Page 8 of The Demon's Pet

Then the celestials would leave to continue on their rounds to other havens, and the mating ceremony would take place.

Quick as lightning striking, I bolted forward, eating up the ground with long bounds as I ran, ignoring the wheat thrashing against my face, and enjoying the grainy smell of the air around me.

It smelled like fall. Like spice and the bonfire burning outside the chapel where the ordinations would take place. Like grass beginning to bed down for colder weather. Like stress from the wolves who were uncertain what would happen tonight.

Like fresh air and flowers and weeds and trees and so many things I loved smelling with my wolf nose.

As I broke out of the field, wide, rolling acres of lush green grass met my gaze. Far past them in the distance, purple mountains. And past that, a large gray wall of thick smoke that was impossible to see through.

The veil, as we called it.

If one were able to pass through it, they’d enter the mid-realm. If they kept going and reached the dark realms, they’d be just one step from the final abyssal realm, hell.

And if you reached there, demons were sure to torture you so much you’d wish you were dead.

All the celestial realms were on this side of the veil, including the shifter havens and the nine sky realms the celestials inhabited.

Just beyond the veil lay the fae wilds and barrens. Mostly neutral ground, if forbidden. And beyond that… I shuddered to think about it.

Pushing away my fear of what lay beyond the veil, all the stories of evil creatures and torture I’d been told, I kept running, my paws gaining purchase on the lush grass, my eyes pointed on the mountains. I would get through them just fine, probably avoiding any orcs or trolls. But when I reached the veil… I had no idea what would happen.

All I had was my wits and my strength, but if no one got in my way, it felt like I could do anything.

I’d survive on roots and bark if I had to. Take any job I could.

Anything to avoid an alpha’s leash around my neck.

I raced over the acres of grass, wind on my fur, eyes bleary from the speed, heart pounding in anticipation of this perhaps actually working.

After all, the alphas would already be getting ready for the ordination ceremony. Everyone wanted to look their best for the celestials. Why should they guard the border? Who cared if one little omega escaped?

I reached the border, where lush grass met hard, light-brown dirt, and was just about to jump over it when I heard footsteps behind me.

My paws dug into the dirt, and I ran harder, blood rushing as the footsteps sped up, getting closer.

No, no, please no, I prayed, running forward in what I knew was a fruitless endeavor. One of the border guards or, worse, an alpha had sensed my escape and was chasing me.

They won’t catch me, I thought.They can’t.

But as I kept my head down and tried to be as aerodynamic as possible, I could feel prickles on my spine at the sounds of them slowly but surely catching up.

Out of nowhere, something huge and silvery-gray came flying through the air at me, grabbing me by the scruff and knocking me sideways, rolling over and over with me until we both stopped.

Fuck, I was caught.

3

I struggled, emitting a growl, but the alpha holding my scruff shook me hard, jarring my brain in my skull as I slowly lost the capacity to retain my wolf form due to pure confusion and shock.

He released me but put a paw on my back, keeping me down.

I lay on the ground, still clothed because the magic that allowed us to transform allowed us to stay clothed as well. The celestials had made sure it was that way due to requiring modesty from their adherents. Thus, our clothing transformed and hid like the rest of our physical form when the wolf rose to the surface.

I growled at my attacker, trying to roll over so I could glare at him from beneath my matted hair, but human hands roughly grabbed my shoulders and yanked me to my feet.

I guessed he must have transformed too.

When I turned, I saw the furious son of the village alpha. Bran.

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