Page 40 of Fated Wolf's Destiny

I take a cautious step closer, my hand reaching out instinctively.

Ryder straightens, his breath ragged, his shoulders heaving. The mist appears again, this time swirling around Ryder’s wolf form and then retreats to reveal a naked and battered Ryder. The moonlight catches on the blood streaking his skin.

“Bella,” he says, his voice hoarse, almost hesitant.

I can’t speak. My eyes are locked on him, on the faint remnants of his shift that seem to still be visible in the sharpness of his features, the amber glow in his eyes. My heart races, not just from the attack, but from him—from what I just saw.

“Are you hurt?” he asks, stepping closer, his voice softening.

I shake my head, finally finding my voice. “I’m fine. You shifted,” I say with awe.

He stops, his jaw tightening as he searches my face. “I had no choice.”

The silence between us is deafening, the tension thick enough to choke on. My body feels like it’s on fire, adrenaline and fear surging through me, but there’s something else, too. Something deeper, something I don’t understand.

A shiver ripples down my spine, and I gasp, clutching my stomach as a strange heat blooms inside me. It’s not pain, exactly, but it’s intense, wild, like my body is waking up to something I didn’t know was there.

“Bella?” Ryder’s voice is sharp now, concern flashing in his eyes as he reaches for me.

I take a shaky step back, holding up a hand. “I—I’m fine,” I stammer, even as another shiver wracks my body. My skin feels tight, my senses sharper, and I swear I can hear the forest breathing.

“What’s happening to me?” I whisper, panic creeping into my voice.

His hand closes around my wrist, firm but careful, his warmth grounding me. “Your wolf side,” he says, his tone almost reverent. “It’s waking up.”

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “That’s not possible. I tried to call her forward the other night, but there was nothing there.”

“Nothing? I know you tried to shift and couldn’t, but were you focused on the shift or on connecting with your she-wolf? Could you feel her prowling at the edges of your mind? She’s there in your blood, Bella. You’ve probably felt it, but didn’t know enough to know what it was—the pull, the instincts you can’t explain.”

I swallow hard, my mind racing. He’s not wrong. I’ve felt it my whole life—the strange awareness of the woods, the way I can sense things I shouldn’t, the dreams I could never explain. But I always thought they were just… me.

“Why now?” I ask, my voice trembling. “Why is this happening now?”

“Because you’re under stress,” Ryder says, his tone gentler now. “The fight, the fear—it triggered something. Your she-wolf is reacting, trying to protect you.”

I pull my wrist free, taking another step back. My heart pounds as I try to process what he’s saying, what I’m feeling, but it’s too much. The world is spinning, and I don’t know which way is up anymore.

“Talk to me Ryder. Tell me what I need to know,” I say, my voice breaking.

He takes a deep breath. “Let’s get back to my truck. I have some clothes there.”

“What happened to the ones you had on?”

“An unfortunate byproduct of the shift—it destroys anything you have on except precious metals.”

I sling his arm over my shoulder in order to support him as we make our way back to where his truck is parked. He reaches in and pulls on some clothing.

“You’re connected to this, Bella,” he says finally. “To the pack, to the Crimson Claw, to everything that’s been happening. Your bloodline, your grandmother—it’s all tied together. The truth is I don’t have all the answers. I think Arthur was getting close, but I didn’t know how much he learned until you showed up and found his notes.”

I swallow hard, my chest tightening as his words sink in.

“You should leave, Bella. The world we live in—especially now with the mutants—is dangerous.”

“If you think I’m going to walk away now, you are sadly mistaken,” I say, forcing the words out through the chaos swirling in my mind.

Ryder steps closer, his gaze fierce and unwavering. “You should,” he says, his voice low and rough. “Because once you’re in, there’s no going back.”

I lift my chin, meeting his stare head-on. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I don’t plan on going anywhere.”

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