Page 103 of Chosen Destiny

Dina appeared again, her face twisted with concern. She broke off the tip of an aloe plant and applied it to us one by one, but her attention kept going to the unattached garage.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“There’s something strange about that building. I can’t put my finger on it.” She finished with my hand, the aloe soothing the throbbing. I hadn’t expected it to make such a difference.

“We’ll check it out after we detain Kel.” I trusted Dina. If she said something strange was going on in there, it was.

The sound of more wolves approaching made the decision for us.

We had to move.

Everyone removed their firearms, and we spread out in the brush. We all lifted our guns as Dina wiped her hands on her dress. I tried not to cringe, thinking about the blood she’d wiped off her dagger.

We all took aim, and I fired the first shot. My bullet hit the ground a few inches from a guard, who snapped his head up and stared at where we were hiding. “Over there!” he yelled. “Someone is there.”

All eight of us fired.

Four of the men went down, and the wolves behind us drew closer. We wouldn’t make it out of here before they were on top of us.

The guards ran to the corners of the house, taking cover. Soon, we were firing at one another. They had the advantage and just needed to hold us off long enough for their backup to attack.

This would have been a good time for the witches to arrive, but Dina couldn’t check in with them like we could with the other wolves.

Our two sides continued to fire at one another, with the wolves breathing down our necks.

We had to do something and fast, or we’d lose our lives for nothing.

“The magic coming from the garage,” Dina said. “It’s getting stronger. I’ve got to go.”

“What do you mean?” I turned to her in time to see her sprint out from behind the brush.

My heart clenched. “Dina!” I yelled, but she kept running toward the garage, not paying attention to the gunfire all around her.

“What the hell!” Bodey growled. “Cover her.”

There was no way in hell I was letting her reach the garage all by herself.

The men continued shooting, keeping the guards behind their shield, and I stood and ran after Dina. I didn’t have a death wish like she did. It was as if she was drawn to the magic and not thinking.

Callie,Bodey linked.Wait!

I slowed down but didn’t stop, my focus on Dina as she locked on the garage.

Within a minute, Bodey was at my side, and we tapped into our wolves as we raced to reach Dina.

The distance narrowed as we got close to the side of the garage. Then a bullet hit Dina in the leg.

“Dina!” I screamed, pushing myself to run faster. We were running out of the tree cover.

She stumbled but caught her balance and kept up her pace. A few steps later, she reached the side door to the garage. A guard who had taken cover at the side of the garage jumped out and attacked Dina head-on.

My wolf howled as Bodey and I raced toward them, the gunfire picking up as our people held the guards off. This guard had his hands around Dina’s throat. When we reached him, Bodey removed his dagger and stabbed the guard in the back.

The man stumbled away, eyes wide as he took us in, but Dina was already back in action. She gasped for breath as she placed her hands on the door. Blood leaked out of the guard’s mouth, and he fell backward.

When Dina’s hands touched the door, they glowed like when she’d performed magic. Her breathing turned ragged as the glow brightened and her arms began to shake.

I had no idea what was happening. She’d lost her magic. Whateverthiswas couldn’t be normal.

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