Chapter Five: Secrets in the Dark

The howl echoed in my ears long after it had faded into the night, and every instinct I had screamed at me to run. But where could I go? The wolves, or whatever they were, knew exactly where we were. And now I was beginning to think they weren’t just after me—they were after Ronan too.

Ronan led me down the alley, his grip on my wrist firm as he glanced over his shoulder every few seconds, as if he could see the wolves closing in on us. His eyes were wild, calculating, like he was trying to figure out our next move.

“Ronan, slow down!” I gasped, my legs burning from the sudden sprint.

“No time,” he muttered. “They’ll catch up soon.”

I tugged against his grip, planting my feet firmly into the ground until he had no choice but to stop and look at me.

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on. All of it,” I demanded, chest heaving as I tried to regain my breath.

For a moment, it looked like he was going to argue, but something in my expression must have told him I wasn’t backing down. He glanced around, then motioned for me to follow him deeper into the shadows of the alley. Reluctantly, I did, but my heart was pounding with impatience, anger, and a growing sense of fear.

Once we were somewhat hidden, he turned to face me. “You want the truth?” His voice was low, almost as if he didn’t want the night itself to overhear. “Fine. But you’re not going to like it.”

“I haven’t liked any of this since the moment you showed up,” I shot back, crossing my arms over my chest.

He ran a hand through his hair, his face shadowed in the dim light. “You’re not safe in Grey Hollow. You never were. This town—hell, this whole area—isn’t just any regular place. It’s a hunting ground. And right now, you’re the prey.”

His words sent a chill down my spine. “Prey for what?”

He hesitated. “Werewolves.”

I stared at him, my mind reeling. “Werewolves? You can’t be serious.”

“I wish I wasn’t,” he said, his tone dark and unflinching. “The wolves that are after you aren’t ordinary. They’re part of a pack—a rogue pack. And they’ve been hunting people like you for years.”

“People like me?” I echoed, feeling like I was falling deeper and deeper into a nightmare. “What do you mean, people like me? I’m just—”

“—not just any girl, Lena,” Ronan interrupted, his gaze intense. “You’re part of a bloodline that’s been connected to the wolves for centuries. That’s why they’re after you. They want your blood. It’s... valuable to them.”

I took a step back, shaking my head. “That’s insane. You’re talking about werewolves, bloodlines, and ancient hunts like it’s normal.”

“I know it sounds insane, but it’s the truth. You need to trust me.”

“I don’t even know you!” I shot back, my voice rising in panic. “You just showed up out of nowhere and started talking about wolves and danger. And now you expect me to believe that I’m being hunted because of some ancient curse?”

Ronan flinched slightly at my words, but he didn’t back down. “I understand this is a lot to take in, but you’re in danger whether you believe me or not. And if we don’t move soon, they’ll find us.”

I looked into his eyes, searching for some sign that he was lying, that this was all just a twisted joke. But all I saw was grim determination—and fear. He was genuinely afraid. And that terrified me more than anything.

“Okay,” I said, my voice trembling. “Let’s say I believe you. What do we do now?”

Ronan exhaled, relief flickering across his face. “We get you somewhere safe. There’s an old cabin, deep in the woods, far from town. They won’t be able to track us there.”

The idea of being trapped in the woods, away from any semblance of civilization, didn’t exactly comfort me. But at this point, what choice did I have?

“Fine,” I muttered. “Let’s go.”

Without another word, Ronan grabbed my hand and led me out of the alley. We moved quickly, staying close to the shadows as we made our way out of town. The streets were eerily quiet, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched, even though I couldn’t see anything.

By the time we reached the edge of town, the moon had risen higher, casting a cold, silver light over everything. I glanced at Ronan, noticing how tense he was, his muscles coiled like a spring ready to snap.

“Are they close?” I whispered.

He nodded. “Too close.”

We reached the edge of the woods, the tall trees looming over us like sentinels. Ronan paused, his eyes scanning the tree line, before turning to me.

“Stay close,” he instructed. “And don’t make any sudden movements.”

I nodded, swallowing the lump of fear that had lodged itself in my throat. The moment we stepped into the woods, the atmosphere changed. The air was colder, the shadows deeper, and the silence was deafening. Every snap of a twig, every rustle of leaves felt like a warning.

Ronan led the way, his pace steady but cautious. I followed closely behind, trying to keep my footsteps as quiet as possible. The trees were dense, their branches intertwining like twisted fingers, blocking out most of the moonlight.

After what felt like hours of walking, I couldn’t take the silence any longer. “Ronan,” I whispered, “how much further?”

“Not far,” he replied, glancing back at me. “Just keep moving.”

But as we pushed deeper into the woods, a strange sound reached my ears—a low, distant growl. I froze, my blood turning to ice.

“Did you hear that?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Ronan stopped, his body tensing. He nodded slowly. “We need to move. Now.”

Fear surged through me as we picked up the pace, weaving through the trees as fast as we could without making too much noise. The growling grew louder, closer, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

Suddenly, Ronan stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to me, his expression deadly serious. “Run.”

“What?”

“Run!” he repeated, shoving me forward. “Go, now!”

Without thinking, I sprinted through the trees, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I pushed myself to go faster. The growls were deafening now, surrounding me on all sides. I could hear the snapping of jaws, the thudding of paws against the ground.

I ran blindly, my legs burning, my lungs screaming for air. Just as I thought I couldn’t run any further, I saw it—a small, dilapidated cabin nestled between the trees.

I didn’t think. I just ran straight for it.

Bursting through the door, I slammed it shut behind me, my heart racing. I could hear the wolves outside, their growls vibrating through the air.

But Ronan wasn’t there.

And I could recall sighting scars on his body that made me believe he was still hiding things.

I pressed my back against the door, my chest heaving as panic clawed at my throat.