The howls tightened like a noose around the safehouse, their eerie cadence slicing through the pre-dawn chill. Lena stood frozen in the shack's doorway, her breath fogging as Kael's grip on her arm pulled her back. His eyes glowed gold, his body coiled, every inch the predator she'd seen rip through that rogue.
The dusty room—cot, lantern, sagging walls, felt like a trap now, the boarded window no match for whatever was coming.
"Stay behind me," Kael growled, his voice half-human, claws flexing as he faced the door. The howls weren't random, they were Zane's wolves, he was sure of it. That bastard's vow to kill Lena wasn't idle, and these weren't rogues.
They were pack, trained, hunting her to break him.
Lena's heart raced, her neck throbbing where the mark hid under her hoodie. "What's out there?" she whispered, clutching the table's edge. His silence scared her more than the howls. She'd argued for freedom hours ago, but now, with the forest alive with threat, she wasn't sure she'd make it to sunrise.
Before Kael could answer, the door exploded inward, wood splintering. A wolf—gray, massive, yellow-eyed, lunged, its jaws snapping. Kael met it mid-air, slamming it to the floor with a bone-rattling crunch. Lena stumbled back, her scream caught in her throat as another wolf crashed through the window, glass shattering. The lantern flickered, shadows dancing over fur and claws.
"Get down!" Kael roared, his form shifting, black fur rippling, muscles bulging as he tore into the second wolf. Blood sprayed, the air thick with snarls and copper. Lena dropped behind the cot, her hands shaking, but there was nowhere to hide. A third wolf prowled through the doorway, its eyes locked on her, not Kael.
She scrambled for something. Anything. And grabbed a broken chair leg, brandishing it like a club. "Stay back!" she yelled, her voice cracking but fierce. The wolf growled, stalking closer, its teeth bared. Kael was pinned, grappling two wolves, his claws raking fur, but he couldn't reach her.
The wolf lunged. Lena swung the wood, cracking it against its skull, but it barely flinched, its claws swiping her arm. Pain seared through her, blood welling as she fell back, the chair leg clattering away. The wolf reared, ready to strike, when Kael roared, a sound that shook the walls, breaking free to slam into it. He drove his claws into its side, blood pooling as it collapsed, lifeless.
"Lena!" Kael spun, half-wolf, his gold eyes wild as he scanned her. The other wolves were down, the room a wreck. Blood, fur, shattered wood, but more howls echoed outside, closer now. He shifted back, human but bloodied, and crouched beside her, his hands hovering over her arm. "You're hurt."
"I'm fine," she lied, clutching her arm. Blood dripped through her fingers, the scratches deep, burning like fire. Her neck pulsed, the mark's heat spreading, but she shoved the panic down. "There's more coming, aren't there?"
He nodded, his jaw tight, and pulled her to her feet. "We need to move. They're Zane's, sent to kill you." His voice was raw, guilt lacing it, and she saw it in his eyes, he blamed himself.
For the mark, for this.
She wanted to argue, to scream that this was his fault, but the howls were louder, a pack closing in. Kael grabbed a knife from the table, rusted but sharp, and pressed it into her hand. "Stay close. If anything gets past me, use this."
Lena gripped the knife, her arm throbbing, but nodded. She wasn't helpless, not yet. Kael kicked the ruined door aside, leading her into the gray dawn. The forest was alive with movement, shadows darting between pines, eyes glinting. He stayed in front, his body tense, half-shifted, claws ready. Lena's sneakers crunched on frost, her breath ragged, the knife heavy in her hand.
They made it ten yards when the ambush hit.
Four wolves burst from the trees, faster than the first wave, their snarls coordinated. Kael shoved Lena behind him, meeting the lead wolf head-on. His claws slashed, blood spraying, but the others circled, splitting his focus. Lena backed against a tree, the knife raised, her arm screaming with pain. She couldn't see Kael clearly, just flashes of black fur, gold eyes, and red.
One wolf broke free, its gaze locking on her. It was smaller, leaner, but its eyes burned with intent. Lena's heart stopped. She raised the knife, but her arm felt slow, heavy, the scratches weakening her. The wolf leaped, and she braced for impact. Kael tackled it mid-air, his roar deafening. They hit the ground, rolling, claws and teeth tearing.
Lena staggered, her vision blurring, but she saw Kael snap the wolf's neck, the crack echoing. The others retreated, limping into the trees, their howls fading to warnings, not pursuit.
Kael stood, panting, blood streaking his face, his jacket torn. He was human again, but barely, his eyes still glowed, his chest heaving
"Lena," he said, rushing to her. "You okay?
She nodded, shaky, dropping the knife. Her arm burned, blood soaking her sleeve, but she forced herself to stand. "I... I think so." Her voice was weak, and she hated it. Hated needing him, hated the fear choking her.
He touched her arm, gentle, inspecting the scratches. "It's deep," he muttered, guilt flashing again. "We'll clean it at the next stop.
Zane's wolves—they'll regroup, but we've got time."
"Time for what?" she snapped, pulling away.
"More running? More of this?" She gestured at the dead wolves, the blood, her arm. "You said safe, Kael. This isn't safe."
His eyes darkened, but he didn't argue, just tore a strip from his shirt to wrap her arm. "I know," he said quietly. "But I'm not letting him win."
She let him bandage her, too tired to fight, but her mind raced. The mark, the wolves, Zane, it was too much. And her arm... it felt wrong. Not just pain, but a heat spreading, like the mark's pulse, only deeper. She shoved the thought away. Shock, that's all it was.
They moved again, Kael half-carrying her toward the truck, hidden deeper in the woods.
The sky lightened, dawn breaking gray and cold, but Lena's focus drifted to her arm. The pain was fading too fast. She peeled back the bandage, expecting blood, but froze.
The scratches, jagged, deep, minutes ago—were closing. Pink skin knitted together, leaving faint lines where gashes had been. Her breath caught, her fingers trembling as she traced the wound. It wasn't possible. Humans didn't heal like this.
"Kael," she whispered, her voice barely audible, fear twisting her gut. "What's happening to me?"