Luna Everleigh's POV
***
The scent of pine and damp earth filled my lungs as I moved through the dense forest, Rhydian's presence a shadow at my side.
"Survival here isn't just about strength," he said, his voice low as he handed me a small blade. "It's about knowing how to move. How to think."
I studied the weapon, its silver edge glinting in the dappled light. "And what am I supposed to do with this?"
His lips curved into something almost amused. "Try to stay alive."
Before I could react, he moved—quick as lightning, vanishing into the trees.
Panic flared in my chest.
I spun, my breath hitching. The forest was silent, too silent. My pulse hammered as I took a step forward, the underbrush crackling beneath my boots.
A flicker of movement.
Then—
A blur of black.
I barely had time to react before Rhydian was behind me, his arm locking around my waist, his breath warm against my ear.
"Dead," he murmured.
I jerked against him, frustration flaring hot in my veins. "You didn't even give me a chance!"
He chuckled, his grip loosening just enough for me to turn and face him. His eyes gleamed in the dim light, dark and unreadable.
"You're too tense," he said, trailing a finger down my arm. "You need to feel the forest. Let it guide you."
I scowled. "You sound like Nalia."
His smirk deepened. "Maybe she has a point."
I exhaled sharply, stepping back. "Fine. Again."
This time, when he disappeared, I didn't panic. I closed my eyes, focusing on the rhythm of the woods—the rustling leaves, the distant hoot of an owl, the whisper of the wind.
I moved carefully, my blade gripped tightly, every sense on high alert.
Then—
A shift in the air.
I ducked just as Rhydian lunged, twisting at the last second. My blade pressed lightly against his side before I yanked away.
He stilled. Then, slowly, he smiled.
"Well done," he murmured, and there was something different in his gaze now. Something heated.
I was suddenly very aware of how close we were, the air between us charged with something I couldn't quite name.
His fingers brushed my jaw, slow, deliberate.
"You surprise me, Luna," he said softly. "More than you know."
My heartbeat stuttered.
But before I could respond, a sharp howl shattered the air.
Rhydian stiffened. His entire body tensed, his expression shifting instantly from warmth to something colder.
Dangerous.
Another howl followed, distant but urgent.
Then a scent hit me—sharp, metallic.
Blood.
Rhydian's jaw tightened. "Come."
He took off through the trees, and I followed without question.
We emerged into a clearing, and my stomach dropped.
A body lay sprawled on the forest floor, blood pooling beneath it.
A man—human.
But not just any human.
I recognized the emblem on his tattered jacket, the jagged claw mark stitched over his chest.
A hunter.
One of them.
Rhydian crouched beside the corpse, his fingers brushing the man's throat. His expression was unreadable, but his voice was like ice.
"They're getting bolder," he muttered.
I swallowed hard. "Do you think he was alone?"
Rhydian didn't answer.
Because he already knew.
Hunters never traveled alone.
And if one had made it this far—
More were coming.
But then, his gaze flickered toward something else, something just beyond the trees.
His entire body went rigid.
I turned, my breath catching as I followed his stare—
There, carved into the bark of a tree, was a symbol.
One I didn't recognize.
But Rhydian did.
Because his face darkened, his fists clenching at his sides.
"This," he murmured, his voice dangerously low, "was an inside job."
—
(To be continued…)