Page 16 of Unleashed

“You must stay close, Nina,” he rumbled, placing a hand behind her back and gently steering her ahead of him to Balir and Aduun, who waited at the entrance the tunnel. “I will not allow Sonhadra to claim you, no matter what waits ahead.”

Chapter Four

The tunnel proceeded through total darkness for quite some time, leaving Vortok, Aduun, and Nina deprived of their sight. They were surrounded by the sounds of their feet shuffling over the stone floor, their ragged breaths, and Balir’s throat clicking, all of which were amplified as they echoed off the rock walls.

Vortok kept his arms extended as he walked, feeling for the walls and scenting the air with every few steps. The others moved in front of him, reduced to sounds and smells by the dark — except for Nina. He sensedmoreof her. Her presence pulsed in his awareness even though he couldn’t see her. It was the thumping of a second heart he felt but could not hear, a tingling sensation on his skin that made his fur stand on end, a soothing heat coursing through his veins.

He could only explain it through his heartstone.

His beast stirred; thoughts of Nina reminded him of Balir’s claim, and the beast was of no mind to share. It wanted nothing more than to tear Balir apart and consummate its claim on the female. To mark her as its possession.

It is my right to accept or refuse your claims. That…that has always been the way.

Nina’s words were true. Such hadalwaysbeen the way, and he could not let the beast he’d become take control and disregard the most sacred traditions of his people.

He clenched his fists. If things were different, if he’d never been changed, he could show her why he was a good choice. He could make things for her, provide for her, and prove himself to be an ideal mate.

The beast wasn’t interested in proving anything but its dominance by destroying any rivals, whether real or perceived.

A wave of calm washed over him, soothing his beast.

Vortok lifted his gaze. Though he couldn’t see her, he knew Nina walked just ahead of him. The sense of calmness was at once foreign and familiar and was somehow accompanied by her scent — no, not her scent, but thememoryof it.

The smell of growing things, of plants, trees, and earth, increased steadily as they advanced, and the gentle flow of air strengthened and warmed. There was an opening somewhere ahead.

What would it lead to?

He could not guess how far they’d walked. After so long in a cage, it was refreshing to have new ground to cover, even if he couldn’t see it, but his unease grew as time passed. Vortok would not let go of the hope that their people were alive somewhere, but he could not deny Aduun’s wisdom; Kelsharn would make them suffer before this was all over, and agony was not likely to be the only price they’d pay.

And now Nina was thrown into the middle of it, too.

Eventually, they rounded a gentle curve, and light — pure white against the darkness they’d grown accustomed to — appeared ahead.

“The exit is near,” Balir whispered.

Instinctively, Vortok moved ahead of his companions, gently guiding them to stand aside as he passed. Though all their people had been immensely toughened by Kelsharn’s changes, Vortok’s body was designed to shrug off punishment.

He walked forward, his hooved feet falling heavily despite his best efforts. His hackles rose in anticipation; any moment, a trap would be sprung, something would happen, and there’d be pain and blood. The light intensified as he neared the opening, and he lifted a hand to shield against it.

He emerged from the tunnel, blinking rapidly until his eyes adjusted to the blinding light and his new surroundings came into focus.

Vortok stood in a forest. Sunlight filtered through green and purple leaves overhead, which sighed in the soft breeze, and bits of undergrowth brushed at his calves. The air was pleasantly warm. Animals made distant calls; not the roars of quillbeasts or rockfurs, not the piercing wails of shriekers, but the sounds of smaller, gentler beasts accompanied by the high-pitched songs of winged creatures perched in high branches.

He staggered forward, numb, hooves sinking into the layer of dead leaves and the soft, moist soil beneath. Keeping an arm extended, he turned his palm over to stare with wonder at the play of light and shadow upon his palm.

Had Nina spoken the truth? Had he been a thousand years without the sun? It felt…different than he remembered.

The rustling of vegetation behind him marked the approach of his companions.

Aduun walked around Vortok on the right, head tilted back to look up at the trees, tail flicking restlessly. Balir moved forward on Vortok’s left, crouching to run his fingers through the leafy stems of a plant growing at the base of a tree.

But Vortok’s hackles didn’t lower, and Aduun’s quills didn’t settle. Something was off, something waswrong, but Vortok couldn’t place it.

“This…this can’t be right,” Nina said from behind them. “It was the middle of the night when I fell down that hole, but now, it’s nearly midday.” Leaves crunched softly under her boots as she walked up behind Vortok. “I don’t know these woods. They are not the same.”

“There are trees as far as I can see, and open sky overhead,” Aduun said. “My eyes tell me that is true, but I feel…caged.” He tilted his head and rolled his shoulders, quills bristling.

Vortok drew in a deep breath through his nose. The scents in the air were numerous, layered, and complex — each type of plant and tree had a distinct smell, all mixing with the odors of decaying leaves, damp earth, and numerous unseen animals. But there was another scent threaded through the rest, subtle but undeniable — the same scent produced by the rocks and moisture in the tunnel.

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