Page 18 of Alaska Lights

I follow the path of destruction. Chunks of ground are missing, leaving a pathway for me to follow. Scrap metal pierces the tree trunks; large strips of bark have been ripped away.

Since it’s raining, smoke billows to the sky from where certain objects were on fire.

I whistle under my breath when I see one of the wings impaling the ground.

“Hello? Is there anyone out there? Can you hear me? Call out if you can hear me!” I cup my hands over my mouth and shout, the words bouncing off the darkness.

I keep climbing the mountain higher, the ground turning from soggy to frozen.

“Hello? Can anyone hear me?” I pause, needing a break to catch my breath.

Everything is more difficult. Walking. Standing. Sitting. Breathing. Everything hurts.

“Is anyone out here?” Fuck, what’s his name? I didn’t even ask. I reduced the pilot to nothing.

Rocks from up above tumble down a few feet away, and I follow the noise. If rocks are moving, there’s a reason. I break out from the tree line and onto a cliff where the plane teeters on the edge.

There’s so much blood in the air now. It’s potent up here without the scent of fuel and smoke.

I freeze as if I’ve hit a wall, lifting my nose in the air to suck in as much as I can. My lungs ache as they expand, stretching to the max. My fangs descend. My mouth waters.

The pilot.

He’s my fated mate.

Panic seizes my chest. I can’t breathe. There’s so much blood in the air. There’s no way he is alive.

He.

That’s another mountain to climb on another day.

My pain vanishes. My claws lengthen. My fangs pierce the bottom of my lips. Power invigorates me. The need to save my mate fuels me more than blood ever has. The urge to die isn’t as strong.

To my surprise, my speed hasn’t faded. I’ve used it twice today, including now, and I’m only a few steps away from where my mate is dangling off the side of a mountain; the only thing keeping him in his seat is the belt.

One strong gust of wind, and he’s gone.

That’s all it will take for me to see another part of my life taken from me.

I step closer, my body vibrating with energy that I’m holding back. I want to swoop in and grab him, but one wrong move, and I kill him. I can’t be quick. I have to be careful and stealthy.

A whole new beginning for me is right there. All I have to do is grab it.

The wind blows, teetering the chunk of metal.

“No!” I roar, begging the fucking wind to stop.

The metal groans, scratching against the rocks, sliding down maybe two inches before it comes to a stop.

“No. Please,” I beg Fate, tears in my eyes at the thought of losing him.

I don’t know the first thing about him, and I don’t care. I just want the chance to get to know him.

The metal grinds again, the plane’s nose tipping down, a motion that tells me I only have a few seconds, and then my mate will be gone.

Once I’m close enough, I dive, gripping the damaged frame, and with my superior strength, I drag it from the edge to safer ground.

I roar, so loud that there’s no doubt in my mind that Soren heard my call. He’ll be here any minute.