I picked up her wrist and looked at the several thin white scars there. Old teeth marks. From my father, Run? My grandfather?
As if my body knew what to do, my teeth lengthened, pressing onto my bottom lip. I looked at Sage as if asking for direction and she winced, before shrugging. Walsh was silent behind me and I snapped into action. Taking her delicate wrist into my mouth, I clamped down until the flesh pierced, like biting into an apple.
She cried out and I pulled my mouth away, frowning when the coppery tang hit my tongue.
‘Mine,’my wolf exclaimed inside of me.
Whatever this girl was, her name, age, all of that was unknown to me, but her essence, who she was, her soul, I knew instantly. She was soft spoken, sweet, powerful, special, loyal as all hell, and submissive. Iknewthis.
‘Pack,’my wolf howled inside of me.
“Pack,” I said aloud, and a tug pulled at my chest as her back arched, a gasp of pain ripping from her throat. Blue glittery magic flew out from every pore in her skin, and then like a vacuum it sucked right back into her. A pressure, like a hundred-pound blanket, pressed into my back and I groaned at the discomfort. Whatever was happening was happening to the both of us. The blue glitter absorbed into her every pore until her skin was once again pale and milky.
She pulled her hands away from her stomach and the gash began to knit together right before our eyes. I looked back at Sage, and now at Walsh too, who stared in wonder at the naked girl with the most amazing magic I’d ever seen.
Sage shrugged off her deer fur and lay it over the girl as she sat up and looked at me. “Thank you, Alpha.” She dipped her head submissively, unable to meet my eyes.
I frowned. “Uh. You’re welcome… what’s your name?”
She pulled the deer fur on, tying it up the front, and then shrugged on some sweatpants that Sage tossed her from my backpack.
She looked timid at my question. “My name is Astra, my Alpha.”
I cringed. “Don’t… call me Alpha, okay?”
Her eyes widened in horror. “Yes, Alph—okay.”
She looked confused by my behavior and I felt bad for some reason, but this was all freaking me out. I’d just bit her and my wolf claimed her and it was way too much for me to process.
“There is something you need to know, Alp…” She shook her head. “Our people—” A shout came from somewhere behind our trail and her eyes widened in fear.
Walsh crawled to the front, taking the reins of the horse. “Let’s chat later,” he said, and kicked the horse in the side, causing it to gallop away.
The girl’s whole body shook in fear as the carriage jerked to a start and we moved farther and farther away from the shouting men. I couldfeelher. Like a frightened bunny about to be eaten, her entire body shook as fear pulsed through her, making her heart patter against her chest. I felt her similar to how I could feel Sawyer’s moods or hear his thoughts through our imprint, Astra and I had a connection … but different. Sisterly. Familial.
I instinctively placed an arm on her shoulder and her shaking stopped as my calmness threaded through whatever bond we had and into her. She nuzzled up against my side and I looked at Sage. My redheaded bestie was giving me a look I didn’t like, one of complete and utter confusion. It made me feel alien and weird.
“Sawyer isn’t responding,” I told Sage, remembering in that moment my failed attempts to reach him.
Walsh whipped the reins and the horse ran faster. “Something must be wrong,” he said.
For someone who had just nearly died, he sure bounced back quickly. I looked down at the frail brown-haired girl curled around my leg, and one word reverberated through my head.
Alpha.
Alpha.
Alpha.
She’d called me Alpha and it had felt… right. I bit her. Claimed her? It wasn’t as weird and sexual as it sounded. She was family and I felt like we’d finally found each other after a long time away. These new thoughts scared me, what they meant for me, Sawyer, and my place with him. My future alpha, my future husband.
We rode hardand fast through the dark fey lands until the sun was just beginning to set on the horizon. The bright orange flags marking the end of Dark Fey Territory and the beginning of Light Fey City stood out on the horizon. Not just flags, but there was a high stone wall and a few signs. Dozens of signs every three of four feet: “Dark Fey keep out,” “Light Fey Only,” “Turn back or lose your head.”
Yikes.
Walsh pulled on the reins, slowing the wagon; the horse came to a full stop.
‘Sawyer? Are you okay? We just made it to Light Fey City. Gonna grab a car and I should be at the Witch Lands in a couple hours.’
