Tangled Fates

Chapter 12

*** Many changes and edits have happened in previous chapters. I do my best to keep all my readers informed as I make my edits. 9/24/2024***

The world blurs around me as I race to the forest, my wolf's powerful strides eating up the ground beneath us. The earthy scent of hay and alfalfa mingles with the growing dread that claws at my gut.

"Mate. Danger. Must find her." Tazz howls in my mind, our shared fear pulsing.

Tazz pushes harder, our muscles rippling beneath our fur. The forest that usually feels like home now seems sinister, every shadow a threat. Twigs snap underfoot, the sound amplified in my heightened state.

"Faster." I urge, as panic rises like bile in my throat.

Just as we near the edge of the woods, the sky opens up, rain pelting down in icy sheets. It soaks through my fur in an instant, but I barely feel it. All my senses are focused on one thing only. Finding my mate.

Suddenly, a scream pierces the air, slicing through me like a blade. My heart seizes in my chest.

"Mate!" Tazz cries, his pain and mine twist into something that feels dark and sinister.

We pivot sharply, charging toward the sound as my pack falls in behind me. In the mind-link, my voice comes out a rumbling growl.

"Follow me. Now! Protect the Luna at all costs. Eyes open for any threats." I command them, my authority ringing through each word.

They surge after me without hesitation, our paws churning up mud and leaves as the rain beats down. I can feel their determination, their primal need to defend the pack and to protect my mate, fueling them on.

"Please, Moon Goddess, let her be unharmed." I pray desperately as the seconds tick by, each one an eternity. "I cannot lose her. Not now, not ever."

Tazz whines, reflecting my desperation, my terrible dread at what we might find. Her scent pulls me toward her like a tether, but I curse every stride that separates me from her as fear threatens to overwhelm me.

"Hold on, my love, my Wildling. I'm coming for you," I vow fiercely as lightning splits the sky overhead and thunder rumbles in my soul. "Nothing in this realm or beyond will stop me from reaching you."

Trees rush by us as we speed past. The scent of copper stung my nose as we neared a fallen log, grayed and broken. Fear stung my gut at the thought of my mate being injured. I leap over the fallen log, my paws skid in the mud as I descend the hill. The scent grew even stronger as my eyes frantically sought my mate. Then I spot her, a crumpled figure huddled against the base of a towering willow. Her hand clutches at her shoulder, her body wracked with tremors that slice through me. Tazz whines softly, sharing my distress at seeing our mate so broken, so vulnerable.

I mind link my fellow wolves. "I found her. Please, give her space but remain guarded."

I approach her cautiously in my wolf form, fighting the urge to shift and race to her. I know I must tread carefully, my anxiety warring with the need not to frighten her further. Tazz paces in the back of my mind, desperate to comfort her but understanding the need for restraint.

As I draw closer, a sickly sweet scent assaults my nostrils, cloying and overripe like rotting fruit. It mingles with the earthy aroma of wet leaves and damp fur, raising the hackles along my spine. Something is terribly wrong.

I reach my mate's side, lowering my massive head to nuzzle at her neck, breathing in her scent beneath the unnatural odor clinging to her skin. She flinches at my touch, a whimper escaping her lips, and my heart clenches painfully.