Nick growled, but Fane held tight to his shoulder, keeping him from moving. “I will risk the same number I would if it was your mate we were rescuing, the same number of people as if it was any one of our allies. We do not measure the value of someone’s life. Their value is given by the Great Luna, and if she created them, their value is limitless.”
The elf prince bowed low to Fane and then said, “Then you are exactly the alpha we all need you to be. Forgive my need to test you.”
Fane nodded to Thalion and then seemed to put the matter to rest as he turned to Nick. The alpha gripped either side of Nick’s neck and leaned close. “We have our individual packs, but we are also one pack. You are one of mine, Nick, mate of Kara, beta of the Canadian pack. I will do anything, use every resource we have, to bring your mate home. I give you my word.”
As they filed out of the room, Nick heard Peri giving directions and saw people moving out of the corner of his eyes, but the only thing his mind could focus on was the image of his mate standing in a doorway, wearing nothing but a robe. And though she stood straight, her chin boldly lifted, her eyes told a very different story. He knew he would never forget the determinationanddefeat that filled them. Such an odd combination to bear at one time.
His legs were on autopilot as he followed Drayden out of the mansion. His hand rested on Peri’s shoulder, then darkness engulfed him. An instant later, he and the rest of the hunting party stood on an enormous cliff. He turned and saw a wooden bridge held together by rope, suspended across the gorge between their precipice and the one on the other side. Far below them, at least a hundred feet down, a turbulent river roared across mammoth boulders.
“I assume the veil is across that rickety bridge,” Anna said.
“How rickety are we talking?” Heather asked.
“Let’s just say I hope the wind doesn’t pick up while we’re crossing,” Stella said. “We’re using the term bridge loosely. Frayed tightrope would be much closer to the truth.”
“I wish it were that simple,” Thalion said. “The veil is down there.” He pointed to the raging water below.
Everyone except Heather cautiously peered over the edge. “Um, down where? What exactly are we looking at?” Jen asked. “I don’t see anything but a very pissed-off river.”
“The veil is somewhere between here and the water. It rests horizontally in the chasm. There is but one way to enter it,” Thalion replied.
Heather groaned. “Don’t tell me.”
“Jump,” the elf prince said.
“Um, and just how will we know if the veil is open? You know,beforewe hit it?” asked Jewel.
“We don’t,” Thalion said.
“And if it’s closed?” Anna asked with raised eyebrows.
“We bounce,” Peri offered.
“And bounce right onto one of what I’m sure are very soft boulders, or fall into the peaceful, tranquil waters, which I’m equally sure will float us quietly downstream,” Jen said.
“That water doesn’t sound a bit peaceful,” said Heather.
“And if you could see the boulders, you’d know they don’t look a bit soft,” said Stella.
Thalion shrugged. “We have no other choice. I guess the fae could magic us some kind of rope, and we could hoist one another down. But we don’t know exactly where the veil is between us and the water. It will take some dangerous exploring just to find it. And I believe time is of the essence.”
Once again, the voices around him faded into background noise as Nick walked to the cliff’s edge. He saw neither river nor rocks. The man only saw Kara’s beautiful face, her teasing smile, and her haunted eyes from a past that made her grow up much too fast. He was supposed to have ensured she never endured such ugliness again. As her mate, it was his job to protect, provide, and love her. He closed his eyes and felt a tug in his chest—the bond.
“Kara,”he said, reaching for her. And then, there she was, standing in front of a mirror. She looked down, and he saw a dagger in her hands. The etchings on the blade were the same ones he’d seen in the drawing. It was already beginning.“KARA!”He tried again, using all of his power to break through the walls she’d put up between them. Her head snapped up to look in the mirror, and he knew the instant she saw him through their bond. A tear slipped down her cheek as she mouthed the words, “I love you.” And then he felt not only her healer magic but the witch power as well as she shoved him from her mind and rebuilt the wall between them.
“NO!”His wolf roared as pain seared his chest.
“Go after her, Nick.”The Great Luna’s voice penetrated his mind.“I made her for you. I will not deliver her from this trial, but I will make you both stronger because of it. Even in the most painful experience, joy can be found. Trust me, and go after her.”
Nick saw again the image of the blade in her hand and Kara’s eyes staring at him through the mirror. He sucked in a huge breath and jumped.
ChapterSixteen
“Once upon a time, there was a girl. She had no home. She had no parents to hold her when she was scared or to cheer her on when she achieved a victory. This girl was alone in the world, fighting to protect herself from monsters who preyed on the vulnerable. What the girl didn’t know was all the monsters she faced had prepared her to face the darkest monster of them all. Not only to face him but defeat him.” ~The Great Luna
Karalooked down at her shaking hands and saw they were covered in blood. Her breathing hitched, and she felt her pulse pounding in her neck. A chill ran down her spine as fear like she’d never felt threatened to choke her.
“Kara?” Dyna said, her voice soft but still loud enough for Kara to hear her.
