The howls sliced through the dawn, sharp and hungry, pulling Kael and Lena from their stolen moment against the truck. Her legs still trembled from his kiss, his arms, the confession, I'm falling for you, that burned in her chest like a vow. His gold-flecked eyes met hers, love shadowed by urgency, his hand tightening around hers as the forest stirred, alive with threat. Blackwood's mist curled thicker, swallowing the clearing's blood and bodies—Vren, Torin, Zane's wolves, but not the scent of Lena's blood, that ozone-wild tang that wasn't human, wasn't hers alone.
The mate bond hummed, fierce and warm, urging her to run with him, trust him, love him, even as fear clawed her gut.
"Move," Kael growled, his voice low, half-wolf, tugging her toward the trees. His claws flexed blood still crusting his knuckles, his torn jacket barely holding together. "They're not Zane's. Worse." His eyes scanned the mist, catching glints of movement—wolves, not Silverfang, drawn by her blood or the pendant left behind, its whisper echoing in her mind: Lena.
She nodded, her wrist bandaged but tingling, her hazel eyes wide but fierce. His love anchored her, a fire against the cold, and she squeezed his hand, her fingers lacing with his, a silent promise I'm with you. "Where to?" she asked, voice steady despite her racing pulse, the mark on her neck pulsing in sync with his heartbeat.
"Deeper in," he said, pulling her into a sprint, his boots crunching frost as they plunged into the forest. "There's a ravine, cover to lose them." His voice was rough, laced with worry, but his thumb brushed her knuckles, a tender spark that made her heart ache. She ran, her sneakers slipping but finding grip, Kael's strength a lifeline as branches clawed at them, the howls sharpening behind.
The forest closed in, pines looming like sentinels, mist muffling sound but not the suspense tightening her chest. Every snap, every shadow, felt like Zane, Rhea, or something older—the voice, the pendant's magic, hunting her. Kael's hand was her anchor, his heat bleeding through her hoodie, and she stole glances at him, black hair falling into his eyes, jaw set, gold sparking with love and fear. Their kiss replayed, his lips on hers, his hands claiming her, and she wanted more, needed it, despite the danger.
"Lena," he said, low, catching her look, his voice a caress amid their flight. He slowed, just enough to pull her closer, his free hand cupping her face as they ducked under a low branch. "Stay with me, love." His lips brushed hers, quick, desperate, igniting the bond, and she gasped, kissing him back, fierce and fleeting, her hands fisting his jacket. The touch was electric, grounding her, a vow they'd survive this.
"Always," she whispered, her breath mingling with his, her heart cracking open. She wasn't ready for I love you, but her touch, fingers tracing his scar, his pulse, screamed it, and his eyes softened, seeing her soul. The howls grew louder, snapping them back, and he tugged her forward, their hands locked, bodies brushing as they ran, every contact a spark of desire and trust.
Lena's lungs burned, but her legs kept pace, faster than they should've. She wasn't a runner—barista shifts didn't build this kind of stamina, yet she matched Kael's stride, her muscles humming, not tiring. Her healed arm, her blood, the mark's pulse. It was wrong, unnatural, but it felt right, like a power waking inside her. She shoved the thought down, focusing on Kael's back, his strength, the love that made her want to fight, not flee.
A root caught her sneaker, and she tripped, a sharp cry escaping as she pitched forward.
Kael spun, catching her waist, pulling her against his chest before she hit the ground.
"Got you," he murmured, his breath warm against her ear, his arms a fortress. Her hands gripped his shoulders, their faces inches apart, and the bond flared, hot and heavy, drowning the forest's threat for a heartbeat.
"You okay?" he asked, voice thick, his hands sliding to her hips, steadying her. His eyes searched hers, gold and endless, love warring with worry, and she nodded, breathless, her fingers brushing his jaw, tracing the scar she'd memorized.
"Yeah," she said, soft, her lips tingling with the ghost of his kiss. "Just... clumsy." But her legs weren't shaky, her breath steadying too fast, and she saw it in his eyes—he noticed. Her stamina, her speed, it wasn't human, not after a fight, a chase, no sleep. The pendant's voice echoed faintly, Lena, and her mark burned, like it knew something she didn't.
Kael's wolf stirred, pride mixing with unease.
"You're tougher than you think," he said, a half-smile breaking through, his thumb grazing her cheek, sparking heat. "My fighter." His voice was low, adoring, but his gaze flicked to her wrist, her blood's scent still lingering, ozone and wild, a beacon he couldn't ignore. He wanted to ask, to dig into what she was, but her touch, soft, trusting—held him silent, their love louder than questions.
She leaned into him, just for a second, her forehead against his, their breaths syncing.
"Don't let go," she whispered, echoing their moment in the clearing, her hands sliding down his chest, feeling his heart race. His
growl was soft, not anger but need, and he kissed her temple, his lips lingering, a promise carved in touch.
"Never," he said, voice rough with devotion, his arms tightening before he pulled her up, their fingers lacing again. "We keep moving." His eyes scanned the trees, the howls closer now, a chorus of hunger that wasn't random. They weren't alone, and her blood, her power, was drawing them in.
They ran, deeper into the forest, the ravine's shadow looming ahead, its rocky edge a faint hope of cover. Lena's sneakers pounded earth, her stamina holding, too strong, too steady— and she felt it, a surge under her skin, like the mark, the blood, the voice were waking something she couldn't name. Kael's hand was her lifeline, his love her courage, and she clung to it, their touches, brushing shoulders, stolen glances, fueling her against the suspense tightening around them.
The ravine appeared, a jagged scar in the earth, its walls steep, mist pooling below. Kael slowed, pulling her behind a boulder, his body shielding hers as he listened, claws ready. "We cross it," he whispered, his lips near her ear, sending shivers through her. "Stay low, love." His hand squeezed hers, warm, possessive, and she nodded, her heart pounding not just from fear but him—his voice, his touch, his everything.
She crouched, her hand brushing his back, needing contact, and he turned, stealing a kiss, quick, deep, a spark that promised more if they survived. "You're mine," he murmured, gold eyes blazing, and she smiled, small but real, her fingers grazing his lips, love softening the edge of terror.
But as they rose to move, a chill hit her, not from the mist but something else—eyes, unseen, heavy. She froze, her mark flaring, and Kael tensed, his wolf snarling, sensing it too.
Across the ravine, hidden in the trees' shadows, a cloaked figure stood, motionless, its face obscured but its presence sharp, like the pendant's hum, the voice's call. It watched, not moving, not howling, but its gaze pierced Lena, knowing her, wanting her.
"Kael," she whispered, gripping his arm, her voice barely audible, fear spiking through their bond. His eyes followed hers, narrowing on the figure, his claws flexing as the distant howls grew louder, closing in.