AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter I
Istumbledoutofthe portal and onto the ground.
More accurately, I dropped out of the portal twenty feet above the ground and crashed onto the forest floor.
Ow.
My head spun as it tried to catch up to my sudden journey. The ringing in my ears drowned out everything for a long moment.Inhale, exhale. Deep breaths as I adjusted. The experience was utterly disorienting.
I flipped over in time to catch the fading yellow sparks as the portal disappeared.
My hands sank into a layer of snow on the ground as I forced myself up to take in my surroundings. The icy sensation slammed into my core. I still wore my cloak, which provided some protection from the winter chill, but not much. Of course, when you get used to being surrounded by a moat of lava, your tolerance for the cold gets diminished.
I’d died—been murdered—and gone to the afterlife. In my time in Hell, I’d faced demons, trained with a witch, and been turned to stone. I had no idea how long I’d been there. Time had lost meaning. And now… I wasback.
Part of me was convinced I was still in Hell, that the Libra demon hadn’t actually held up his end of the deal—that I had no plans of fulfilling my part of—but a glance up at the sky confirmed it was the navy of night, not the crimson of Hell. The air itself tasted different. Familiar, like a distant memory of home.
I pinched myself to be sure. The icy pinch didn’t change the sight in front of me.
Snow on the ground. Trees. A waxing crescent moon above.
I was here.
Of course, the question was—wherewashere?
I’d given Phaidros, the demon who opened the portal, instructions to drop me off on Moon-Ghost pack lands, but he hadn’t exactly used a GPS.
Ugh. I had to hope I was somewhere nearby, but I didn’t recognize my surroundings as pack lands. And I’d never been allowed off of them, never seen the bordering territories.
I bit down a growl of frustration.Think, Avery, think.Every moment spent wasted was a moment my best friend suffered. Ihadto get to Daphne.
I looked up at the sky. The night was clear, not a single cloud marring the stars decorating the sky. I’d spent a lot of nights hiding on rooftops from the Alpha Clique, watching the stars. Daphne had spent many of those nights with me. The memories were a spiked pang in my chest, squeezing at the wound of loneliness.
I knew the sky in Moon-Ghost territory. It was similar, but not quite a match for what was above me. I was a bit too far south. At least, I was mostly sure about that.
Before I’d died, I’d have said a prayer to the Moon Goddess that I was correct, beseeched her to guide my steps.
But I couldn’t force myself to believe in her tonight. Not after who she’d given me for a fated mate.
So, now, I had to trustmyself. I picked a direction and set off.
I hadn’t walked for ten minutes before a growl cut through the night.
Shifter.
The scent of a wolf—no, wolves—arrived on the air a short moment later, serving as confirmation.
Shit. In a split second, I considered and dismissed the possibility of running. They knew where I was, and they were willing to chase me.
Three massive wolves emerged from the shadows, spreading around me. Not a sneak attack, but a direct confrontation. A patrol.
I didn’t recognize the three ash-furred wolves, which meant they didn’t recognize me, hopefully. Strangers might be dangerous, but it was my own pack that had killed me. It was around them I’d need to be most careful.
If I made it that far.
The wolf in the center growled again.
It wasn’t possible to speak as a wolf, but the demand in his voice was a clear threat. I was an intruder on their territory.Not that I’d be welcomed on what had been my own.
