someone is watching 22
863 Words
Chapter 22
Grill POV
I couldn't believe this. We had been in the middle of training. I was finally getting my mate involved with the warriors when one of the younger guards came sprinting toward us, breathing hard.
"Alpha! Someone was watching us! We tried to catch them, but... they just disappeared!" Disappeared.
My jaw clenched. If someone could vanish that quickly without leaving a trail, there was only one creature that came to mind.
A vampire. I didn't like it. Not one bit. I turned toward every warrior gathered on the training field.
"Patrol the borders. North, south, east, and west. I want twenty-four-hour patrols starting now. When the first shift finishes, the second shift takes over immediately. I want runners paired with every patrol. No one gets into this territory, or leaves it, without my knowing." My voice echoed across the field."Is that clear?"
Every warrior bowed their heads. "Yes, Alpha!"
As they scattered to carry out my orders, I turned toward Ava.
"I know we haven't run patrol together yet, but would you like to take the first one with me? We'll spend a few hours checking the borders."
I smiled slightly. "The Alpha and Luna always take the first patrol."
It was a lie. There was no such tradition. But I needed to know.
Could I depend on her when the pack needed her? Would she choose this life beside me?
She didn't hesitate. "Yeah. We need to do this."
A small smile crossed her face. "I'll shift. Willow has been wanting to run for a long time." She looked excited for the first time all day.
"I'm ready."
Before I could answer, she disappeared into the trees. I laughed.
"Well... wait for me."
Shadow pushed forward eagerly as I shifted into my Lycan. My massive black body landed on all fours before I exploded into the forest after her.
"She's beautiful," Shadow growled proudly. "Did you see her? Hurry up! She doesn't know these borders yet." I couldn't help smiling as we raced after our mate.
Ava POV
The moment I shifted, Willow practically purred with happiness.
She had been trapped inside me ever since the night at the club.
I felt guilty. She loved running beneath the open sky, and I had kept her locked away because of my fear and grief. That ended today.
As my paws pounded across the forest floor, freedom washed over both of us. Suddenly, a massive black Lycan appeared ahead of us.
Shadow. Willow recognized him instantly. She took off like a white streak through the trees. Within seconds we were beside him.
Compared to Shadow, Willow looked tiny.
Her fur was pure white, almost glowing beneath the sunlight filtering through the branches. Only her nose was black, while her silver eyes shimmered with intelligence. Shadow was the complete opposite. His fur was darker than midnight. Among the shadows of the trees, he almost disappeared completely. If you weren't paying attention...you'd never know he was there.
Together we ran side by side, matching each other's pace perfectly.
Willow POV
I was finally free. After so long...I could run. I glanced over at Shadow. He was even more handsome in person than I'd imagined from our conversations inside our humans' minds. Strong. Confident. Protective. I wanted to know everything about him.
Our humans were falling for each other. I could feel it. Ava still loved her first mate. I understood. I still loved mine too. It had been years, but I remembered that day as though it had happened yesterday.
I had begged him not to leave. "Something is wrong," I had told him.
"Please don't go."
But he smiled, "It is my duty." He never came home. Instead...There was a knock on the door. We were told to flee or die. The moment we left… I felt the mate bond snap. I knew before Ava did. He was gone. The memory made my chest ache.
Then...A scent drifted through the wind. I froze. No… It couldn't be.
I knew that scent. I hadn't smelled it in lifetimes. The Dark Witch.
In another life, she had hunted me relentlessly. She believed that if she captured me and separated me from my human, she would gain unimaginable power and rule every supernatural race.
She had failed then. She would fail again. I knew every trick she had ever used. Every lie. Every illusion. Every spell.
"Ava," I warned urgently.
"It's the Dark Witch. She's here... and her minions are watching us."
Ava's voice remained calm inside our shared mind.
"Don't worry, Willow. She didn't take you then, and she won't take you now. Not in this lifetime... or any lifetime."
The scent slowly faded until it disappeared completely. She had left.
For now. But I knew better. She wasn't gone. She was waiting. Watching…Planning. I kept the discovery from Shadow. This wasn't the time to alarm Grill. Their safety came first.
"Ava," I said quietly.
"We need to become stronger. You have me now. Every day we train, our bond will grow... and so will our power."
And somehow…,Deep inside my soul…,I knew the Dark Witch wasn't the only enemy heading our way.
- Writer
