Chapter Fifteen: Shadows at the Gate
350 Words
The night was too still. No crickets, no owls, no rustle of the forest. My wolf shifted restlessly inside me, pacing, sensing what my human mind couldn’t.
Kael’s pack guards lined the outer walls, their eyes sharp, weapons gleaming in the torchlight. I stood at the heart of the training ground, silver fire flickering faintly at my fingertips.
“Something’s wrong,” I whispered.
Kael’s head snapped toward me, his eyes narrowing. He didn’t question me—he trusted my instincts now. He simply gave a sharp order. “Double the patrols.”
The air thickened, heavy, suffocating. Then came the sound—low, guttural howls splitting the night.
Not ordinary wolves.
These were darker, twisted, their eyes glowing crimson. Damien’s creations.
“They’ve found me,” I breathed, my pulse racing.
Kael stepped in front of me, his body taut with tension. “No. They’ve come for us.”
The first shadow wolf lunged out of the forest, teeth bared, saliva dripping black. Kael’s claws extended instantly as he shifted, his massive wolf form slamming into the beast with a snarl that shook the ground.
I raised my hand, silver fire sparking to life. The flames obeyed me more easily now, responding to my fear. With a cry, I sent them forward, burning through the shadow wolf’s body until it crumbled into ash.
But more came. Dozens.
And behind them, standing at the treeline, cloaked in shadows and arrogance—Damien. His dark eyes locked on me, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
“Did you really think you could hide from me, little mate?” His voice slithered through the night like poison.
The bond pulsed painfully in my chest, pulling at me, tempting me. My knees buckled under the weight of it, but Kael’s roar snapped me back.
“You’ll never touch her again!” Kael snarled, his voice rumbling through his wolf form.
Damien only smirked, his gaze never leaving mine. “Oh, she’ll come back to me. One way or another.”
His army surged forward.
And the battle for my freedom truly began.
- Writer
