Page 135 of Untamed Fate (Magic Side: Wolf Bound 2)

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My stomach lurched as I stumbled out of the portal and staggered

halfway down a set of stone steps. Gasping for breath, I bent double and

braced my hands on my knees as the world—and my stomach—continued to

spin.

“That was horrible,” I muttered. “Like riding the teacups at a carnival.”

“Far better than a nine-hour flight to Rome,” Jaxson said coolly.

I’d only been on a plane once, and an international flight with movies and

cocktails seemed exciting and far less nauseating than being tumble-dried in

some sort of magical netherworld.

When I was finally sure I wasn’t going to puke, I righted myself.

Dark, bestial shapes loomed out of the moonlit forest around us. My pulse

quickened, and I spun about. The screaming face of a hideous giant stared

back at me.

I yelped and caught my foot on the stairs as I staggered away. Arms

flailing, I landed on my ass on the stone steps. Pain shot through my tailbone,

and I cursed as I slapped a hand to my butt.

Jaxson softly chuckled, and blood flushed my cheeks as I got a better

view of the screaming stone face. It was a grotesque sculpture of an ogre’s

head. Stairs led up to its cavernous open mouth—apparently, the exit of the

portal. It had two stubby teeth and hollow eyes, and its expression was

contorted by rage.

He could have warned me. Prick.

I surveyed my surroundings.

A low mist covered the ground, and statues loomed up out from the trees

around us—dragons, lions, elephants, and even gods. I recognized them and

what they were now, and yet I still had to fight down my instinct to run. It

was possibly the creepiest place I had ever been.

“What’s all this?” I whispered.

The moon glinted in Jaxson’s eyes. “Welcome to the sacred wood, garden

of monsters. Don’t worry, it’s safe at the moment.”

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