Crimson Pack

The Hunt

The night air was colder than usual.

Ravenna Cross pressed her back against the rough bark of an oak tree, her breath shallow, her heartbeat quick. The forest stretched wide around her, dark and endless, but she knew she wasn’t alone.

They were coming.

Her ears caught the faint crunch of paws against fallen leaves, the low growl that carried on the wind. Wolves. Dozens of them.

Her fingers tightened on the dagger at her side, the silver blade her mother had given her. It wasn’t enough against a whole pack, but it was all she had.

“Run, Ravenna,” her mother’s voice echoed in her head, a memory sharp as a blade. “Never let them catch you. If they do, you’re dead.”

Ravenna swallowed the lump in her throat. Running had been her whole life. From town to town, shadow to shadow. She never stayed long, never made friends, never dared to be noticed. Because if either world; wolf or vampire, discovered what she was, she’d be hunted.

Half-blood. Abomination. Monster.

Her foot shifted against a root, snapping a twig.

The growls grew louder.

Ravenna cursed under her breath. She pushed herself off the tree and sprinted deeper into the woods, her dark hair streaming behind her, her boots pounding against the ground. The night sky above was hidden by a veil of thick clouds, but her eyes adjusted quickly. Her wolf side gave her speed, her vampire side gave her sharp vision. Together, they kept her alive.

For now.

Howls erupted behind her. The pack had her scent.

Her lungs burned as she pushed harder. She leapt over a fallen log, dodged between two trees, but no matter how fast she ran, the sound of pursuit grew closer. The Alpha wanted her. She didn’t know why, but she had heard whispers. A new Alpha had risen in the Crimson Pack. Fierce, merciless, and hungry for blood. And he had given one order:

Bring me the hybrid. Dead or alive.

Her chest tightened. She’d heard stories about him. Kael Draven. The name itself was a warning. Wolves feared him, vampires respected him. He was power wrapped in flesh. If he wanted her, she was doomed.

But she wasn’t ready to die. Not yet.

Ravenna veered left, crashing through a thicket, ignoring the sting of branches against her arms. She broke into a clearing, only to skid to a halt.

A man stood there.

No, not a man.

Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in black. His eyes glowed gold in the darkness, catching hers with a predatory gleam. His presence rolled over her like a wave, heavy and suffocating. His scent hit her next, wild, sharp, laced with danger. Alpha.

Her stomach dropped.

Kael Draven.

For a moment, the forest fell silent, as if holding its breath. Then his lips curved in something that wasn’t quite a smile.

“Found you,” he said, his voice low, rough, and commanding.

Ravenna gripped her dagger tighter, her instincts screaming at her to run, but her body wouldn’t move. Something deep inside her froze—not in fear, but in something stranger. Warmer.

Her heart skipped a beat.

The Alpha’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. His wolf stirred, pressing against his control. He had come to kill the hybrid, to tear her throat out and drag her body back to the pack as proof of his strength. That was the plan. That was his duty.

But now, standing this close, her scent filled him. Wild, sweet, f*******n. His wolf didn’t growl. It didn’t snarl. It whispered one word.

Mate.

Kael’s jaw tightened. His chest rose and fell, his claws digging into his palms as he fought the instinct. No. It couldn’t be. She was the enemy. A curse.

Ravenna saw the struggle flash across his face. She didn’t understand it, but she knew one thing: hesitation was her only chance.

She spun on her heel and bolted.

Kael’s growl shook the clearing, deep and furious. In the blink of an eye, he was after her, his speed unnatural, his wolf clawing to reach her.

Ravenna’s lungs screamed, but she forced herself faster. She could feel him behind her—closer, closer, until his hand brushed the back of her jacket. She stumbled forward, crashing down a small slope, rolling through dirt and roots until she slammed against another tree.

Her vision blurred. The dagger slipped from her hand. She gasped, trying to rise, but before she could, a shadow loomed over her.

Kael towered above, his golden eyes burning, his chest heaving. He looked like a predator ready to strike.

But instead of delivering the killing blow, he dropped to one knee. His hand shot out, gripping her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“Mine,” he growled, his voice more beast than man.

Ravenna’s breath caught in her throat. Her pulse thundered in her ears.

Before she could speak, before she could even move, the forest erupted with more howls. Wolves burst into the clearing, their eyes glowing, their teeth bared. They surrounded her like a circle of death.

Kael didn’t let go. His grip tightened, his body shielding hers even as fury burned in his gaze.

The pack thought they had cornered their prey. But they didn’t know the truth.

Their Alpha had just claimed the monster as his mate.

And that changed everything.