Page 89 of Dark Sold Mate

But whatever her magic was trying to show her—that might require her specifically. That might be time-sensitive in a way this battle wasn't.

The ringing got incredibly louder, and Elle bit down on her tongue to avoid screaming. It was pulling at something within her, saying that she must go now before it was too late.

Elle made her decision.

She turned her back on Carter, who stood huddled behind a tree, too absorbed in the battle that was going on to realize that she was moving. She glanced at Silas, her brother, and everyone else. They would win the fight.

Then she ran out of the forest, letting the ringing in her head guide her.

Elle did not know where she was going or what she would see. She was not certain that she was doing the right thing. But she had never felt like this before—an intense sense of urgency.

She ran harder and faster, gasping for breath. The branches ripped at her dress and hair. The ringing got louder, drawing her further into the woods.

The sound of the battle faded behind her as the ringing grew louder and louder; she felt like her head was going to explode.

But Elle continued to run to whatever fate her magic had decreed, hoping that she was not too late.

Chapter 23 - Silas

The scarred bear shifter went down hard, with Silas’s jaws still locked around his throat. Blood filled Silas’s mouth, and he held the position for three more seconds to ensure the threat was neutralized before releasing him.

The clearing around him was covered with bodies. Some of them dead, most of them, unconscious or too badly wounded to fight further. Rael was inspecting them one after another, making sure that they would not present any danger when they awoke. Javi and the men were going around the perimeter to ensure there were no other shifters coming in.

August was towering over Carter, gasping for breath. It had been a fierce battle. They were outnumbered, but they were better trained. Those other shifters didn’t stand a chance.

Silas wiped the blood from his mouth and turned to look at Elle, to make sure that she and Carter were fine. Except Elle wasn’t there.

His heart stopped. His gaze swept across the clearing, looking for that beautiful brown hair, curvy figure, and her smaller human form among the shifters.

Nothing. She wasn’t there.

“Elle?” He called out her name, trying to hide the panic in his voice.

No response.

“Where’s Elle?” He turned to August.

August groaned and looked around, turning rapidly concerned. “She was right here. She was with Carter when the fight began.”

“She’s gone,” Rael said, having completed his circuit of the clearing. “Her scent trail leads into the forest, heading northeast.”

Panic clawed at Silas’s heart. His wolf started to pace within him, restless, urging him to trace her steps and go after her. But years of training, discipline, and critical thinking made him stay still long enough to evaluate the situation.

They were in unfamiliar territory, deep in a forest that bordered neutral lands. They had just put down a dozen aggressive shifters and they weren’t so sure that they didn’t attract more. Carter’s father was in binds. Silas planned on interrogating him.

And now, Elle had disappeared and he couldn’t figure out why. Especially in a territory that might be full of enemies.

Before he could formulate a plan, Carter’s father made his choice for him.

The older man had somehow worked one hand free from his bindings during the chaos of the fight. He lunged for August’s dropped weapon, grabbing it with desperate speed.

“Nobody will move,” he grabbed Carter and pointed a gun at his head. “Nobody moves, or the boy dies.”

Silas stood still, his eyes narrowed. He could barely believe what he was seeing. A father

was holding his own son as a ransom. The boy he endangered.

“Father, what are you doing?” Carter’s voice trembled.