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“Thanks, Dean.”I couldn’t waste any more time. I needed to find Tori before it was too late.
I strained my senses to their limits, searching for any sign of my mate. The stench of the hunters and the metallic tang of blood nauseated me, but beneath it all, I caught a faint whiff of Tori’s scent. I followed it like a lifeline, letting it guide me deeper into the woods.
“Can you hear me, love?”I thought, hoping she could sense my presence through our fragile bond.
There was no response. I pushed my body even harder, muscles straining as I leaped over fallen trees and dodged low-hanging branches.
“Please, Tori,”I silently urged, praying that she would somehow know I was coming for her.“Stay strong. I won’t let him take you from me.”
As I raced through the woods, my ears picked up the faint sound of an engine in the distance. My heart leaped with hope, and I followed the noise, desperate to find the armored vehicle Kyle had mentioned.
“Dammit, Tori, where are you?”My frustration grew, mingling with the fear that gnawed at the edges of my mind. My legs burned, my lungs screamed for air, but I couldn’t afford to slow down.
Finally, the trees began to thin, and I caught sight of the armored vehicle parked near a small clearing. Several hunters surrounded it, all armed and ready for a fight.
“Found them,”I said to Dean, sending him a mental image so he’d know where I was. I crouched in the underbrush, tense and ready to strike.“There’s a group of hunters guarding the vehicle.”
“Be careful, Ridge,”Dean replied.“I’ll send backup as soon as I can. Things are chaotic.”
“I understand,”I said grimly.“Just get here as fast as you can.”
I studied the hunters, searching for any weakness or openings I could exploit. The stakes were higher than they’d ever been before, but one thing was certain: I wouldn’t stop until Tori was safe in my arms once more.
Chapter 52
Tori
A faint throbbing in my head brought me back to consciousness. I tried to move, but my limbs were heavy and unresponsive. Panic gripped me as I struggled to remember what had happened. Eerie chanting echoed around me, and I darted my head from side to side, trying to locate its source.
“Wha...where am I?” The question came out in a weak, slurred murmur, and it sent shivers down my spine. This wasn’t right. I’d never been so powerless before.
“Ah, you’re awake,” a familiar voice, tinged with impatience, said next to me.
I craned my neck to see William, arms crossed over his chest. He looked even more sinister than usual, which made my heart pound.
“William? What’s going on?” I asked, my words still sluggish and distorted.
William sounded almost gleeful when he spoke. “You should be thankful, Tori. What I’m doing is for your own good.”
“Thankful? For what?” Every word spoken was like a battle won, but I refused to let him see how much I was struggling.
“None of the other shifters have been strong enough to get over being cured of their monster.” He sneered. “But I know you will be. After all, I raised you, so you should be very strong.”
“Monster?” The word resonated within me, and a frisson of fear snaked down my spine. The realization that Giselle was attempting to strip me of my wolf sent a fresh surge of adrenaline flooding through my veins. I needed to do something,anything, to stop them.
The strange chanting was coming from a woman nearby. She stood within a circle drawn on the forest floor, her hands weaving intricate patterns in the air as she chanted. Tall and willowy, she moved with an ethereal grace. Metal beads shimmered in her long braids as she cast her spell. Her hair seemed to come alive, swaying and dancing around her head, the beads adding a musical accompaniment to her incantations. Gold and silver glinted at her ears, all the way up from the lobe to the cartilage at the top. A chain of gold stretched from her left ear to her nostril.
Her skin had a deep, rich hue, as if it had been crafted from the essence of midnight. The moonlight revealed hints of gold and copper, adding a velvety texture to her complexion. Her sharp, calculating eyes glinted with a sinister intelligence, revealing the wickedness she harbored within. Clad in simple black leggings and a matching tank top, her clothing blended effortlessly with her skin. Every finger was decorated with a ring, reflecting the moon’s captivating glow.
This had to be Giselle, the witch we’d heard so much about.
“Stop this,” I tried to yell, but it came out weak, barely audible above the chanting.
William laughed, shaking his head. “Give up, Tori. Once it’s done, you’ll thank me.”
My chest tightened, and my vision blurred. The knowledge that I was losing my connection to Ridge, to our pack, threatened to consume me.
“Never.” I gritted my teeth. My body quivered with the effort of trying to move, but I refused to surrender. Even as inch by agonizing inch, I managed to lift myself off the ground, it wasn’t enough. Not yet.
