Chapter 10: The First Strike
207 Words
The day bled into dusk, painting the sky with fiery streaks of orange and purple. Inside the cabin, tension hummed in the air like static electricity. Aria sharpened her blade, Lucien loaded his crossbow, and Calen stood silently, clutching his wooden dagger.
Suddenly, a scream ripped through the forest — sharp and desperate. Aria’s heart slammed in her chest as rogues exploded from the shadows, their eyes wild and teeth bared.
Aria moved instinctively, her blade flashing like silver lightning. She was a storm unleashed — quick, precise, deadly. Lucien roared, a sound that shook the trees as he fought, muscle and fury in perfect harmony.
Calen froze for a heartbeat — then shifted.
Dark fur erupted across his body, golden eyes blazing with raw power. The boy wolf lunged into the fray with surprising ferocity, teeth sinking into a rogue’s shoulder, claws tearing through fur.
The battle was brutal and chaotic, but the family fought as one. Blood slicked the earth, breaths came in ragged gasps, and when the last rogue fell, silence wrapped the forest like a shroud.
Lucien’s voice broke the quiet. “This is just the beginning.”
Aria nodded, wiping sweat and blood from her brow. “And we’ll be ready.”
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