Page 47 of Night Fae

If they got caught…

No, they wouldn't.

He wouldn't let them get caught.

"Can we shake them off?" Malik asked, his voice strained.

"Just hang on," Zev said.

They pushed deeper into the woods.

If only they could go faster, but the forest was too thick. Branches scratched at Zev's face and arms, leaving thin trails of blood.

It had been so long since Zev had sought out this clearing.

Did he even remember the path correctly?

The forest had grown and changed, what if he was leading them nowhere, what if…?

No, there it was.

They emerged into a small clearing where the trees formed a perfect circle around a pool of still, black water. The surface reflected no stars, no moon—only darkness.

Another entrance to the shadow paths.

Zev wanted to breathe a sigh of relief.

But they weren't alone.

Three figures crouched around the pool, their clawed hands covered in soil from drawing symbols in the earth—symbols similar to what Zev had intended to create. They looked up as Zev and Malik burst into the clearing, their ears were furry.

Werewolves.

One of them—a broad-shouldered male with a scarred face—rose slowly to his feet. His nostrils flared as he caught Zev's scent.

"Night Court," he growled, his voice thick with hatred.

The other wolves stood as well, bodies tense. They were ready to fight.

"Wait," Malik called. "We're not?—"

But it was too late. The wolves had recognized Zev.

"You," the scarred wolf snarled, taking a step forward. "You're the one who killed Tomas and Erin."

Those must be some of the werewolves Zev had executed recently. Maybe they could smell it on him still.

"We don't have time for this," Zev muttered, dismounting. "Move aside. We're not here for you."

"Like you weren't there for our packmates?" The female wolf to the left spat at the ground. "You murdered them while they worked."

"I have killed many wolves," Zev admitted. What was the point in hiding it?

Of course, the admission only enraged them further. The scarred wolf began to change, his body contorting as bones cracked and reformed. Coarse fur sprouted across his skin, his face elongating into a muzzle filled with razor-sharp teeth.

The other two followed suit, though their transformations were slightly slower.

If Zev had wanted to, he could have killed them mid-shift.