My instincts scream to chase.
“You’re all being ridiculous,” she says coldly. “I’m fine.”
“No.” I follow her retreat. “You’re not.”
I move fast…too fast for her to react…and pin her against the wall. My hand goes to her throat. Needing to feel her pulse, her heat, bask in her scent. But none of it feels right.
“Where’s our mate?” I demand.
For just a second, I see something flicker in her eyes. Fear. Pain.
Then it’s gone, replaced by that cold emptiness.
“Let me go, Baylin.”
“No.” I lean closer, breathing her in, trying to understand. “Not until you tell me what’s…”
Then magic explodes from her hands.
The force slams into my chest and sends me flying. I hit the opposite wall hard enough to crack stone.
Doesn’t matter. Pain doesn’t matter.
I shift mid-lunge…full wolf, massive and furious.
Hilda…or whatever’s wearing her face…stares up at me with those wrong eyes. No fear now. Just cold calculation.
She raises both hands. More magic crackles around her fingers. Dark. Rotting. Wrong.
When did our omega go back to dark magic?
“Stay back,” she warns. “I will hurt you.”
I snarl. Every inch of me screamingthreat threat threat.
“Baylin,” Callum snaps. “Stand down. That’s still her body.”
I know. My wolf knows. But something has our mate and I need torip it out.
“I have things to do,” Hilda says, backing toward the door. “Stay away from me. All of you.”
No.
I lunge…
Arkan catches me, wrapping his arms around my massive wolf form. “Easy, brother.”
Hilda slips out the door.
Gone.
I howl. Long and furious.
Arkan slowly releases me, and I shift back to human, though every instinct in me screams to stay wolf.
“What the fuck was that?” Callum demands.
“Don’t know.” I’m pacing now, unable to stay still. “But something’s wrong. Something has her.”
