Chapter 6 The veil

Zariah's car died with a final, pathetic sputter, leaving her stranded on a deserted road under a moon that felt too bright, too close. She slammed her hands on the steering wheel, swearing under her breath. "Oh, come on! Who the hell did I piss off to deserve this?" She turned the key again, but the engine only coughed weakly before falling silent. "Great. Just fucking great." She leaned back in her seat, staring at the cracked dashboard. Her life had gone from bad to worse in the span of a few days.

First, the hunters with their glowing yellow eyes, then Miriam's cryptic warnings, and now this-stranded in the middle of nowhere with a car that had decided to give up on her. Her mind drifted as she sat there, the weight of everything pressing down on her. She hadn't even gotten to explore the crush she'd been nursing on that blonde guy from the coffee shop. What was his name?

She couldn't even remember. But there was something about blondes that always caught her eye. Maybe it was the contrast to her own wild silver curls, or maybe it was just bad luck. Either way, it didn't matter now. Her life was a mess, and she was pretty sure she was losing her mind. The wolf from her dreams flashed in her mind-his silver fur, those molten-gold eyes. His voice, deep and urgent. *Find me. Time is running out.* She shook her head, trying to clear the image. "I'm going crazy," she muttered. "Absolutely fucking crazy." With a sigh, she grabbed her backpack and the black card, shoving them both into her bag. "Fine," she said to the car, glaring at it like it had personally betrayed her. "Since you won't fucking start, I'm coming back for you.

Don't go anywhere." She stepped out into the cool night air, the gravel crunching under her boots. The road stretched ahead, empty and silent, the trees looming on either side like sentinels. She glanced over her shoulder, her nerves on edge. Was she being followed? The hunters had found her once-what was stopping them from finding her again? "Who the hell wants to kill me?" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "And how the fuck did my life even get here?" She walked briskly, her eyes darting to every shadow, every rustle of leaves. The card in her bag felt heavier with every step, like it was pulling her forward.

The address on it was her only lead, her only hope. A wall, a dead end, Miriam had said. But it was something. It had to be. The road seemed endless, the moon casting long shadows across the pavement. Her mind raced, replaying the last few days-the attack, Miriam's warnings, the dream. It all felt like pieces of a puzzle she couldn't quite put together. And now, here she was, walking alone in the dark, chasing a lead that might not even exist. "This is insane," she said aloud, her voice breaking the silence. "Completely fucking insane." But she kept walking.

What else could she do? --- The address led her to a crumbling stone wall, half-buried in overgrown vines and moss. It looked ancient, forgotten, but the air around it hummed with a strange energy that made her skin prickle. Zariah approached it cautiously, her boots crunching on the gravel. The card in her hand felt warm, almost alive. "This is it," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. "A wall. A dead end. Great." She reached out, her fingers trembling as they brushed the rough stone. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the air around her shifted, the wall rippling like water under her touch.

A cold wind swept through the forest, carrying with it the faint scent of smoke and something wild. Zariah's breath caught as the ground beneath her feet seemed to dissolve, the forest blurring into streaks of light and shadow. She stumbled forward, her stomach lurching as the world spun around her. And then she was falling. --- When her feet hit solid ground again, the air was different-thicker, charged with an energy that made her skin prickle. She blinked, her vision adjusting to the silver light of a moon that seemed too large, too close.

Before her stretched a forest unlike any she'd ever seen. Trees towered overhead, their bark etched with glowing runes, and the air hummed with the low growl of unseen creatures. Zariah took a step forward, her boots sinking into the soft earth. The forest was alive, the trees whispering in a language she couldn't understand. She glanced over her shoulder, but the wall-the veil-was gone. There was no going back. A rustle in the underbrush made her freeze.

Her heart pounded as she turned, her eyes scanning the shadows. Something was watching her. She could feel it. "Hello?" she called, her voice trembling. "Is anyone there?" The rustling grew louder, and then a pair of glowing golden eyes appeared in the darkness. Zariah's breath hitched. The wolf from her dreams stepped into the moonlight, his silver fur shimmering, his molten-gold eyes locked on hers. He was massive, his presence filling the clearing like a storm.

Zariah took a step back, her hands trembling at her sides. "Who-what are you?" The wolf tilted his head, his gaze piercing. Then, in a blur of motion, he shifted. The air crackled with energy as his form changed, his fur receding, his body reshaping into that of a man. When the transformation was complete, he stood before her-tall, muscular, his blonde hair catching the moonlight, his golden eyes burning into hers. Zariah's breath caught. He looked like something out of a dream-or a nightmare. His presence was overwhelming, his energy crackling like a storm about to break. She took another step back, her mind spinning. "You're here," he said, his voice deep and rough, like the growl of a storm. "Finally." Zariah's heart raced, her mind spinning. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice shaking. "What the hell is going on?"

The man-the wolf-stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "You don't know yet," he said, his voice low. "But you will. Know soon little mate Her name on his lips sent a shiver down her spine. "What? she whispered. He didn't answer. Instead, he reached out, his hand hovering near her face. "You're safe now," he said. Zariah's vision blurred, the weight of everything crashing down on her. The hunters, the dream, the veil-it was too much. Her legs gave out, and the world went black.