Page 42 of Wolf Mate

Sladeand I had been practicing for hours, and sweat coated my body. The sun was setting, and my blood hummed within me.

“Focus on calming down,” Slade murmured, barely loud enough for me to hear. “You’ve been doing it for the last hour.”

My body sagged with fatigue, but with the pride and awe rolling off Slade, I couldn’t quit. I didn’t want to disappoint him, so I pulled up the image that actually quieted the power that hummed through me.

It wasn’t the deer or mulch that did the trick.

It was something wrong. Something I shouldn’t even think about.

When I felt close to imploding, only one image calmed me.

Raffe.

Unlike the deer and the mulch, I could summon his image immediately, and when I remembered the way my skin tingled from his touch, the humming faded away.

“You did itagain!” Slade lifted a fist. “I think you got it, Skylar.”

At least, he hadn’t saidfinally. I would’ve deserved it. “I hate to do this, but I need to head back to my apartment. I’m worn out.” My legs felt weighed down, and I even struggled to breathe. Just like the night of the vampire attack, I felt like I might pass out from exhaustion.

“Are you sure you can’t go another round?” Slade pouted. “I thought we could get you to channel your magic into something again … like a rock, tree, specific branch, anything you choose.”

I swayed on my feet. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I’m not feeling well.”

He sighed. “Okay, let’s get you home.”

I could hear the disappointment in his voice, and it gutted me, but I was too exhausted to continue.

We headed back, and I gritted my teeth, putting one foot in front of the other. A few times, I truly thought I’d topple over.

“Shit, Sky,” Slade said and slid his arm around my waist. “I didn’t realize you were so far gone.”

Honestly, I’d been struggling for the past hour, but I was more exhausted than even I had realized. Adrenaline must have kept me going longer than I should have. “I’ll be fine,” I mumbled, the words barely coherent.

“You don’t sound like it.”

We continued our trek, my body weight mostly on him. I could barely stay upright, that was how far gone I was.

At the apartment building entrance, I steadied myself to go inside. The last thing I needed was for him to come to my room and have him and Lucy get into it. When Slade had learned who my roommate was, he had manifested a look of pure disgust.

A group of girls watched us with unabashed interest. They could tell something was wrong with me. When Slade opened the front door, he moved to help me again, but I shook my head and almost toppled over.

I didn’t want to get a worse reputation or be run through the gossip mill more than I already had been. “I’ve got it.”

“But—” Slade said, but I pushed off him. My legs shook like noodles, but I stayed upright.

“See you in the morning.” I took slow, steady steps into the building. I didn’t want him to argue. I didn’t have the energy to spare.

I shuffled inside and heard someone ask, “What is wrong with her?” right before the door closed.

Lovely. I hoped he would make up a reasonable excuse.

Luckily, no one was around as I stumbled into the elevator. I leaned against the car wall and used it to support myself then pulled up my last text, which was from Lucy. She’d asked when I was getting home. I hoped like hell she was there and sent two simple words:Help. Elevator. Or I hoped that was what it said. The words were blurry.

Time ticked by, oh so slowly, as I rode up. I leaned my head against the wall, and the world spun around me. I’d done too much. I felt too sick. Just like the night before.

When the door opened, I tried to get out, but the floor vanished under my feet as I fell forward.

Something was wrong. A shiver ran through me a moment before something caught me.

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