CHAPTER 7: Shadowed Whispers

Kyara's POV

The creature’s voice was like gravel grinding against steel, dark and malevolent. “Silverblood,” it rumbled again, the word echoing in the clearing as if the earth itself feared it.  

Behind Eric’s broad, protective stance, my mind raced. "Silverblood". The name seems strange yet slightly familiar, like a song from a dream I couldn't identify. 

"What do you want from her?" Eric's voice was piercing and his body coiled like a spring about to break. 

The creature's twisted lips curved into a mocking smile. “She is the key,” it hissed, its glowing green eyes piercing through me. “To death. To life. To everything.”  

I stepped forward, ignoring Eric’s arm as he tried to block me. “What do you mean?” I demanded, surprising myself with the strength in my voice. “Why me?”  

The creature tilts its bizarre head, the movement is unnervingly slow. “Because you were *chosen*.”  

“Chosen for what?” My throat felt thick, but I pushed past my nervousness. 

"To end it all," it said, widening its smile to display rows of sharp teeth. “Or to begin anew.”  

Eric’s growl was low and feral, his body trembling with barely restrained fury. “You won’t touch her.”  

The creature’s laugh was a chilling symphony of malice. “Touch her? No, Alpha. I don’t need to touch her. She will come to me... willingly.”  

My heart raced as its words sank in. “You’re wrong,” I spat.  

"Am I?" it said, moving closer, its huge form covering up the tiny moonlight. "You already feel it, don't you?" The shadows' pull. A desire for power. It will eat you, Silverblood. And when it happens, you will beg to be mine."  

The shadows around me surged in response to the creature's words. Panic clawed at my chest, but Eric's hand held mine and calmed me.  

"You don't know her," Eric said, his voice full of malicious intent. "And you don't know what she's capable of."  

"Neither do you," the monster said, its green eyes flashing with sick pleasure. "But you will."  

Before we could react, the ground beneath us rattled again. The beast gave a thunderous roar, and the shadows around it increased, spinning into a circle of blackness. I moved back, holding Eric's arm, as the wind threatened to knock me down.  

"It's retreating," Eric whispered his gaze sharpening.  

"Retreating?" I questioned, trying to keep my voice calm. "Why?"  

"Because it planted the seed it wanted to," Eric said serenely his attention locked on the creature.  

The thing retreated into the shadows as quickly as it emerged, leaving an unsettling silence. The only sound was my heartbeat, which fell rapidly.  

Eric turned to me; his face unresolved "Are you okay?" 

I nodded, though my legs felt like jelly. “What was that thing?”  

“A nightmare,” he said curtly, his eyes scanning the dark woods as if expecting it to return. “And one we’re not ready to face yet.”  

His comments should have frightened me, but they encouraged something else—a flash of defiance. "Then we'll get ready," I said firmly, holding his eyes.  

Eric's lips clenched nearly forming an expression of delight, but the moment was too brief. "You're reckless," he said quietly, shaking his head.  

"And you're overprotective," I shouted back, the excitement boosting my confidence.  

His eyes softened just a little. "Maybe."  

We began going again, Eric keeping me close as we passed the deep forest. The stillness between us seemed weighty but not uncomfortable. It was the type of silence that contained unspoken words and unrecognized feelings.  

"You shouldn't have stepped forward like that," Eric eventually whispered, breaking the silence.  

"You shouldn't have tried to stop me," I responded.  

His palm brushed against mine as we walked, sending a spark of warmth through me despite the cold night. "You're impossible," he murmured, but there was no fury in his voice.  

"And yet, here you are," I said, unable to disguise the giggle on my lips.  

Eric paused abruptly and turned to face me. His gaze met mine, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe. "You're not what I expected," he whispered slowly, his tone almost kind. 

“Good or bad?” I asked, my heart pounding.  

“Dangerous,” he replied, a small, crooked smile breaking through his usual stoic demeanor.  

Before I could respond, the ground beneath us shifted again—not with the force of a monster this time, but with the delicate rumble of a distant explosion.  

Eric’s expression hardened instantly. “That came from the village.”  

My stomach twisted. “The Crescent Moon pack?”  

He nodded, already moving. “We need to get there. Now.”  

I followed him, despite my hurting body. As we were speeding up, the trees blurred around us, and the scent of burning grew stronger with each step.  

Emerging from the forest, the scene before us chilled my blood. Flames licked the outer edge of the village, putting a menacing light against the night sky. Wolves—some in human form, some morphing—fought desperately against beings dressed in black, their motions quick and lethal. 

“Stay close,” Eric ordered, his voice sharp.  

I nodded, but my attention was drawn to a figure standing at the heart of the chaos. Even through the smoke and fire, I recognized him.  

“Victor,” I whispered, my voice trembling.  

Eric’s head snapped toward me. “What?”  

I pointed, my hand shaking. “He’s here.”  

Victor stood tall and confident, his golden hair catching the firelight like a halo. His eyes, however, were far from heavenly. He had a sword in one hand, its edge greased with blood, and his eyes were focused on me.  

"Kyara," he vented his voice piercing the commotion like a siren's song.  

Eric moved in front of me, his body forming a strong wall of safety. "You're not going anywhere near her," he snarled.  

Victor grinned, unaffected by the threat. “Oh, Eric. Always really honorable. But this is not about you.  

He took a step closer, his gaze never leaving me. "Come with me, Kyara," he murmured, his voice full of fake sincerity. "It's the only way to end this."  

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I said, my voice cracking but resolute.  

Victor's smile vanished, and a darker expression replaced it. "You don't have a choice," he said, his tone cold. "You are mine, Kyara. "You've always been."  

Eric hissed, his fists clenched. "She is not yours." "Not anymore."  

The feeling of unease between them was electric, crackling in the air like a storm positioned to break out.  

Victor's gaze glanced to Eric and then back to me. "If you won't come willingly," he added, his voice low and menacing, "I'll make you."  

Before either of us could react, Victor raised his blade. A surge of energy shot toward us, dark and unnatural, like the creature’s shadows but somehow worse.  

Eric shoved me aside, the force of the blast sending him crashing to the ground.  

“Eric!” I yelled and ran to his side.  

He was unconscious, with shallow breathing. Fear overtook me, and there was no time to contemplate.  

Victor moved closer, his blade still burning with evil force. “Come, Kyara,” he said softly, extending a hand. “Or watch him die.”  

I looked at Eric, then back at Victor, my heart torn in two.  

And then, as if in answer to my silent plea, the shadows inside me stirred.  

They whispered one word.  

"Fight".