5
1680 Words
Hannah’s breath caught.
Shelter.
Relief flooded her chest, and without hesitation, she grabbed Aaron’s hand and **ran** toward it.
The cave’s entrance was wide, a gaping hole in the side of a rocky hill. Shadows stretched inside, but right now, Hannah didn’t care. It was a place to hide. A place to rest.
She ushered Aaron inside, checking the surroundings carefully. The ground was dry, and though the air was cold, it wasn’t unbearable.
Aaron slumped down against the stone wall, pulling his knees to his chest. His exhaustion was clear in the way his body sagged, his head drooping as sleep threatened to claim him.
Hannah crouched beside him, gently adjusting the cloak around his shoulders.
“Try to sleep,” she whispered.
Aaron blinked up at her. “What about you?”
“I’ll keep watch.”
His brow furrowed slightly, but he was too tired to argue. With a small nod, he curled into himself, his breathing slowing as sleep took over.
Hannah exhaled quietly, brushing a hand over his hair.
Then, after making sure he was settled, she stood.
Aaron would be hungry when he woke up.
She needed to find something for him to eat.
---
The forest was colder now, the night air biting at her skin.
Hannah moved quickly, scanning the trees for anything edible. She knew how to find fruit her mother had taught her before… before everything had changed.
She kept her steps light, her ears alert for any sound that didn’t belong.
After what felt like forever, she found a small bush of dark berries.
Carefully, she picked as many as she could, stuffing them into the pockets of her tattered dress. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.
She hurried back to the cave, her heart pounding faster with every step.
---
By the time she returned, the sky had darkened further.
Aaron was still asleep, his small body curled up in the cloak.
Hannah set the berries down, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion. She hadn’t realized how tired she was until now.
She leaned back against the cave wall, exhaling softly.
Then, she closed her eyes.
Just for a moment. She was exhausted she had lost a lot of blood when Lucian attacked her but the wound has miraculously healed
---
The sound of shuffling woke her.
Her eyes snapped open, her heart pounding.
Aaron was sitting up, rubbing his eyes groggily.
The cave was pitch black now, save for the faint glow of moonlight near the entrance.
“Here,” Hannah murmured, handing him the berries. “Eat.”
Aaron blinked, then took the handful of fruit.
He ate slowly, too tired to talk.
Hannah let out a quiet breath, the tension in her chest easing just a little.
Maybe, just maybe, they could get through this.
Then—
A low growl rumbled from the darkness.
Hannah froze.
Aaron stopped mid-bite, his wide eyes darting toward the entrance.
A shadow shifted at the mouth of the cave.
A figure stepped forward, emerging from the darkness.
Tall. Strong. Dangerous.
His piercing eyes locked onto hers.
Hannah’s breath caught in her throat.
He wasn’t Ravenwood.
But he wasn’t a friend either.
A sharp tension filled the air, the weight of his presence pressing down on her like a crushing force.
Her heart pounded as she slowly shifted in front of Aaron, shielding him from the stranger’s gaze.
The man’s expression was unreadable, his stance relaxed yet alert, like a predator assessing its prey.
Hannah’s mind raced. Who was he?
She opened her mouth to speak—
But before she could react, a sharp pain exploded in the back of her head.
A sudden force struck her from behind, and darkness swallowed her whole.
__________
Pain.
A deep, throbbing ache pulsed at the base of Hannah’s skull as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Her limbs felt heavy, her thoughts sluggish, as if she were trapped underwater. She fought to open her eyes, but the world remained a blur, shifting between light and shadow.
She wasn’t in the cave anymore.
The air was different—thicker, carrying the scent of damp earth, firewood, and something… unfamiliar.
A voice cut through the haze, low and rough.
“She’s waking up.”
Hannah’s breath hitched.
**Aaron.**
The panic snapped her fully awake. She forced her eyes open, blinking rapidly to adjust to the dim light. A fire flickered nearby, casting a warm glow against rough stone walls. It was another cave, deeper than the one they had found, with furs and supplies scattered across the ground.
And sitting close to the fire—**Aaron.**
He was curled up, his silver hair glowing faintly in the firelight, his small frame trembling. But he was **alive.**
Relief flooded Hannah’s chest.
Then she noticed the man.
Tall, broad-shouldered, and wrapped in dark furs, he stood near the fire, his golden eyes gleaming like a wolf’s in the darkness. His posture was relaxed, but there was a quiet intensity about him—a stillness that made every muscle in Hannah’s body tense.
A predator assessing his prey.
Hannah’s instincts screamed at her to run. To fight. To protect Aaron at all costs.
She shifted, trying to move, but her wrists were bound. Thick ropes dug into her skin, tying her hands behind her back.
Panic surged through her. “Let me go,” she hissed, struggling against the restraints.
The man didn’t react immediately. He simply watched her, his expression unreadable.
Then, after a long pause, he crouched in front of her, bringing himself to eye level.
“You’re lucky to be alive,” he said calmly.
Hannah’s jaw clenched. “You attacked me.”
He tilted his head slightly, as if considering her words. Then, with infuriating ease, he reached forward and sliced through the ropes binding her wrists with a small dagger. The moment she was free, Hannah scrambled backward, placing herself between him and Aaron.
The man watched her, his golden eyes sharp. “If I wanted to hurt you,” he said, “you wouldn’t be awake right now.”
Hannah didn’t relax. If anything, his confidence only unsettled her more. “Who are you?” she demanded.
The man leaned back on his heels, his gaze unwavering. “Alex.”
The name meant nothing to her.
“You’re not Ravenwood,” she said cautiously.
A shadow flickered across his face. “No.”
That should have reassured her. It didn’t.
Aaron shifted behind her, his small voice barely above a whisper. “Hannah…”
She glanced back at him, her heart aching at the fear in his blue eyes. She turned her focus back to Alex. “Why did you take us?”
His jaw tightened slightly. “Because you were bleeding out, and your brother was half-frozen.”
Hannah frowned, her hand instinctively moving to her side. The wound Lucian had given her—it had been deep. She had lost so much blood. She should have been too weak to move, let alone fight.
But now…
She pressed her fingers against her ribs, expecting to feel torn flesh.
Nothing.
Her breath caught.
The wound was gone.
Not just healed—**gone.** As if it had never been there at all.
Her head snapped up. “What did you do to me?”
Alex’s expression remained unreadable. “You should be thanking me.”
A chill ran down her spine. She didn’t like this. Didn’t like him.
But she couldn’t deny the truth—**she should be dead.**
She swallowed hard, keeping her voice steady. “You’re a wolf.” It wasn’t a question. She could **feel** it now, the same way she sensed the Ravenwood warriors. His presence was just as powerful. Maybe more.
His lips twitched slightly. “So are you.”
Hannah’s muscles tensed. She **was** a wolf—**a Shadow Moon wolf.** And Shadow Moon wolves weren’t supposed to heal this fast. Not like this.
Not unless—
Her breath caught in her throat. **Not unless the wolf who healed them was stronger.**
Her eyes snapped to Alex. “You did this.”
He didn’t deny it.
Hannah’s pulse pounded. He had to be an Alpha. Or something close to it. No ordinary wolf had this kind of power.
She forced herself to stay calm. “What do you want from us?”
Alex studied her for a long moment. Then, he spoke.
“You’re on my territory.”
Hannah stiffened.
**His territory.**
She glanced around the cave, there was nothing special in it and didn’t look like a place someone lived.
He **lived** here.
Aaron shifted beside her, his small fingers gripping the edge of her cloak. “Are you going to let us go?”
Alex’s gaze flickered to Aaron. For the first time, something in his expression softened. “Depends.”
Hannah narrowed her eyes. “On what?”
He met her gaze. “On whether you’re more trouble than you’re worth.”
Her stomach twisted.
She had no idea what he meant by that, but she didn’t trust him. **Couldn’t** trust him.
They had to get out of here.
But even as she thought it, she knew escaping wouldn’t be easy.
Not with **him** watching.
Not with the way her body still felt weak, as if something inside her had changed.
Alex stood, his presence filling the space. “Get some rest,” he said. “You’ll need it.”
Then, without another word, he turned and walked deeper into the cave, disappearing into the shadows.
Hannah let out a shaky breath.
Aaron shifted beside her. “Hannah…” His voice was barely a whisper. “Is he going to hurt us?”
She didn’t answer right away.
Instead, she reached out, pulling him close, wrapping her arms around him.
“I won’t let him,” she murmured.
Even as doubt clawed at her chest.
Even as the weight of the unknown pressed down on her.
She had escaped Ravenwood.
But something told her—
She wasn’t free yet.
- Writer
