Chapter Four : Running With Shadows
731 Words
We ran.
My sneakers slapped hard against the wet pavement. Zara’s hand stayed locked around mine, warm and strong. She pulled me through the alley, turning sharp corners like she knew every dark path in the city.
My lungs burned. The wolf inside me pushed energy into my legs, making me faster than I had ever been. But fear still clawed at my throat.
“Who are they?” I gasped.
“Later,” Zara whispered. “Just run.”
Behind us, heavy boots pounded the ground. Flashlights cut through the darkness, sweeping left and right. A man shouted, “They went this way! Two of them!”
My heart slammed against my ribs. These were not normal people. Their voices sounded cold. Trained. Like they had done this before.
Zara yanked me into a narrow gap between two old buildings. We pressed our backs against the rough brick wall. Trash bags piled up around our feet. The smell of rotten food filled my nose, but I didn’t care. I held my breath.
The footsteps got closer.
One flashlight beam passed right over the gap, missing us by inches. My body started to shake. The wolf inside wanted to snarl and fight, but Zara squeezed my hand tighter. Her golden-brown eyes met mine in the dark. She shook her head slowly. *Stay quiet.*
The hunters passed.
We waited until their footsteps faded. Only then did Zara let go of my hand.
“They hunt moon-touched like us,” she said softly. “They call themselves the Silver Order. They’ve been in this city for years. If they catch you, they don’t just kill you. They study you first.”
A chill ran down my spine. I wiped sweat from my forehead. “How do you know all this?”
Zara leaned closer. Her breath brushed my cheek. “Because they caught me once. For three days. I barely got out alive.”
I looked at her neck. Under the silver chain, I saw a thin scar I hadn’t noticed before. It looked like a burn mark in the shape of a cross.
My stomach twisted. “I’m sorry.”
She gave a small shrug, but her eyes stayed hard. “Don’t be. It taught me how to survive. And how to find others like me.”
Like me.
The words hung between us. The wolf inside my chest warmed again, calm and drawn to her. I could smell her scent clearly now — rain, wild herbs, and something electric. It made my skin tingle.
We started walking again, staying in the shadows. The streets were quieter here, lined with abandoned warehouses. Broken windows stared at us like empty eyes.
“Why me?” I asked. “Why have you been watching me for three weeks?”
Zara stopped under a weak streetlight. The moon hung full above us now, bathing her face in silver. She looked beautiful and dangerous at the same time.
“Because your wolf is different,” she said. “Most of us fight the change or give in completely. Yours… it’s learning. Growing. And tonight, when it saw me, it didn’t want to attack. It wanted to connect.”
She stepped closer. Our bodies were only a foot apart. I could see the small flecks of gold in her eyes.
“I’ve never felt that before,” she whispered.
My mouth went dry. Heat rose in my face. Part of me wanted to run away. Another part — the wolf part — wanted to lean in and press my forehead against hers.
Before I could decide, a loud click echoed behind us.
We spun around.
Three men stood at the end of the street. All in dark clothes. One held a strange gun that glowed with faint blue light. Another had a long silver blade.
The middle man smiled coldly. “Zara. You brought us fresh meat this time.”
Zara pushed me behind her. Her voice turned low and fierce. “Run, Arian. Don’t look back.”
But I didn’t move.
The wolf inside me rose up, no longer quiet. It filled my veins with fire and strength. My teeth ached. My vision sharpened.
For the first time, I didn’t want to push it down.
I stood beside Zara instead.
“I’m not running,” I said.
The hunters raised their weapons.
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To be continued…
- Writer
