Fate Mate

Chapter 59

I was too late.

The magic from the faultline swarmed the entire forest, causing trees to snap and branches to whip back and forth. The ground itself started to shake beneath me, evidence of the magnitude of the reversal spell.

I tried to take a step forward, but even that small movement proved difficult. It was almost as if the magic itself was creating resistance. The source must have been close. Digging my claws into the earth, I fought to stay upright.

The churning power was disorienting. My wolf's exceptional hearing seemed to pick up every sound in the forest, and yet, nothing was discernible. The underbrush whipped recklessly around me, while trees clashed against one another. It was almost as if I'd been caught in the center of a devastating storm.

My wolf released a high-pitched whimper as I struggled to take another step, all while panic threatened to seize control of my mind. I couldn't be distracted. I needed to reach the faultline's source.

I needed to reach Nolan.

The thought of my mate alone offered me the strength to take another step forward. His piercing blue gaze. Another step. The dimple that formed on his cheek with every smile. Another step. The way his chest rumbled every time he laughed at one of my jokes...

I continued like this, my head bent in determination as I forced myself closer to the magic source. With every step, I prayed to the Moon Goddess. I prayed that she would give me even a second longer with my mate.

"Charlie?"

The sound of my name rose above the turmoil of the surrounding forest, snapping me out of my determination-driven haze. My eyes immediately flickered ahead, toward the source of the voice.

My heart skipped a beat at the sight of Dominic standing mere paces in front of me. Shock ricocheted through me, and my body lurched forward. I possessed no semblance of control over my own form as my wolf's bones splintered and shrunk, shriveling until I was reduced to my human body once more.

I gasped. Every muscle in my body quivered as I attempted to push my newly-naked body off of the ground, but I scarcely had the strength to lift my neck. Disorienting magic still swarmed around me, biting my bare skin like a thousand pin-pricks. I weazed, resisting the urge to close my eyes.

"D-Dominic?" I rasped.

"Shhh, Charlie," Dominic's familiar, husky voice murmured. He sounded closer than before. "You're okay. You're going to be okay."

I struggled to keep my eyes open, even as my head rolled back, landing in the dirt. "N-Nolan is..."

"Take a deep breath, Charles," Dominic coached, his voice shockingly clear despite the buzz of magic surrounding us. It almost didn't seem real. "Stay with me."

I obeyed his command, forcing a deep breath into my lungs. Then another. When I felt sufficiently re-settled in my human body, I propped myself up on an elbow.

I blinked, suddenly realizing that Dominic was crouched just inches away from me. He reached out a hand, his fingers bent to gently caress my cheek as I met his beautiful blue gaze...

But our skin never made contact. Not really. I noticed it a moment later. Dominic's form wavered, taking on a cloak of transparency that I'd grown painfully familiar with.

A spirit.

Dominic's spirit.

I released a shattered breath, extending my trembling fingers to stroke his hand that would have rested on my cheek. They passed straight through him and onto my own skin. "Dom?"