CHAPTER 6: Nighttime Shadows

The mountain was blanketed in darkness, and the crisp aroma of pine filled the air. With her mind still spinning with the vivid memories of the previous encounter—the glowing eyes, the whispering, the phantom wolves that appeared to follow her every step—Selene's body shook as she made her way down the narrow track. She couldn't understand it, but something had woken within of her. It also frightened her.

The quiet was broken only by the crunch of gravel under her feet. The surrounding woodland seemed too alive. She sensed the presence hovering, observing, and anticipating. Beneath her sleeve, her scar throbbed softly, as if it were responding to something beyond the woods.

"I must leave this place," she said to herself, eradicating the nagging discomfort that held onto her body. She didn't feel secure, even if the town was still a few miles away. No more. As if something—someone—were pursuing her, every shadow seemed heavier and every distant sound louder.

A deep rumble ripped through the silence.

Selene's breath caught in her throat and she paused in mid-step. It was near, that sound. Too near.

This time, the growl was deeper and more frightening, and she whirled around as her pulse raced. She could barely make out the outline of a big, commanding figure with eyes that were dimly blazing in the murky moonlight.

One more wolf.

However, this was no ordinary wolf. Far bigger than any creature she had ever seen, its enormous shape moved with an uncanny elegance, and its fur shimmered with an odd shine that blended into the darkness. It was something very different from a predator.

Selene's breathing became labored. "Remain back, please."

The wolf seemed to be examining her as it cocked its head slightly and twitched its ears. Then it started to move, its huge paws hardly making a sound on the ground as it took steady, purposeful movements in her direction. Her arm's scar pulsed once again, a sudden, intense pain that seemed to draw her focus away from everything else.

Her pulse pounding, she stepped back and murmured, "No… no." "I am unable to—"

Suddenly, from behind her, a towering, intimidating figure, cloaked in darkness yet moving with easy elegance, sprang out of the shadows. Selene gasped as she instantly recognized him—the guy from the forest, the one who had previously rescued her.

Kael.

Everything else vanished for a minute as his sharp eyes focused on the renegade wolf. Silent yet deafening, the tension between them crackled in the air. The gloomy but somehow reassuring presence of Kael made Selene shudder.

Kael said in a quiet, authoritative, but not harsh, voice, "I told you to stay away." "And yet here you are, exposed and exposed."

Now just a few feet away, the wolf let out another growl, a deep, ominous rumbling that echoed through the woodland.

Though his eyes never left the wolf, Kael's posture changed slightly, becoming almost protective. He tightened his hold on something she couldn't see, his jaw strained and his knuckles white.

With firmness and power in his voice, Kael replied, "You must move." "This is not your battle."

Selene's gaze flicked back and forth between the wolf and Kael. Then she muttered, "What is this? "What brings you here? Why are you concerned?

Kael took a while to respond. Rather, something glowed dimly in the moonlight as he pulled an elaborate dagger from his belt. Something old, a weird, black force, shimmered in the blade. He gripped it steadily, yet with a dexterity that betrayed a mastery of its usage.

Kael eventually murmured, "I'm your protector," in a steady, composed voice, although his gaze was still fixed on the wolf. "Your arm scar is more than simply a wound. You don't comprehend how deeply it stains anything. That wolf is pursuing you as a result.

As Selene's intellect struggled to comprehend what he had spoken, her brows wrinkled. "What—what are you discussing? Why is any of this important?

Kael's tone became more solemn as his face stiffened. "This is more complicated than you realize. Something old, something that has been waiting for millennia, is connected to that scar. You have a connection to something strong. They are aware of your vulnerability now.

The wolf snarled once again, getting closer this time as its enormous body tensed as if it were about to leap.

"I can't keep you safe forever," Kael murmured in a low, almost whispery voice. "You must go. Right now.

Selene felt her heart pound. She was afraid to learn that her scar was something more, that it was somehow related to these animals. She couldn't get rid of the notion, however, that she wasn't prepared to go. Not quite yet.

She said, her voice almost audible, "Wait…." "What is the meaning of this scar? What do they want?

Kael's mouth clenched. "Reactions you're not prepared for. Not quite yet.

The renegade wolf leaped forward, its enormous bulk moving with incredible speed, before Selene could ask any more questions. With its fangs bared and poised to attack, it headed for her.

In an instant, Kael took action. He moved quickly and fluidly to put himself between her and the beast. He stabbed out, swiftly and precisely, while the blade in his palm flashed brighter. With a rush of force, the sword sliced through the air and struck the wolf's flank. With a low growl of agony, the beast backed away a little, its eyes narrowing in rage.

However, it wasn't finished. The wolf walked about them, pacing, observing, its gaze fixed on Selene and Kael. It was relentless, almost clever, as if it were waiting for the ideal opportunity to attack once again.

Selene's body trembled as she shuddered. What are they trying to get out of me? Why do they refuse to stop?

Kael's eyes briefly softened, but only for a brief instant. "What your blood contains—what's inside you—is what they want." And until they take it, they won't stop.

There was an electric charge of danger in the air between them. Selene could see the hesitancy in Kael's eyes, the conflict between duty and an unidentified emotion. He had no option but to engage her, even if he didn't want to. Already, he had entered something greater than both of them.

The wolf attacked once again, more quickly this time. Kael's blade glinted again, cutting through the shadows to form a barrier between them. The battle devolved into a flurry of movement, growls, and light bursts. Selene was barely able to keep up. She was terrified, but she was also motivated to move by something deeper within of her that she didn't comprehend.

The animal was unrelenting. It attacked repeatedly, but Kael held them both at bay. His motions were precise and fluid, as if he had done this before, and he battled with an almost unbelievable elegance. He was something more than human, something ancient. Something hazardous.

Then, as the wolf rushed again, Kael moved closer and took another item from his belt: a little, silver pendant. It shimmered in the moonlight, gleaming faintly.

He held it out to Selene and said, "Hold this."

Though she wasn't sure what he was asking, she stretched out out of instinct. The charm's surface felt warm on her palm as her fingers closed around it.

"Now," Kael continued quietly, in a firm but kind tone, "concentrate." Keep your thoughts clear.

The wolf growled, its eyes brightening, its whole attention on her.

Selene inhaled deeply, forcing herself to concentrate. Then—a peculiar thing occurred. The scar on her arm started to burn again as she was holding the charm, this time severely, sending heat waves through her whole body. The scar started to glow dimly, pulsing in rhythm with her innermost thoughts.

She felt it—something old, something reawakening, something drawing her in and demanding that she comprehend.

For a short while, the wolf's snarl became softer. As if it recognized something, something that now came from her, it paused.

The wolf gave a low growl that sounded almost imploring, "No." "She isn't the one."

Kael's eyes darkened as he tightened his hold on the blade. With a look of desperation on his face, he turned to Selene. "We must relocate. Right now.

The surrounding woodland shook before she could respond, the shadows twisting under the trees. Desperate and furious, the wolf attacked again, but something changed. As if an old force had reawakened—not simply the wolf, but something far more terrible—the air became thicker and darker.

A deep, low, and clearly strong voice then murmured across the woods before any of them could respond.

"Selene... You are now ours.

Her scar's light became brighter, more agonizing, more dazzling.

Suddenly, with a combination of horror and something more profound, Kael's eyes widened with realization. "No, this isn't possible."

Once again, Selene's eyesight became blurry, the surroundings turning to shadows, and suddenly she felt something tugging at her, a force that would not let her leave the darkness.

The forest itself seemed to be alive at that very moment—watching, waiting, and hungry.

It had also located her.