Page 65 of Destined to the Lycan
Exhausted after more than two days of constant watch, I caught myself dozing off, snapping back awake every other hour only to make sure all was still well with my mate. I hated that I needed to rest, but if I didn’t, I would never be able to get her to safety and myself to my safe house before the full moon.
On the morning of the third day after the snake bite, I startled awake to a sour scent that nearly made me panic. And then I saw the first dark vein spreading around her neck near the puncture wound. I cursed inwardly that it should have finally happened in the wee hours of the morning.
I nearly went insane counting every minute of every hour until nightfall. As we had both suspected, my mate was in no condition to perform the summoning herself. Over the past three days, she had occasionally come out of her comatose state but been completely incoherent and barely even aware of what was happening. As much as I wanted to be able to talk to her, I welcomed the fact that she would lose consciousness again so that she wouldn’t have to feel the pain of the venom ravaging her.
The sun had barely vanished on the horizon when I raced back to the circle with my mate in my arms. I made sure it was flawless again before calling unto Ranael. Like Amara had done, I recited the summons in a loop. But as the minutes went by withno signs of the demon wolf, a sense of dread took root in the pit of my stomach, growing exponentially over time.
After more than twenty minutes with no result, I stepped out of the circle, leaving my mate within, and called upon him again.
But that also failed.
I swapped places with her and repeated the entire ritual to no avail. What was I doing wrong? I checked the circle. Each rune, each line was perfectly drawn as she had taught me. The candles were lit and positioned correctly. I had memorized the incantation and summoning call. There were no flaws with what I had done. So why was he not answering?
Tears of anger and helplessness pricked my eyes, while an all-consuming rage gradually grew within me. Could Ranael be ignoring the summons because it was me calling upon him? What the fuck was I supposed to do now? There was no time for me to go get Malina—Misty’s daughter—and bring her back here to perform the summons in my stead.
I gathered Amara in my arms, and my heart shattered in a thousand pieces as I looked at the network of dark veins spreading up her cheeks, and down her chest. Throwing my head back, I howled at the moon with the full depth of the despair I felt.
And then I heard it.
Wings flapping in the distance. I jerked my head up to look towards the valley from whence Ranael had arrived the previous time, only to realize the sound was actually coming from behind me. I spun around, and my jaw dropped upon seeing a Gharlakan.
The giant flying creature had a somewhat canine body, although the longer legs and arms could have belonged to a werewolf. The face was vaguely shaped like that of a fox, with the same pointy ears and long snout. However the mouth was shaped more like a beak than a maw. It had no eyes, beingguided by ultrasound like a bat. Its wings also could have belonged to a bat except for the fact that they were covered in white fur with specks of blue just like the rest of its body. An excessively long and thick tail trailed behind it with long white and dark blue fur fanning at the tip.
What in the world is a Gharlakan doing here?
These creatures did not dwell in these parts. They preferred the cold weather of the northern regions. But no sooner did that question enter my mind than it answered itself.
The creature made a beeline for us, shifting to its human form even as it landed gracefully before me.
“Lyall!” I exclaimed, shock and hope warring in equal measure within me.
“You foolish pup,” Lyall snarled angrily. “Ranael will not come for you.”
“It’s not for me though!” I argued.
“You cannot summon a demon wolf’s protection for another,” he snapped. “The pledge is only granted to the summoner.”
“But she’s dying!” I exclaimed. “Hemustcome to her! Ranael granted his protection when she first summoned him. Hehasto know his task isn’t complete yet.”
The angry look Lyall gave me took me aback.
“Ranaelcannotheal her,” Lyall hissed. “He’s not coming back specificallybecausehe swore to protect her. Any further interaction with her will only speed up her death. He’s protecting her from himself.”
“You lie! What you say makes no sense!” I shouted angrily. “He has to bite her a second time to neutralize his venom.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Lyall replied through his teeth. “I told you to rethink the Weaver’s words. You interpreted them wrong.”
I blinked, my mind racing as I replayed the words Amara told me about her meeting with Cliona Nox.
“The Weaver told Amara that she needed to be bitten by his snake tail, and once the black veins appeared, that she needed to be bitten by his teeth,” I said, my eyes flicking from side to side as I searched my memory.
“No, Remus. She never saidhisteeth. The Weaver said ‘Ranael’s tail and a sick wolf’s bite.’”
I froze, my blood turning to ice as the meaning of his words sank in. The intensity of his red gaze dared me to argue the truth I didn’t want to accept.
“No,” I said, subconsciously shaking my head while taking an involuntary step away from him. “What you’re saying isn’t possible.”
“I’m not saying anything,” he countered. “You must reach your own conclusions.”
