Cursed Fates: Werewolves vs. Hunters

Tides of Power

Xena perched on the branch of a tall tree, her eyes scanning the darkness below. She’d been following a trail, one that seemed to lead nowhere and everywhere all at once. The night had grown colder, and the air was thick with the scent of rain. She didn't mind the silence, though—it allowed her to focus.

But as she shifted to adjust her position, the branch beneath her creaked ominously. Her eyes widened in alarm. Before she could react, the branch snapped, and Xena plunged downward, her body twisting in mid-air as she braced for impact.

But just before she could hit the ground, a pair of strong hands caught her, lifting her effortlessly. Her breath caught in her throat as she was pulled into a firm, steady grip.

“Stupid,” a deep voice muttered, rough and annoyed. Xena was about to retort, but the words died in her throat as she finally looked up.

The man who had caught her was unlike anyone she had ever encountered. His features were sharp and commanding, his dark hair falling in loose waves around his face, and his piercing amber eyes locked onto hers with an unsettling intensity. A sharp, dangerous aura radiated from him, as if the very air around him bowed in submission. He was powerful. The kind of power that could crush you without hesitation.

“What are you doing up there?” he asked, his voice low and tinged with irritlation.

Xena glared at him, her pride stung. “I wasn’t doing anything. I was minding my own business.”

His lips twisted into a smirk, but it wasn’t a friendly one. “Minding your own business would involve not sitting on branches like a careless child.”

She was about to snap back when something in the air shifted. The temperature dropped suddenly, and the once-clear sky above them grew heavy with clouds. The full moon began to rise, casting a silver glow over the forest.

Xena’s instincts screamed, her muscles tightening, every nerve on edge. Something was wrong.

The man shifted slightly, his body growing tense. “What’s wrong with you?” Xena asked, her voice now laced with suspicion. But she didn’t get an answer.

With a low, guttural growl, the man’s body began to change. Xena watched, her heart hammering in her chest, as his form morphed before her eyes. His muscles rippled, and his limbs contorted in unnatural angles. His face elongated, his features becoming more animalistic. Fur sprouted across his body, and his hands became clawed.

The transformation was so fast, so terrifyingly smooth, that Xena couldn’t even move. Her eyes widened as the man—no, the creature—grew to enormous proportions.

What stood before her now wasn’t a man, but a massive werewolf, easily the largest she had ever seen. His fur was black as night, his eyes glowing amber like burning embers. His powerful frame seemed to block out the light, and his growl was so deep that it vibrated in the very air around them. He stood over her like a mountain, a beast of pure power.

“You’re on my territory,” the werewolf growled, his voice a mix of human and beast, thick with authority. His amber eyes flickered with an unsettling recognition, but Xena couldn’t understand it. Territory? Recognition? She didn’t have time to think about it.

Her mind snapped into action, and she immediately gripped the dagger hidden at her side, her stance defensive. "I don’t give a damn about your territory," she snapped, her voice sharp with irritation, but her heart was pounding in her chest. "I was fine before you showed up."

The werewolf’s lips curled into a smile that was anything but comforting. "And now you’re mine." His voice was a deep, rumbling growl that seemed to reverberate in the very bones of the earth.

Xena’s anger flared, and she took a step back, preparing to face him. She wasn’t afraid of any werewolf—especially not this one.

But before she could move, she caught something—a faint mark on his arm, barely visible beneath his dark fur. A scar, a thin line that looked far too familiar.

Xena's heart skipped a beat as her eyes locked on the scar. It was a sword scar. The same scar she carried on her own back.

The realization hit her like a freight train, her breath catching in her throat. This werewolf... this creature... he was no ordinary Alpha. He was connected to her in a way she couldn’t understand.

The werewolf’s amber eyes narrowed as he sensed the shift in her. “You’ve noticed it, haven’t you?” he asked, his voice suddenly colder, more menacing.

Xena swallowed, her anger now mixed with confusion. “What do you know about this scar?” she asked, her voice steady, but inside, her mind was racing.

But before she could get an answer, a roar—louder than anything she had ever heard—ripped through the air, shaking the very ground beneath them. The enormous werewolf before her bared his teeth in response, his form tensing, his claws digging into the earth.

Suddenly, it all clicked—this was no ordinary encounter. This was no simple battle. This was fate, a collision of powers that neither of them could have anticipated.

The enormous werewolf stepped closer, his glowing eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that froze her in place.

Xena stood her ground, her body tensed, every muscle coiled as she faced the towering figure of Killian. The air was thick with anticipation, crackling with energy, as if the very earth beneath their feet was waiting for what was about to happen. She could feel the pull of his power, a raw, primal force that threatened to overwhelm her. But she wasn’t backing down. Not now.

Killian’s amber eyes bore into hers, and in a heartbeat, he lunged. Faster than she could react, his claws slashed through the air, aiming for her throat. But Xena was ready. She spun to the side, the wind rushing past her as she used her earth power to propel herself, kicking up dust and dirt, narrowly avoiding his strike.

With a growl, he turned on her again, his massive wolf form blocking the light with its imposing figure. Xena’s instincts screamed at her to strike, to release the fury of her fire. She raised her hand, flames flickering to life at her fingertips, and threw a burst of fire directly at him. The flames collided with his chest, but to her surprise, he didn’t flinch. The heat of the fire seemed to roll off him, his wolf-like form immune to its intensity.

He charged forward, his claws extended, aiming to slice through her defenses, but Xena was quick. She tapped into her water power, summoning a wave of water to surge from the ground beneath her, crashing into him with a force that sent him skidding back. The impact momentarily stunned him, but not enough to slow his relentless assault.

“Not bad, little hunter,” he growled, his voice deep and menacing, but there was a flicker of admiration in his eyes.

Xena smirked, her lips curling as she wiped the sweat from her brow. “You’re not so bad yourself, wolf,” she taunted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

She raised her hand again, but this time, the earth responded. The ground beneath her feet trembled as she summoned jagged rocks to rise from the earth, launching them at Killian with terrifying speed. He dodged most of them, but a few struck his side, leaving deep gouges in his fur. He snarled, his body healing almost instantly, but the momentary pain seemed to fuel his rage.

With a feral roar, he lunged again, this time faster, more vicious. His claws raked through the air, striking with the force of a hurricane. Xena barely managed to block one strike with her forearm, the impact vibrating through her body. She gasped, pain radiating through her as she staggered back, but her resolve hardened.

Killian advanced again, his movements fluid, as if the wolf inside him controlled every step. His strength was unmatched—each swing of his claws, each movement was powered by the strength of a creature born to dominate. But Xena wasn’t just a hunter. She was a force in her own right. She had fire, water, and earth at her disposal.

She tapped into her fire power once more, summoning a wall of flame between them. Killian hesitated for a split second, as if calculating the risk, but then, without a second thought, he charged straight through it. His wolf form seemed to absorb the flames, and he emerged from the fire, unfazed.

Xena’s eyes widened, realizing just how powerful this werewolf truly was. He was no ordinary foe. He was a force to be reckoned with.

The moment she hesitated, just for a split second, he was on her. His claws raked across her shoulder, slashing through her leather armor and drawing blood. She gasped, feeling the sting of the wound, but the pain only fueled her determination. With a growl, she stepped back, raising her hand to call upon the earth once more. Massive boulders shot up from the ground, crashing down towards him.

But Killian wasn’t done yet. With a powerful leap, he soared through the air, avoiding the falling rocks, and landed behind her in a blink. Before she could react, his claws were around her neck, lifting her off the ground with terrifying strength.

Xena’s breath caught in her throat, her body fighting against his hold. She couldn’t breathe—his grip was suffocating. But she wasn’t going to give up. With a flick of her wrist, a blast of water surged out, crashing into his face and momentarily loosening his grip.

“Not bad, but it’s over now,” he sneered, tightening his hold on her neck again. She could see the fire in his eyes, the determination to finish the fight. He was a true alpha, and he wasn’t going to back down.

Xena struggled to breathe, but her mind was still sharp. She didn’t want to die here—not at the hands of this beast. She still had one last move.

Just as she summoned another burst of fire, Killian’s grip faltered. His eyes widened as a sharp pain ripped through his chest. His massive form faltered, and he staggered back, dropping to his knees. The pain seemed to come from nowhere—an ache in his chest that spread like wildfire, consuming him.

Xena fell to the ground, gasping for air, her hands clutching her throat. She watched in confusion as the mighty werewolf before her seemed to shrink back, his earlier rage replaced with something else—something unexplainable.

“What... what is this?” Killian muttered under his breath, his chest heaving with labored breaths, his eyes flickering with confusion and pain.

Xena, still recovering from the suffocating grip, didn’t move. She had to catch her breath before she could attack again. But the fact that he had released her... It was a victory, albeit a confusing one. She didn’t know what was happening, but she wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip by.

Killian, still hunched over, ran his hand over his chest, his amber eyes narrowing in frustration. It was as if his body was rebelling against his instincts, fighting him in a way he couldn’t control. The pain was unbearable, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.

“You...” Xena started, her voice shaky but triumphant. “You backed down.”

Killian’s gaze hardened, his chest still aching as he backed away, a strange urgency pulling him away from the fight. He had never backed down before, especially not from a hunter. But as he turned, confusion and frustration gnawed at him. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. The prophecy had promised a different fate. Yet here he was, running.