Episode 3
1162 Words
The icy river swallowed Lyra whole.
The freezing water slammed into her like solid stone, knocking the breath from her lungs. The current seized her instantly, dragging her beneath the surface.
She tried to swim, but the river was too strong.
Her body crashed into hidden rocks.
She felt pain in her shoulder.
The leather pouch was still tightly held in her hand.
“Don't lose it.”
Her mind replayed Elias' last words.
She kicked toward the faint light above, desperate for air.
Just as her fingers broke the surface, another wave crashed over her head.
The roaring current carried her downstream.
Her vision blurred.
Her strength faded.
Then something enormous splashed into the water behind her.
A powerful force wrapped around the back of her tunic.
For one terrifying moment, Lyra thought that the wolves had caught her.
Instead of teeth piercing her flesh, she felt herself being dragged through the water.
The current fought against whatever held her, but it lost.
Moments later, her body scraped across wet stones.
She coughed violently, water pouring from her lungs.
Every breath burned.
She lay on her side, shaking.
The forest was silent once again.
Gradually, she raised her head.
The huge black wolf was just a few feet away.
His thick fur dripped with water.
His silver eyes never left her.
Lyra moved backward until her back hit a fallen tree.
The wolf didn't move.
It just looked at her.
She had seen wolves before but they were never like that.
This one wasn't behaving like an animal.
It had intelligence in its eyes.
Her fingers darted around looking for her knife.
The wolf noticed.
It lowered its head, not in submission, but as if to say to her, "You don't need the weapon.
“I don't understand," whispered Lyra.
The wolf blinked.
A howl echoed from deeper in the forest.
In less than a few seconds, six more wolves came out of the trees.
All of them were a few steps behind the black wolf.
None of them moved closer.
They waited for his command.
The realization struck Lyra.
He's their leader.
The black wolf turned his gaze to his pack before he turned back to her.
He took one slow step forward.
With trembling hands, Lyra lifted the knife.
"Stay back."
The wolf stopped immediately.
He tilted his head.
Confused.
Almost... curious.
"Can you understand me?"
The wolf's ears twitched.
Before she could make sense of it, another scent drifted through the air.
Smoke and Blood.
The black wolf felt it as well.
His posture changed instantly.
His muscles tensed.
A low growl rumbled through his chest.
The other wolves spread out, forming a protective circle around Lyra.
She stared.
They were… protecting her?
There were heavy footsteps coming from the woods.
This time they weren't trying to hide.
A number of dark-armored figures appeared in the clearing.
These men had wolf-shaped emblems on their breastplates, unlike the silver-masked warriors.
They all had a sword.
Their leader froze the moment he spotted the black wolf.
He immediately dropped to one knee.
"My Alpha."
Every other warrior did the same.
Lyra's eyes widened.
Alpha?
The black wolf walked toward them.
A strange glow surrounded his body.
His enormous form began to change.
Bones shifted.
Fur disappeared.
The massive wolf slowly stood upright.
Lyra couldn't breathe.
Standing before her was a tall man with broad shoulders and dark hair damp from the river.
Water ran down his bare chest.
Silver eyes, the same eyes that had watched her from the forest. He wasn't much older than twenty-five.
A long scar crossed his left shoulder, disappearing beneath his back.
No one spoke.
The kneeling warriors kept their heads lowered.
The man looked at Lyra for several silent moments.
She couldn't look away.
This was impossible.
He had been the wolf.
Her grip on the knife weakened.
"You..." she whispered.
The stranger finally spoke.
His deep voice was calm.
"You're injured."
Lyra blinked.
That was the first thing he chose to say?
Instead, she held the pouch tight.
"Who are you?"
He refused to answer the question.
His gaze turned to the blood that trickled down her ripped sleeve.
"Your arm."
"I'm fine."
"You'll lose more blood."
"I said I'm fine."
One of the kneeling warriors was amazed.
"My Alpha, she's a—"
The silver-eyed man silenced him with a glance.
Instantly, the warrior lowered his head again.
The stranger stepped closer.
Lyra moved back at once.
"Don't."
"I won't hurt you."
"You expect me to believe that?"
His expression remained unreadable.
"If I intended to kill you..."
He looked at the river.
“...I would have left you there.”
She hated that he was right.
"Who are you?" she repeated.
This time, he replied.
"Kael."
Nothing more, no title, no explanation, just his name.
"I'm Lyra."
"I know."
Her heartbeat skipped.
"You... know me?"
"I know your name."
"How?"
Kael didn't answer.
Instead, his gaze dropped to the leather pouch clutched against her chest.
His expression changed.
It was recognition.
He knew what it was.
Lyra quickly hid it behind her back.
He looked back into her eyes.
"Where did you get that?"
"It belongs to me."
"No."
His voice became firmer.
"It belonged to someone else."
She swallowed.
"Elias."
Kael's jaw tightened.
"He gave it to me."
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, one of the warriors broke it.
"My Alpha, we should take her back to the Northern Kingdom."
Another shook his head.
"She's human."
"So?"
“So the council decreed that all humans be put to death three hundred years ago.”
Lyra's face paled.
Kael looked at neither of them.
His eyes were on her.
"Three centuries?"
Lyra repeated softly.
"What are you talking about?"
The warriors exchanged confused glances.
"She doesn't know?"
Kael studied her very carefully.
Every answer he expected to find…was missing.
She wasn't pretending.
She really didn't know.
A horn suddenly echoed through the valley.
Everyone stiffened.
One of the warriors cursed.
"Silver hunters."
Another horn answered.
“They're closer.”
Kael turned his gaze to the woods.
"They found us."
"My Alpha," one warrior warned, "there are too many."
Kael's expression hardened.
"Form a defensive line immediately."
The wolves changed their direction in a flash.
Half transformed into enormous beasts.
The rest drew their weapons.
Lyra stood in silence, her eyes wide open.
This wasn't chaos.
It was discipline.
A trained army.
The trees ahead exploded with movement.
Dozens of silver-masked warriors poured into the clearing.
Much more than before.
Their leader came forward.
Unlike the others, his silver mask was marked with crimson lines.
He slowly applauded.
"Prince Kael."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Darius."
"So..."
Darius grinned under his mask.
"The Northern Kingdom has finally found her too."
He looked at Lyra.
"There she is."
All the silver hunters drew their weapons.
Darius stared directly at her.
"Hand over the last human..."
His smile widened.
"...or every wolf standing here dies.”
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