Thank you for reading!
Dane "The connection to Finley is fluctuating.” Celina explains.” Not getting weaker exactly, but... unstable.""What does that mean?" Liam demands, rising from his chair with enough sudden force that papers scatter."It means the between-space isn't stable," she explains, moving to the ritual monitoring equipment she's established in the corner. "Pocket dimensions created by disruption rather than natural formation tend to... collapse eventually. Usually within days of their creation."Cold dread settles in my stomach. "How long do we have?""Impossible to predict precisely," Celina admits, checking readings on devices I don't fully understand. "Could be hours, could be several more days. But the instability is increasing.""Then we don't have time for proper authorization protocols," I conclude, my mind already shifting to alternative approaches. "We need those archives now, regardless of my exile status.""I'll contact Kaden," Liam offers, reaching for his comms device. "Glass Lak
DaneThe Forest Trails library has been transformed into a war room. Maps spread across every surface, ancient texts stacked in precarious towers, communication lines linking us to researchers across three territories. Liam sits across from me at what was once a reading table, his usual restless energy channeled into intense focus as he cross-references pack histories with dimensional theory texts Celina provided.It's been eighteen hours since Finley disappeared, and I'm struck by how naturally we've fallen into coordinated effort. No territorial posturing, no competition for who leads the research—just a unified purpose that would have been impossible days ago. Summit's grudging respect for Storm has evolved into something approaching partnership, our wolves recognizing that finding our mate takes precedence over establishing dominance."Here," Liam says, sliding a leather-bound journal across the table. "Glass Lake records from 1847. A pack member named Marius Stone—a distant relat
Liam Through that impossible bond, I reach for the familiar presence that has been part of me since we were children—the girl who climbed trees with me, who raced me through forest trails, who understood me before I understood myself. The woman I rejected out of fear and cowardice, whose absence hollowed my life in ways I couldn't admit until too late. My mate, my counterpart, the missing piece I pretended I didn't need until her absence proved otherwise.Finley, I call through the connection, not with voice but with essence, with a fundamental recognition that transcends our physical separation. We're here. We're coming for you. Hold on.Beside me, I feel Dane doing the same—his consciousness extending alongside mine through that stretched bond, his determination matching my desperation as we reach for her together rather than in competition.The mixture in the bowl flares brighter, the blue glow intensifying as our shared intent focuses through the ritual components. Something shif
Liam Through our stretched connection, I reach desperately for any sense of Finley’s current state. Is she conscious? In pain? Can she feel us still, or is the tether one-directional, leaving her isolated and alone?"I can still feel her," I say aloud, focusing on that tenuous connection with everything I have. "It's thin, distorted, but... she's there. Conscious, I think. Confused. Afraid, but... alive."Dane closes his eyes, clearly following the same path through our shared bond. "Yes," he confirms after a moment, relief evident in his voice despite the continuing crisis. "Definitely alive. Disoriented, but... holding on. Fighting, in that way only Finley can."Our eyes meet across the scorched center of the ritual site, shared understanding passing between us without words. Whatever has come before—our rivalry, our complications, our competing claims—none of it matters now. Only Finley matters. Only bringing her home, whatever it takes."We need to strengthen the connection," I s
LiamOne second she's there—our triangle pulsing with shared power, the boundary sealing complete—and the next she's gone, reality folding around her like paper crumpling in an invisible hand."FINLEY!" My voice tears from my throat, raw and desperate as I lunge toward the space where she stood just moments ago. Only emptiness meets my grasping hands, a cold void where her warmth should be.No. No no no. Not again. Not when we've finally—Storm howls inside me, the sound reverberating through my chest though it never reaches my lips. The primal grief of a wolf separated from his mate. The same howl I swallowed two years ago when I walked away from her, only a thousand times worse because this time I want her, this time I'm choosing her, and she's still gone."What happened?" Dane demands, on his knees at the edge of where our triangle stood, his hands passing through empty air as if he might somehow catch some trace of her. "Where is she?"The ritual site erupts into chaos around us—w
FinleyThrough our extended awareness, I recognize the entity immediately—not a single Skinwalker but a combined form like the one we faced days ago, multiple entities merged into a more powerful collective. Ms. Valen moves alongside it, her hands tracing patterns in the air that seem to disrupt Celina's protective wards."Focus on the ritual," I command as both Dane and Liam register the immediate threat, their instincts pulling toward defense. "We can't stop now. The boundary reinforcement is almost complete."The stars align overhead, seven celestial bodies finding perfect geometric formation for the first time in seven centuries. Power surges through our triangle, the energy circuit between us intensifying beyond anything we experienced during practice sessions. The boundary between worlds reaches maximum permeability—both weakest against intrusion and most receptive to reinforcement."Now!" Celina calls from somewhere beyond my direct perception. "Complete the sealing before the