CHAPTER 31

Isla’s POV

The shadow...

I knew immediately that it was the same shadow from last night. That strange smell was too sharp and distinct for me to make a mistake. And what shocked me was that it was the same scent I had been experimenting with a while ago. Nightspire Bloom.

My heart pounded with the discovery.

Just then, the shadow moved away with great speed.

What was it doing outside my window? What does it want from me? I had to find out and perhaps this was my best chance.

Without thinking much, I jumped out of my window, something I was too used to as I sneaked out often. I chased behind the scent, with sheer determination.

"Don't be reckless," my wolf warned, her voice sharp in my mind. "You might be running right into their trap! We must alert others. It could be dangerous." She tried to reason with me.

But indeed, I was reckless and overwhelmed with my determination not to lose it again.

"I can’t let go of this opportunity!" I shot back through the bond. "I need to find answers before more people die." My voice trembled as I pushed aside any lingering doubt in my head.

"You won’t be any help dead. At least shift so we can chase him." My wolf snarled.

I ignored her warning, accepting her suggestion, pushing harder, faster. Her strength surged through my body, our transformation seamless as fur replaced skin, paws replacing feet. My wolf took over, and together, we sprinted at full speed, the earth blurring beneath us.

The scent became more distinguished, wrapping around my senses as we dived deep into the woods, chasing behind the shadow. But just as I was about to believe I could catch it, it suddenly disappeared behind the treeline after masking its scent.

I howled in disappointment, looking for a clue. I knew I was being watched, and the shadow was nearby. But I just didn't know exactly where.

I bared my teeth, snarling into the shadows as if challenging it to reveal itself. "Show yourself if you dare!" I whispered in the mind of my wolf, wanting to take over. But I knew I was more powerful in my wolf form.

As if accepting my challenge, suddenly an arrow whizzed past me, embedding itself into the bark of a tree. My wolf's growl vibrated through the area, breaking the eerie silence as I dodged to the side, my senses heightened. But the next sound chilled my blood.

A rustling. Soft at first, like the wind brushing through leaves. But then it grew louder, slithering, hissing.

"Snakes," my wolf warned, her voice low. "Venomous ones. We can't let them bite us!"

My heart lurched. Dozens of lethal snakes slithered through the underbrush, surrounding us. Their fangs, gleaming under the pale moonlight, flashed as they hissed at me, intending to kill me.

"This isn’t good," my wolf muttered grimly. "We need a plan."

"Is this how it ends?" I thought bitterly. I didn't want to die, not yet! But I knew only a miracle could save me now.

I could feel my wolf coiling, ready to attack. But the odds weren’t in our favor. There were just too many of them and we had shifted just too recently. Their venom could kill us before we even had a chance to fight back.

"I told you this was reckless," my wolf grumbled, "but if we go down, we will go down fighting."

I sighed, repenting my choice. But the damage was already done. I prayed to the moon goddess to send some help! But I had never been the one to be lucky.

Just then, a loud, rumbling growl echoed through the trees. The ground trembled as something massive tore through the forest. The presence was so powerful, so commanding that it seemed to bend the very air around it. Even the snakes shifted their attention in the direction of the howl, more alert, knowing whatever predatory thing was about to appear was the real threat to them.

My wolf darted its eyes toward the sound, wondering if our prayers were answered.

A blur of dark fur flashed before me. A wolf. But not just any wolf. It was a marvelous, huge, enigmatic wolf. When I looked into his eyes, I recognized him immediately, the familiarity too striking.

Lucas!

And in his wolf form, he was even more magnificent. For a second, our gaze was fixed on him, mesmerized, forgetting about the danger looming over us. His coat shimmered under the moonlight, dark as midnight with streaks of silver that rippled as he moved, his muscles rippling with raw power. His eyes gleamed like molten gold, fierce and commanding.

He was the embodiment of strength and leadership, a true alpha, even if no one knew it now.

His jaws snapped around one of them, flinging it aside as he tore through the swarm with ruthless efficiency. His strikes were swift, each bite and swipe deliberate and deadly. He was born to fight, any danger, any threat, efficiently.

"Look at him!" My wolf exclaimed, awed. "We have so much to learn from him. He is a force of nature!"

I watched, breathless, as Lucas tore through the venomous onslaught, his growls a symphony of dominance. He didn’t hesitate, didn’t falter. His power was undeniable.

“Run!” his voice echoed through the mind link, firm and unwavering. For a second I flinched. Did he find out who I was?

"Run!" He growled again, this time louder and more commanding.

My wolf, and I, snapped out of the daze.

"He is right. Move!"

I obeyed, turning to flee, my wolf’s powerful legs carrying us at breakneck speed.

I look behind, a bit worried and guilty to have left Lucas behind. But a wave of relief coursed through me when I saw Lucas right beside me. His presence offered a comforting shield as we raced through the trees. But just as we thought we were in the clear, the eerie scent caught up with us again.

"It's coming!" my wolf screamed through the bond, and before I could react and warn Lucas, the shadow struck from behind.

Everything happened in a blur.

I thought I would die, or at least get mortally hurt.

But today wasn't the day I would die.

Lucas was faster. Luckily for me. But... him...

He hurled himself into the path of the attack, intercepting the blow meant for me. A sickening sound echoed through the trees as the shadow’s weapon sliced into Lucas’s side. His body faltered mid-run, and he crashed to the ground, blood staining his dark fur as he immediately shifted to his human form from the blow.

“No!” I screamed through the bond, my heart lurching at the sight of him falling.

I skidded to a halt, my wolf growling ferociously, ready to tear into whoever had hurt him. But Lucas growled back, his voice laced with pain but still commanding. It didn't want me to chase the shadow alone.

I looked at the other side where the shadow had gone, the scent dissipating fast. If I didn't hurry, I would lose it.

Then I looked at Lucas, my friend, my savior. He was gravely hurt, blood oozing out of his wound profusely as he groaned in pain, wiggling on the ground.