CHAPTER 8
1349 Words
Unlikely Allies
“Elara, stop avoiding me.”
Kieran’s words stopped her mid-step as she tried to slip past the training grounds undetected. She froze, wondering whether to keep walking or face him.
“Kieran, I’m fine,” she mumbled without turning.
“Liar.” His tone eased, but it still carried the power of an Alpha. “Look at me.”
Reluctantly, Elara turned. Kieran stood with his arms crossed, his sharp look fixed on her. His normally menacing presence was softened by worry.
“What do you want me to say?” Elara asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “That I messed up? That I almost killed someone?”
Kieran stepped closer, shrinking the gap between them. “You think you’re the first to lose control?”
Her eyes widened. “You did also?”
“Of course.” His face darkened as he looked at his scarred hands. “When I first discovered my abilities, I couldn’t even touch anyone without hurting them. My father called me a danger to the pack.”
Elara blinked, stunned. She had never seen Kieran this vulnerable before. “How did you fix it?”
“I didn’t fix it.” Kieran’s mouth curled into a faint smile. “I learned to work with it. Your shadows aren’t your enemy, Elara. They’re a part of you.”
“I’m scared,” she admitted, her voice shaking. “What if I hurt someone else?”
“You will,” Kieran said frankly, making her flinch. “But you’ll also learn. You’ll grow stronger. And you won’t be alone in this.”
His words rested over her like a warm blanket, easing the tight knot in her chest. “Thanks,” she whispered, her gaze dropping to the ground.
Kieran put a hand on her shoulder, his touch hard but comforting. “You’ve got this, Elara. But next time, don’t run. Come to me.”
The sharp howl of a wolf echoed across the packhouse, drawing Elara and Kieran’s attention. A scout, turning back to his human form, raced toward them, his face pale with haste.
“Alpha!” the scout gasped, his chest heaving. “There’s movement near the Shadowglade. Tracks. Fresh ones.”
Kieran’s jaw tightened. “Bloodfangs?”
The scout nodded. “Likely spies. They’re not far from our border.”
Kieran swore under his breath, then turned to Elara. “You’re going to Shadowglade. Aeron will go with you.”
“What?” Elara’s eyes widened. “You’re pairing me with Aeron? We barely trust each other.”
“Exactly,” Kieran said, his tone leaving no room for debate. “You both need to learn to work together. Aeron’s one of the best trackers we have, and you need someone who knows the terrain.”
Aeron approached, his face cold as usual. “Shadowglade, huh? Great. Babysitting duty.”
Elara glared at him. “You think I want to be stuck with you? Trust me, the feeling’s mutual.”
“Enough.” Kieran’s words cut through their squabbling. “This isn’t about you two. It’s about the pack. Handle this, or don’t bother coming back.”
The weight of his words settled over them both. Aeron smirked, though his eyes held no fun. “Guess we better get moving, princess.”
Elara shot him a scathing look but said nothing as they set off toward Shadowglade.
The forest surrounding Shadowglade was eerily quiet, the usual sounds of nature replaced by a suffocating stillness.
“Stay sharp,” Aeron whispered, his eyes searching the ground for tracks.
“I know how to track,” Elara snapped, her shadows dancing around her hands as she moved.
Aeron laughed dryly. “Sure you do. That’s why Kieran sent me to babysit.”
Elara ignored him, focused on the weak tracks going deeper into the woods. The smell of foreign wolves stayed in the air, sharp and metallic.
“There.” Aeron pointed to a piece of disturbed ground near a clump of rocks. “They stopped here.”
Elara knelt beside the tracks, her fingers brushing the ground. The shadows talked around her, showing faint glimpses of the past. Wolves, three of them, moving quickly and quietly.
“They’re scouting,” she whispered. “Testing our borders.”
Aeron crouched beside her, his face thoughtful. “Then we set a trap. We’ll make them think they’re safe, then take them down.”
Elara glanced at him, her brows furrowing. “Why do you seem so eager about this?”
“Because it’s our job,” Aeron answered coolly. “Or do you prefer sitting around waiting for an attack?”
“Something doesn’t feel right,” Elara grumbled, her shadows shifting uncomfortably.
Aeron rolled his eyes. “Of course it doesn’t. You’re not used to real danger.”
She rounded on him, her shadows flaring. “Don’t talk to me like I’m weak, Aeron. I can handle myself.”
“Can you?” He raised an eyebrow, his tone mocking. “Because from where I’m standing, you’re still just Kieran’s pet project.”
Elara’s hands clenched, but before she could respond, the shadows around her pulsed fiercely. Her head whipped toward the trees, her senses tingling.
“We’re not alone,” she whispered.
Aeron stiffened, his hand going to the knife at his belt. “Where?”
Elara didn’t answer. Instead, she closed her eyes, letting her shadows stretch outward like tentacles. They brushed against something—no, someone—hidden in the trees.
“They’re watching us,” she said, her voice low. “Two of them. Over there.” She pointed to a dense forest.
Aeron moved quietly, his moves exact. He signaled for Elara to follow, but as they reached the bushes, a low growl rumbled through the air.
“They know we’re here,” Aeron mumbled, his grip tightening on his knife.
Suddenly, the bushes burst with movement. Two wolves lunged out, their eyes burning red. Bloodfangs.
Elara responded automatically, her shadows lashing out like whips. One of the wolves yelped as the dark strands struck, but the second one barreled into Aeron, knocking him to the ground.
“Aeron!” Elara shouted, her shadows whirling chaotically around her.
“I’m fine!” he growled, striking at the wolf’s side.
The first wolf recovered and charged at Elara. She dodged, her heart racing as she called her shadows again. They curled around the wolf, holding it in place.
“Finish it!” Aeron yelled, his voice strained as he fought off the second wolf.
Elara paused, the wolf’s growling face inches from hers. Her shadows tightened, and with a primal cry, she drove them forward. The wolf fell, lifeless.
Aeron dispatched the second wolf moments later, his chest heaving as he stood. “Not bad, princess.”
Elara ignored him, her eyes locked on the fallen wolves. Something wasn’t right. The shadows around her quivered, sensing something she couldn’t.
“They weren’t alone,” she said, her words barely audible.
“What are you talking about?” Aeron asked, wiping blood from his knife.
Elara turned to him, her eyes wide with understanding. “This was a distraction.”
Before Aeron could reply, a thunderous howl emerged from deeper in the forest. More wolves, dozens of them, emerged from the darkness, their eyes shining with evil.
Elara’s heart sank as she and Aeron stood back-to-back, surrounded.
“This isn’t good,” Aeron mumbled, his normal swagger replaced by real fear.
“No kidding,” Elara answered, her shadows snarling.
The wolves closed in, their growls booming through the night. Elara’s shadows flared, but she knew they were overwhelmed.
“Aeron,” she said, her voice steady despite the fear pulling at her chest.
What?
“If we don’t make it out of this…”
We will, he interrupted, his tone angry. Elara didn’t reply. Instead, she called every ounce of her strength, her shadows rushing around her like a storm.
Get ready, she whispered, her eyes sharpening.
The first wolf lunged, and confusion exploded
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