Hunted (Pack of Dawn and Destiny, #1)(56)

“We could try the Pack lodge.” I gulped as the car disappeared entirely through the portal.

“I suspect the landmarks of Timber Ridge and the playground equipment are more easily traceable than the forest. The trees around the lodge are unique to us wolves, but I don’t think the night mares use scent like we do,” Greyson said.

“Good point.” I leaned back into Greyson’s chest as Solstice placidly trudged his way up to the portal. “The park it is, then.”

I stiffened when we passed through the portal.

The world turned into shades of blues and purples, and I saw a faint glitter that made me think of stars. It was a dizzying shift, but it wasn’t too far off from how I felt when I climbed a touch too high in a tree and happened to look down when I was contemplating jumping.

It made my stomach do a funny flip in my gut, but that was all.

Within a moment we were stepping out of the swirl.

It was night—the beautiful velveteen blue of midnight. A full moon hung in the sky, and the stars glittered more brightly than they did in the human realm and somehow seemed more…full.

The Night Realm itself was lush with greenery. There was a hedge shaped like a teapot, bushes full of flowers that bloomed in the moonlight, and all of this pressed against the beautiful castle of the Night Court.

Impossibly huge windows that were multiple stories tall made up one side of the palace, overlooking the gardens and huge horse statues with stars and moons positioned on their backs and fountains that gushed with crystalline water, and glass lanterns that had to be the size of a human hung from the peaks of the castle, marking immense archways and gorgeous fae architecture.

It glittered with fae magic and was simultaneously so beautiful it made my soul hurt, and so different that my mind reeled with the change.

“Woah.” I grabbed at Solstice’s neck as I tried to mentally adjust to the abrupt transition of day to night. Behind me, Greyson shifted, but he said nothing—apparently he was unmoved by the glory of the Night Court.

Eclipse picked her way around Greyson’s car, Chrysanthe still perched on her back. “Was the trip through the gate upsetting?” Chrysanthe asked.

“No—it wasn’t bad at all. It’s just…I wasn’t prepared mentally for it to be nighttime.”

“Oh, yes.” Chrysanthe peered up at the beautiful sky. “Time behaves differently here in the Night Realm. It doesn’t always match up with the human world.”

“It’s lovely, though. You two really should come stay in the Night Realm for an extended visit.” Lord Linus rested his forearms on the frame of the car window as he peered back at us. “Bring the whole Pack—you wolves love the moon, don’t you? You’ll have a blast here!”

“Thank you for the invitation,” Greyson said.

“Of course! Now, did Chrysanthe tell you that to get to your home, you’ll both need to clearly picture a location? Solstice will take you through first and anchor the gate, and then Lady Chrysanthe and I will follow behind.”

“We have a location in mind.” I tried to twist to look back at Greyson, but it was a little too awkward given how close he was to me. “We’ll have to do the road by the park? Because you can’t drive your car around on the park’s lawn. Then Mayor Pearl will fine us for destruction of public property.”

“This Mayor Pearl of yours sounds tyrannical,” Chrysanthe said.

I laughed. “She is. But she’s such a huge part of Timber Ridge, we need to bother her as little as possible.”

“I think she sounds sensible,” Lord Linus said. “Fines would be an excellent way to generate revenue—just don’t tell Leila, or she’ll start getting ideas.” He slapped the car door. “Well then, let’s get moving! Alpha Greyson, Pip, please lead the way!”

Solstice must have understood him, because he started walking, jolting us into motion as he meandered around the car so he stood in front of it.

Another brush of the night mares’ magic, and another stone archway with a metal gate grew in front of us.

I scrunched up my face as I pictured the little road and parking lot just off the park—it gave you a perfect view of the playground, and most of downtown. “Got it,” I said. “I’m thinking of our location.”

“As am I,” Greyson said.

Solstice clip-clopped into the gate—surrounding us with another gorgeous swirl of night—and then we popped out in the harsh afternoon sunlight, stepping onto the smooth pavement of the little parking lot.

A pack of children were playing on the playground equipment—one nearly toppled off the slide when he spun around to look at us—and their parents sitting on the park benches nearby stood up as Lord Linus started to edge Greyson’s car through the portal.

“Hey there!” I waved to them and used my very recognizable Timber Ridge Welcome Center voice—most of the kids had trooped through the center at one point or another out of sheer curiosity about the werewolves or on a school fieldtrip. “Sorry for the disruption, we’ll be out of here in a minute!”

Solstice flicked his tail as Linus revved the car’s engine and pulled all the way out of the portal, parking it in an empty spot.

Eclipse pranced through, and Chrysanthe curiously peered down main street as she clung to the unicorn’s back.