Chapter 6: The Shadow Wolf
1013 Words
The morning sun had barely risen when Alpha Daven Morgan returned to the forest near the ancient Narra Tree.
The place looked peaceful once again.
Birds sang among the branches.
The wind carried the scent of pine and fresh earth.
But Daven knew what had happened there two nights ago.
Blood had been spilled.
A mysterious woman had fought for her life.
And somehow, she had awakened something inside him that he had buried for ten years.
Marcus stepped beside him.
"You've been staring at that tree for five minutes."
Daven ignored the comment.
Instead, he crouched beside the ground where the battle had taken place.
Most of the bodies had already been removed by Storm Wind patrols.
But traces remained.
Broken branches.
Bloodstains.
Footprints.
Signs of a fierce struggle.
Daven's sharp eyes examined every detail.
Suddenly, something caught his attention.
Half-buried beneath fallen leaves was a small object.
He picked it up.
A pendant.
Marcus frowned.
"What is it?"
Daven brushed away the dirt.
The silver pendant revealed the image of a dragon surrounded by flames.
His eyes narrowed.
Dragon Fire Pack.
Marcus immediately recognized the symbol.
"That's impossible."
"Not anymore."
Daven tightened his grip.
The mysterious woman had been fighting Geneva's assassins.
That meant she wasn't working for Geneva.
She was running from her.
But why?
And who exactly was she?
For the first time, Daven felt he was standing at the edge of a much larger mystery.
A mystery connected to Dragon Fire Pack.
And perhaps...
Connected to his past.
Far from Storm Wind territory, Verra raced through the forest with twenty resistance warriors at her side.
The group moved swiftly between the trees.
Ahead of them lay a supply route used by Geneva's forces.
Verra stopped atop a ridge overlooking the road.
Below, six wagons rolled forward under heavy guard.
Food.
Weapons.
Armor.
Everything Geneva needed to strengthen her army.
Elder Rowan crouched beside her.
"Are you certain about this?"
Verra nodded.
"If Geneva wants war, we'll make sure she pays for every step she takes."
A determined smile appeared on Rowan's face.
"Just like your father."
Pain flickered briefly in her eyes.
Theodore Dragona.
The Alpha who should still be leading Dragon Fire Pack.
The Alpha whose death remained shrouded in mystery.
Verra pushed the thought aside.
Now wasn't the time.
She raised her hand.
The resistance warriors immediately prepared themselves.
The signal came.
Her hand dropped.
"Attack."
The forest exploded into action.
Arrows rained from above.
Guards fell before they could react.
Chaos erupted.
Verra leaped from the ridge.
Her sword flashed.
One soldier charged.
She sidestepped and struck him across the chest.
Another attacked from behind.
Without turning, she kicked him backward into a wagon.
The battle lasted less than ten minutes.
When the dust settled, Geneva's forces had been completely defeated.
The resistance warriors cheered.
Their first major victory.
But Verra didn't celebrate.
Something felt wrong.
A strange unease settled deep inside her wolf.
As if danger was approaching.
Watching.
Waiting.
That same evening...
Inside the Dragon Fire Palace.
Geneva Dragona sat upon her throne.
The massive hall echoed with silence.
Until the doors suddenly burst open.
A wounded soldier stumbled inside.
"My Alpha!"
Geneva's eyes darkened.
"What happened?"
"The northern convoy..."
The soldier dropped to one knee.
"It was destroyed."
The room instantly grew cold.
"Destroyed?"
The soldier trembled.
"Resistance fighters attacked us."
Geneva slowly rose from her throne.
Power radiated from her like fire.
The torches lining the walls flickered violently.
"How many survivors?"
The soldier lowered his head.
"Very few."
A dangerous silence followed.
Then Geneva smiled.
It wasn't a pleasant smile.
It was the smile of a predator.
"Thea."
The name dripped with hatred.
Ten years.
Ten years of searching.
Ten years of failure.
And yet her niece continued slipping through her fingers.
No longer.
Geneva turned toward the shadows near the throne.
"Bring him to me."
The guards immediately bowed.
"Yes, Alpha."
Minutes later, the enormous doors opened once more.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the hall.
Every warrior present instinctively lowered their eyes.
Fear spread through the room.
Because everyone knew who had arrived.
A tall man dressed in black stepped forward.
A scar crossed one side of his face.
His silver eyes were cold and emotionless.
Like a wolf that had forgotten how to feel.
The Shadow Wolf.
Kael Blackfang.
Geneva's deadliest hunter.
The assassin who had never failed a mission.
Kael stopped before the throne.
"You called for me."
Geneva stared at him.
"I have a job."
Kael remained silent.
Listening.
Waiting.
"Find Thea Dragona."
For the first time, interest appeared in his eyes.
"The lost heir?"
"Yes."
Geneva descended the steps of her throne.
Her voice became ice.
"She is alive."
The room fell silent.
Kael studied her carefully.
"And when I find her?"
Geneva's expression twisted with hatred.
"Kill her."
A slow smile appeared on Kael's face.
The first smile he had shown in months.
"Consider it done."
Late that night...
Kael stood alone inside his private quarters.
Maps covered the walls.
Reports filled his desk.
Every known sighting.
Every rumor.
Every clue connected to the missing heir.
Most hunters would feel overwhelmed.
Kael felt excited.
Because this wasn't merely a mission.
It was a challenge.
And Kael loved challenges.
His eyes landed on a newly delivered report.
The destroyed convoy.
The resistance attack.
A witness description.
Female.
Exceptional fighter.
Silver eyes.
Dark hair.
Kael studied the information.
Then he noticed something else.
A footprint sketch.
Small.
Light.
Fast.
His lips slowly curved upward.
He recognized the pattern.
Someone trained in Dragon Fire royal combat techniques.
Techniques known only to members of Theodore's bloodline.
Kael rolled up the report.
His smile widened.
Finally.
After ten long years...
The hunt had begun.
He stepped toward the window and looked into the moonlit night.
Far away, somewhere beyond the mountains, his prey was hiding.
Not for much longer.
"Run while you can, Princess," he whispered.
His silver eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"After ten years of searching..."
A cold laugh escaped his lips.
"I think I finally found you."
- Writer
