Chapter 14: The Hunter and the Alpha
964 Words
A cold wind swept across the northern border.
The moon hung high above the forest, illuminating the narrow trail Daven Morgan followed.
His instincts told him he was close.
Closer than he had ever been in ten years.
The silver ribbon remained tucked safely inside his jacket.
Every clue.
Every scent.
Every strange feeling in his chest.
They all pointed toward the same person.
Verra.
Or whoever she had become.
Unaware of the eyes watching him from the darkness.
High above the forest canopy, Kael Blackfang moved silently through the trees.
Like a shadow.
Like a ghost.
The legendary hunter observed Daven carefully.
Every movement.
Every expression.
Every decision.
Geneva's orders echoed inside his mind.
"Find out what the Storm Alpha knows."
At first, Kael had assumed Daven was simply investigating the attacks near the border.
Now he wasn't so sure.
The Alpha wasn't hunting rebels.
He was searching for someone.
And Kael had a feeling he already knew who.
"Thea..." he murmured.
A small smile crossed his face.
Fate truly enjoyed playing games..
Several miles away...
Inside the Sanctuary of Stormfire...
Verra stood before Aurora Dragona's statue.
Golden flames danced between her fingertips.
Tiny bolts of lightning crackled around her hands.
Unlike before, she managed to maintain control.
For almost five minutes.
Then ten.
Then fifteen.
The progress amazed even Rowan.
"Excellent."
Verra smiled.
"At least I'm not blowing up mountains anymore."
The old warrior laughed.
"That's definitely an improvement."
The resistance warriors nearby chuckled.
The atmosphere lightened.
But Rowan's expression soon became serious.
"There is something else you need to know."
Verra immediately noticed the change.
"What is it?"
The old warrior looked toward Aurora's statue.
"The Dragon Storm Spirit."
The room became silent.
"What about it?"
Rowan hesitated.
Then answered.
"It doesn't appear for everyone."
Verra frowned.
"You already told me that."
"No."
Rowan shook his head.
"I mean it only appears when the kingdom faces extinction."
Verra's smile vanished.
The words hit harder than expected.
Extinction.
Not defeat.
Not war.
Extinction.
"The spirit is a warning."
Rowan's voice lowered.
"And a protector."
Verra stared at the statue.
If that was true...
Then something terrible was approaching.
Meanwhile...
Inside Dragon Fire Palace...
Sylvia sat quietly inside her room.
Several reports lay scattered across her desk.
Each one documented Daven's recent movements.
The more she read, the angrier she became.
Northern border.
Old battlefields.
Abandoned trails.
The Narra Tree.
Again and again, Daven kept returning to the same locations.
Not because of military strategy.
Because of someone
A woman.
Sylvia's hands tightened around the papers.
For years she had expected Daven to eventually accept their engagement.
Perhaps not out of love.
But duty.
Respect.
Obligation.
Now another woman threatened everything.
A woman Sylvia had never even met.
A knock interrupted her thoughts..
"Enter."
A servant stepped inside.
"My Lady, we found something."
.
Sylvia immediately stood.
"What?"
The servant handed her a folded report.
After reading the contents, Sylvia froze.
Her face slowly darkened.
"No..."
The report mentioned sightings of a mysterious silver-eyed woman near the northern forests.
A woman matching the age of the lost heir.
Thea Dragona.
Verra.
Sylvia's jealousy instantly transformed into hatred.
If Thea was alive...
Then she wasn't only a rival for the throne.
She was a rival for Daven's heart.
And Sylvia intended to eliminate both problems.
Elsewhere...
Deep inside the forbidden chamber beneath the palace...
Geneva stood before the Black Mirror.
Dark energy swirled around her body.
The mirror's whispers grew louder each day.
Calling to her.
Tempting her.
Promising power.
Tonight she would take another step.
Geneva raised her hand.
Black lightning erupted across her arm.
The pain was immediate.
Brutal.
Her skin cracked as darkness spread through her veins.
Yet she refused to stop.
"More."
The mirror obeyed.
Dark flames appeared.
At first small.
Then larger.
And larger.
Until a sphere of black fire floated above her palm.
Geneva stared at it in disbelief.
Success.
The first stage of the Shadow Storm had awakened.
But then something happened.
The fire suddenly lashed outward.
Like a living creature.
It struck the wall.
The stone instantly crumbled into ash.
Geneva's eyes widened.
The power was unstable.
Hungry.
Violent.
The Seer's warning echoed in her mind.
"Darkness will consume you."
Geneva smiled.
"I will be the one doing the consuming."
Back at the northern border...
Daven suddenly stopped.
His wolf growled.
Danger.
Someone was nearby.
Watching him.
He slowly reached for his bow.
The forest had become too quiet.
Too still.
Years of battle had taught him to trust his instincts.
Without warning—
An arrow shot from the darkness.
WHOOSH!
Daven twisted aside.
The arrow narrowly missed his head.
Immediately he grabbed his bow and fired.
THWACK!
A second arrow collided with his own in midair.
The forest fell silent once more.
Daven narrowed his eyes.
Whoever had attacked him was skilled.
Very skilled.
Then a voice echoed from the darkness.
Calm..
Cold.
Dangerous.
"You have excellent reflexes, Alpha."
Daven immediately recognized the voice.
Kael Blackfang.
The infamous hunter stepped from the shadows.
Silver eyes glowing beneath the moonlight.
Neither man lowered his weapon.
Neither trusted the other.
Kael smiled slightly.
"I've been wanting to meet you."
Daven's expression remained unreadable.
"And I've heard enough about you."
For several seconds, they simply stared at each other.
Two predators.
Two warriors.
Measuring one another.
Then Kael asked a question.
A simple question.
Yet one that made Daven's heart stop.
"Tell me, Alpha..."
Kael's smile widened.
"Why are you searching for Thea Dragona?"
The forest became silent.
Daven's grip tightened around his bow.
Because Kael's question confirmed the one thing he had only begun to suspect.
The mysterious woman.
The resistance leader.
The girl from the Narra Tree.
And the lost heir.
Were all the same person.
- Writer
