Luna's Outcast

Chapter10

Madeline's pov

Hunter had been gone for three days for three long days.

I told myself it shouldn’t matter. It wasn’t as if we were friends. If anything, he was the last person I should be thinking about. He was a werewolf hunter after all. He is a man who has spent his life tracking and killing my kind.

And yet… I could not stop my thoughts from drifting towards him.

I stood outside the cabin, listening to the rustle of leaves as the wind whispered through the pine trees while the cold morning breeze sent chills down my spine.

Suddenly my wolf stirred faintly inside me, restless.

Ever since my first shift in front of Hunter, things have changed. The bond between my human mind and the wolf inside me was no longer silent. I could feel her, but I couldn't seem to communicate or control her, but at least knowing she was alive and still with me gave me a sense of comfort and security.

I walked toward the clearing behind the cabin. The ground was still wet from the rain that had fallen last night and the scent of soil and moss filled the air. It was almost comforting.

I flexed my fingers, stretching my arms as I got ready to practice what I had learned, just like I have been doing for the past few days.

At least now training seems more enjoyable. I don't have to listen to his constant nagging and corrections but strangely…. I missed it.

I shook my head and picked up the wooden practice blade lying near the stump where I usually kept my things.

“Focus,” I muttered to myself.

If Hunter returned and saw me slacking, he would never let me hear the end of it.

I moved into position, planting my feet firmly on the ground just as he had taught me.

I practiced the breathing techniques he taught me as I swung the wooden stick.

Over and over I practiced but I kept on feeling unfulfilled. I kept on making mistakes. My movements were too slow, stiff and frustration started to bubble up in my chest.

“Damn it.” I cursed out and my wolf stirred again, reacting to the irritation that flashed through me.

“Easy…” I whispered, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths tomorrow to calm my raging emotions.

The sound of footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. I turned quickly towards the direction to see Lucas stepping out from between the trees.

His tall figure moved easily through the forest, his expression calm but observant. The faint scent of the pack clung to him, it was warm and familiar.

Lucas had been visiting every day since Hunter left.

According to him, it is, so I don't die of boredom and also to check up on me.

“Training again?” he asked, his voice carrying a faint hint of amusement.

“What else would I be doing?”

Lucas approached slowly, crossing his arms over his chest as he studied me.

“Your attack posture is still bad.”

“You sound like Hunter.” I frowned.

Lucas’s jaw tightened slightly at the name.

“That’s not a compliment.” A small silence settled between us. I looked away, pretending to inspect the blade in my hand, but Lucas watched me carefully.

Then he spoke again.

“You are waiting for him,” he said, and those words hit harder than they should.

“I am not,” I said quickly.

Lucas raised an eyebrow, looking at me like I was obviously lying.

“You have checked the road three times since I got here.”

Heat crept into my face as I suddenly felt embarrassed. I had no idea he would notice.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” I argued.

Lucas didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he walked toward the stump and sat down slowly.

“Madeline, the pack elders are worried. I am worried.”

“About what?” I asked, confused.

“You,” he replied, his gaze fixed. Mine with a worried expression.

“They don’t trust Hunter,” he added.

“Well, that’s not surprising.”

“He’s a hunter,” Lucas continued. “A man who has spent his life killing werewolves. And now you’re living with him in the forest while he trains you.”

When he said it like that, the situation sounded even more ridiculous. But it wasn’t that simple.

“You have seen how strong he is,” I said softly. “Without his help, I would still be wandering around with no control over my wolf.”

“I don't think so.. you never gave me the opportunity to help you. The lack can help and recall you were unconscious for a while after your accident. Maybe that is why your wolf is acting up. lf you surround yourself with your kind I believe you will get better. You don't need him, Madeline.”

“That's not true. I could not feel my wolf for a long time but ever since he started training me she appears more often now. I understand how you feel but he is helping me.”

Lucas didn’t deny it, because it was true. My martial art skill has improved and so has the presence of my wolves become more constant. I don't know how Hunter does it but his method seems to be working and the faster I become stronger the quicker I can get my revenge.

“Strength isn’t everything, Intent matters too.”

“You think he is using me?” I asked.

“I think we don’t know what he wants.”

That much was true. Hunter was a mystery wrapped in silence.He rarely spoke about himself or his motives and I don't know what it was but… I trusted him.

“He could have killed me,” I said quietly.

“I know.” Lucas’s voice softened.

Suddenly a new scent washed over my nose and my wolf stirred again, seemingly restless this time around.

I frowned, something felt wrong.

“Do you smell that?” I asked suddenly.

Lucas lifted his head, his nose twitching slightly as he inhaled and soon the change in his expression was immediate and he became more alert.

“Hunters are close by,” he whispers.

“How did they find us?” I asked, confused.

“We don't have time for that. Let's get out of here. There seems to be several of them.”

I could not hear anything but Lucas being from an alpha line, had impeccable tracking and hearing skills. His senses were sharpened and so were his fighting skills.

Lucas stepped closer to me. “Stay behind me.”

My pride bristled at the order. “I can fight.”

“Not like this,” he replied firmly.

Another trap snapped in the distance and my wolf began to growl softly inside me.

The sound vibrated through my chest.

Lucas glanced at me. “Control it.”

Then the first hunter appeared out for the tree line. He stepped into the clearing slowly, a crossbow already raised. Behind him, two more figures emerged. They were wearing the dark leather armor of the Adorni.

One of them spotted me and his expression sharpened.

“Well, well,” he said.

Lucas stepped forward slightly, placing himself between me and them. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said calmly.

The hunters laughed.

“Funny, We were about to say the same thing.”

The man with the crossbow raised his weapon and my heart started pounding.

Lucas shifted slightly , his body tensed.

I knew that posture, He was preparing to shift.

One of the hunters suddenly looked directly at me. Then he smiled. It was a cold, knowing smile.

“There she is,” he said and my stomach dropped as I intuitively hid behind Lucas' broad shoulders.

“ Is she the one we have been looking for?”

Lucas’s head snapped toward him as his gaze found me.

“What do you mean?” he asked, but the hunter ignored him, his gaze

fixed on me.

“That’s her,” he repeated. “No mistake.”

My mind raced.

How could they possibly know who I was?

I had never met these men before.

Lucas stepped forward again, his voice low and dangerous.

“Leave now or things are going to get bloody,” Lucas warned, but the hunters did not budge.

The next second, this bines cracked and

fur burst across his skin. Within seconds, a massive gray wolf stood where he had been.

The hunters reacted quickly. One fired his crossbow but Lucas dodged it easily.

Then he lunged. Chaos erupted across the clearing.

I grabbed the silver blade Hunter had given me. My hands trembled slightly.

One of the hunters turned toward me.

His sword gleamed in the light.

“So the little wolf wants to fight.”

Without hesitating, I swung the blade just as Hunter had taught me.

The man blocked it. But his eyes widened in surprise.

“Silver?” he muttered.

But I pressed on, my movements weren’t perfect, but they were fast.

Hunter’s training guided my every step.

Behind me, Lucas roared as he tore another hunter to the ground.

The man I was fighting stumbled backward. His gaze flicked toward the others.

“Fall back!” he shouted. The remaining hunters began retreating toward the forest.But before disappearing, the leader looked back at me. His eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction.

“We will be seeing you again, little wolf.”

And with that they retreated back into the forest. Then they were gone.

The forest fell silent once more and

Lucas shifted back into human form moments later, breathing heavily.

“Are you hurt?” I asked quickly as I noticed the blood on his arm.

He shook his head. “Just a scratch.”

But his expression was grim. “They knew you,” he said.

My heart sank.

Lucas looked toward the forest where the hunters had disappeared.His voice dropped to a whisper. “Madeline…”

“Yes?”

He looked back at me slowly, his eyes filled with questions.

“What did they mean… when they said you were the one they were looking for?”