ChapterTwo
620 Words
The forest was silent.
Too silent.
Kai Redwolf stood at the edge of the Bloodmoon territory, his claws digging into the bark of an old oak. The scent of damp earth and pine filled his nose, but beneath it—something fouler. Something wrong.
The curse.
It slithered through the pack like a sickness, turning strong wolves into snarling, half-mad beasts. Last night, another one had lost control—Jace, one of his best hunters. Kai had been the one to lock him in the silver-lined cellar beneath the packhouse, listening to his howls of pain until dawn.
Three more days.
That’s how long Jace had before the madness took him for good.
That’s how long Kai had before the same fate claimed him.
A twig snapped behind him. He didn’t turn. He already knew who it was.
“You’re brooding again.”
Kai’s cousin, Mateo, leaned against a nearby tree, arms crossed. He was the only one who could get away with talking to the future alpha like that.
“I’m not brooding,” Kai growled. “I’m thinking.”
“About the witch.”
Kai’s jaw tightened.
Mateo sighed. “Look, I get it. No one wants to marry a stranger, especially not some coven-bred spellweaver. But if this stops the curse—”
“If.” Kai finally turned, his golden eyes flashing. “You trust them too easily.”
Mateo raised a brow. “You think your father would’ve agreed if there was another way?”
That was the worst part.
Kai’s father, the current alpha, was a man who’d spent his life distrusting witches. But even he had knelt before the coven’s terms. For the pack.
Kai snarled, kicking a rock into the underbrush. “They cursed us in the first place.”
“Centuries ago,” Mateo countered. “And now they’re offering a way out.”
“Or another trap.”
Mateo hesitated, then stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Kai. You’re my alpha, blood or not. But if you refuse this, the pack dies. You die.”
The words settled between them like a blade.
Kai exhaled sharply, the heat of his anger giving way to something colder—resignation.
He had no choice.
That was what burned the most.
The elders were gathered around the fire in the packhouse, their faces lined with worry. Kai’s father, Elias Redwolf, stood at the head of the room, his broad frame still imposing despite the gray in his hair.
“The ceremony is in two days,” Elias said, voice rough. “Under the blood moon.”
Murmurs filled the room. Some wolves looked hopeful. Others, like Kai, barely hid their disdain.
“And the witch?” someone asked.
Elias’s gaze flicked to Kai. “Nia Okoro. A storm-caller from the Onyx Coven.”
Kai clenched his fists. A name. Now she wasn’t just some faceless spellcaster—she was real. A woman who’d walk into his territory, bind herself to him, and expect him to play nice.
“What do we know about her?” Kai bit out.
“Strong,” Elias said simply. “Stubborn. And just as trapped in this as you are.”
That didn’t make Kai feel better.
After the meeting, his father pulled him aside.
“You think I wanted this?” Elias’s voice was low, rough with emotion. “But I won’t watch my son turn feral. I won’t bury my pack.”
Kai said nothing.
Elias gripped his shoulder. “This is how we survive.”
Kai looked away, toward the woods. Somewhere out there, the witch was preparing to step into his world.
And he had no choice but to let her in.
- Writer
