Chapter 2 Hunted and Chained

The tunnel ended in ice.

Rayne stumbled out into the night, blinking against the cold wind. She had emerged at the border of the mountains, where the trees grew tall and dense, and the ground under her was hard and frozen, yet the forest was silent, and she looked around, breathing quickly. No fire. No screams. Just the howl of wind.

She was free.

Or so she thought.

Rayne pressed one hand against the bark of a tree to steady herself. Her legs were shaking. Her arm still bled from the arrow wound. As though her bones had been fractured and reassembled in an incorrect way, her entire body hurt.

The moon hung above the treetops, piercing and silver . She stared at it till her breath caught in her throat. Her skin tingled again. That strange heat returned, crawling under her ribs.

Not now, she begged. Please, not again.

She had no idea how the change worked or how to stop it. Her first transformation had been wild, painful. She didn't want it to happen again. Not here. Not alone in the dark.

Just run.

Rayne turned and began moving down the slope. The trees thickened. Snow crunched under her feet. Somewhere behind, distant but growing closer, she heard movement.

Twigs snapping. Feet crunching snow. Voices.

They had found the tunnel.

Her breath hitched. She sped up, pushing through branches and ducking low. She just needed to keep going; she had no idea where she was heading.

But there was a hint of her scent.

And they were not ordinary soldiers.

The moment she broke into a small clearing, she felt it-a presence.

Too late.

Something hit her side. Hard.

She flew backward, crashing into the snow. Pain exploded in her ribs. The air had left her lungs when she attempted to scream.

A shadow dropped from the trees. Heavy. Fast.

Rayne rolled just in time to avoid the next strike but claws slashed across her shoulder. She screamed, the sound sharp and wild. She scrambled back, hands slipping in blood-slick snow.

Then she saw them.

Three figures stepped into the moonlight. Not men, beasts.

Half-human, half-wolf. Taller than any monk she had ever seen. Eyes glowing silver. Their armor was black, sleek, made for speed. One of them held a long chain.

Another one sniffed the air and bared his fangs.

"She's changing," he growled. "Her scent is unstable."

"I'm not...!" Rayne shouted, backing away. "I don't know what's happening...!"

The third one moved. He was behind her before she could blink.

His arms locked around her neck. Not tight enough to kill but enough to hold.

"Got her."

Rayne screamed, kicked, twisted but it was no use. He was too strong.

She felt something sharp jab her neck.

A needle?

No-a dart.

Within seconds, her body went numb.

Her vision blurred.

"No..." she whispered. "Let me go..."

Her legs gave out. Her body fell forward.

In contrast to the chilly metal of the chains they fastened around her wrists, the snow felt warm.

The face of the person holding her was the last thing she saw before going unconscious.

Not a monster. A man.

But his eyes were colder than the snow.

She woke in darkness.

Chains rattled when she moved.

Her arms were bound. Her ankles too. Thick cuffs of black iron held her in place, and the chain was bolted into the wall of a moving cart.

The floor rocked beneath her. She was in some kind of wagon, maybe a prison wagon. The ceiling above was made of steel bars, and outside, she could see faint movement, trees passing by, stars above.

They were taking her somewhere.

Where?

Rayne tried to sit up, but pain shot through her shoulder. She winced, then froze.

On the other side of her was someone seated.

Arms crossed, he leaned against the opposite wall and calmly observed her. He was short, dark-haired, armored, and had a crescent-shaped silver mark on the side of his neck.

"Awakened" he remarked.

His voice was low. Not angry. Just cold.

As far away from him as the chains would permit, Rayne pushed herself back against the wall.

She asked, "Who are you?" with a parched throat.

Not important. You don't need my name."

"What do you want with me?"

He studied her for a long time. "You changed under the full moon. That makes you one of them."

"One of who?"

"The Moonblood."

Rayne flinched.

She didn't know that word but it felt familiar. Like something buried in her bones.

She began, "I'm not..." but he interrupted her.

"You shifted. You killed. Don't tell me lies.

"I didn't intend to," she muttered. "I didn't wish to cause harm to anyone." I had no idea that I could...

"You think that matters?" he snapped. "You think the world cares if it was an accident?"

She gazed at him. "So why didn't you kill me?"

He looked away.

"I wanted to," he said. "But the Commander has other plans."

Rayne's heart sank.

She said, "I'm not in the military," "I am not a monster. I grew up in a monastery! I have no idea who I am!

The man's jaw tightened. He stood, pulling a folded cloth from his belt. He dipped it into a flask, then walked over to her.

Rayne pulled away, teeth bared. "Don't touch me!"

"Relax. You're bleeding."

She didn't relax. But she let him press the cloth against her wound anyway.

"Where will you take me?" she inquired.

"To Araksa."

She had never heard the name.

"Is it... a prison?"

He didn't answer.

She looked at him closely now. There were scars on his neck, on his jaw. His hands were rough. He didn't look cruel but he looked tired. Like someone who had stopped believing in mercy.

"What's in Araksa?"

"The truth," he said simply. "And maybe your death. Depends what they decide."

Rayne went still.

"You don't get it," she muttered. "I didn't request this. I was unwilling to change. I had no idea that I was-whatever this is!

He met her eyes.

"Doesn't matter," he said again. "The moon doesn't ask what you want."

The cart rumbled through the night.

Too exhausted to weep, too terrified to go to sleep, Rayne lay curled up on the floor. Her head was full of inquiries. Why had she changed? What was Moonblood? Why were they taking her to Araksa? And why did she feel like she had heard that name before?

Something ancient stirred in her again-deep beneath her skin.

A memory?

A warning?

She didn't know.

All she knew was that something inside her was waking up.

And the world would never be the same again.