Lunar Fracture

Chapter 3

At Kael's words, Zarek looked around the forest, noting the darkness fast encroaching on them.

" f**k! This might all be part of their plan."

" We should shift into our wolfs," Kael suggested. " We would run faster that way, and you would heal faster too."

Zarek glanced down at where the blade of the assailant had nicked him on his arm. He had completely forgotten about it in the heat of everything happening.

" Do you know where we are at?" Zarek asked, glancing around the forest once again. " And how we can get to Fagaras?"

Kael shook his head, glancing up at the emerging moon. " No idea where we are at, but..."

" We are..." Cough.

Zarek and Kael whipped around so fast that anyone watching them would have had a whiplash.

"... Close to Bistrita. If we head... south from here, we would get to... to Fagaras."

" Andrea!" Zarek rushed over to their wrecked car, where their driver was sat on the floor, leaning back on the car.

" You are alive." Guilt panged at his chest as he stooped beside Andrea; he had completely forgotten about him, and if he had not made it out of the car now, they would have probably left without him.

Andrea smiled weakly at him, his eyes fluttering and only then did Zarek's eyes move to his chest region. Andrea was bleeding profusely from the left side of his chest and both of his hands was pressed over the wound to suppress the bleeding.

Zarek cursed under his breath, his hand moving over Andea's to apply more pressure to his wound. " Shift into your wolf, you will heal faster than way," he encouraged.

Andrea smiled once again, and his eyes fluttered close. Zarek slapped his cheeks, forcing his eyes open.

" He is not going to make it," Kael pointed out, coming to stand over them.

" You don't know that!" Zarek barked at Kael, his eyes momentarily flashing his wolf's eyes color.

Andrea coughed, blood sprouting from his mouth. " Za... Zarek... It's ok.." Cough.

" Save your breath," Kael interjected. " How do you know we are at Bistrita?"

Andrea reached his hand down to reach the pocket of his trouser. Realizing what he wanted to do, Kael reached into the trouser pocket and pulled out a folded paper. On unfolding it, he realized it was a map. His eyes scanned it as Zarek tried to stop the bleeding from Andrea's chest.

Engrossed in the map, Kael's head snapped up when he head Zarek curse. Andea's eyes were shut and his hands laid limply by his side. Kael sighed, reaching out to place a hand on Zarek's shoulder, silently offering his support.

" We need to head south," he said after a few seconds. " We are close to Shadows pack territory, and judging from what just happened, I think it's best we leave immediately."

Zarek stood and Kael took one more look at the map, committing it to memory. Without a word, they both crouched low to the ground and transformed into their lupine forms.

The shift was swift, their bones contorting and fur sprouting from every inch of their bodies. Their wolf forms were lithe and powerful, standing at over six feet tall with eyes that glowed like amber embers in the darkness.

With a grunt and a growl, Kael launched into a run. Zarek took one last look at his fallen guards around him, and with a howl into the night, ran after Kael.

Their powerful legs propelled them forward at breakneck speed, tearing through the forest with all the grace and agility of the wolves they had become. They weaved through the trees, their preternatural senses guiding them southward, towards the safety of their pack in Fagaras.

After hours of relentless running, Zarek and Kael finally reached the edge of their pack's territory. The border was marked by a river that flowed down the mountain, its banks lined with towering pines. The scent of their pack mates permeated the air, and for the first time in hours, Zarek and Kael allowed themselves to relax.

As they loped down to the riverbank, they spotted a group of guards patrolling the border in their wolf forms. Their heads snapped at their direction, and they bared their teeth at them, their muscles rippling beneath their fur. They crouched into a defensive stance and Zarek's wolf stepped forward immediately, knowing he was the only one they would be able to recognize.

Raising his head, Zarek let out a long, piercing howl that echoed through the night. His call was answered almost instantly by the pack—a chorus of howls that seemed to welcome him home.

As the howls faded, the guards parted, allowing Zarek and Kael to enter the pack territory. The two wolves made their way through the forest, the sounds of the pack receding behind them. Zarek ran towards the heart of the territory, his keen sense of smell guiding him to the pack house.

As he approached, the scents of his family and pack mates grew stronger. He could feel the blood pumping in his veins, his heart racing with the anticipation of finally being home.

As he entered the pack house, he shifted back into his human form, and he was immediately greeted by familiar faces. His mother, Luna Kaida, came rushing towards him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears of joy.

"Zarek," Luna Kaida whispered, her voice filled with emotion. "You're back." She nuzzled her nose against his, her warmth and scent providing an instant sense of comfort.

Zarek breathed in the scent of his mother, a hint of relief washing over him. "Mother," he murmured. "I made it." His arms tightened around her, and he pulled her closer.

It felt like forever since he last held and was held by his mother.

But his return home was tinged with sorrow, as they both knew the true reason for his return. "Your father..." Luna Kaida trailed off, unable to finish.