Episode 4
1224 Words
The forest fell into a suffocating silence.
All the wolf warriors gripped their weapons tightly.
Every silver-masked hunter targeted Lyra.
She stood between them, her heart pounding so loud she could hardly hear herself breathe.
Darius lowered his hand slowly.
"I'll say it one more time, Prince Kael."
His voice echoed across the valley.
"Hand over the girl."
Kael didn't move.
His silver eyes remained fixed on Darius.
"And if I refuse?"
Darius chuckled.
“You're already aware of the answer.”
He snapped his fingers.
More masked warriors emerged from the forest, surrounding the wolves from every direction.
Lyra counted at least fifty.
There were too many of them.
One of Kael's warriors came forward.
"My Alpha," Rowan said quietly. "We're outnumbered."
Kael's expression never changed.
"How many archers?"
"At least twenty."
"And swordsmen?"
"Thirty... maybe more."
Darius spread his arms dramatically.
"You cannot win."
He made eye contact with Lyra.
“She's just a human.”
A murmur spread through Kael's warriors.
One whispered, "Maybe we should give her up.
Another shook his head.
“Our Alpha saved her.”
"A human isn't worth dying for."
Lyra was listening intently.
Her stomach twisted.
She couldn't blame them.
She was a stranger.
An enemy and a burden.
She took one slow step forward.
Kael noticed immediately.
"What are you doing?"
She swallowed hard.
"If I go with them..."
"No, don't try it."
"You don't even know me."
"I said no."
His voice carried enough authority to silence everyone.
Lyra stared at him.
"Why?"
Kael finally looked at her.
For a brief moment, the cold warrior disappeared.
"I don't know."
This was the first sincere response she had gotten from him.
He truly didn't understand why he couldn't hand her over.
Neither did she.
Darius laughed.
"Interesting."
He drew his sword.
"Has the mighty Prince Kael grown attached to his prey?"
Kael ignored him.
Instead, he spoke to Rowan.
"Protect her."
Rowan blinked.
"My Alpha..."
"That's an order."
Rowan reluctantly stepped in front of Lyra.
She looked from Rowan to Kael.
"What are you planning?"
Kael didn't answer.
He slowly unsheathed his own sword.
Its black blade reflected the fading sunlight.
The wolves behind him growled.
Darius sighed dramatically.
"Such a shame."
He raised his hand.
"Attack them."
The sky was darkened with arrows.
"Shields!" Rowan shouted.
Wolf warriors lifted heavy shields just before the arrows struck.
Wood splintered.
Metal rang.
Several wolves howled as they were struck by the arrows.
Before the hunters could fire again, Kael moved.
He ran with impossible speed.
Lyra barely saw him leave.
One second, he stood beside her.
The next...
He was already among the enemy.
His sword flashed once.
A masked hunter collapsed.
Then another.
Then a third.
Darius met him head-on.
Steel clashed with steel.
The force of their collision echoed through the forest.
"Wolves!" Rowan roared.
"Charge!"
The valley erupted into chaos.
The wolf warriors rushed towards him.
Some shifted into massive wolves mid-run, crashing into enemy lines.
Others fought with swords.
This was the first time Lyra had ever seen war.
She wished she hadn't.
Screams filled the air.
Blood stained the grass.
She backed away instinctively.
Rowan grabbed her wrist.
"Stay behind me."
"I can help."
"Can you fight?"
"...No."
"Then stay alive.”
He pushed another hunter away before blocking a sword strike.
Lyra searched desperately for an escape.
There wasn't one.
The battle surrounded her.
A silver hunter suddenly broke through the fighting.
"There she is!"
He charged straight at her.
Lyra grabbed the only thing within reach…. a broken spear.
She held it awkwardly.
The hunter laughed.
"You think that will save you?"
He swung.
Lyra stumbled sideways.
The sword was inches away from her.
Without thinking, she thrust the spear forward.
The sharpened wood struck the man's shoulder.
He cried out in pain.
She stared in shock.
She had actually hit him.
Before she could react, another hunter rushed towards her.
This one had an axe.
She froze.
The axe descended.
A gray wolf slammed into the hunter from the side.
Both crashed to the ground.
The wolf snatched the axe from his hands before driving him away with snapping jaws.
It wasn't Kael or Rowan.
The wolf glanced at Lyra for a moment and then went back to the battle.
Even the ordinary wolves were protecting her.
”Why?”
Kael and Darius kept punching each other in the face all over the battlefield.
Neither had gained the advantage.
Darius grinned.
"I've heard the stories."
He blocked Kael's strike.
"They say you're the strongest heir among the seven kingdoms."
Kael said nothing.
Darius continued smiling.
"I expected more."
Kael suddenly twisted his blade.
Darius barely avoided losing his arm.
His grin faded.
"There you are."
The duel intensified.
Their swords moved too fast for Lyra to follow.
Every clash sent sparks flying.
Then Darius stepped backward.
He whistled.
Three hunters immediately surrounded Kael from behind.
"It's over."
All four attacked simultaneously.
Lyra gasped.
"Behind you!"
Kael spun.
He cut down one attacker.
Kicked another away.
Blocked Darius' sword.
However, the fourth hunter got away.
His blade was aimed at Kael's back.
"No!" Lyra screamed.
Without thinking, she ran.
She didn't know why.
She barely knew Kael.
Yet her body moved before her mind could stop it.
She shoved him aside.
The blade meant for Kael slashed across her side instead.
Pain exploded through her body.
She cried out.
Everything stopped.
Kael managed to grab her before she hit the ground.
His eyes widened.
Her clothes were drenched in blood.
"You..."
Lyra wanted to say something.
But nothing came out.
Kael looked up slowly.
His silver eyes had changed.
The calm restraint was gone.
Pure fury replaced it.
Every wolf in the valley suddenly stopped fighting.
One by one...
They stared at Kael.
Then they howled.
The whole forest shook with the sound.
Even Darius took a step backward.
"No..."
Kael put Lyra carefully down on the ground.
When he stood again...
Dark energy swirled around him.
His pupils narrowed.
Sharp claws extended from his fingertips.
His muscles expanded beneath his torn clothes.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
Rowan's face turned pale.
"My Alpha..."
"He's losing control."
Darius immediately shouted to his men.
"Retreat!"
None of them were quick enough.
Kael let out a deafening roar.
The sound was nothing like a human voice.
It was the roar of an Alpha pushed beyond his limits.
His body turned into his wolf form.
Only...
This wolf was different.
He wasn't merely bigger than before.
His fur had turned midnight black, with glowing silver lines.
His silver eyes burned like twin moons.
An overwhelming pressure swept across the battlefield.
Multiple hunters fell to their knees.
Others dropped their weapons in terror.
One whispered shakily,
"The... Shadow Alpha..."
Darius' confidence vanished completely.
His face turned white beneath the crimson-marked mask.
"Impossible..."
He took another step back.
"That bloodline died centuries ago."
The monstrous wolf fixed his blazing eyes on Darius.
Then...
He disappeared.
A second later, a scream echoed through the valley.
Darius had vanished.
Only his bloodstained mask lay on the ground.
Lyra's vision blurred.
Her wound throbbed.
The last thing she saw before darkness claimed her...
...was the enormous black wolf turning toward her with blood on his jaws and something disturbingly human in his glowing silver eyes.
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