Page 8 of Fallen (Designation #2)

AMAND

The last day and a half has been interesting.

The plan to visit the grove was a bust when we found Lev passed out from how much energy he had expended.

We’re on edge, our need to fuck our Chameleon growing every time he walks past us in the condo.

Something about using his magic to mimic scents and creatures is strengthening the mate bond way more than normal.

Even with Gerald’s training, every time he shifts, we get all bent out of shape over Lev.

We’ve fucked him four times since the time in the office, each one rougher and wilder than the last. Lev finally got a grip on how much magic is leaking out with each shift, finally mimicking a gray wolf. It’s a start but this is torture.

My need to claim him keeps screaming out but I’m desperately trying to get that shit under control.

So, I just focus on Lev’s grumbling instead, the poor guy whining about having to trudge through the forest yet again.

I don’t remember this much complaining last time when we had to confront the witch but I find it entertaining.

“Fucking forest,” Lev mutters, brushing dirt off his jeans. “Why can’t unicorns hide in, like, a coffee shop? Somewhere with Wi-Fi and no mosquitoes?”

I chuckle, stepping closer to steady him. “It’s not that bad. We were in a forest similar to this a few weeks ago.”

He glares at me, his green eyes glinting in the fading light, but there’s a spark of humor there. “No, that was a forest. This is a swamp. Are you guys seriously not bothered? I’m one step away from becoming a swamp monster. This is your fault, you know.”

I grin, my hand lingering on his arm. “You’re the one who wanted to chase Silas’s lead. Don’t blame me for your detective instincts.”

Rowan glances back, his brown eyes narrowing. “Focus, you two. This place reeks of magic. Unicorns or not, something’s here.”

He’s right. The grove is alive with energy, the air thick with the scent of old magic. It’s supposedly a dingy but known hotspot for shifters, who use its dense cover to shift unseen. It’s not exactly a lawless land but it’s one most normal creatures and humans never really venture out to.

Lev’s plan is ballsy: use his newly mastered scent-shifting to mimic an Omega wolf, the kind of prey a unicorn killer might target. It’s brilliant, but it’s also dangerous, and my beast is clawing at me to keep him safe.

“Ready, Lev?” I ask. We’re deep in the grove now, the trees towering overhead, their branches blotting out the moon. The notebook from Silas pointed us here, but it feels like a trap, and my beast is on high alert.

“Yeah. Let’s do this before I lose my nerve or before one of you try to fuck me again.”

I hold back a laugh as he closes his eyes, his face scrunching in concentration, his magic shifting through the bond.

His scent changes and gives way to something softer, sweeter.

It’s uncanny, and my beast growls, not liking the idea of him smelling like prey.

Rowan’s eyes slit, his fangs peeking out, and I know he’s feeling it too.

“Easy,” I murmur to Rowan, my hand on his arm. “He’s still ours.”

Lev opens his eyes, exhaling. “Did it work?”

I lean in, sniffing his neck, and my beast stirs at the Omega scent, even though I know it’s fake. “Yeah. You’re a walking wolf snack. Be careful.”

He rolls his eyes, but there’s a tremor in his voice. “Let’s get this over with.”

We spread out, keeping Lev in sight as he moves deeper into the clearing. His magic lets him fade slightly, blending into the shadows, but I can still track him through the bond.

A rustle in the bushes makes my beast surge, and I signal Rowan to stay alert.

Lev’s moving slower now, his fake Omega scent wafting through the air like a beacon.

I hate this plan, but it’s working—maybe too well.

A shadow moves in the trees, my heart pounding at whatever is going to surface. It’s here.

I would have thought this place was crawling with the darker shifters but there’s no one out here. Except for that.

A long, iridescent horn peeks through the underbrush before the rest of the unicorn bursts forth, faster than I’ve seen almost anything move.

It’s massive, its white coat shimmering in the darkness, absent of any light to reflect off of it.

I don’t expect the black eyes or the way they’re pointed at Lev, hunger radiating off of him.

I move before I can think, shifting into my Basilisk form. Scales ripple over my skin as my body elongates, my fangs extending until they’re nearly as large as my head. Rowan’s right beside me, his own shift seamless, and we charge, a twin wall of venom and muscle.

The unicorn scrapes its hoof on the ground before lowering his head and lunging toward Lev, its horn aimed for his chest. Lev fades a second later, the unicorn’s horn grazing a trunk and splintering through a large branch like it’s butter.

Gerald mentioned that their horns were weapons but I didn’t realize how sharp they were.

I slither forward and slam into the unicorn’s side, my coils wrapping around its front legs.

Rowan is a few inches away, about to grab his back legs when the unicorn twists at an odd angle and stabs into my flesh.

A hiss vibrates through the grove, my coils loosening enough for the unicorn to dart away.

“Fuck,” I shout before shifting back to my human form. “Seriously?”

Lev reappears and rushes over to me, checking the small graze on my leg. It’s already healing, my magic working much faster when I’m shifted. “I had no idea… fuck, we shouldn’t have come out here alone.”

I wave him off, breathing a bit heavier as my magic works through the wound. Rowan drags Lev into his chest and kisses the top of his head. “Get anything?”

Lev nods. “He smells like Silas, which is weird as fuck. I need to talk to him again because none of this makes any sense.” I can see that that’s the last thing Lev wants to do so I offer a different solution.

“Maybe we don’t need to talk to Silas again. Do you know anyone closely related to him, family members, etc? Scents tend to be fairly similar for close relatives or at least in the same general group. Occasionally, they’re different like mine and Rowan’s but otherwise…”

Lev shakes his head, tilting his face to look at me. “Silas never mentioned any family and I never met anyone. The only thing I can think of is that it has to do with his past. He always avoided talking about it.”

I jog back over to where we originally shifted and grab my phone from my tattered clothes. I grab Rowan’s too and gesture that we might want to start heading back. As glad as I am that this area is mostly deserted at the moment, I’d rather not be caught by something else unaware.

“The only thing I can think of is a twin,” Lev finally says. “You don’t share a scent like that without being super close. The problem is I never met a twin.”

Rowan grunts. “What if you did? Think about it. Silas ghosted you and then called you the flavor of the month before coming back and looking for you? What if those weren’t the same people?”

That’s a whole conspiracy I’m sure no one wants to think of. It also makes things worse because that means that Silas not only broke Lev’s heart, but he also just outright lied about his own family. It also means that Silas absolutely knows who is responsible for these murders.

Lev pulls out his phone and sends a text before letting out a grimace. “Fucking hell. I guess we just ran into a brother or a twin or something. Rowan, Amand, you have my permission to gut Silas now. What a fucking bastard.”