Chapter 5 The Hunt

The first howl tore through the night... sharp, hungry, and far too close. Rhea froze, her breath hitching, the sound slicing through her chest like a blade. She clutched Jace's hand without thinking, her nails digging into his skin.

"They've found us," she whispered, the words barely sound.

Jace's silver eyes snapped toward the darkness. His body stiffened, low and ready, every line of him wound tight with instinct. He looked like a predator bracing for war. "Stay close. Don't make a sound."

Rhea's throat locked. She wanted to say she couldn't run anymore, that her legs felt like water, but fear choked her voice. All she could do was cling to his hand, her heart thundering so loud she swore the hunters could hear it.

Another howl cut through the air, followed by sharp voices. Wolves and men... closing in.

Jace pulled her forward, his grip firm, unyielding. He moved through the trees as if the forest bent for him, weaving between roots and branches with ease. Rhea stumbled behind him, boots catching on the uneven ground. Branches clawed her cloak, twigs tore at her skin, but she forced herself to keep up.

Her lungs burned. Her legs shook. Every step felt like it would be her last. Still, she ran. Because Jace ran... and the thought of losing his hand, losing his fire, terrified her more than the hunters did.

Behind them, voices rose.

"Spread out... he's close..."

"They'll run toward the clearing..."

Rhea's heart skipped. They were being herded.

Her knees nearly buckled, but Jace yanked her back upright. His strength was the only thing keeping her from collapsing.

Suddenly he dragged her off the path, pressing her into the hollow of a thick oak. His body caged hers in the shadows. His breath fanned her ear, hot and fast. "Quiet."

She trembled, pressed against the bark, her chest heaving. The heat of him wrapped around her, wild and steady at once. She could feel the pulse in his chest, hear the soft rasp of his breath. Too close... he was too close.

Her mind screamed to stay silent, but her body betrayed her, shuddering against his.

Then torches cut through the dark.

Hunters stalked between the trees, their wolves prowling at their heels. The glow lit their hard faces, the steel of their blades. Rhea's stomach turned. The wolves' eyes glowed yellow, sharp and merciless.

Her breath caught. She couldn't stop it.

Jace's hand covered her mouth. Warm, steady, commanding. His eyes, bright silver in the dark, locked onto hers.

The world went still.

Her pulse thrashed against his palm, but she obeyed. She forced herself silent, even as terror clawed at her chest.

The hunters moved closer, their voices rough.

"Fan out... the rogue is near. Alpha wants him alive... but broken."

Rhea's blood iced. Alive but broken. That was what they wanted for Jace. And if they saw her... if they saw her with him...

Her vision blurred. She pressed back harder into the tree, as if the bark could swallow her whole. Jace's eyes never left hers, burning with warning, with heat, with a promise she didn't yet understand.

The torches passed. Slowly, the voices faded. Only when silence stretched long did Jace lower his hand.

Rhea gulped air like she'd been drowning. "I can't..." Her voice cracked, soft and broken. "I can't do this."

His hand caught her chin, tilting her face up. His touch was firm, grounding. His gaze burned straight through her. "Yes, you can. You're stronger than you think."

Her lips parted. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, that she wasn't built for this, that she wasn't born a wolf like him. But the way he said it... the way he looked at her... made her want to believe it.

Tears burned behind her eyes. "If they catch us..."

"They won't." His voice was steel, sharp as a blade. "Not while I'm breathing."

The bond surged then, pulling tight between them. Her chest trembled with its force. She could feel his heartbeat against her, strong, steady, alive, an anchor against the storm fuming in her.

For a fleeting moment, her fear dimmed.

But then another howl split the night, closer this time, echoing through the trees.

Jace's jaw tightened. "We move."

He pulled her hand again, and they ran.

Branches whipped across her arms, cold wind burned her face. Her body screamed in protest, but she pushed on. Every stumble, Jace caught her. Every falter, he dragged her forward. He didn't let go.

The forest seemed endless. Still, they pressed deeper, running until her legs felt carved from stone.

At last they broke into a clearing. The moonlight spilled down in silver, lighting the open ground.

Rhea doubled over, gasping, her hands pressed to her knees. Her whole body trembled from the effort. She wasn't sure how much more she had left.

Jace scanned the trees, restless, sharp. His chest rose and fell heavy, his breath steaming in the night air. "They're closing in."

Her eyes darted to him. "What do we do?"

He turned, gaze fierce, voice steady. "We fight."

Her heart stuttered. "Fight? Jace, I can't..."

"Yes, you can." His hand caught hers again, his grip strong, unyielding. "You're not helpless. You were chosen. The bond isn't a curse. It's power."

Her chest tightened. She shook her head, eyes burning. "I was never meant for this. I wasn't even born a wolf. I don't know how to..."

"Then trust me," he said, rough, urgent. "Trust me to keep you alive. Trust me to keep us both alive."

The world seemed to slow. His eyes, silver and burning, held hers. Something inside her shifted, trembling, raw. For the first time, she wanted to believe him.

The bond thrummed between them, sharp and hot.

Her lips parted. She almost spoke...

But then the forest exploded.

Wolves lunged from the shadows, their snarls ripping the air apart.

Torches blazed through the trees. Hunters poured into the clearing.

Jace shoved Rhea behind him, his body snapping forward, half-shifted now. Muscles bulged, his teeth bared, his roar shook the ground. The sound was primal, savage, enough to rattle her bones.

Rhea stumbled back, her back slamming against a tree. Her body locked, frozen. She wanted to scream, wanted to run, but her legs refused to move.

A hunter's torchlight caught her face. His eyes widened. He lifted a hand, pointing straight at her.

His voice cut through the chaos.

"The Luna. She's with him."

The world stopped.

Rhea's blood turned to ice.

They knew.

They had seen her.

And now... they would never stop hunting her.