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What to do now? Was it worth trying to find a portal back to reality? All that it awaited me there was more heartache and until the witches discovered I escaped they wouldn't try to imprison me again.

The deeper I walked into the forest, the less sweets and desserts grew, the native flora and fauna returning. I eyed a suspicious, glowing cluster of mushrooms, stepping over the fallen log and wincing as my injured wing snagged on them. With how black and white the world seemed it became increasingly difficult to distinguish night from day or how long I had been wandering.

A few moments or hours later, something snagged on my horns, causing a brutal ripple of pain to traverse my neck where the witches powdered select small bones. Those foul creatures were excellent at torture, I'd give them that.

But my mental anguish trumped any physical injuries as thoughts of Miko snarled rabid bites into my mind, removing large chunks.

I laughed humorlessly. “My brain probably resembles something close to half masticated meat.”

I sucked in a sharp breath the polar opposite of pain flooded my chest from the sternum outward. The heel of my hand shoved against my sternum as I cast my eyes wildly among the trees. My damaged ear twitched, and I swore I heard a familiar accelerated beat of a heart, one that I knew intimately.

Honeybee.

Color leeched back into my vision causing me to squint, then a faint gurgling growl sounded, urging me into action. Dismissing my numerous wounds, I rocketed haphazardly in the direction of the sounds, my heart so full of suppressed yearning I wouldn't have been surprised if it burst.

“My Honeybee. Little Shite!” I shouted.

My tail, ignoring my warning, reached for Miko excitedly as soon as she was in sight, enhanced vision be damned, but only succeeded in crossing my path just at the wrong moment and tangling in my scaled legs.

I crashed heavily into the loamy earth, a stray twig prodding at my bruised ribs. “Ow,” I muttered against patchy spread of grass beneath my face, spitting out decayed leaves.

“Bane!” Miko and Huff called.

A groan slipped from me as I continued to laid there, unable to move. The burst of energy that sent me hurtling through the woods thoroughly used up. I accepted the fact that my body would remain one giant, throbbing ache until I slept it off.

I twisted my face so the side, breathing in my first dirt free breath and ignoring the way my horns gouged into the ground. Something dangerous bubbled deep within me. Perhaps, something like hope? I'm not surprised Huff came for me, but did Miko really come after me, too? Is she real?

The last I saw of her she refused to read my note.

The woman in question scoffed. “Of course, I came after you, asshole,” Miko grumbled as she sat by my head, gently palming my cheek.

“Oops. I guess I said that bit out loud.”

Huff giggled. “You've never been good at keeping your thoughts inside, Baney. It’s one of the reasons I loves you.”

I closed my eyes, a trickle of doubt worming its way through my veins. So, I reopened them quickly, only to find them still there. “Fuck me. You're really here.”

Mason twitched as Miko smiles softly. “Down boy.”

My mate snort-laughed, her expression softening. “We're really here,” she ensured huskily and leaned in to kiss my cheek. I winced and she hastily wrenched back. “Shit, did I hurt you? I don't know where I can touch you. You look… like you've gone through a meat grinder.

I let out a deep belly laugh and flinched, all of my hurts flaring at once. “Ahh, don't make me laugh, Lass.”

Huff jumped from Miko's shoulder, using his ears to glide onto the ground. My eyes tracked his movements, and I grinned. “Missed you, fluff ball.”

He rubbed his paws together. “Missed you, too. Stop talking so I can assess your injuries. I won't be able to heal them all, but I can at least try and start the healing process on the worst of them.

My mate hummed in concern, hands hovering over me like she wanted to help, but didn't know where she could safely touch me. I grunted peeling my hand from underneath my body and extending it to her. She gasped, and I watched the color drained from her already pale face as she stared at my jagged, uneven claws and twisted fingers.

“Oh, Bane,” she choked out, eyes misting over.

“Be easy, Hen. It's all alright now.”

She snort-laughed and gently placed her fingers on my palm. “Shouldn't I be the one reassuring you?” Shaking her head, Miko didn't try to hide the smile brightening her features. “I'm so damn glad we found you.”

The Heechu started working on my wing and my muscles strained with the effort to remain still, pain ripping my wounds raw. “Miko,” I said, clenching my teeth and curling my gnarled fingers over hers despite their contorted state, “please distract me.”

A challenging smirk curled the corner of her mouth. “I read your note.” My eyes bulged and I choked on my own spit. “I’m sorry for not believing you.”