Page 125 of When Death Whispers

I feel it a second later—a low, deep vibration ripples through the ground, like a heartbeat in the dirt. A pulse. It’s massive. Unstoppable.

Rad growls under his breath. “We need to move.”

No hesitation. No debate. Just those few words, a fury laced command.

And then—he bolts.

Shit.

I don’t wait to ask questions. I run, adrenaline kicking in as the trees shift, branches stretching like they’ve got a mind of their own, like they’re trying to box us in. The ground rumbles beneath my feet, something beneath it moving. The clicking turns into a roar but I don’t look back.

“Try to keep up, human,” Rad calls, already several strides ahead of me.

“If I die,” I grit out, leaping over a twisted root that wasn’t there a second ago, “I’m fucking haunting you.”

Rad laughs without slowing. “Wouldn’t be the first.”

46

Hudson’s breathingis getting heavier. He’s keeping pace—for now—but I can hear the strain, the way each inhale is a little sharper, a little more forced. His heart’s working overtime, hammering hard against his ribs, and if I can hear it, the things hunting us sure as hell can too.

He won’t outrun them. He’s too damn slow.

Bringing a mortal to this realm was a terrible idea, even if it was the only option. I’ll never get to Parker in time at this rate.

An impatient growl escapes me, the futility of our situation making my fur ripple and my claws clench.

The clicking behind us isn’t just getting closer. It’s right on our tails. Or my tail, I guess. And the human’s ugly, bald ass.

Then, the earth shudders.

Hudson stumbles, cursing as his balance wavers. He catches himself before he falls, but we both feel it now—the Evergloom isn’t slowing us down.

It’s herding us.

I bare my teeth as the terrain ahead drops into a sheer cliff, disappearing into a pit of writhing dark. Not water. Not land. Something else.

Something hungry.

There’s nowhere to go.

Hudson skids to a stop. “Fuck. Tell me you’ve got a plan.”

I flash my fangs. “Yeah. Fight.”

Because there’s no other option now.

And just like that, the first one breaks the treeline.

It moves fast, all limbs and too-wide teeth, lunging with its maw wide open, too many eyes gleaming in the dark. Hudson barely jerks back in time, arms flying up as claws carve through the air inches from his throat.

More follow.

Two. Five. Eight.

Hudson exhales sharp through his nose. “Oh, that’s not fair.”

I snarl. “Nothing about this realm is.”

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