his breath on my skin. It was intoxicating. I was drunk on him.

Destin's lips were on mine, swallowing my cries, and I clung to him like a lifeline as our bodies finally connected.

"Okay?" he asked, his voice strained. I nodded, gasping.

He moved. Slow at first, and I matched his rhythm. And then it waseverything. All at once. Gentle, raw, primal. He took his time, and I clutched at him, my fingers digging into his back, my thighs trembling. I was flying, tumbling, soaring above the trees, and when I finally plummeted back to earth, Destin was there shuddering with me.

He collapsed over me and we lay there, our legs tangled together, panting. The forest was quiet, the only sound the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant call of an owl. It felt like we were the only two people in the world.

“Yes.” The word slipped out of me on a breath, and Destin tugged his fingers through my hair. Kissed my cheekbone with lazy, swollen lips.

“Yes.”

Chapter

Sixteen

Destin

Ishot up as if waking from a fever dream. My head throbbed dully, probably from the wine. I winced slightly and rubbed my temples. My memories were startlingly clear, not a blur like I'd feared.

I remembered everything. The taste of her. The feel of her skin against mine. The desperation and need. I turned to look at Lana, and she was already staring at me. Her cheeks were flushed as she clutched the sheets to her chest. Her hair fanned out around her, a dark halo against the pillow.

I took a breath, trying to steady myself. I wanted to say something, but the effects of the food and wine had worn off. The words didn’t come easily anymore. So instead, I lifted my hand to reach for her, but the world shifted beneath us.

The bed vanished. The forest along with it. All of it was replaced by the cold, hard ground of a cavernous chamber. The walls stretched up into darkness, and the air held a chill that seeped into my bones. I blinked, trying to make sense of theabrupt transition from intimate warmth to this vast, foreboding space.

Lana's breath hitched beside me, and I turned to see her standing where the bed had been, her hair no longer a tangled mess, her skin back to its usual hue. We were dressed. Clean as if we’d both washed in the creek. She looked as disoriented as I felt, her eyes wide as she took in the scene around her.

Your second challenge awaits.The voice echoed through the chamber, smooth and haunting. So that was it, then. Last night had been what? A reward? A trick? Probably that. We’d barely slept, and now Lana was being thrown back into the arena.

I turned to look behind me, and my breath caught. There, stretching out like a gaping wound in the earth, was a bottomless pit. It seemed to swallow the light, its edges jagged and unforgiving. Above it, suspended like a series of precarious stepping stones, were slabs of rock. Each one was etched with symbols, their surfaces worn smooth by time.

Lana took a step forward, her eyes narrowing as she studied the stones. "What is this?" she asked, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands.

The light was still there, gently pulsing.This is your test of knowledge and instinct. To cross the chamber, you must step on the correct stones in sequence. Each stone bears a mark from the lore of the Shadow Pack. Choose wisely, and you will proceed. Choose poorly, and you will face the consequences.

I glanced at Lana, my pulse quickening.

She cleared her throat, her hands clenched at her sides. "What kind of consequences?"

The stones will only stay solid for a few moments. You must move quickly.

Lana's jaw tightened. The light faded as it had the day before, and her eyes flicked to mine. “Good morning.”

Fear and uncertainty rippled through me. Her emotions. I grunted, my shoulders tense. I wanted to protect her from this. At least have a conversation about last night. But there wasn’t time for that.

Lana took a deep breath and stepped onto the first stone. It flickered beneath her feet, the symbol etched into its surface glowing with a soft, otherworldly light.

Then, the riddle appeared, inscribed in the air above her in shimmering script.

In the darkness,we thrive. In the light, we wither. What are we?

Lana frowned,her eyes darting to the stones ahead. She muttered something under her breath, and I strained to hear her. "Shadows. It's got to be shadows." She glanced back at me, and I gave her a nod. Was that too simple? What did that have to do with Shadow Pack lore?

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