Reborn (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 3)
Reborn: Chapter 14

It took less courage than I’d expected to step through a magical barrier into a completely unknown situation. I was that keen to be away from Torma and Torin that honestly, it could have been hell on the other side and I’d still think it was a better option.

When I arrived in a bright, stark-white hallway, I had to blink and adjust my sight, jumping at movement to my right before realizing it was Sam, her wolf so black that she appeared to be a shadow.

Sam! Fucking hell. She was not supposed to be here on this possibly very dangerous mission. I tried to nudge her back through the doorway, but of course, it faded out before I got her more than a step.

I sniffed around the spot, but there was not a shred of evidence that the portal had even existed. My wolf growled at Sam, but she just nudged me, and with an annoyed huff, I moved my focus back into the hallway.

We started to run in one direction, and I wasn’t sure about Sam, but I spent many minutes thinking about the fact that a magical portal had brought us here and we had no way to get back. I had no real regrets, except for the fact that I may have condemned my new friend to whatever fate lay in wait at the end of this path. Her choice to return to Torma was gone, though, so we’d just have to hope for the best.

Sam stayed with me as I picked up my pace, the landscape around us never changing. It wasn’t until we got a little farther along that I noticed several doorways scattered along the walls. I paused at one, sniffing beneath it, but there was no scent or feel of energy. If anything, they almost seemed like illusions, designed to distract, and with that in mind, I continued forward. My need to know what was at the end of the hall drove me; I’d come back for the doors if needed.

After another ten minutes of loping along, we still hadn’t reached an ending, and I was starting to despair that we’d found ourselves trapped in another cage. One much smaller than Torma, but without Torin, so… silver lining.

Just when I was about to give up and start exploring behind the doorways, a swirl of darkness caught my eye. It was a few yards away, and finally, it seemed we had reached the end of this hallway.

As we padded closer, the energy in this area grew stronger, and by the time we were near the portal, it started to hiss and spit power, as if it was malfunctioning. Or warning us not to go any closer. A warning I would be ignoring because I’d come this far on a hope and dream, and instinct told me my truth was on the other side of this hall.

Sam, to her credit, did not even show an ounce of hesitation in following me, and it was growing clearer that the browbeaten wolf-shifter side of her was fading back under the strong shifter she used to be. Maybe we’d replace more than just my truth here.

The closer we got to the sparking vortex of darkness, the heavier the air felt, until we were all but wading through energy. For the first time, Sam fell back, her wolf whining at the magic coating everything. I could taste it on my tongue, briny and rather unpleasant. Like an ocean during a storm, when all the dirt and muck was stirred up, the blue and green waters turning grey and tumultuous.

Despite this, I pushed on, and unlike Sam, who was held back by some kind of magical barrier, the same magic allowed me to sail right through, sliding off my fur like I owned the damn place. Within seconds, I was mere inches from the spitting, angry cloud of darkness.

I took a moment to examine it closely, looking for an opening or break in the swirling energy. A safe path, if you will, but there was absolutely nothing visible.

If I wanted in, I would have to take this energy on head first.

Extending my neck, I allowed the tip of my wolf nose to brush across a dark swirl, all the while preparing for the worst in the form of pain, death, and magical entombing. As an FYI, for anyone monitoring my thoughts, if there was a choice between death or being frozen into some sort of waking coma, I would take death any day.

The darkness reacted as soon as we made contact, shooting out and wrapping around my wolf’s head and chest, squeezing so tight that for a beat, we couldn’t draw air in. I didn’t struggle at first, allowing this entity to explore, its intense power running across my wolf body before delving deep into my center. Either it was verifying my right to be here, or it was a huge perv copping a magical feel. Either way, I was stuck, unable to move.

Just when I’d almost reached my limit of not breathing, the touch lightened, and my wolf howled on instinct, finally able to draw air in. The energy reacted to that as well, shivering and jiggling against us, and it was so familiar that for a moment a flash of déjà vu hit me.

When had I seen jiggling black smoke before?

It released me, and as the howl died in my throat, I found myself staring at a perfectly normal-looking portal. No darkness or sparking power to be seen.

Sam, who was finally able to approach, reached my side, both of us staring at the lightly swirling grey portal. Sucking in another deep breath, I stepped forward and nosed my way into its midst, encountering no resistance as I stepped through to the other side.

This had to be it… My truth.

I felt it deep inside as my energy rose up and another howl ripped from me, much stronger and more powerful than before. Whatever or whoever had taken my memories had also bound my wolf and powers. I had no idea why or when or how, but I did know one thing for sure.

They’d made a big mistake by not just killing me—because I would never stop until they paid for what they did.