Chapter 6

Embers POV

I crouched low, pressing my belly against the forest floor. The undergrowth scratched at my fur, but I didn’t move, not yet. The woods were alive with sounds, crickets, rustling leaves. but beneath that, I could sense something foreign. The air carried an unfamiliar scent, sharp and invasive, cutting through the familiar musk of Thorne’s clan. It wasn’t just one smell either. There were several, overlapping and distinct, all screaming the same thing, outsiders.

The young wolf at my feet lay still, his breaths shallow but steady. I nudged him with my nose, taking in his scent. He wasn’t from the outsiders, at least. That much I was sure of. His fur was warm, soft, and smelled faintly of the earth, like he’d been hiding in the woods for hours. I bit down gently on the scruff of his neck, trying to lift him, but he was heavier than I expected. Too heavy for me to carry far.

With no other choice, I began dragging him. My jaws ached from the effort, but I refused to let go. He was defenseless, and something about him pulled at me, like a tether I didn’t fully understand. Maybe it was the way he seemed so small, even in wolf form, or the quiet trust in the way he let me handle him.

The snap of a twig froze me mid-step.

I dropped the young wolf and spun toward the sound, every muscle in my body tensed. The forest around us had gone unnaturally quiet. My ears twitched, searching for any hint of movement. There. Paws crunching leaves, faint but deliberate. My heart hammered in my chest, the primal instinct to run warring with the resolve to stay and protect the pup.

A massive grey wolf emerged from the shadows, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. His fur was thick, his body towering and powerful. He moved with the confidence of a predator who knew he was at the top of the food chain.

Another wolf followed close behind, slightly smaller but no less imposing. This one was darker in color, almost black, with a leaner, more muscular build. His eyes locked onto mine, curious yet calculating.

The larger wolf stepped forward, sniffing the air before lowering his head toward the young wolf. My instincts kicked in, and I leapt between them, baring my teeth in a warning snarl. I stood over the pup, my body a trembling shield.

The wolves circled me, their movements slow and deliberate. They weren’t rushing to attack, but they didn’t need to. Their sheer size and presence were enough to make my chest tighten with fear. I snapped my head back and forth, trying to keep both in my sights, but it was impossible.

A low growl rumbled from the larger wolf, and I braced myself, claws digging into the dirt. His movements were slow, feinting toward me to test my reactions. I lunged at him, snapping my jaws to warn him off, but it was a mistake.

The darker wolf darted in from the side, his teeth aiming for my hind leg. I barely managed to twist away in time, his fangs catching my flesh. Pain flared where his teeth scraped my leg and tore the flesh, but I couldn’t let it slow me down. I snarled and lashed out again, determined not to give up ground.

Just as the darker wolf lunged for a second strike, a howl split the air.

It wasn’t like any howl I’d heard before. It was deep, resonant, and commanding in a way that seemed to vibrate through my very bones. My ears flattened against my head as the sound rolled over me, and I couldn’t help but freeze.

The two grey wolves halted immediately, their bodies stiffening as they turned toward the source of the howl. I could feel their hesitation, the subtle shift in their demeanor. Without another glance in my direction, they turned and bolted into the woods, their forms disappearing into the shadows as quickly as they had appeared.

I didn’t move. My legs were trembling, a mixture of relief and lingering fear keeping me rooted in place. My ears twitched toward the direction of the howl, and I felt it again, that strange, tingling sensation, like a current running through my veins.

The sound of heavy paws against the earth drew my attention, and I turned my head just as two massive wolves emerged from the trees.

The first was black and silver, his fur thick and shimmering under the faint moonlight. He was enormous, towering over any wolf I’d ever seen, his presence overwhelming. His eyes locked onto mine, a piercing gold that seemed to see straight through me. My breath caught in my throat.

The second wolf was equally impressive, though smaller than the first. His coat was a deep brown, his stance protective as he flanked the black-and-silver wolf. There was something familiar about him, something steady and grounding.

Thorne.

The name rose unbidden in my mind, carried on the strange connection that suddenly thrummed between us. I didn’t need to be told; I knew who he was, knew him on a level that defied logic.

Mate.

The word echoed in my mind, unspoken yet undeniable. My wolf stirred, restless and drawn to him in a way that made my head spin.

Thorne’s voice cut through the haze, low and sharp in my mind. ‘Who are you, and why are you here?’

I flinched, the weight of his presence making it hard to form coherent thoughts. I opened my mouth, but no sound came. My wolf wanted to submit, to bow under the force of his dominance, but I couldn’t bring myself to.

‘I…’ My thoughts stammered as I tried to respond, but he was already moving closer.

His golden eyes narrowed as he took me in, his gaze sweeping over my form before landing on the young wolf at my feet. His lip curled slightly, and I felt his anger like a storm building in the air.

‘What have you done?’ he demanded, his voice sharp and laced with disbelief.

I shrank back, the weight of his fury pressing down on me. ‘I was just trying to help…’

‘Help?’ His growl was low, but it rattled through my chest. You’ve interfered where you shouldn’t have. ‘Do you even understand the risk you’ve taken?’

The second wolf stepped forward, his gaze softer but no less intense. He glanced between us, then to Thorne. ‘Alpha, she’s young. She may not have known…’

Thorne cut him off with a sharp look. ‘That’s no excuse.’

I lowered my head, the weight of his anger almost too much to bear. But beneath it all, I could feel the bond between us, fragile and new, yet unbreakable. It was there in the way his gaze lingered on me, in the slight hitch in his breath when our eyes met.

‘I’m sorry’, I whispered, my voice trembling through the connection.

Thorne’s eyes softened, just for a moment, before he turned away. His voice was sharp, cutting through the thick tension. ‘Take the pup back to the camp’, he commanded.

I hesitated, my leg throbbing with every heartbeat.

‘I can’t carry him, and my leg is injured,’ I admitted, my voice quieter than I intended.

He turned back to me, his eyes narrowing. ‘So what do you want me to do?’ he bit out, his tone dripping with disdain. ‘Carry him for you?’

Anger flared in my chest, hot and uncontrollable. Before I could think better of it, the words tumbled out. ‘At least show some compassion! Two of your wolves have been injured, and you’re just going to leave us here defenseless? What kind of Alpha are you? Oh, wait,I know. The kind that traffics innocent people and turns them into slaves’.

The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I’d crossed a line.

Thorne’s eyes flared, his golden gaze burning with fury. The air around us seemed to thicken, charged with his barely contained rage. I could feel it like a storm pressing down on me, and for a fleeting moment, I wondered if I’d just signed my death sentence.