Page 70 of Shifting Fate
The news panned to a commercial. I sat there in shock, still holding the phone to my ear. Dallon’s breathing on the other end of the line was the only indication he was still there. “Shit.”
“Shit is right,” Tristram said, cursing low. “Why humans? Why attack the humans? What does Liora have to gain from this? And why are the Dreadhunters following her orders? Espen said that most of them were human. Why attack their own? What the hell is going on?”
He snatched up the controller and switched channels to the local shifter news. They had similar statements and were pleading with their viewers to remain calm.
“It’s begun,” I murmured. It was exactly as Harper had feared; Liora had finally gone mad. Her devout followers were attacking at random, and ignorant humans were seeing the carnage, first-hand, as men shifted to beast to fight the Dreadwolves. To try and restore balance.
To try and protectthem.Except the humans wouldn’t see it as such.
Shifterkind had officially been outed. Shit just got real.
“Stay inside,” warned the reporter, the wind whipping through her long hair. “If you don’t have weapons at your disposal, I’d suggest you purchase one. Bullets will slow the Dreadwolves, and if you see anyone suspicious wearing a crow mask? Stay far away. Keep your distance, theywillharm you. Don’t engage. Please be safe. This is Charlotte Quinn, signing off.”
“Shit,” I said again, not for the last time.
“Arias?” Dallon’s voice was breathy and faraway. “Would you… Could you come here? Soon? Like, now? I need you.”
I glanced over at Tristram, who nodded. “We’re on our way,” I promised him. “We’ll be there soon.”
“Thank god,” my mate mumbled. “Be careful. Please.”
“We will be.”
The drive to Amber Run was a silent one. Tristram stared straight ahead, white-knuckling the steering wheel. I knew that look. He was withdrawing, no doubt remembering his vision. The one where we all died. I sucked in a sharp breath and tried not to think about Dallon bleeding out in my arms.
Dallon stood on the front porch in sweatpants and a hoodie, his elbows tucked close to his sides. The November air was nippy, carrying on it a warning. Before the SUV ever came to a full stop, I was out of the car and running towards my mate.
He met me halfway. We collided, our arms wrapped around one another, holding ourselves together in that moment. Dallon pressed his face against my throat. I cupped the back of his head and kissed his temple, and he slumped against me.
It took me a moment to realize I was crying. Dallon realized it too, his head snapping up. “Arias? What’s wrong?” he whispered.
He pulled back to cup my face in his hands, and I couldn’t stop the tears, couldn’t stop the truth from pouring out of me. The truth was too heavy a burden to bear any longer.
“We’re all going to die,” I said, my voice not sounding like my own. “Tristram… He saw our deaths and I…” I blinked quickly, needing to see Dallon’s face clearly. “I don’t know how to stop it, but I’m not fucking ready to say goodbye to you, and—”
“Shh.” He pressed his lips to mine.
“Dallon.”
He kissed me again, even sweeter than the last time. His cocoa-dark eyes were bright when he spoke. “It’s not set in stone, right? Even Tristram himself said that. There are like…branching paths? We just have to figure out how tonotdie.” He offered a small smile, and a laugh bubbled free.
“That sounds so simple.”
“Well it’s not, but a boy can dream, right?” His smile slipped away and a look of complete trust replaced it. “Arias. You know I’m with you till the end, right?”
I swallowed hard.
He took my hands in his. “That means till the bitter end. Whether we live or we die, if we’re going down? We’re going down fighting. Together.”
Together.
I pushed the memories of Tristram’s vision aside and drew Dallon’s hands to my chest, kissing both of them on the knuckles. “Together,” I agreed softly, finding myself thanking every god imaginable that somehow, Dallon was mine.
