MOON BOUND

Rogues

Kael grabbed her wrist and pulled her out the front door into the dark.

Cold air hit Raven’s face. The porch light showed nothing but trees and the empty driveway. Then the underbrush to the left exploded with movement.

Three shapes broke from the trees. Big. Fast. Low to the ground.

“Run,” Kael snarled.

He did not wait for her to answer. He dragged her off the porch and straight into the thicker woods behind the cabin. Branches whipped her arms. Roots grabbed at her boots. She stumbled once and he hauled her up without slowing.

Behind them came the sound of heavy bodies crashing through brush. Growls. Close.

Kael’s grip stayed hard on her wrist. Blood from his cut arm smeared warm against her skin. He did not seem to notice. His breathing stayed steady even while they ran.

Raven’s lungs burned. Her heart felt ready to burst. She risked one look back and saw gold eyes flashing between the trees. More than three now.

“They’re flanking,” Kael said, voice tight. “Keep moving.”

They broke into a small clearing. Moonlight poured down through the open space. Kael stopped so suddenly Raven almost slammed into his back. He shoved her behind him and turned to face the trees.

Four wolves stepped into the light. Larger than the one that had broken into the cabin. Their fur was dark, matted in places. Their eyes glowed the same hard gold as Kael’s, but colder.

Kael’s shoulders rolled. A low sound started in his chest — not quite a growl, deeper. The air around him felt heavier.

One of the wolves stepped forward. Bigger than the rest. A long scar cut across its muzzle.

Kael spoke without looking at Raven. “When I say go, you run straight ahead. There’s a ridge. Climb it. My truck is on the other side. Keys are in the visor. You get in and you drive. Do not wait for me.”

“I’m not leaving you—”

“You will.” His voice left no room. “Go.”

The scarred wolf lunged.

Kael met it halfway. They hit the ground in a tangle of fur and teeth and pure force. The other three circled, looking for an opening.

Raven’s feet stayed frozen for one second too long. Then a smaller wolf broke from the left and came straight at her.

She turned and ran.

Branches tore at her jacket. Her boots slipped on wet leaves. She could hear the fight behind her — snarls, the heavy impact of bodies, a sharp yelp that might have been Kael’s. She did not look back.

The ground rose. The ridge. She scrambled up the rocky slope on hands and knees. At the top the trees thinned. Moonlight showed a black pickup parked hard against the tree line, just like he said.

She reached it, yanked the door open, and threw herself inside. Keys dropped from the visor into her lap. Her hands shook so hard she almost dropped them twice before the engine caught.

Headlights cut through the dark.

She looked back toward the clearing.

Kael was on his feet again. Two of the wolves were down and not moving. The scarred one still came at him, and a fourth had joined. Blood soaked the side of Kael’s shirt. He staggered once under a heavy hit.

Raven’s foot hovered over the gas.

She should drive. He had ordered her to drive.

Instead she slammed her palm on the horn. The sound blasted through the trees, raw and loud.

The wolves flinched. Just for a second.

It was enough.

Kael shifted his weight and drove his shoulder into the scarred wolf’s side. They rolled hard. When they came up, Kael had the animal by the throat. One hard twist. The body went limp.

The last two wolves backed up, then turned and vanished into the trees.

Silence dropped hard.

Kael stood alone in the moonlight, chest heaving. Blood ran freely down his arm and side. He looked toward the truck. Even from this distance Raven felt the weight of his stare.

He started walking.

She stayed in the driver’s seat, hands locked on the wheel, until he reached the passenger side and pulled the door open. He climbed in without a word. The smell of blood and pine and something wild filled the cab.

“Drive,” he said. His voice sounded rough, almost gone. “North road. Ten minutes. Do not stop.”

Raven put the truck in gear. Gravel spun under the tires as she pulled onto the narrow dirt track that wound deeper into the mountains.

Neither of them spoke for a long time. The only sounds were the engine and Kael’s controlled breathing. She glanced over once. His eyes were still gold. The cut on his arm looked deep. Blood had soaked through the seat.

“You’re losing too much blood.”

“I’ll heal.” He kept his gaze on the dark road ahead. “Faster once we’re on pack land.”

“Those things… they were like you.”

“Rogues. No pack. No rules. Marcus Vale sent them. He’s been pushing our borders for months. Tonight he decided to test how far he could go.” Kael’s jaw flexed. “He smelled you on the wind. That’s why they came to the cabin.”

Raven’s hands tightened on the wheel. “Because of me.”

“Yes.”

The single word sat heavy between them.

The road climbed higher. Trees pressed close on both sides. After what felt like forever, Kael pointed to a narrow turnoff almost hidden by brush. “Left here.”

She took it. The track got rougher. Then the trees opened into a wide clearing. A large two-story house of dark wood and stone sat at the far end, lights glowing soft in a few windows. Other smaller cabins dotted the tree line. The air felt different here — charged, watched.

Kael sat up straighter even though the movement clearly hurt. “Pack house. You’re safe inside these borders. For now.”

Raven parked where he told her. She killed the engine. The sudden quiet felt too loud.

Kael opened his door and stepped out. His boots hit the ground harder than they should have. He swayed once, caught himself on the frame of the truck, then straightened.

Raven got out on her side. The night air smelled cleaner here, but the tension under her skin had not eased.

Kael looked at her across the hood of the truck. Blood still dripped from his fingertips onto the dirt.

“Come inside,” he said. “We need to talk. And I need to stop bleeding before the others smell it and start asking questions I’m not ready to answer.”

She nodded and followed him toward the porch steps.

They were halfway up when a new voice cut through the dark from the trees to their right.

Female. Sharp

“Kael. You’re hurt. And you brought a human onto pack land without warning.”

A woman stepped into the porch light. Tall. Same dark hair as Kael. Same gold eyes. A rifle rested easy in her hands, not pointed at them but ready.

Sierra. His sister. Raven knew it without being told.

Sierra’s gaze locked on Raven and stayed there. Her nostrils flared once.

Then her eyes widened.

“Oh hell,” she whispered. “Kael… her scent. Do you know what she is?”

Kael went very still.

Raven felt the air change. The pull under her ribs tightened until it almost hurt.

Sierra took one slow step closer, rifle lowering, voice dropping to something between awe and fear.

“She’s not just human. She’s waking up.”

From the deeper woods behind the pack house came a new sound.

Not a howl.

A scream.

Human.

Cut off too fast.

Every head turned toward the trees.

Kael’s eyes burned brighter.

“Get her inside,” he ordered Sierra. “Now. Lock the doors. No one leaves.”

He was already moving toward the scream, injured and bleeding and not slowing down.

Raven took one step after him before Sierra’s hand closed hard around her arm.

In the dark beyond the lights, something large began to move.