Page 70 of Midnight Moon
Dozens of pitiful scenarios played in my mind as I wandered through the town on autopilot, letting my feet lead me wherever they wanted to go.
Fear of failure continued to cloud my thoughts, but suddenly, the insecure emotion took a backseat. Deep inside my abdomen, my stomach twisted. Something was wrong. My wolf howled in my mind, warning me of an unknown danger.
The first sign of trouble was the darkness permeating my surroundings. Steps ago, light from the nearby lamppost had illuminated my path. Now, only the stars and moon shined down on me.
I stopped and spun around. The hair on the back of my neck stood on edge. Something, or someone, watched me. I could feel it.
I decided to return to my cabin.
Picking up my pace, I headed back towards the park. All the lampposts along the path were dark. It didn’t take a genius to realize that meant nothing good.
Continuing to sense my distress, my wolf begged to be released. I resisted. My wolf was strong, but my human mind would be dulled if I shifted. I needed my wits about me to face whatever was about to happen.
I nearly reached the park. The teenagers still sat on the swings.
I broke into a jog. Three steps later, I ran into a wall.
“Gah!” I reared back, rubbing my nose and forehead. They’d taken the brunt of the hit when I collided with… whatever I’d hit.
Carefully, I held out my right hand and slowly inched forward. Air slipped through my fingers. Then, I gasped as my hand pressed against a firm, invisible surface.
Sharp vibrations and heat traveled through my palm. I pulled back and immediately turned to run.
I collided with another invisible barrier.
Frantic, I spun in circles and held my hands out in front of me, feeling along the unseen surface, praying I’d find a gap where I could escape.
I made three complete circles before I confirmed the worst: I was trapped.
Don’t panic.
There had to be a way out.
“Help!” I shouted, spinning around to face the park. The teenagers were shifters. They shouldn’t have a problem hearing me.
“Help!” I cried again.
It went unanswered.
The swinging pair continued to talk to each other, unaware of my predicament half a football field away.
The barrier was soundproof.
Think, Blair,I commanded myself.Think!
Obviously, I was dealing with magic.
While I didn’t know Asher and Chase all that well, I’d already admitted I trusted Asher. Neither of the Wilds shifters would do this.
That meant I was dealing with another sorcerer. Given the fact a sorcerer had shot Hunter and sent a rabid shifter loose, things weren’t looking great for me.
“What do you want?” I bellowed, whirling around and staring into the black night around me. “Show yourself, or are you a coward?”
A lone figure stepped out of the darkness. “It is you who is the coward, hiding from us all these years.” The man wore a long robe, and his head was covered with a hood. He stopped moving just outside the perimeter of the invisible box surrounding me. Not even my shifter vision let me make out his features beneath his hood.
I willed strength into my voice. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t even know who you are.”
“Oh, but I think you do, Poppet.”
