CHAPTER 2: Into The Wolf's Den

Kyara's POV

The roar reverberated throughout the night, sending shivers down my spine. I froze in place, clutching the doorframe as support.  "We must move. He said, "Now," with a low but urgent tone. His tone was devoid of ambiguity.

"Wh-what was that?" My throat was dry, and I could stammer. My pulse accelerated as I returned to the modest stone hut, gazing out into the shadowy woodland beyond. The darkness looked to be alive as if it were watching and waiting for us.

"Not someone you want to meet," Eric replied abruptly. He stepped inside, grabbed my arm, and yanked me forward. His grip was powerful but not painful. "You are not secure here any longer. Whatever that is, it is on its way to you."

"For me?" My gut tightened into knots as I murmured. I was having trouble comprehending it. How could something be pursuing me? I wasn't important; I was just a rejected, weak girl. But the terror in Eric's eyes made it difficult to ignore the truth: whatever was out there, it had me in its sights.

Eric walked me outdoors into the frigid night without saying anything more. The moon was still high, casting an unsettling glow across the area. Shadows spread long and jagged across the ground, and I found myself clinging to Eric's side, the horror grabbing me tighter with every passing second.

We could feel the tension between us. His power seemed to radiate from him, and his presence was both scary and reassuring. Despite the risk, his presence made me feel comfortable.

"Where are we going?" I inquired, unable to keep up with his huge strides as he brought me to the pack's boundary. My mind was racing, and I was struggling to keep my ideas organized.

"Somewhere they can't get to you," Eric replied, his tone harsh, his eyes scouring the darkness as if expecting an attack at any minute.

My heart raced as I stumbled over a tree root, and Eric's hand darted out to catch me before I fell. His contact jolted me—something unknown, something dangerous. He let go swiftly and resumed walking, his expression unreadable.

When we got to the forest's edge, Eric came to a halt, his body remaining motionless. As he listened, his sharp eyes narrowed, and the silence around us became stifling. The tension in the air was oppressive, and I could feel my hands quivering as I clutched myself to keep the anxiety away.

Then, without warning, another cry cut through the night.

However, this time, it was considerably closer.

Eric's jaw clamped shut. "We don't have enough time to run. We'll need to fight."

"Fight?" My voice shook as I repeated it. "I-I don't know how to fight."

He turned to face me, his eyes ferocious, yet there was a curious gentleness in his look that I hadn't noticed before. "You are not required to do so. Simply follow behind me and do what I say. Understand?"

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest as I watched Eric's muscles tense and his entire body coiled like a spring ready to snap. I realized for the first time how powerful he was. His pack feared and revered him, and I could see why at that time.

A sudden stir in the treetops drew my attention. My breath caught, and I backed up involuntarily, my feet entwined in the undergrowth. Eric transformed before I could scream, his enormous wolf form blazing in front of my eyes. His huge figure towered above the woodland, his dark fur rippling in the moonlight, his eyes brimming with intense determination.

It was both horrifying and hypnotizing.

The menace emerged in the form of a gang of shadowy individuals moving quickly through the forest. My heart raced in my ears when I saw their glowing eyes and heard their deep, frightening growls. They were on their way to us. They were targeting me.

Eric let out a thunderous growl, his big wolf standing in front of me. The shadowy creatures hesitated for a minute, apparently considering their odds. They charged as if responding to a silent signal.

The ensuing combat was a whirl of hair, jaws, and snarls. Eric moved at speed, cutting through the attackers with a brutal grace that took my breath away. I gazed in awe as he tore into the wolves, each action perfect and fatal. He was a natural force, and for a time I forgot about my fear.

Something changed, however.

One of the attackers broke away from the turmoil and lunged at me. I hardly had time to react before being pushed to the ground, the wolf's weight crushing me as its growling face loomed inches away from mine. Its eyes gleamed with predatory intensity, and I knew this was it—the end.

But before the wolf could attack, something inside me broke.

A huge, uncontrollable wave of energy surged from within me. The wolf above me howled in anguish as an invisible force pushed it backward, crashing into a tree with a frightening thud. My chest heaved as I stood up, and my hands trembled as I stared at the spectacle in front of me.

Eric's wolf reverted to human form, his body still tight and on high alert. He stared at me, his expression opaque, yet there was something new about his look. Something similar to recognition—or terror.

He whispered, "Kyara," in a low, scratchy voice. "What was that?"

I blinked, still shivering and attempting to process what had occurred. "I-I don't know," I said quietly, hardly audible. "I don't know what happened."

Eric moved closer, his gaze fixed on me as he sought answers. "That wasn't normal," he continued, his voice steely, but there was something else going on underneath. "You shouldn't be able to do that."

I swallowed hard, letting the weight of his words sink in. He was entirely correct. That was not something I was supposed to be capable of. I lacked physical strength. I lacked power. I lacked strength. Fragile. Useless.

Nevertheless, I had just saved myself.

The tension between us grew stronger, and I found myself backing up, panic creeping into the corners of my mind. "I—I don't understand," I confessed. "What's happening to me?"

Another cry rang through the night before Eric had time to respond. However, this time was different. This time, it was raging.

Eric's eyes became darker. "We must move. Now."

He reached for me, but before I could grab his hand, a stranger appeared from the shadows, blocking our passage.

My heart stopped beating.

Victor was present.

"You're coming with me, Kyara," he said, his eyes gleaming with uncanny intensity. "You belong to me."

My breath froze in my throat as Victor loomed in front of me, the weight of his words coming down like a hurricane. He looked different than I remembered—more savage and deadly. As he got closer, I could feel the tie that I had thought was broken tugging at me, pushing me back toward him.

But this time, it wasn't all about the mate relationship.

This time, I could sense something darker—something twisted and deceitful lurking beneath his eyes.

Eric stood between us, his body rigid, his eyes burning with rage. "She doesn't belong to you anymore," he growled, his voice laden with malice. "She's under my protection."

Victor's lips curved into a wicked smirk, his gaze flickering between me and Eric. "We'll see about that."

And then, I recognized that the real war hadn't even begun.