The howling grew louder. It was a chorus of three, maybe four wolves. I recognized those voices. They weren't just random warriors; they were Thorne's elite guards. They were the men I had served water to just yesterday. Now, they were sniffing the air for my blood.
I scrambled to the back of the cave, my heart hammering against my ribs. Even with this new power humming in my veins, the old fear was still there. I had spent eighteen years being the "weak" one. You don't stop feeling like prey in just one night.
The stranger didn't move. He stood at the mouth of the cave, his back to me. He looked like a statue carved from shadow.
"They are crossing the creek," he said calmly. He didn't even turn around. "Three wolves. One Beta. They are careless. They think they are hunting a wounded girl, not a King."
"You have to hide," I whispered, my voice trembling. "If they find you helping a rogue, they will kill you too. Thorne doesn't show mercy."
The man finally turned his head. His profile was sharp, lit by the dying embers of the fire. "Thorne," he repeated the name like it was a bad taste in his mouth. "Let him come himself. These dogs are not worth my time."
A massive grey wolf burst through the brush at the cave's entrance. It was Jace, the Pack Beta's second-in-command. He snarled, his yellow eyes landing on me. He didn't even seem to notice the man standing in the shadows at first.
Jace shifted mid-air, landing on two feet. He was naked and covered in the sweat of the hunt. He held a heavy iron collar in his hand—the kind used for criminals.
"There you are, you little brat," Jace panted, a cruel grin spreading across his face. "The Alpha changed his mind. He doesn't want you wandering around the woods. He wants you in the dungeons where he can keep an eye on whatever 'freak' power you think you found."
I backed up until my shoulders hit the cold stone wall. "I'm not going back, Jace."
"You don't have a choice," Jace sneered. He took a step forward, finally noticing the tall stranger standing in his way. Jace stopped, his grin fading. "Who the hell are you? This is Blackwood territory, rogue. Move, or I'll take your head as a trophy."
The stranger didn't move. He didn't even reach for his dagger. "You are standing in my home," the man said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low frequency. "And you are threatening a guest of mine. That is a very expensive mistake."
Jace laughed, though it sounded a bit forced. "Your home? This is a hole in the dirt. Now move!"
Jace lunged forward, his hand reaching for the stranger's throat.
What happened next was so fast I almost missed it. The stranger didn't shift. He didn't even look like he tried. He simply moved his hand, catching Jace by the wrist. There was a sickening crack—the sound of bone snapping like a dry twig.
Jace screamed, falling to his knees. The other three wolves emerged from the bushes, growling low in their throats, ready to spring.
"I told you not to scream, Elara," the stranger said over his shoulder.
He stepped out of the cave and into the moonlight. As the light hit him, his shadow began to grow. It stretched across the grass, becoming huge and jagged. It didn't look like a wolf's shadow. It had long, curved claws and wings that looked like torn silk.
The three wolves backed away, their tails tucking between their legs. They recognized the aura. This wasn't a werewolf. This was a Shadow-Shifter—a creature of legend that even Alphas feared.
The stranger looked down at Jace, who was clutching his broken arm and whimpering.
"Go back to your Alpha," the stranger commanded. His voice now sounded like ten men speaking at once. "Tell him that Elara is under the protection of the Shadow King. Tell him that if he sends another hunter into these woods, I won't just break bones. I will feast on his heart."
The stranger let out a roar that shook the very trees. The three warriors turned and fled into the darkness, leaving their broken leader behind. Jace scrambled to his feet, tripping over his own legs as he ran after them.
The forest went silent again.
The stranger's shadow shrunk back to its normal size. He stood there for a long moment, breathing heavily. When he turned back to me, his eyes were a swirling vortex of red and black. He looked hungry. Not for food, but for something else.
He walked toward me, his movements slow and predatory. I felt that pull again—the one I felt with Thorne—but this was different. It wasn't a fated mate bond. It was a pull of power. It was dark, heavy, and it made my skin feel like it was on fire.
He stopped inches from me. I could feel the heat of his body. He was so close I could see the golden flecks in his dark eyes. He reached out, and this time, he didn't pull away. He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. His fingers were rough, but his touch was surprisingly gentle.
"You're shaking," he whispered.
"I've never seen anything like that," I said, my heart racing. "Why did you save me? You don't even know me."
He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. The warmth of his breath made a shiver run down my spine.
"I know enough," he said. "I know that you are the key to destroying the man who thinks he owns this forest. And I know that from this moment on... you belong to the shadows."
He pulled back, his eyes searching mine. For a second, I thought he was going to kiss me. My heart skipped a beat, a strange mix of fear and something I couldn't name swirling in my stomach.
But then, he suddenly stiffened. He looked toward the cave entrance, his expression turning cold again.
"He's here," the stranger hissed.
"Who?" I asked.
"The Alpha. He didn't wait for his men to return. He's at the base of the mountain."
The stranger looked at me, a dark glint in his eyes. "He wants you back, Elara. But he's about to find out that once a gift is rejected, it can never be reclaimed."
He grabbed my hand, his grip firm. "We have to go. Now."