Title Page
Copyright and Legal information
Copyright © Rachel M Raithby
Publish date : 29th May 2020
All rights reserved.
Cover & Interior Images by Rob Smith
Formatting by Kat Smith
At
CreationInspire
Editing by
Hot Tree Editing
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.
Other Titles
THE NEW DAWN NOVELS
(YA Fantasy)
Winter Wolf
Wolf Dancer
Wolf Sight
Lost Wolf
Wolf Clash
Wolf Queen
THE DEADWOOD HUNTER SERIES
(Adult PNR)
Lexia
Whispers of Darkness
Holocaust
Betrayal
Surrender
STANDALONE
ADULT NOVELLAS
(Fantasy)
The Beast Within (Woodland Creek)
Deaths Echo (The Complex)
ALBANY NIGHTINGALE DUET
(High-School Bully Romance)
The Destruction of Rose
The Resurrection of Us
Dedication
For anyone that’s defied fate.
I like rebels.
Reader Group & Newsletter
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Contents
Copyright and Legal information
Other Titles
Dedication
Reader Group & Newsletter
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Katalina
As she dashed through the trees, wind rippled through her fur as Katalina weaved through Dark Shadow’s land, chased by her heavy thoughts. Leaving the inner circle behind, she entered the wilder outer edges of their territory, pushing herself faster while her muscles screamed in protest. The threat of war loomed high on the horizon, the tension within both packs palpable within the air, and as Katalina flew across the ground, she knew no amount of running would bring her comfort or change the inevitable.
Their enemy was coming, and when they hit, death would follow.
Lifting her head, she caught a scent on the breeze and slid to a stop. The scent shouldn’t have been so far into Dark Shadow territory in the dead of night.
Anna?
Anna stared vacantly ahead, her red silk nightdress billowing in the breeze. Goose bumps covered her skin as her long ruby hair whipped across her face. Katalina approached with care, her steps silent, her lithe body low to the ground.
Blood.
A whine left her throat as she nuzzled at Anna’s torn feet, licking at the wounds.
Shifting, Katalina then took hold of Anna’s shoulders, gripping her firmly. “Anna? Anna, you’re hurt.”
“I’m searching,” she whispered hauntingly.
“For what?” Cage would go berserk if he discovered his mate freezing and injured in the forest. Cage and Anna’s mating had stopped Anna’s gift from taking hold of her in such a way, but it seemed fate wouldn’t go unheard.
Gaze snapping to Katalina’s, Anna’s green eyes cleared. They were intense and wild as she rasped, “For you.”
Her words ran like ice over Katalina’s skin, lodging like a dagger into her heart. “Let’s get you home before you freeze to death,” Katalina answered shakily. The dread she’d been outrunning wrapped tightly around her chest. She was already struggling to sleep, and Katalina wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what Anna had to say.
“No! Cage blocks my path, and I must see.” With eyes aglow with otherworldly power, Anna reached forward and took hold of Katalina’s head, digging her fingers painfully into her temple. “Death comes. It beats its war drum, thirsty for blood. Yours will spill before this is done, crimson across the snow. For he fears you. He wants you, and when you fall, so shall those you love.”
Anna’s words echoed with power and promise, and the reality Katalina didn’t want to face rose terrifying and deadly above her. “No, no, please… no.” Tears filled her eyes as Katalina begged, “Tell me how to fix it. Please, just give me something.”
“I hear your cries. I hear the fury of two alpha wolves, and I see your blood spray across the ground. I see it over and over, Katalina. And when I look for an answer, I see no images, no words, only a knowing—a feeling in my chest, in my heart. You must remember where you come from. It’s where your true strength lies. And if the packs are to remain whole, you must survive.”
“What does that even mean, Anna?” Katalina’s voice rose, desperation and fear colliding together. She didn’t want to die, but worse than that was knowing her death would leave devastation in its wake. “Remember where I come from?” She laughed bitterly. “How does coming from the human world help end this war?”
Anna’s face crumpled, all the energy seeming to drain out of her. “I’m sorry. I don’t have more.”
“How much time, Anna?” How much time do I have left to live?
Anna swayed on her feet, her words a pained whisper, “The snow is thick, settled… not long, Kat.”
As Anna’s knees gave out, Katalina
