Chapter 2 The Hunted Mate

The monstrous wolf lunged.

Nara screamed.

Kael moved faster than her eyes could follow. One moment he stood in front of her, the next he shifted mid-air in a swirl of shadows, his massive black wolf form slamming into the attacker with bone-shaking force.

The ground trembled.

Both wolves rolled into the trees, snarling and snapping. Nara stumbled backward, heart racing, breath shaking. The forest exploded with movement as more red-eyed wolves crept out from between the trees, surrounding her in a loose circle.

She counted eight... no, ten.

Too many.

One stepped forward-a female wolf, taller than any she had ever seen. Her fur was white like snow, her eyes glowing an unnatural red.

The wolf tilted her head as if studying Nara.

Then her voice echoed in Nara's mind.

"Too thin. Too weak. Are you sure this is the girl?"

Nara gasped. Mind-link. These weren't rogues. Rogues didn't mind-link.

Another wolf answered, its voice rough and aged.

"The last heir is always the weakest at first. But I smell it. Her blood calls."

Her blood?

Her heir?

Nara shook her head violently. "N-No. You're mistaken. I'm no one."

The white wolf smiled in the way wolves do-baring sharp teeth.

"Oh, little one. You are the reason we're here."

The forest shook as Kael and the giant wolf crashed into a boulder, Kael ripping chunks of stone with his claws as he twisted to pin the beast. His snarl echoed through the woods, full of rage and something else-fear.

For her.

The beast rolled, throwing Kael off. Kael hit a tree, breaking it in half.

"Alpha!" Nara cried without thinking.

He didn't look at her. He leapt back into the fight, even fiercer than before.

But the red-eyed wolves didn't focus on him.

They walked toward Nara.

One step.

Another.

Nara backed away, her hands shaking so badly she could barely breathe. Her legs felt like water. Her chest still burned from the rejection bond that refused to break.

She couldn't outrun ten wolves.

She couldn't fight one.

Think, Nara. Think!

Move!

Survive!

But her mind was blank.

The white wolf stopped just a meter away.

"We have waited eighteen years," she said softly.

"Since the night your mother died."

Nara froze.

"My... my mother?"

"Oh, you don't know," the white wolf purred.

"Good. It makes this easier."

Nara took another step back and stumbled over a fallen branch. She fell hard. Pain shot up her elbow, but she pushed herself back, scrambling in the dirt, trying to find her voice.

"Please... I don't know what you want. I swear, I don't-"

"We want your power."

"My... power?" She blinked. "I don't have any power."

The wolves laughed-cruel, echoing laughter inside her mind.

"You are the last child of the Shadowblood line."

Nara shook her head again. "No. I'm just an omega. I'm not-"

"You carry the blood that can break the Alpha's curse."

Her breath stopped.

Kael's curse.

Kael...

Kael slammed his opponent into the ground again, shadows curling around him like living blades. The beast roared and kicked him off. The earth cracked beneath their weight.

The oldest red-eyed wolf stepped closer to Nara.

"Your mother hid you for a reason."

"Your father died protecting you."

"And now, you will fulfill what your blood demands."

"I don't understand!" Nara shouted, tears running down her cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

The old wolf leaned closer.

Nara felt its cold breath against her face.

"You will."

Suddenly, Kael's snarl split the forest.

He barreled through the trees, leaving the giant wolf injured and gasping behind him. Shadows wrapped around his fur like armor, his eyes glowing silver.

He threw himself between Nara and the red-eyed wolves, body low, fangs bared.

His voice thundered in her mind, sharp and commanding:

"NARA. BEHIND ME."

She crawled behind him without question. The moment she touched his fur, something inside her chest eased-the burning pain of the rejection bond softened for one heartbeat.

Just one.

Kael growled, the sound so deep it vibrated through the ground.

The white wolf stepped forward.

"Alpha Kael," she purred.

"Still protecting what you cannot keep."

Kael bared his teeth.

"Touch her and I will slaughter every one of you."

The white wolf blinked slowly.

"You already tried rejecting her. Why do you still care?"

Kael stiffened.

Nara felt his tension through the bond-raw, confused, angry.

He didn't answer.

So the white wolf smiled.

"Because the bond won't break?"

"Or because you're starting to wonder why fate tied you to the last Shadowblood?"

Kael growled, low and warning.

The white wolf ignored it and looked at Nara again.

"Come with us, child. If you do, he lives."

Nara felt Kael's muscles tighten.

"If you stay," the wolf whispered,

"he dies."

Nara shook her head. "No. No, I'm not going with you."

The white wolf sighed.

"Then we take you by force."

She signaled the others.

All ten wolves lunged at once.

Kael met them head-on.

The forest erupted with violence-snarls, cracking branches, claws tearing into earth. Kael fought like he was born in darkness itself. For every wolf that attacked, he threw two back. Shadows whipped around him, slicing through the air, knocking enemies off their feet.

But there were too many.

And he was fighting alone.

Nara watched, helpless, heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst from her chest. He was stronger than any wolf she'd ever seen, but even he couldn't fight ten wolves and protect her at the same time.

One wolf slipped past Kael.

Then another.

"NO!" Nara cried, scrambling backward.

The wolves pounced.

Suddenly-a pulse of heat exploded from Nara's chest.

The air bent.

The ground trembled.

The wolves froze mid-jump, suspended for a fraction of a second.

Kael turned sharply, eyes wide.

She had done that.

Nara gasped, grabbing her chest. Something inside her burned-bright and wild. A strange mist circled her hands, disappearing as fast as it came.

The red-eyed wolves crashed to the ground, dazed.

Kael stared at her as if seeing her for the first time.

"Nara... what did you do?"

"I-I don't know!" she whimpered, terrified. "I didn't mean to! I just-"

Before she could finish, pain stabbed her head. Her vision blurred. The world tilted.

Kael caught her before she fell.

His hands-warm, strong-held her shoulders. His eyes pierced hers.

"You released magic."

"M-Magic?" She shook her head weakly. "Wolves don't have magic."

"Shadowbloods do."

Her blood ran cold.

"You need to shift," Kael said urgently, looking at the wolves rising again. "Now."

"I-I can't," she cried. "I've never shifted-"

"You can."

His voice lowered, firm, as if his will alone could force truth into her bones.

"You must."

But the red-eyed wolves were regaining their footing.

The white wolf snarled, furious.

"Enough games. Take her!"

They charged as one.

Kael pushed Nara behind him again.

"NARA, RUN!"

She tried.

But her legs buckled. Her vision swam.

Kael roared, shifting again, throwing himself into the pack of wolves. Blood sprayed. Bodies flew. Shadows wrapped around him like living armor-but even he couldn't defend her and fight ten wolves.

A claw slashed across his side.

He stumbled.

"No!" Nara cried, reaching for him.

The old red-eyed wolf appeared behind her and grabbed her arm in its jaws.

Kael saw.

The sound he made wasn't a growl-it was a promise of death.

He charged, but he was too far.

The wolf yanked Nara backward.

She fell, screaming.

Kael leapt toward her-

But the white wolf jumped between them, ramming into him with full force.

Kael crashed into the ground, pinned under her weight.

"KAEL!" Nara screamed.

He struggled, shadows ripping from his body, but the white wolf was stronger than she looked. The other wolves swarmed him, holding him down.

The old wolf dragged Nara across the forest floor. Tears blurred her vision. She clawed at the dirt, trying to stop herself from being pulled away.

"Please!" she sobbed. "Let me go!"

Kael's voice exploded in her mind-

"NARA!"

She heard his bones crack as he fought to rise.

She heard his pain.

She felt their bond pulling, burning, screaming.

And then-

The old wolf spoke in her ear, voice chilling.

"We'll finish the ritual tonight."

Kael roared her name again.

Nara felt darkness gathering around the wolves, swirling like smoke, swallowing her vision.

The bond wrenched in her chest, sharp and agonizing.

Kael's silver eyes met hers-full of fury, fear, and something deeper-

Then she disappeared into the darkness.