The Rejected Link

Chapter 10: Whispers of the ancient

The pack den thrummed with a low, anxious energy. Elders gathered around me, their faces filled with concern. Anya, the woman from the packhouse, who I learned is the oldest and wisest of them all, examined the knife with a frown.

"I've never seen anything like this, Ruthni, in all my years" she murmured, her voice low.

"The markings…they suggest ancient magic, dark magic… from witches." Her face turned into a scowl, her head snapping to Exol.

Witches? I've only read about them in books. They do exist? I thought it was all just folklore.

Fear gripped my heart. "Is there a cure, Anya?" I inquired, my voice barely audible.

Exol put a hand on my shoulder, a sign of silent comfort.

Anya hesitated, her gaze searching mine. "Perhaps. The heart of Lunaris…it might have the power to counteract the poison."

Hope surged through me, a fragile light in the darkness. "The heart of Lunaris? Where can we find it?"

Anya shook her head. "The heart of Lunaris is guarded by the Whispering Woods, a place of ancient power and forbidden magic. It is said to be haunted by the spirits of those who dared to trespass. No one has ever entered and survived "

I’d heard stories of that place, tales of creatures born of shadow and nightmares. A shiver went down my spine. Legends spoke of the woods as a place where reality blurred with the supernatural, where the line between the living and the dead was thin. The veil was extremely fragile.

Old Man Adom, the grizzled hunter of the pack, once described the Whispering Woods as a place where the very air seemed to weep, where the trees bled all day and the souls of animals cried. His tales, though often dismissed as the ramblings of an old wolf that has lost some screws, had always chilled me to the bone.

Exol, his face grim, stayed beside me, his hand gently squeezing my shoulder intermittently "We'll find it, Ruthni," he promised, his voice low and intense. "I won't let anything happen to you."

I felt a slight relief. Assurance. At that moment, I was ready for anything that was to come. The mere knowledge that he cared for my safety enough to sate me. His words were a balm to my soul, but I couldn't help the flicker of doubt that remained.

I feared for my safety and his.

If one's mate dies, he or she is bound to, sooner or later. I didn't want to be the cause of Exol's demise.

The Whispering Woods was a dangerous place, a place where even the bravest of wolves feared to tread.

Later, as I lay resting, the image of Exol, his eyes burning with determination, kept intruding into my thoughts. He was planning to go to the Whispering Woods, to face those terrifying creatures alone.

A wave of panic washed over me. I couldn't let him go alone.

"Exol," I whispered, my voice hoarse.

He turned, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you alright? Do you need anything?"

I wish he cared for me like this every day. Not just because I'm in danger.

What if he's only concerned because his life may be at stake?

What if that's the only reason why?

I couldn't bear it if that was true; I needed to believe that he cared genuinely for me, that underneath that hard exterior, he wanted me as well. His threat of breaking our bond was to protect me.

But from what?

Himself? The darkness I felt earlier?

I brushed the thoughts away; right now, we had a bigger problem to tackle.

"I…I want to go with you," I said, my voice trembling. The words coming out in bits.

He hesitated, his gaze searching my face. "No, Ruthni. You need to rest. Heal."

"But Exol…"

"I will cure you, Ruthni," he said, his voice low and intense, determined."I promise."

His words were a promise, but they did little to ease the fear that chewed at me. I knew he wouldn't want me to go, but I couldn't bear the thought of him facing those dangers alone.

Regardless of what we are now, we are meant to be a team.

The thought of him venturing into that eerie, whispering forest, alone and vulnerable, filled me with a dread I couldn't shake. I pictured him battling unseen horrors, his strength waning, his resolve crumbling. The image was so vivid, so terrifying, that it made me gasp for breath, my pulse rising.

I remembered the stories told by the elders and Old Man Adom. Of creatures born of shadow and nightmare, of evil and wickedness, of spirits that clung to the living, draining their life force, leaving them a pile of nothing on its cold floors.

I couldn't let him face those horrors alone.

My resolve hardened. I would not allow him to face those dangers alone. I would be by his side, no matter the cost.

Later, when the other wolves were gathered, discussing the plan of action for the Whispering Woods, I spoke. My voice, though weak, carried a surprising strength.

"I'm going with you," I declared, my gaze unwavering.

A hush fell over the gathering. Exol turned, his eyes wide with surprise, then concern.

"Ruthni, you need to rest," he insisted, his voice firm.

"I know," I said, my voice steady, "But I can't stay here while you face those dangers alone. I'm strong enough. I can help." He didn't need to know that the veins covered a better part of my body now.

The other wolves exchanged uneasy glances, looking at him from the corner of their eyes. They knew the dangers that awaited them in the Whispering Woods. They knew it was a suicide mission for most.

Exol looked at me, his gaze searching mine, a silent battle raging within him. He wanted me to rest, but somewhere within his eyes, I saw that he needed me close to keep an eye on me. He saw the determination in my eyes, the fear masked by a fierce resolve. He felt it. He knew he couldn't stop me.

Finally, he sighed, his shoulders slumping in resignation.

"Alright," he conceded, his voice rough and hard. "But you must stay close to me." He said in warning, the look he gave me telling me that he was dead serious.

I nodded, a surge of energy washing over me. I had convinced him.

As I prepared for the journey, a strange sense of calm descended upon me. I knew the dangers that awaited us, but I also knew that I would face them with Exol by my side. And that, somehow, made all the difference.

The Whispering Woods loomed ahead, a dark and menacing presence, a place where nightmares were born, a place where beginnings met their ends. But I was no longer afraid. I was ready.

Exol, sensing my newfound resolve, gave me a small, reassuring smile. It was a fleeting gesture, quickly masked by a look of grim determination and stoic expression.

"Ready?" he asked, his voice low, only for me to hear.

I nodded, my hand instinctively reaching for his. He clasped it, his fingers strong and reassuring.

Together, we stepped into the shadows of the Whispering Woods, our fate resting on our shoulders.

The air grew colder as we delved deeper into the forest until I could see my breath, the sunlight filtering through the thick canopy of leaves, casting long, eerie shadows that danced around our feet. The silence was profound, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves, snapping of twigs, and the distant drumming of our hearts.

Exol moved ahead, his senses heightened, I followed close behind, my hand still clasped in his, seeking comfort in his presence.

The forest seemed to shift in all directions, the trees looming overhead like monstrous sentinels. I felt a shiver crawl down my spine, a primal fear that threatened to consume me. I felt watched, the encounter with the cloaked man playing over in my head. The further we went, the more pain I felt and the weaker I got.

Suddenly, a low growl rumbled through the trees. The air crackled with a strange energy, a palpable sense of dread. I squeezed Exol's hand, my fingers digging into his.

He turned, his eyes searching mine, a flicker of concern in their depths. "It's alright," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "We'll be fine."

I didn't think so. I knew he felt that because he squeezed my hand in return.

The growl intensified, echoing through the trees, a chilling sound that sent a jolt of fear through every fiber of my being. My senses were heightened to their peak, and despite the fear, I was ready for anything.

Then, I saw it.

A figure emerged from the shadows, its form indistinct in the gloom. Tall and gaunt, it moved with an eerie grace, its eyes burning with an otherworldly light. I gasped, and the breath from my lungs seized.

The creature let out a chilling shriek, its voice a mournful wail that echoed through the trees, sending a wave through the entire forest. The other wolves recoiled, their weapons raised in defense, their eyes wide with terror.

Exol, his jaw clenched, drew his dagger. The creature lunged, its claws raking through the air. Exol dodged, his movements fluid and deadly. The creature was fast and agile, and its movements were unpredictable. But Exol was faster. He rushed at it, his speed exceeding his. He used its dagger to stab it in the arm, but that didn't seem to even make a dent. It was a whirlwind of teeth and claws, a terrifying dance of death. I watched, my breath catching in my throat, as Exol fought, his every move a testament to his skill and ferocity. He was a warrior, a predator, an alpha, his instincts honed by years of combat.

My heart swelled with pride, with awe, watching him move with such grace and power.

The other wolves were on standby waiting for a time to strike. Was it until the creature killed him?

Exol had managed to evade its claws on numerous attacks and successfully got behind it to drive his dagger into the back of its head. The creature let out a guttural scream, its form dissolving into a cloud of dark mist. I stared at the space where it had stood, my heart pounding, my breath logged in my throat.

Relief ran through me as I saw Exol emerge from the mist. I let out the breath I held and ran to him. Embracing him, my small frame barely covered his, but I didn't mind. One hand of his came down to the small of my back embracing back with a gentle brace.

“You did it!” I whispered in his ears, a smile grazing my lips.

He didn't respond, only drew out of the embrace. He smiled back at me, that was enough.

But the danger was far from over.

The heart of Lunaris, Anya had told us, was hidden deep within a cave, guarded by a ferocious beast. One more feral than the creatures in the forest.

Exol, his face back to its stoic nature, turned to me. "We have to keep moving," he said, his voice low.

I nodded, my limbs trembling. The experience had drained me, but I couldn't let fear consume me. Exol needed me alive, and I needed him.

We pressed on, deeper into the heart of the Whispering Woods. As we drew closer to the cave, the air grew heavy with the scent of decay and despair. A low growl rumbled from within, a chilling reminder of the danger that awaited us.

Exol, his eyes narrowed, signaled for us to proceed with caution. We moved forward, our senses on high alert, each step a tentative exploration into the unknown.

The entrance to the cave loomed before us, a gaping maw in the earth, its depths shrouded in an impenetrable darkness.