Callum sweeps in and steps between us like a barrier, turning his back to the two of them like he isn’t putting himself in danger by doing so. “Their minds have been made up. Move on, Sienna.”
The reality stings. If I can’t even get my classmates to like me, who am I kidding about joining a pack? It won’t matter how strong I am if no one respects me for it.
Tucking his fingertip beneath my chin, Callum lifts my gaze to his. “You deserve better than they are willing to give you.”
My heart clenches. How many times has he heard me mutter that phrase under my breath? Has he been keeping track of how pathetic I am? Shaking my head, I exhale softly. “You’re right.” These two won’t be part of my pack, anyway. Wolves always join wolf packs . . . in normal circumstances.
My thoughts drift to my parents, their twin smiles full of unfathomable depths of love for each other—and for me. I never saw my mother shift, but my father was a wolf through-and-through. They used to howl together during full moons, leaving the pack’s children in the care of elders who no longer wished to run. But our pack was comprised of all kinds of shifters, not just wolves.
If my father could find solace within a pack of non-wolves, surely I could...if anyone would have me. Frowning, I wonder if that’s where Revyn and I went wrong in our search for a pack. We only approached wolf shifter packs—not any others.
Maybe we would have found a pack by now if we’d widened our scope and broadened our horizons...or maybe we would have faced double the rejections if everyone is as close-minded as these two non-wolf shifters.
I tip my head to the side to stare at our teammates. They’re whispering among themselves, likely plotting my demise or where they can sneak off for a quick fuck. “Can’t you glamour them or something?” I ask Callum, enjoying the way they flinchat the suggestion. “Do some kind of mind magic to make them cooperate?”
Callum’s lips curve into an amused smile. “As much as I appreciate your interest in my magics, I’d rather not incite our professor’s ire. No harm shall come to our teammates, especially from us.” Keeping his eyes on mine, he tips his head back to address our team. “However, I will not allow you to jeopardize our mission, so I suggest you follow Sienna’s lead. We are procuring our figurine and returning to the forest’s entrance by dawn.” He nods at me. “That is non-negotiable.”
Thank the gods our teammates fear Callum enough not to argue. They fall into line behind us, still muttering to themselves, but at least I can tune them out as we wander through the shadowy wood. We walk in endless circles, tracking footprints that turn out to be our own, then doubling back to pick a new path. When I come across our scents for a third time—the bear shifter being the predominant one—I know that someone or something is messing with us.
“Do you sense anything?” I extend my claws and mark a tree with an X. “We’re not caught in an illusion, are we?” I rub my nose as it tickles. I trust Callum’s senses over mine when it comes to illusionary magic.
“Not an illusion,” he muses, both of us glancing back at our bear shifter as he marks another tree with a swipe of his huge claws. “But we are being led in one direction. Whoever is leading us is using your shifter senses against you.” He tilts his head to the side and stands perfectly still, in that way that only a vampire can do. “I believe they’re waiting for us to tire.”
“Cowards!” I call out, throwing my hands up. “Come and fight me head-on!” Adrenaline pulses through my veins as I take off in a run, randomly choosing a direction that should lead us somewhere far from our current location.
The X mark on the tree mocks me as I pass it by twice.
“You really suck at leading,” the feline shifter cackles. “I might as well stay here if you’re chasing your tail. No need formeto run around in circles.”
The bear glances around, the crease between his brow giving away his unease. “I’ll shift,” he says after a moment, quickly tearing off his clothes. “Stand back.”
I move to cover him while he shifts and take point opposite the feline. The process isn’t as seamless for him as it is for Revyn or Alistair, and it shows in how long it takes his bones to crack and fur to sprout on his back. I shouldn’t look, but I can’t help it.
After years of watching Revyn shift within seconds, seeing another shifter struggle is damn near painful to watch.
“I’ve heard that shifters’ transformations are taking longer with each generation,” Callum murmurs, facing the forest rather than witness the shift. “Is that true?”
A whine catches in the bear’s throat, sending chills down my spine. Is he stuck? “I don’t know,” I breathe, my gaze meeting the bright yellow of a bear’s as a bone in his back snaps. I clear my throat and finally look away, turning to check our perimeter. “Mine are pretty fast, so I’ve never...”
I’ve never thought to ask anyone about theirs.
There’s a crackle in the air as electricity gathers. The hairs on my arms stand on end as I sense something—someone—way too close. “Callum!”
He’s already moving, darting into the darkness while I spin around to protect my teammate—just in time to watch white lightning strike from above. It hits just as he’s coming out of his shift, singing his fur and rattling my bones. I’m thrown back by the shockwave, the clap of thunder rocking into me the same moment my head slams into a tree. The world shifts as I fall backward, the tree snapping at its base and taking me with it.
A scream rends the air. Female. Familiar.
Shit.
I taste the blood in the air before I see it sprayed across the leaves. The girl on our team lies on her back, chest heaving, a huge gash across her torso pouring blood. Gritting my teeth, I roll onto my side amid fallen tree limbs and force myself to my feet. She’s awake, her wide eyes filled with panic as she clutches her chest. The healing process has begun, magical runes hovering over her wound to hasten the process. I don’t waste any time on her and stumble to the bear shifter, my ears ringing as I stare at the huge lump of unmoving fur.
“Hey,” I call out, side-stepping until I can see his face. “Wake up!” I snap my fingers in his face, and his eyes snap open, teeth bared. I pull my hand back before he bites me. “You’re fine. You won’t die.” My heart pounds as I spin around. Callum still hasn’t returned, and my teammates aren’t in fighting shape. Fuck.
Do I risk a shift despite the looming threat of a lightning strike?
“Witch!” I call out, baring my fangs. “Enough tricks!”
A high-pitched giggle echoes through the trees, and my blood warms as I sense a threat. Not one butthreewitches step out of the shadows, their smiles eerily perfect as they stand there, holding hands. Runes glow on their skin, amplifying their powers with some sort of spell, I think.
