Chapter 13

Chapter

Thirteen

Lana

S elfishly, I couldn't have been happier that Destin was by my side. I felt safe with him. Even though neither of us knew what we were walking toward, it was a relief not to be alone.

We moved together, our steps careful and deliberate. The light seemed to beckon us, and I couldn't resist its pull.

As we approached, the shadows around us thickened, and the air vibrated. The hairs on the backs of my arms lifted.

Then, in a burst of blinding radiance, the light expanded, and I felt a presence. It wasn't anything I could make out with my physical senses, but it was there.

"I don't like this," Destin murmured.

My thoughts exactly. My wolf prowled, so on edge she couldn't form words.

Without warning, the presence spoke. Welcome, daughter of the Shadow Pack. It wasn't a voice in the traditional sense. It was more like a thought, a feeling that resonated deep within my bones. I shivered, the sensation both exhilarating and terrifying.

Destin bared his teeth. I didn't know what to say or how to respond.

The light shifted, its glow taking on a different hue. As if it were . . . aware. I held my breath as the presence wrapped around me again, and I felt words as if they were being pulled from my own thoughts. You possess one of the relics.

My heart skipped a beat. How had it known? I hadn't said anything about the dagger. I hadn't even thought about it. The light pulsed. The relics are not easily found. They are meant for those who are worthy.

Worthy. I almost snorted. The alphas were anything but, and yet they had found the dagger. "What does that mean?"

The presence seemed to swirl around me, its energy like a river flowing through my veins. Worthy of their power. Worthy of their cost.

I frowned. "Cost?"

The presence withdrew slightly, and I felt a chill in its absence. You have questions . The presence rushed back in, its energy ebbing and flowing like a tide.

I nodded, even though I wasn't sure it could see me. "Yes. I . . . I was looking for something. A Relic."

The air around us seemed to hum with anticipation. The Relics are not easily found.

I swallowed hard. "I know. But I have to try. My pack?—"

Your pack is in danger. The presence finished my sentence, and a cold dread settled in my stomach.

"Yes." I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. Not just my pack. All the packs. But what hit me the hardest is that this being had recognized that I still had one to belong to. The light pulsed, and I felt a pressure in my chest, like a hand pressing down on my heart. You seek the Book of Shadows.

I nodded again. So, it had a name. "Yes. Where can I find it?"

The presence seemed to hesitate, and then I felt a wave of something wash over me. It wasn't quite emotion, not anger or frustration, but it was close. The Book of Shadows is not for the faint of heart. It requires a sacrifice.

My heartbeat pounded in my ears. "What kind of sacrifice?"

The presence didn't answer immediately, and a cold sweat broke out on my skin. My wolf paced. Destin gripped my hand tighter in his.

Finally, it spoke again. The Book requires a test. A challenge of worthiness.

The adrenaline rushing through my veins was making me jittery. "What kind of challenge?" I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.

The presence seemed to shift, its light dimming slightly. That is not for me to decide. But know this, daughter. The Relics are not to be taken lightly. They carry great power, but also great danger.

I nodded, my throat tight. "I understand." How was I going to explain this to Callista and Kael? I still wasn't convinced we hadn't died in the jaws of the bone stalkers.

The light pulsed again, and the pressure in my chest lessened. You have made it this far. The path will not be easy, but it is yours to walk.

I opened my mouth to ask another question, but before I could speak, the light began to fade. The presence withdrew, and the world around us started to shift back to the forest we'd left behind.

"Wait!" I called out, but it was too late. The light winked out, leaving me and Destin alone in the moonlit clearing. Why hadn't I asked more about how we'd ended up here in the first place? What this place was?

I stood there, my heart racing, my mind spinning. What the hell had just happened? I turned to Destin, who was still watching the spot where the light had been. "Did you?—"

He nodded, his jaw clenched. "Yeah. I heard it." His shoulders were tense.

I took a step back, trying to give him space to process. To breathe. I reached out, trying to touch one of the trees. My hand passed through it like it was made of smoke. I hissed, yanking my hand back. I tried again, this time with the ground. Same result. It was like there was a veil over everything, separating us from the real world.

I stood up, my hands trembling. "This doesn't make any sense."

Destin's jaw clenched. "Yeah."

I let out a shaky breath. "What do you think it meant by a challenge?" Destin didn't answer. He dropped my hand, and I stared at the spot where the light had been. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

"About what?"

"I don't know how to get you out of here, and?—"

The light flared in front of us, and I jumped. You will not leave until you have completed the challenge. The words echoed in my mind, and I took a step back. Perfect. A nice ultimatum in the underworld.

There is no retreat. The path is set.

"Really hammering that home," I muttered. How long would this challenge take? What would it be? Kael and Callista were hopefully tracking the alphas by now, and we needed to be able to communicate with them.

The Muse's light flickered, and I felt a shift in its presence. It was as if it had noticed something for the first time. I didn't know how, but I felt the Muse's attention had turned to Destin. He should not be here. He is not a son of the Shadow Pack.

My grip tightened as fear flared through my midsection. Would he be forced to leave? Moments ago, I wanted to help him get out—to get back to his quiet home in the mountains. But now the idea of being alone in this gauzy reality made me want to throw up.

"I'm staying." Destin's voice was rough.

The Muse's presence seemed to hesitate, then withdrew slightly. This is not wise.

"No shit," Destin said on an exhale, and without warning, the ground and images around us began to transform.

The sky darkened, the trees disappeared, and in a snap, I stood at the entrance of the maze, my chest tightening as I took in the towering hedges that stretched up into the darkness. They looked like they were made of shadows, shifting and writhing as if they were alive. The path ahead was narrow, barely wide enough for me to squeeze through. I turned to Destin, but found the space next to me empty.

"Lana!" he called, and my head snapped up. There he was. Above me on what looked like the rock face we'd found protecting the stone.

The Muse's words echoed in my mind. Prove you're worthy. This had to be it, then. My challenge. My heart pounded as I took a step forward, then another. The ground was uneven, rocks and roots jutting up to trip me at every turn.

"I'm watching. You can't see me, but I can see you," Destin shouted.

Okay. I clenched and unclenched my fists. I wasn't alone. I moved forward, the maze walls closing in around me. The air felt colder here, the shadows deeper. As I rounded the first corner, the path split into three separate directions. My pulse quickened. Great. A choose-your-own-adventure death trap.

A little help here? I pushed to my wolf. She surged forward, sniffing the air. Then I heard it—soft at first, but unmistakable. A low, guttural howl that crawled down my spine, followed by the slow, deliberate crack of bones realigning. My stomach knotted as recognition hit me. Bone Stalker.

My wolf growled, working to catch the thing's scent, but there was nothing. No trace of it in the air, no sign in the soil. Just emptiness where a scent should be. A wave of unease washed over me—there was no hunting something that left no scent trail.

I spun, scanning the shadows pressing in on me. The maze twisted and morphed as if it knew what hunted me, as if it wanted to play along. A cold sweat broke across my skin.

"Destin!" I shouted, trying to keep my voice steady. "I need you! I think there's a Bone Stalker in here."

I caught the briefest pause in his voice, like he'd been hit by the same fear I was barely keeping at bay. "Lana, stay calm. I see you. Just keep moving forward. Don't stop."

"Not helpful!" I hissed, my nails digging into my palms as I forced myself to take another step. The path narrowed further, the shadows writhing like they wanted to wrap around me. My wolf clawed at my mind, ready to fight but uncertain without a scent to guide her.

"Destin, can you see the maze? I need to know where this thing is."

"Yeah, I've got eyes on it from here. There's a clearing up ahead—go left at the next split."

A howl echoed again, closer this time, low and haunting. The sound turned my blood to ice. I needed to keep moving, needed to trust Destin's directions, even though every part of me wanted to bolt the other way.

The path split again, three different directions opening in front of me. My instincts screamed at me to choose, to run blindly, but I clenched my fists tighter and forced my wolf to calm. She whined in frustration, pacing in my mind.

"Which way, Destin?" My voice was sharp.

"Left," he answered quickly, his tone solid and grounding. "Go now."

I took off down the left path, the jagged ground threatening to trip me with every step. Behind me, the sound of bones cracking again—louder this time, closer. I pushed harder, my heart hammering in my chest.

I turned and ran straight into a hedge thrusting up from the ground. It was changing in real time. Creating new paths and closing off old ones.

A branch scraped against my cheek, and I winced as it drew blood. I didn't have time to think about the pain. I turned back and found a steep incline ahead. The path was barely wide enough for my feet, and the sides of the maze loomed on either side, making it feel like I was climbing through a tunnel.

I started up, my legs burning with the effort. The creature's growls were louder now, echoing off the walls. Its claws scraped against the ground. Faster. I needed to go faster.

"You're almost there!" Destin's voice was farther away now.

I reached the top of the incline and stumbled onto a flat section of path. My lungs were on fire, and I had to bend over, hands on my knees, to catch my breath. It was then I heard it. A rustling in the hedges.

I whipped around, my eyes scanning the shadows. The path was empty, but I could feel it. The creature was close. My instincts screamed at me to run, but I couldn't move. I was frozen, my muscles locked in place.

Almost where? The maze twisted around me, and just as I felt the shadows press closer, my wolf surged forward, forcing me up. I scrambled to my feet and bolted. My lungs burned from the sprint, but I kept moving.

The howl came again, so close it felt like it was breathing down my neck. I spun toward the sound, teeth bared. My wolf surged, but something felt wrong. I knew with startling clarity that I wouldn't be able to shift here.

"Lana!" Destin's voice was sharp, and I forced myself to look up. I could barely see him now that I was higher up. He was pointing to my right. I turned just as the creature lunged from the hedge.

It was a blur of bones, rot, and teeth, and I barely had time to react. I threw myself to the side, hitting the ground hard. The creature skidded past me, its claws tearing up the earth.

I scrambled to my feet, my heart hammering in my chest. The creature turned, its eyes glowing red in the darkness. It was massive, easily twice the size of any wolf I'd ever seen. What fur it had was matted and slick with blood, and its teeth were bared in a snarl.

I took a step back, my mind racing. There was no way I could fight this thing. It was too fast, too strong. I had to outsmart it. The Bone Stalker lunged, and I dodged to the left. It crashed into the hedge, snarling in frustration. I took off down the path, my legs pumping. I had to find a way out.

The path opened up again, and I found myself standing on the edge of a chasm. A rickety bridge spanned the gap, the planks creaking and swaying in the wind. I hesitated, my heart pounding in my ears.

"There's no other way," Destin called from above. "You have to cross."

I nodded, my throat dry. I stepped onto the first plank, and it groaned under my weight. The darkness below seemed to stretch on forever—I couldn't see the bottom. I gripped the rope handrails, my knuckles turning white, and took another step. Then another.

The bridge swayed, and I had to fight to keep my balance. The wind whipped through the chasm, and I felt like I was walking on a tightrope. My muscles screamed in protest, but I kept moving.

I'd barely made it halfway when the bridge swung to my left. The Bone Stalker. It was there behind me. The planks under my feet started to break away. One by one, they snapped and fell into the abyss as I stumbled forward. My breath caught in my throat, and I quickened my pace.

"Run!" Destin's voice was urgent, and I didn't need to be told twice. I darted forward, the bridge buckling under my feet. The last plank snapped, and I leaped for the edge.

My fingers scraped against the dirt, and I grappled for a hold. My feet dangled over the edge, and I kicked, trying to find purchase. Finally, I managed to pull myself up.

I lay on my back, gasping for air. The bridge was gone, the planks and ropes scattered in the darkness below. I rolled over and pushed myself to my feet, my legs trembling.

"Lana, the walls are shifting!" Destin's voice was frantic, and I looked up. The walls of the maze were moving, closing in on me. I had to move fast.

I sprinted down the path, my eyes scanning for an exit. The walls were closing in, and I had to duck and weave to avoid getting crushed. My lungs burned, and my muscles felt like they were on fire, but I didn't stop.

Finally, I saw an opening. I dove through, hitting the ground hard. The walls slammed shut behind me, and I rolled to my knees, panting.

My head spun. I scanned the area around me just waiting for the Bone Stalker to throw itself from the hedge.

"Lana!" Destin's voice was filled with relief, and I looked up to see him running toward me. He dropped to his knees next to me, his hands on my shoulders. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, unable to speak. My body was trembling, but I forced myself to my feet. I'd done it. With Destin's help, I'd made it through the maze.

I searched the air for the ghostly light, waiting for some sort of acknowledgment and hopefully the book.

Nothing came.

Instead, the maze shrank away, leaving us standing back in the ethereal woods. Instead of a bright light, a table appeared. My breath caught in my throat as I saw what lay on top of it.