I’m in a dream, the same one I had before with Micah, only now I can’t seem to escape it, and Micah is nowhere to be found. The road is cold and gritty against my bare feet. I look down both sides of the road, knowing in my heart I must make a choice. Down one street, it’s dark, like there’s a thunderstorm brewing up above. Then, on the opposite side, the end of the road is light. I want to take that path. It’s warm and inviting, but something pulls me toward the darkness. I can feel it grabbing me from the inside, pushing me in the wrong direction.
“Raelynn, it’s time to wake up.”
Gasping, I jerk around, peering up at the sky and all around me. I recognize that voice, only it can’t be right; I’m alone in the dream. A searing pain explodes in my head, and something shifts inside of me. The force pushing me toward the darkness intensifies, but I fight against it, knowing very well I’ll suffer through the pain to keep from going there.
“Raelynn,” the voice calls out again, only this time it sounds closer, more demanding.
Falling to the ground, I close my eyes and concentrate on Micah as hard as possible. “Micah, where are you?” I whisper.
The second I say his name, I’m thrust out of the dream as the hand clutching my jaw tightens. “How dare you say that fucking name?”
Eyes flashing open, my stomach shrinks in on itself. Standing before me is Soren, his eyes glowing and blazing all at the same time. A gasp escapes my lips as I fully realize that this is real.
“Soren.” I can taste his blood on my lips, dark and bitter. “How are you here?” I try to move, but I’m restrained in a chair, my skin burning like fire from the wolfsbane ropes wrapped around my wrists and ankles. Every time I pull against the ropes, I hear the sizzling of my flesh.
Soren jerks my chin out of his grasp, but the pain of his bruising touch still lingers. He’s alive. I can feel him in my head and all around me. There was a time when I saw kindness in his cobalt blue gaze, but today, all I see are deceit and lies.
“There’s a lot you have to learn, sunshine,” Soren hisses. “I’m afraid you chose the wrong side. I think it’s time you come back over to mine.”
He stands and turns his back to me as he strolls over to the window. The glass is broken, and the white curtains are discolored and tattered. The room reminds me of something you’d see in a horror movie. In the corner is a lopsided twin bed that reeks of urine and mold. Judging by the weeds growing up through the hardwood floor, I’d say we’re in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere.
Dressed only in a pair of jeans and no shirt, Soren stops at the window. It’s then that I see the shimmering symbol on his back. I’ve never seen the mark before, but I can sense how powerful it is. “Magic,” I choke out.
Soren grins at me over his shoulder. “Did you seriously think the royals were the only special wolves in the world? Think again.” His grin turns sinister as he approaches me. “The Great Luna might’ve touched your people, but I’ve been given a gift far more superior. My bloodline has gone back for centuries.” Soren marches over and kneels before me, his evil sneer making my insides tremble with fear. “Let me show you.”
“Show me what?”
The next thing I know, I’m sucked into a vision with Soren right beside me. We’re in a forest somewhere, but the land feels new. The air smells clean and fresh like you’d imagine it would’ve been centuries ago. Even the leaves on the trees are a brighter green as if the land is alive, untouched by the pollution in today’s time.
Looking over at Soren, I follow his line of sight to the wolves in the distance. There are two of them, one a brilliant white and the other as dark as midnight. No other wolf is stronger than a royal arctic, but the black wolf is just as powerful; I can feel it. Growls echo through the air as they battle it out for dominance. They tear at each other, blood pouring from their wounds. However, neither one of them give up. But then, the scene changes, and the forest disappears, leaving only a vision of the white wolf on one side with the black wolf on the other. Both figures slowly begin to fade, and their essence transforms into multiple other wolves, showing the birth of the Great Luna’s royal arctics and the black wolves. Good versus evil.
Shutting my eyes, I push myself out of the vision. “How are you in my head? You’re not my mate.”
Soren slides his hands up my thighs, and my eyes burst open. “Oh, but I am,” he boasts. “The Great Luna isn’t the only one who can choose mates, my dear Rae. There’s a darkness in you that calls to mine. That’s why you were chosen for me by the Dark Luna. You just have to embrace it.”
“Never!” I growl, spitting at him.
Pain shoots through my body as Soren pierces his claws into my thighs. “Yeah, I thought you’d say that.” He slides his claws out and moans as he licks my blood off his fingers. “You’ll change your mind. The more blood of mine in your body, the faster you’ll succumb to the darkness.”
Another wolf I’ve never seen before walks through the door—a man with midnight-colored hair and amber eyes. He’s a black wolf who exudes just as much power as Soren. How many of them are there? He whispers something to Soren, and he smiles.
“Excellent. That’s what I wanted to hear.”
The other guy smirks at me before walking out.
“Who was that?” I snap. “Are you not taking me back to the Black Hills pack?”
Throwing his head back, Soren laughs. “Oh no. We’re headed somewhere else. Now that I’ve taken you, it’ll bring about the war of all wars. The royals aren’t just going to let you go.” His blue eyes glimmer with lust when he rakes his gaze down my body. “Will they find us in time before the full moon? Not likely. We’ve been waiting a lifetime to find a royal to turn to the dark side. It’ll change the whole shifter dynamic.” Soren comes over and snatches my chin in his firm grip. “Once you’re mine, our power will be stronger than the Royal pack.” He forces a kiss, and the smell of his need permeates the room. I jerk my head away, and he chuckles. “Sweet dreams, sunshine.”
The second he walks out of the room, I breathe a sigh of relief. Using all the strength I have, I hold my breath and pull against my restraints. Instead of breaking free, all it does is make the pain worse. Eyes burning, I lean my head back, and my breath rushes out. The vision with Soren replays in my mind. My grandmother used to tell scary stories about the Dark Luna, about how she was the Great Luna’s sister. I never believed they were true. Now that they are, it changes my whole view of the world. I always thought the royal arctics would come out on top, but now we’ve met our match.
Micah needs to know what’s going on.
I concentrate on him, holding onto the love we share. It’s the most powerful bond in the shifter world. Micah and I have the real deal; he’s my true mate. The Dark Luna may have chosen me for Soren, but in the end, it’s my choice. I don’t acknowledge her power.
“Come on, Micah. I need you to hear me.”
When I try to push through, there’s a wall that closes in around me, blocking out the light. I fight against it, but it gains another step by pushing me back. Finally, the effort wears me out, and I give up, struggling to get in a good breath with the wolfsbane infesting the air.
What am I going to do if I can’t break free?