Page 39 of Wanted by the Wolves (The Last Shifters #2)

Chapter 38

Gage

T he sun and moon battle for dominance in the sky. My tongue hangs from my mouth, my wolf panting from our run along the perimeter. Briggs and I are almost finished with the checks, and I’m ready to go back to the cabin with Nova and settle in for the night.

I race around the last stone marking the coming boundary line and follow the snow-packed path to the ancient pine tree. My wolf skids to a halt before the crystal in the ward fencing. The black tourmaline stone sits dark and lifeless. Its usual soft-green glow is missing.

It’s completely drained.

Again.

I backpedal, sniffing the tree's base for scents I might have missed.

Briggs chuffs next to me, clearly anxious.

This is our last checkpoint in the ward line, and all the others have been intact. Nothing in the forest has felt out of place. There have been no tracks from ferals or sounds of wolves. I’d practically convinced myself that the others were right and my anxiety over bonding with Nova had manifested itself in my sleep.

Even still, my alpha has been agitated since this morning, battling me for control. I thought my wolf was on edge today because he wanted to claim Nova. He does , but maybe this is why he felt the urge so strongly this morning.

I curse myself for not listening to my instincts. If we had a bond right now, I could feel her and urge her to lock down with Dex so they could stay safe.

Idiot. Always ignoring the important things.

I try to recall the nightmare to see if it can guide me since I haven’t listened. It’s always the same. The pack is huddled around a large bonfire in the forest. Ferals inch closer, the glint of madness and violence in their yellow eyes before they snap. It’s fuzzy, parts of the dream hazy upon waking, but the moment's terror is etched into my skin like a memory. Was it a vision? A warning? With the wards down, the ferals could’ve breached the perimeter.

My wolf nudges Briggs with a burst of magic, and he lopes off, clearly understanding that I’m asking for help with my search. We need to figure out if anything has made it past the wards.

The only way the same stone was depleted of magic in such a short time is if someone did it intentionally. That means I’m dealing with another magic user.A wolf or human witch, possibly another healer?

Backtracking leads me to a narrow stretch along the perimeter that looks undisturbed. There’s no scent, no prints in the snow, no snapped branches. But when my wolf licks the air, the burnt smell of dark magic sizzles like acid on my tongue.

Fuck.

The magical signature is that of a wolf healer, but this magic is twisted and corrupt.I follow the magic until I find a small green stone. It’s a wraith stone used to drain energy.

Well, shit. That’s how the healer brought down the ward.

It’s impossible to tell if the healer was alone, but whatever the wolf has done was powerful enough to cloak his presence. If he’s gotten in, it’s possible he brought others.

Briggs shifts back in a burst of power, his roar shaking the birds from the trees. “Something is wrong. Dex’s bond just spiked with panic.”

He goes to run, but I call him back with my wolf’s bark before I shift to my human skin.

“Wait. We have to play this smart. Whoever this is, they’re prepared.”

Briggs turns on me, veins popping along his arms as he squeezes his fists. “What do you know? Why is the ward down? Is it your dream?”

“Someone used a wraith stone to drain the ward. Not ferals. I don't know how my dream ties in, but I’m sure it’s connected.”

Briggs huffs, chest heaving and his wolf in his eyes. “The first time was a test.If it’s not ferals, it’s gotta be the king. Could his healers do this?"

“A wraith stone can be used by anyone, but they're rare. It doesn’t need a spell as long as you know how to use it. But the air has the scent of dark magic. The king has always had healers, but I don’t know them personally, and who knows who he’s got now after the alpha challenges and in-fighting.”

Briggs curses, his hands moving to his hips. “That’s a problem for later. Right now, we need to get the fuck out of here and back to our pack.”

Panic and fear race through me. We have to get to Nova. She has to be safe—not after everything, not this way.

My wolf takes back my skin in an angry burst, darting toward the cabin in a mad dash of paws. My heart pounds, fear making me run faster than ever.

Briggs pulls ahead, and I push myself to stay at his speed, frantic to get to her.