The Return of Zane

The crackling fire was the only sound breaking the heavy silence. Sparks danced upward, disappearing into the night sky like fleeting hopes. Kaelan sat rigid, his eyes locked on the flames, their flickering glow reflecting the turmoil in his heart. He wanted to believe Rhea’s words, her quiet voice from moments before still lingering in his memory. But as the heat from the fire warmed his skin, the icy dread in his chest refused to thaw.

Because deep down, he wasn’t sure she was right.

“Kaelan.” Rhea's voice broke through his thoughts, soft but insistent. She stood beside him, her arms crossed, a frown etched on her face. "You’re doing it again."

“Doing what?” His voice was low, gruff, as though it carried the weight of a thousand unspoken fears.

“Shutting me out.” She dropped her arms and stepped closer, her tone softening. “I know that look. You’re thinking about him again, aren’t you?”

Kaelan’s jaw tightened. He didn’t need to ask who she meant. Zane. The name alone was enough to send a fresh wave of tension rippling through his body. He looked away, his gaze shifting to the woods beyond the firelight. The shadows seemed deeper tonight, the trees more menacing, as though they too were holding their breath in anticipation.

“I can’t help it,” he admitted finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “He’s out there, Rhea. And he won’t stop until he’s destroyed everything I care about.”

Rhea crouched down beside him, her dark eyes searching his face. “Then we’ll stop him first.”

Kaelan turned to her, his expression unreadable. “You don’t understand. Zane isn’t just some rival. He’s a predator. Ruthless. Cunning. If he’s coming for us, he won’t do it alone.”

“Good,” Rhea said, her tone sharper now. “Let him bring his pack. Let him come at us with everything he has. We’ve faced worse, Kaelan. Together.”

“You don’t get it,” he snapped, rising to his feet in one fluid motion. The sudden movement startled Rhea, but she recovered quickly, standing to meet his gaze. His towering form cast a long shadow over her, but she didn’t flinch. “This isn’t just about me anymore. If Zane finds out about you—about the mark—you’ll be his first target. He’ll use you to get to me.”

“And you think I don’t know that?” Rhea shot back, her voice trembling with frustration. “You think I don’t feel the weight of it every single day? But I’m not a damsel waiting to be rescued, Kaelan. I chose to be here. I chose to fight for you. For us.”

Kaelan’s shoulders sagged under the weight of her words, and for a moment, the fire between them seemed to dim. “I’m scared, Rhea,” he admitted, his voice raw. “For the first time in my life, I’m truly scared. Not for me, but for you.”

Rhea’s expression softened, and she reached out to touch his arm. “Fear doesn’t make you weak, Kaelan. It makes you human. And it makes you care. That’s what will make us stronger than him.”

Before Kaelan could respond, a sharp rustling in the nearby underbrush shattered the fragile moment. Both of them froze, their eyes snapping toward the treeline. The firelight flickered, casting eerie shadows that danced like specters among the branches.

“Did you hear that?” Rhea whispered, her fingers tightening around his arm.

Kaelan didn’t answer. His senses were on high alert, his body tensed like a coiled spring. The air around them seemed to shift, heavy with an unfamiliar presence. He sniffed the air, his sharp instincts detecting something… wrong. 

And then he saw it. Two glinting eyes watching them from the darkness.

“Run,” he growled, his voice low and commanding.

Rhea hesitated, her eyes widening. “Kaelan—”

“Now!” he barked, shoving her toward the trees behind them. She stumbled but quickly regained her footing, her instincts kicking in as she sprinted into the shadows. Kaelan turned to face the intruder, his fists clenched at his sides.

The figure stepped into the firelight, and Kaelan’s stomach twisted. Zane. His rival’s smirk was as infuriating as ever, his dark eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction. He was broader now, his time away having honed his already deadly frame. Behind him, the outlines of several others emerged—his pack.

“It’s been too long, Kaelan,” Zane drawled, his voice smooth and venomous. “I was starting to think you’d forgotten about me.”

“Not long enough,” Kaelan spat, his voice laced with contempt. “What do you want, Zane?”

Zane tilted his head, feigning innocence. “Oh, come now. You already know the answer to that. I want what’s mine. What’s always been mine.”

Kaelan’s fists tightened. “The pack was never yours. You think you can waltz back in here and take it by force?”

“I don’t think,” Zane said, his smirk widening. “I know.”

Before Kaelan could react, Zane lunged. The impact sent them both crashing to the ground, the firelight casting erratic shadows as they grappled. Kaelan’s human strength was no match for Zane’s enhanced power, but he refused to go down without a fight. He landed a solid punch to Zane’s jaw, but it barely fazed him.

“Still clinging to that human form, I see,” Zane taunted, his grip tightening around Kaelan’s throat. “How pathetic. You’re not even worth killing like this.”

Kaelan’s vision blurred as Zane’s weight pressed down on him, but he caught a flash of movement behind his rival. Rhea.

“No!” he choked out, but it was too late.

Rhea had returned, clutching a large branch she’d ripped from a tree. With a fierce cry, she swung it at Zane’s head, the force of the blow knocking him off Kaelan. Zane staggered back, more surprised than hurt, and turned his furious gaze on Rhea.

“Well, well,” he sneered, his lips curling into a predatory grin. “The little human has some fight in her.”

“Stay away from him,” Rhea snarled, her voice shaking with both fear and defiance.

Zane chuckled darkly. “You’ve got spirit. I’ll give you that. But spirit won’t save you.”

He moved toward her, but Kaelan was faster. With a guttural roar, he tackled Zane from behind, driving him into the ground. The two men rolled, punching and clawing at each other in a brutal struggle. Rhea stood frozen, torn between running for help and staying to fight.

“Rhea, go!” Kaelan shouted, his voice strained as he struggled to pin Zane.

But she didn’t move. Instead, her eyes darted to the shadows beyond the firelight, where more of Zane’s pack was emerging. They were outnumbered. Badly.

“Kaelan, we need to leave!” she yelled, her voice rising in panic.

Kaelan glanced around, his heart sinking as he realized the truth. They couldn’t win this fight—not here, not now. With a final burst of strength, he shoved Zane away and scrambled to his feet, grabbing Rhea’s hand.

“Run!” he said, pulling her with him as they darted into the forest.