Page 82 of Veil of Shadows

On the other side, Alec stopped and looked over his shoulder at me. “Sorry, Elowen, I’ll come back and get you.”

“No need to.” I rushed back from the stream’s edge and called upon my lorafin power to heighten my magic. Only a tiny buzz came from my collar, barely noticeable.

In a burst of speed, I took off running, and at the last moment, when I was about to launch myself over the water, I pulled on a segment of my power.

Magic heated my muscles and propelled me with increased strength. I flew through the air, catapulting across the water before landing on the other side. I only slipped slightly when my feet hit the damp soil.

Straightening, I grinned and ran a finger along my collar. “I couldn’t have done that a few weeks ago because of this.”

Alec laughed, then clasped my hand and pulled me with him down the trail.

The others were already well ahead, and we ran to catch up with them and nearly plowed into their backs. They’d stopped, standing immobile in a clearing.

A clearing that hadn’t been here a month ago.

Jax’s nostrils flared the second I neared. His gaze cut to mine, then to where Alec and I were holding hands.

Bowan’s eyes rounded. “Um, Alec, you might want to release your?—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Jax had Alec against a tree, ripping the male from my grip with a furious bellow.

“Don’t. Touch. Her.” Blue light glowed in Jax’s eyes. “She’smine.”

My mouth dropped in absolute shock at his menacing growl while the rest of the group of stag shifters released a collective intake of breaths.

Trivan gaped. “Holy shite, did he?—”

“Yes,” Bowan hissed. “Yes, he did.”

I stared at all of them, my gaze traveling between them rapid fire. “Did what? What in the realm is going on? Jax,what are you doing?”

But Jax ignored me, still holding Alec against the tree even though the noble held his hands up in surrender while keepinghis eyes down. “I’m sorry, my prince,” he said quickly. “I didn’t know.”

“Elowen?” Lander said quietly from behind me. “Can you lift the hair from the back of your neck?”

“What?” My chest heaved.Seriously, what in the galaxy is happening?

“Your hair,” Bowan hissed. “Lift it up, so they can all know I’m not lying.”

Shaking my head, I lifted my hair, showing them the nape of my neck.

The energy in the clearing soared.

“Fuck,” Trivan said, then whistled.

“He seriously did it?” Lars whispered.

“He did,” Phillen growled.

I dropped my hair and swirled around. “Did what?” I demanded, then ran my fingers under my hair, across my nape. Only smooth skin greeted me, but a memory stirred in my mind, of feeling something burning on my neck during the night. “What’s on my neck? What in the realm are you all talking about?” I frantically thought back to my night with Jax. We hadn’t sealed our bond. I was sure of it.So what are they talking about?

But nobody responded. Another snarl tore from Jax, and my jaw droppedagainwhen he appeared in front of me. Antlers had sprouted from his head, like those of a half-breed, looking exactly as he had last night when we’d rut.

My cheeks burned as those heated memories consumed me. “Jax? What. Is. Happening?”

But once again, he didn’t reply, and nobody else did either. Everyone’s attention stayed glued to the ground, and from the wild glowing light in Jax’s eyes, I didn’t know if his mind was functioning in a sane fashion right now. He inhaled, drinking in my scent, and more blue light flared in his irises.

Actually, I was pretty sure he wasn’t of sound mind.Yes, definitely insane.He looked like a beast, and he was certainly behaving like one too given what he’d done to Alec.

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