Because she’d drawn a map of theforest—hell, she’d drawn a map of the entire continent and knewwhere all the packs and vampire kisses were—she could navigate thewoods blindfolded if need be. If she headed to the left, she’d findherself back at the tunnel and the cavern where she’d woken up withWrath, assuming she didn’t stumble across him on the way. If sheheaded right, she’d eventually cross into the territory of theArktrik Pack, led by Alpha Veltris. She could see his character inher mind’s eye—gray eyes, blond hair, a sexy chin dimple. He wasfrom her latest book, her best-selling one so far. People loved howfierce he was, and how much he loved his human true mate,Gemma.
Shaking her head from her thoughtsabout fictional characters, she returned her attention to theforest. Ahead of her were sections of dense trees, the creek thattwisted and turned its way from north to south, and a smallmountain range that she’d named Nomans Peak. She’d intended to nameit No Man’s Peak as a description to the fact there were no humansanywhere on the mountain range, but a spelling correction programhad changed it to Nomans Peak; she liked it, so she’d stuck withit.
In one of her books, she’d writtenabout a small cave at the base of the mountains where a packstashed supplies for travelers. That pack had moved out of the areain a later book, and she’d never written about anyone using thecave again, so she decided to head in that direction. It was absurdthat she was making a decision on where she’d sleep based on a bookshe’d written a few years earlier, but she was still convinced shewas dreaming. If she was in fact dreaming, then it wouldn’t hurther to go find that cave and lay down.
She didn’t want to think about whatwould happen if she wasn’t dreaming.
She wanted to wake the hellup.
* * *
Wrath returned to his cavern anddressed swiftly in hide trousers. He strapped on a sword sheath athis back and picked a sword from the rack on the wall. Afterstrapping knives to his thighs, he raced from the room. He was onehundred percent panicked. He couldn’t remember ever feeling soworried in his entire life, and that included when his mother’skiss had come looking for him to kill him, too. He’d only beensixteen and hadn’t known how to fight. He would’ve been easilybested by any of the vampires who hunted him at night, so he hidand hoped that he’d live to see each dawn.
The terror he felt then now paled tobeing unable to find Trinity. She’d hit the magical path anddisappeared. He could feel her, but he couldn’t find her. Hecharged into the forest, stopping where he’d lost track ofher.
“Trinity!” he shouted,cupping his mouth. “Call my name so I can find you!”
He was the best tracker around, ableto find anyone and anything he desired. Except, it seemed, his truemate. They hadn’t mated fully, so he couldn’t find her like he’d beable to once that happened. Once she’d triggered the magical path,he’d lost not only sight of her, but her scent as well as itdisappeared into the air. It was tempting to shift, because hissenses would be even more heightened, but then he wouldn’t be ableto speak to her. While he’d shifted for her in their dreams, hewasn’t sure she’d remember what he looked like and he didn’t wantto frighten her.
Blood Wolves were far larger thannormal wolves. Bulkier, with shaggy fur and glowing eyes. Anightmare to someone unprepared for the sight.
He heard familiar footsteps and turnedto see Cael come into view.
“I scented an unfamiliarfemale in the tunnels, and I wanted to find out what was goingon.”
He quickly told his second aboutTrinity’s appearance.
“Shit, really? How the helldid that happen?” Cael asked.
“Not a damn clue.” Hedidn’t really care how she’d come to be in his arms, he only caredthat she wasn’t in his arms at this moment.
“Why did she take off? Doesshe not recognize you?”
“She recognized me, but shekept saying she was dreaming and she wanted to wake up. I don’tknow how she didn’t realize we weren’t dreaming.”
“Magic brought herhere?”
“It’s the only logicalexplanation. I’ve long believed she wasn’t from our world, but I’vehad no way to know for sure.”
Cael hummed and stared into theforest. “Do you want us to help find her?”
“Yes. Send our best huntersto me.”
“Will do.”
Cael disappeared, and Wrath turnedback in the direction he’d last seen his mate. He inhaled deeplyand sifted through the scents on the air—earth, trees, crispmorning air, various animals—but not a trace of Trinity’s sweetscent.
Just moments later, his three besthunters were at his side.
“We scented a human femalein the tunnel,” Auberon said.
“Who is it?” Kayne askedWrath with an arched brow.
“She’s my truemate.”
The three looked at him in confusion.“How did she come to you?”
For a moment, he wished he’d told themabout the dreams, because then they’d already know about her. “It’scomplicated. Suffice it to say that she’s mine and she’s indanger.”
Teller nodded sharply. “We’ll help inany way we can.”
“Grid search the forest,howl if you catch her scent. She hit a magical path, and I losther.”
The four of them started into thewoods, separating so they could cover more ground. Wrath wascertain he’d find Trinity. The question was whether he’d be able tofind her before the monster who guarded the forest did.
ChapterSeven
Trinity wove her way through theforest toward the mountains. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, andthe most recurring one was that she should turn around immediatelyand go back to Wrath. Stubbornness and an unwillingness to admitthat something profound had actually happened to her made her keepwalking toward the mountains and not turning back. There was no waythat any of this was real. It was too fantastical. It would meanthat the dreams were actually drawing the two of them togethersomehow, that Wrath’s world was as real as hers, populated withpeople she’d written about. How much influence did her writing haveon this world—if it was actually a real place?
She stopped
