The Run
661 Words
"They found you."
Kaelithra stared at Alpha Zevrik as his words echoed in her head.
Found her?
The question barely had time to form before another explosion shook the mountain.
BOOM!
The Moonfire Hall trembled.
Glass shattered.
Screams filled the night.
Panic erupted inside the celebration.
Warriors rushed in every direction.
Women grabbed their children.
The scent of smoke and blood spread through the air.
For the first time in her life, Kaelithra saw fear on the faces of Nightfang warriors.
Fear.
The one emotion they were trained never to show.
"Alpha!" the messenger shouted. "The eastern wall has fallen!"
Impossible.
Nightfang's walls were enchanted.
No army had breached them in centuries.
Yet tonight they were collapsing like paper.
Zevrik's expression darkened.
"Evacuate the civilians."
The warrior hesitated.
"What about Lady Nymera?"
For a brief second, something unreadable flashed through Zevrik's eyes.
"Take her to the underground shelters."
Kaelithra's chest tightened.
Of course.
His future Luna.
His priority.
The painful reminder should have hurt.
Instead, something else occupied her mind.
"They found you."
"What does that mean?" she demanded.
Zevrik ignored her.
"Kaelithra, listen carefully."
The seriousness in his voice made her stomach knot.
"You need to leave Nightfang."
"No."
His eyes narrowed.
"No?"
"I'm tired of running from questions."
Another howl echoed through the darkness.
Closer this time.
Much closer.
Every wolf on the mountain suddenly went silent.
Kaelithra's own wolf shrank inside her.
Terrified.
She had never felt her wolf react that way before.
"What was that?" she whispered.
The Alpha's face hardened.
"The Shadowborn."
"Who are they?"
A muscle twitched in his jaw.
"The reason your parents are dead."
Her world stopped.
The air vanished from her lungs.
"What?"
For years she had believed her parents died during a rogue attack.
That was the story everyone told.
The story she grew up believing.
"You lied to me."
His silence was answer enough.
Rage surged through her.
"You knew?"
Another silence.
That was answer enough too.
"You knew!" she shouted.
The ground cracked beneath them.
Suddenly a warrior crashed through the balcony doors.
Covered in blood.
His face was pale.
Terrified.
"Alpha..."
He collapsed to one knee.
"They're inside."
Zevrik's eyes widened.
Inside?
Kaelithra understood immediately.
If the Alpha looked shocked...
Then something had gone terribly wrong.
A horrifying scream echoed from inside the hall.
Then another.
Then silence.
Dead silence.
The kind that only followed death.
Every instinct inside Kaelithra screamed danger.
Zevrik stepped in front of her.
Shielding her body with his.
The movement was automatic.
Protective.
Instinctive.
Mate.
Her wolf stirred.
Despite everything.
The heartbreak and rejection.
The bond still existed.
"Stay behind me," he ordered.
A chill crawled down her spine.
Then she saw them.
Three figures emerged from the smoke.
Tall.
Dressed entirely in black.
Their eyes glowed crimson.
Something ancient.
The tallest stepped forward.
A scar crossed his face from brow to jaw.
When he smiled, Kaelithra felt ice spread through her veins.
"There she is."
His gaze locked onto her.
As if she was the only person in the world.
"We've been searching a very long time, Princess."
Princess?
Kaelithra froze.
The word struck harder than any weapon.
Princess?
The stranger laughed softly.
"She doesn't know."
Zevrik growled.
The sound shook the balcony.
"Leave."
The man's smile widened.
"You've hidden her long enough, Alpha."
Hidden her?
Kaelithra's pulse thundered.
Every word raised more questions.
Every answer felt impossible.
The stranger slowly drew a black blade.
Its surface glowed with strange silver markings.
Ancient, Dangerous symbols.
The moment Zevrik saw the weapon, all color drained from his face.
For the first time that night...
The Alpha King looked afraid.
Not for himself.
For her.
"Run," he said.
The stranger chuckled.
"It's too late for that."
Then he pointed the blade directly at Kaelithra.
And spoke the words that shattered her world forever.
"Tell me, Princess Kaelithra..."
His crimson eyes gleamed.
"Did Alpha Zevrik ever tell you that your real father is still alive?"
- Writer
