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Quickly peeking over my shoulder, I winced as I spotted the woman in the cloak closing in on us, deep red hood bouncing with her steps. “Good plan, Honeybee.” Miko was too quiet. “What no comment about being able run on your own two legs?” I prodded.

Before she could answer, our pursuer shouted, “I don't care who the feck you are! No one gets to screw in our bed but us. I curse you to regret every life choice you’ve made until you die of morbid sore throat.” I smirked and opened my mouth to retort but she kept rambling. “After them you useless thing! Destroy them both or I’ll lock you in the kennel for a week without food or water.”

My eyes narrowed. No idea who she’s talking to but best if I don’t dwell on it and become distracted. I kept running, my tail helping to slip on one of the ugliest floral print gowns I had ever encountered over Miko’s head. It was much too big and looked as if it'd served several generations of grandmas. Although, I was grateful it swamped Miko’s petite body, protecting her delicate skin during our escape.

A howl sliced through the thick pine forest, seeming to get closer with every step of mine. I looked up, gauging if there was enough space between the branches that I could fly to safety, or at least out of whatever beastie howled range. But the canopy was so thick that I couldn't see but the odd streak of sky here or there.

Shite, shite, shiiiite. Fairytale arseholes always ruining a good time. I knew I should've listened to Huff and taken our problems more seriously.

“Bane,” Miko shouted, pointing ahead of us, from the panic and slight annoyance in her tone I had a feeling she'd called my name more than once. “Look out!”

I caught her meaning too late as I tripped arse-over-kettle on the thick root rising steadily directly in our path of escape. Miko screamed, her nails scratching deeply into my shoulder as she fought to keep her seat on my hip. Unfortunately, it was no use. Unless I wanted to gouge her with my claws, I had to let go. She tumbled to the leaf strewn ground, yelping a startled curse.

Reaching for her frantically, I intended to gather her up and continue staying as far away from our pursuant as I could, however, the loamy ground shifted unnervingly beneath me as I crashed onto it. My granite heart seized, magic slithering over my skin, and my eyes flew to Miko’s. Wide periwinkle eyes met mine through her skewed glasses, the familiar glow of a portal streaking across the lenses. She scrambled closer on her hands and knees, reaching for me, but it was too late.

“Miko!” I roared, landing face first onto the familiar hardwood floor of the library and skidding to a stop when my horns encountered the base of a bookcase. “Noooo.” Rising to my knees, my claws swiped out, lashing at an orderly stack of books, pieces of torn paper and chunks of binding blue scattering in their wake.

“Baney,” Huff called. “what’s happened?”

I dropped my arms to my side, chest heaving with panted breaths as a continuous, furious growl nearly drowned him out. I gripped my horns and rocked back-and-forth, my back and head slamming against the shelves behind me. “I've lost her.”

“Who?” he asked gently, his eye crinkling with sorrow. “Miko?”

I forced my eyes to rise to the opposite bookcase, meeting his and the twenty or so other individual eyes that blinked back at me. “The Heechu Hunters separated us. She's trapped in a fairytale without me. What the fuck am I going to do?”

CHAPTER 28

Pretty Pirates

MIKO

Istared blankly at the shredded leaves and deep furrows cut into the earth, probably from his dragon talons, where a portal swallowed Bane seconds earlier. My shoulders rose to my ears and my vision swam.

My mate.

Swallowing, I pressed a hand to my sternum, barely registering how hard my heart thundered against my wrist, each punishing beat threatening to rip it free from my chest. What am I going to do now? I bit my lip, uncaring that the motion snagged my labret piercing’s barbell. Panic forced my eyes shut and my arms hugged my middle. I don’t know the first thing about finding the nearest portal. Bane was always so confident, even in times of life and death, that I foolishly let my self-preservation instincts rest. Hell, I never made him explain half of what he knew about the Fairytale Realm…too caught up in everything him.

Something about the agony radiating from behind my ribs didn’t feel natural, more like a part of me I couldn’t pinpoint was gradually snapping like weathered rope. Is my grotesque already trying to get back to me? Should I wait here? What…What if he can’t find me if I do somehow find a portal on my own? Or there’s always the possibility that said portal doesn’t take me back to the Human Realm. Fear wiggled its way beneath my skin, heightening my indecision.

A menacing growl followed by a series of sinister yips reminded me that I wasn't alone after all, and I failed to suppress my shriek.

I’m still being hunted.

My eyes popped open and I hastily stood on wobbly legs as a creature double the size of a normal wolf stalked through the trees, stopping less than ten yards away. “Listen, I don't know if you can understand me, but we didn't mean to end up in that house.” I trailed off, the absurdity and uncertainty of what I just said stiffening my muscles as I continued to back away. Pull yourself together, this isn’t the time for embarrassment. The sickly knowledge of my fragile human condition squeezed my throat shut.

I will never outrun this wolf.

Little Red, I’d dubbed the shorter woman who had been wearing the cloak, somehow tamed this beast. I thought the wolf was supposed to eat the grandmother, yet in this version he’s doing her bidding. There was no way to tell if it was willing or forced servitude. Straightening my shoulders and locking my knees, I willed my body not to shake and decided to take a gamble.

“You don't have to do this. You know that right? I mean,” I explained gesturing down at my petite body clothed in the faded floral nightgown, the itchy, ruffled lace capping the sleeves scratching my wrist, “I'll just go on my way. Once I find a portal I'll go home. No harm done. Then, you can go back to Little Red and we'll pretend that this never happened.” His string of yips ceased, yet he didn't stop prowling toward me. “Perhaps, they'll think you ate me or something.”

My back hit met a thick tree trunk, the bark jabbing through the thin, nearly transparent nightgown. The wolf’s ears twitched, but he never took his eyes off me. I couldn't determine whether I was getting through to him, let alone if he even understood me. Fighting to keep my breathing even, I pressed harder into the trunk and let the painful jabs of the bark against my spine keep me rooted in the moment.

I opened my mouth to continue, likely pointlessly, offering my would-be attacker other sensible solutions. My eyes stayed glued to the predator, the wolf’s head tilting sharply to the side; then two things happened at once, causing my lips to tilt down as the steady support at my back give way and the wolf lunged for me. Pain seared through my upper triceps as knife-like teeth pierced through the flesh and we tumbled through the portal.

We traveled through the void, a cosmic frenzy in shades of charcoal joining the lack of gravity. I blinked my eyes rapidly yet tears still fell as the wolf shook its head, tearing out a chunk of my arm. The next thing I knew my palms stung and my bones shivered from impact with an unknown source.

I collapsed to all fours on sun bleached rough wooden boards. I tried to concentrate on my surroundings, but adrenaline clogged my veins, causing everything to throb in and out of focus. A startled laugh burst past my lips.