Chapter 4 The Hunt Begins

Pine and wet earth smell filled the air as Kael and Lila sped through the woods, walking quietly under towering trees. His instincts were highly alert; the wolf senses stronger than ever were warning him of the danger ahead. Lila was not so attuned to the forest as he, yet she kept moving at his side, her steady presence among the turmoil.

The howls were closer. He could feel it in the air, the weight of impending danger weighing in on them both.

"They're getting closer," Kael muttered gruffly, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

Lila breathed shallowly to match his pace. "How many?

Kael's jaw clenched. "Enough to make this a problem. The Shadowmoon Pack isn't alone. They've sent trackers, wolves trained to track down loners.if they catch us-

"They won't," Lila cut him off - her voice sure and steady. "We'll outrun them. We have the cover of the forest."

Kael shot her a look, but she was already moving ahead, her determination a flame that burned brightly despite the fear creeping up her spine.

"I'm not running," Kael said, his voice tinged with defiance. "Not anymore."

Lila stopped dead in her tracks and turned to him, narrowing her eyes. "Then we will fight," she said in a more serious tone, weighing her words well. "But we have to keep moving. They'll be tracking us."

Kael nodded, the fierce spark of his resolution going off like a firework in his eyes. "Stick close. I cannot protect you if you're not close enough to-.

Without another word, they plunged deeper into the woods, their movements in tandem, each aware of the other's presence without needing to speak.

The trees closed in on them, but Kael's senses cut a sharp path through the thicket with ease. He could hear the rustling movement behind him-the unmistakable sound of wolves closing in. His heart racing as he tried to predict what was next for them. He knew the hunters would be patient and methodical-just like a pack on the hunt.

But Kael was far from ready to give up.

They emerged into a clearing, and Lila caught her breath, trying to orient herself. The open space was too exposed, too perilous, but before she could suggest another route, Kael reached out to stop her, holding up his hand.

She stood transfixed to his every step as he scanned the landscape, his gaze darting between the tree lines. He was listening, feeling the ripples in the air, waiting for the moment when their hunters might reveal themselves.

"I can hear them," Kael whispered, his voice so low. "They are closing in on us."

Lila's pulse jumped, her fingers instinctively tightening over the healing pouch at her side. She was no Kael, but she had her mind. And she wasn't about to let him go through this alone.

"Tell me what to do," she whispered, her eyes still fixed on his.

Kael's face smoothed out for just an instant. "Stay behind me. And if things get nasty, don't run."

Before Lila could say anything, a sudden growl erupted from the trees and a snap of branches.

The first wolf launched into the clearing, eyes glowing with a golden menace as it snarled at Kael. Two more followed, their staring intent on Kael made Lila's heart run amok. She stepped instinctively aside toward Kael, her hand brushing against his as he stood before her, taut with readiness.

"Step aside, rogue," one of the wolves growled, its voice dripping with contempt. "This doesn't have to end in blood."

Kael's lips curled into a defiant snarl. "It's long gone already."

The wolves exposed their teeth and Kael's muscles strained, ready to fight. A feeling of heat and nervousness were in the air, which was thickened as the wolves moved forward.

"You can't have me do this," Lila said with a firm and definite but quiet urgent tone of her voice. "We aren't interested in the massacre."

The wolf leading the pack sneered, his gaze flicking to her. "You should be more concerned about your own life, healer. You're standing in the way of what's ours."

Kael stepped forward, his presence commanding as he faced down the hunters. "I'm not a threat to you unless you make me one."

In a flash, the leader lunged at him but Kael was faster. He sidestepped the assault and caught the wolf with his arm in mid-strike, using its own force as a leverage for slamming the wolf into a tree with a bone-crushing force.

Lila gasped with her heart thundering inside the chest, a scene unfolded. Kael is a force of nature-graceful, powerful, and free.

And yet there was still so much battle still to go through.

Another wolf lunged at Kael from the side, and he barely managed to dodge, his body twisting in mid-air to avoid the teeth snapping at his throat. Lila reached for her pouch, her hands shaking as she searched for the right vials to assist him. She needed to do something anything.

"Kael!" she shouted, her voice carrying over the chaos of the fight. "Behind you!"

Kael's reflexes intervened at the right time, when he whirled around and took the second wolf by the throat, lifting it up and plunging it down into the ground. It cried for a while, then went numb, and Kael threw it away weakly as if it were a doll.

The remaining wolf, now outnumbered and enraged, snarled and backed away, its eyes flicking between Kael and Lila. The air was thick with tension as the final hunter weighed its options.

Kael, his chest heaving with exertion, locked eyes with the remaining wolf. "I've had enough," he growled.

Without warning, the wolf was off, dashing into the trees with a speed the eye could hardly keep track of. Kael just stood there for a moment, his breathing ragged, before turning to Lila, his eyes softening for the first time since they'd begun this journey.

"You were right," he said quietly. "You didn't run."

Lila didn't say anything, but she moved in closer, reaching out to touch his arm. She could feel adrenaline goosebumps within him because she knew this wasn't over by a long shot. It had only just begun.

PART II : A Storm of Secrets

As the adrenaline slowly started to fade, an uncanny silence fell over the place around it. The clearing was strewn with the debris of the fight: torn earth and broken branches, and even a faint smell of blood. Kael stood there for a moment, chest raising and falling with every breath he took, as his silver eyes scanned the trees.

Lila stepped closer, still racing in the heart for all that had taken place, shaking hands firm to reach to feel Kael over for injuries.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, her voice full of fear as her fingers touched his shoulder with a soft, gentle touch against his skin.

Her touch made Kael's eyes soften, and yet he quickly masked that behind a cool mask of indifference. "I'm fine," he replied hoarsely. "But you-"

"I'm fine," she interrupted, her gaze fierce as she stood tall beside him. "Let's get moving before they come back with reinforcements."

Kael gave a sharp nod, his body already in motion as he led her through the forest once more. The hunt had only just begun.