Untamed - Book 1

He leads us through the woods toward the eastern border and we both walk the path in a comfortable silence. I can feel him watching me curiously as I take in the beauty of the forest around us. I silently remind myself that his people are not accustomed to the ways of my kind, having only fear of us and our abilities. I notice his pace slowing as we approach a small clearing with a large, flat rock at the center that sits roughly four feet high, resembling an altar. I take slow, cautious steps toward the stone, the energy of the ancient grounds crackling and pulsing through everything around me. It feels as if the ground around me is rising and falling, like gentle, steady breaths. I let my fingers glide along the rough, flat surface of the stone and I can feel the power coursing through it.

“Do you think this will work?” I turn to face him, trying to minimize the amount of energy I absorb from the land.

“What was this land used for?” He takes a few steps toward me, but maintains his distance from the stone.

“For the last two generations, they have used this land for mating ceremonies, but before that, I am unsure.” I have enough knowledge about sacred land to know that the energy I am feeling is tainted in some way, but without knowing the cause, I cannot determine if it will be safe for use in our ritual.

“Mating ceremonies? Something’s not right.” I mumble as I come to the conclusion that only one person can help me with what I need to know. I remove Luca’s amulet and set it on the altar then focus on our bond. Slowly, his image manifests on the altar and I can see by his expression just how weakened he has become.

“Cora, where are you?”

“Luca, I am trying to tie things up as fast as I can. I need you to filter the energy here, tell me if we can use this for the ritual site for creating the alpha’s bond.”

“This land is stained with blood. You cannot draw on the energy here without drawing in the darkness.”

“Shit. We will have to keep looking then. Luca, Darius came to see me. Caleb is catching up. He thinks he knows where they are holding you. I promise you, I will come for you.”

“Cora, I love you, but I think you need to let me go. Please, please let me go.”

His image slowly fades away and I am left staring at his amulet on the rock in front of me.

“I know of another place that might work.” His voice snaps me out of my thought filled void. I grab the amulet and slip it back over my head then wipe at the tears that I hadn’t realized were falling from my eyes. With a deep, steadying breath, I turn to the alpha and try to ignore the sad expression on his face.

“Lead the way, alpha.” I follow him back into the woods, though this time our walk is filled with an unsettling tension.

“Why is he telling you to let him go?” His voice breaks the tense silence after several minutes pass.

“Because he is a stubborn bastard who doesn’t want me risking myself for him.” I lower my head and kick a rock in my frustration.

“Is your friend, the vampire, going to help you?” I shake my head, still focusing on the path in front of me.

“No. Darius is helping get information, but I will not allow him to risk his life and his people for me.” The sound of his footsteps vanishes and I turn to see him standing several feet back with an angry expression.

“You make this sound like it will be a suicide mission.” I am caught off guard by his concerned yet angry tone.

“It very well may be, but in the grand scheme of things, it would just be one less witch in the world, right?” I turn and continue walking, my legs acting as though they already know the way. I feel guilt for throwing his peoples hatred for my kind in his face, but part of me feels the truth behind my words. I can sense him a short distance behind me, but neither of us make an effort to close the gap. After nearly an hour of walking, I feel the undeniable surge of energy, an energy both pure and powerful. I slide the strap of my bag off my arm and carry it to the point where the energy is most heavily saturated. I kneel down and place my hands on the damp earth, digging my fingers into the soil and letting its energy ripple through me.

“This will work perfectly. We need to assure your future luna prepares herself for the ritual. We have 3 weeks to get everything in order.” I try to shake off the guilt and anger, focusing on the task at hand, the one thing standing between me and saving Luca.

“Okay.” The single word is spoken with such emotion and it is almost too much to bear.

“Alpha, I…I’m…” My words catch in my throat as a searing pain shoots through me, shocking every nerve from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.