Chapter 28
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Let me out, she growled. Let me RUN.
When I hit the ward line, a flash of red fur burst from the other side, and out jumped Taya, shifting mid–sprint, her red wolf Zuki glowing
like wildfire in the dark.
I didn’t stop.
I dropped to my knees, shoved my clothes into a pile, and let the shift take me.
Bones broke. Magic surged. My scream turned into a howl.
And then I ran. Away from the boys. Away from the prophecy.
Away from everything that wanted to cage me with love and protection and expectations I never agreed to.
The trees blurred as we ran, paws pounding the forest floor in perfect rhythm. Wind in our fur. Moonlight on our backs. The tension in my chest finally cracked open with every thud of my claws against the dirt.
Lyssira howled once, long and sharp, and Zuki answered without hesitation. Our wolves were fire and frost, silver and crimson, rage and
release.
We didn’t stop until we reached the shallow creek deep within the wards, where the air felt cleaner, and the weight of everything pressing down on me didn’t crush quite as hard.
Lyssira slowed first, circling twice before shifting back. I collapsed into the moss, naked and muddy and emotionally hollow.
Taya shifted beside me, red hair tangled, cheeks flushed, eyes glassy.
We sat there in silence for a moment, panting like we’d outrun death itself.
Then she said, voice soft, “So… you met your mom through a photo and screamed at two of the hottest males in existence in the span of
ten minutes?
I let out a choked laugh. “And cried while doing it. Don’t forget the tears.”
“You’re a fucking icon.”
‘No, I’m a goddamn mess.”
‘You can be both,”
I stared up at the stars. My body ached from the run, but my soul? It still buzzed. With power. With fear. With everything.
“So,” I said, glancing at her, “Zuki freaked out over Rylen again?”
Taya groaned, covering her face. “Yes. She practically purred when he handed me a towel after training. A towel, El. I think we’re doomed.”
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12:01 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 28
“She really thinks he’s your mate?”
:D
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“She’s convinced. And honestly? I don’t know. I always thought I’d just… find someone the normal way. Not sniff a dude’s hoodie and get
feral.
Lyssira purred in my mind. “You have to agree, it’s efficient.”
Zuki replied enthusiastically, “We don’t waste time. What’s the point? Mate!”
I snorted. “So what does that make me? I’ve got an alpha wolf shifter, and a vampire noble sniffing me like I’m their fave chew toy.”
Taya wheezed. “Okay, but…how are you mated to a vampire? Like… isn’t that biologically impossible?”
“I thought so. But apparently, the Moon Goddess said ‘fuck science‘ and just started throwing soul bonds around like confetti.”
We both fell silent again, staring into the dark.
“Maybe…” Taya began, picking at the moss, “Maybe that’s why fated mates are so rare now. Like, what if they didn’t disappear… we just stopped finding them?”
I tilted my head. “Because the species are segregated?”
She nodded. “Think about it. Wolves stay with wolves. Vampires stay in their creepy old castles. Fae don’t even look at us unless they’re kidnapping someone. And humans? Totally cut off. The bonds probably still exist…they just can’t activate if we’re not meeting our damn
mates.”
A chill ran through me.
“I don’t even know how many species I could be tied to,” I whispered. “What if there’s more? What if I end up with someone from every
damn bloodline?”
“Then I’ll expect an invite to the most chaotic wedding in history,” Taya said, smiling.
I let out a watery laugh. “Do you think the universe made a mistake with me?”
“No,” she said firmly. “I think the universe finally got fed up with everyone’s bullshit and made you fix it.”
Lyssira snorted. “Damn right.”
Zuki chimed in, ‘Our girl’s the storm.”
‘I’m not ready to fix anything,” I whispered.
“You don’t have to be ready,” she said. “You just have to be you. And let the rest of us show the fuck up for you when it all gets too heavy.‘
I blinked back tears. And this time, I didn’t try to stop them.
We sat there, skin to skin, muddy and exhausted, watching the moon rise higher, two best friends carrying the weight of the world, one
howl at a time.
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Hunted Hybrid – Aegis War Saga 1
Chapter 29
Taya Quinn POV
We were halfway back to the Keep when I caught it….that damn scent.
Smoke. And cardamom.
7
I skidded to a stop mid stride, my paws digging into the mossy earth as the scent wrapped around me like a warm damn blanket.
Zuki’s voice echoed in my head like a feral squeal.
Zuki: “Mate. It’s him. Rylen’s close.”
My heart stuttered. I turned, sniffed again.
Yep. Definitely smoke. And cardamom. With just a hint of leather and something I could only describe as Alpha swagger with a side of danger.
Me: “Calm down, it could just be a bonfire..”
Zuki: “With HIS BONES NEXT TO IT. Let’s go!”
I howled once to Elowen… short and sharp, and veered off the path, crashing through the underbrush like a heat seeking wolf missile.
A few moments later, I burst into a clearing bathed in soft orange firelight.
And there they were.
Rylen Verric, all six foot five of muscled, tatted beta energy leaning back against a log with a half empty bottle of dark liquor in one hand, his eyes glowing in the firelight.
Beside him sat Jace Ironpaw, the gamma’s son, smirking like he knew secrets he shouldn’t. A guitar rested next to his leg, fingers tapping against the strings like he was half drunk and half inspired.
Elowen caught up just behind me, shifting as she stepped into the light, both of us scrambling to pull on the clothes she’d stashed earlier under a tree root. Basic leggings and oversized shirts, we looked feral chic, but whatever.
Rylen turned as we stepped into view, and gods… the way his gaze landed on me?
Like I was the fire.
“Taya,” he said, voice rough and warm, like he’d been waiting to say my name all night.
Zuki damn near purred.
Zuki: “He knows. His wolf knows. Sit on his lap. Lick his jaw. Climb him like a damn tree…”
Me: “Zuki, holy shit.”
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12:01 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 29
Jace raised an eyebrow. “Y’all look like you ran through hell.”
Elowen smirked. “Emotionally? We did.”
We sat down beside the fire, accepting the bottle Jace passed over like it was holy medicine. Whatever it was burned going down, but gods, it hit just right. Warmth bloomed in my chest. The tension bled out of my shoulders.
Rylen didn’t say much, but he moved just a little closer every time I looked away. And Zuki? Zuki was vibrating.
Zuki: “Touch him. Elbow graze. Accidental knee bump. FALL INTO HIS LAP.”
Me: “You’re embarrassing me.”
Zuki: “Do it or I will.”
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I finally let my knee brush his.
The jolt that shot through my body was instant. Like lightning wrapped in velvet.
He stiffened just slightly… then leaned into it. His scent flared, Beta strength and home and gods, him… and I knew Anton, his wolf, had just shoved his way to the front too.
Rylen didn’t speak, just handed me the bottle and watched me like I was the only thing he saw. We drank, and danced as Jace played the guitar, letting ourselves go and it felt amazing.
I definitely had to much to drink. Elowen was chugging from the bottle like it was a lifeline.
By the time we stood to leave, I was giggly, flushed, and lightheaded in the best way. Elowen was worse, tripping over roots, mumbling
about cupcakes and sword dancing.
“Okay, okay,” Jace laughed. “Time to get the moon witches back home, before Daxon has our asses.”
Rylen stood next to me and offered his arm. My eyes glowed as I looked up at him. I’m 5’3, he is 6’5, no clue how this will work, but damned if I’ll figure it out. I vibrated with happiness as the lightning coursed through my body again at his touch.
Zuki just purred like a kitten. I was in deep shit.
We stumbled through the trees, Elowen leaning into me like a drunk little sprite, until we reached the edge of the Keep grounds.
And there they were. Daxon and Ash. Waiting.
Both of them looked her over at once, the smudged makeup, the tangled hair, the red cheeks, and stepped forward without a word.
Daxon scooped her up bridal style like it was nothing.
Ash trailed close behind, murmuring something about hydration and a hot bath, his jaw tight but his eyes warm.
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