Page 14 of Destined Dawn

“I am,” I say, staring him down. “So you can either come with me or not.”

“It’s too dangerous,” he argues.

“You said staying here for too long would be dangerous. That we’d have to move soon enough. Why not move there?”

“There’s a price on your head. If anyone spots you–”

“There was a price on my head before, remember?” I say, pointing at Renzo. “I’m not afraid.”

Azlan folds his arms and shakes his head.

“What? Are there ninja nuns at this convent or something?”

“No, the convent’s been empty for the last century,” Stone tells me.

“Empty? These supposed prophecies are being kept somewhere unguarded?”

“People are superstitious about moving them. Besides which, the convent is surrounded by treacherous waters–”

“Haunted waters,” Tristan clarifies.

“The journey there is too risky. Someone could spot you,” Azlan adds again.

I cross my arms over my chest and stare them all down. Azlan’s jaw hardens. It’s obviously going to take all my powers of persuasion to convince them that this is what we have to do. But I’m determined and Stone is right – I need to read that prophecy with my own eyes.

6

Spencer

I’m not as healedas I think I am, because all the chatter, all the noise, is making my head ache. Or maybe it’s all the thoughts now clattering around in my head.

Are they right? Was Rhi born to be some powerful magical, foreseen in some ancient prophecy? And are we destined to help her?

AmIdestined to help her? A werebeast? What use would I be?

As the others continue to argue around me, I slouch out of the kitchen and into the quiet hallway, dust particles floating in the air, the silence soothing.

I’m stiff from all those hours chained to a dungeon wall. I roll out my shoulders, lift my hands above my head, stretching my unused muscles and as I do, the beast rumbles inside me. He wants to be let out – he’s demandingit, scraping at the constraints of my insides. He’s been just as cooped up, just as restricted as I have. It’s only fair that I release him.

I glance towards the doorway.

Is it safe? I may have argued that the beast would never harm Rhianna, but I can’t know that for sure. And am I prepared to take that risk?

Hell, no, I’m not. Even if it causes me pain. Even if it has the beast spitting and snarling inside me.

I close my eyes, fighting him as he tries to break free.

“Spencer?”

My eyelids flick open and I meet the honey eyes of my fated mate.

The bond inside me spirals and the beast quietens.

“Are you okay?” She steps towards me and places her hand on my arm. I don’t deserve her touch but I relish it anyway. It feels divine against my skin. After all that violence, all that cruelty, the tenderness of her touch is enough to send the beast purring.

I never liked to be touched before. But now I think I’d crawl over hot coals to have her touch me like this.

“Spencer?” she says again.