Chapter ThreeThe First Kill
1067 Words
The cold night air hit Elara like a slap as Asher burst out of the underground tunnels carrying her across his shoulder as if she weighed nothing.
The forest outside was a blur of shadows and silver mist. Dark trees loomed overhead their twisted branches clawing at the sky. Somewhere beyond the ridge the howling rose againcloser furious.
She fought harder slamming her fists against Asher’s back.
"Put me down damn it!"
Asher grunted but didn’t slow.
"Do you want to die out here?"
"I’d rather die free than be your prisoner!"
For a heartbeat he hesitatedjust enough for her to twist catch him off balance and drop to the ground. She hit the earth hard the breath knocking from her lungs. Pain flared up her arms but she was already scrambling away heart thundering.
“Elara!” His voice cracked across the clearing like a whip.
She didn’t look back.
Not until a shadow moved at the edge of her vision.
Not Asher.
Something else.
A figure lunged from the trees faster than human claws flashing in the moonlight. Its eyes glowed red its mouth splitting into a vicious snarl.
Elara froze heart seizing in her chest.
Then Asher was there moving like a storm. He tackled the creature mid-air both of them crashing to the ground in a tangle of snapping teeth and ripping claws.
"Run!" he roared.
But Elara’s legs refused to move.
She watched in horror as Asher’s form blurred muscles ripping and reshaping. Fur tore through his skin. Bones cracked and reformed. In seconds the man was gonereplaced by a massive black wolf towering and monstrous.
Asher tore into the attacker his jaws locking around its throat. Blood sprayed across the clearing.
Elara stumbled back bile rising in her throat.
This wasn’t real.
This couldn’t be real.
Another shadow flitted past. Then another.
She was surrounded.
Instinct screamed at her to move but fear pinned her down like a weight.
A second wolf broke from the treesa lean silver-furred beast with gleaming white fangs.
It charged straight at her.
Elara fumbled for a weapon anything but her hands closed on nothing but dirt and leaves.
The wolf leaptfangs bared paws outstretched.
Something inside her snapped.
Time slowed.
The silver mark at her collarbone burned white-hot. A surge of heat exploded from her chest blasting outward.
The silver wolf hit an invisible wall midair yelping as it was thrown backward into a tree with a sickening crack.
Elara gasped staring at her trembling hands.
What the hell had she just done?
No time to think. Another attacker was closing ina smaller wolf quicker its jaws snapping at her legs.
Elara grabbed a broken branch swinging wildly. The wood connected with a wet thud and the wolf staggered. But it recovered too fast growling low.
It lunged again.
She thrust the branch forward jamming it into the creature’s side.
A shriek tore from its throat. It collapsed twitching.
Elara stumbled back heart hammering so hard it hurt.
Her first kill.
Her stomach twisted violently but there was no time for weakness.
Asher’s black wolf form bounded to her side blood matting his fur. He growled low and deep scanning the treeline.
The remaining wolves hesitated snarling and snapping but keeping their distance now.
Asher’s presence was too commanding. Too lethal.
They weren’t stupid enough to challenge a king at full strength.
One by one the shadows melted back into the mist retreating into the dark.
Silence crashed down.
Elara dropped the bloody branch hands shaking uncontrollably.
Asher shifted his wolf form shrinking and twisting back into human shape. He dropped to one knee in front of her chest heaving blood dripping from shallow cuts along his arms and torso.
He looked feral. Half-mad.
But his voice was low steady.
"You did good " he said.
She stared at him hollow.
"I killed it " she whispered.
"You defended yourself."
Elara’s vision blurred with unshed tears. She hadn’t wanted this. She hadn’t asked for any of it.
He rose to his feet slowly reaching out but she flinched back.
He let his hand fall.
"You’re stronger than you know " he said. "Stronger than them. Stronger than me maybe."
A bitter laugh tore from her throat.
"I don’t want to be strong " she snapped. "I want to go home."
Asher’s eyes darkened.
"You don’t have a home anymore " he said. "Not after tonight."
The truth hit her harder than any blow.
Even if she could escape she had killed one of their kind. Even if she ran they would hunt her. Even if she begged for mercy none would come.
She was marked now.
Just like him.
"We need to move " Asher said scanning the trees. "They’ll regroup."
She didn’t move.
Couldn’t.
He approached her carefully this time as if handling a wounded animal.
"I’ll protect you " he said. "Until the bond seals and after."
Elara wanted to spit in his face.
Wanted to run into the woods and never look back.
But survival screamed louder.
And some deep terrifying part of hersome ancient thing in her bloodreached back toward him.
He extended his hand once more.
Slowly hatefully Elara took it.
His fingers closed around hers warm and unyielding.
The moment their skin touched the mark on her chest flared to life again. A jolt of raw magic surged between them so strong it made the ground tremble.
Asher hissed in pain or maybe pleasure.
"The bond is waking " he muttered. "Faster than I thought."
"What does it mean?" she demanded.
He looked at her thentruly looked as if he could see all the way through her skin to the secrets locked beneath.
"It means " he said quietly "that by the next full moon you won’t be able to live without me."
Elara yanked her hand back horror clawing up her throat.
"No " she breathed. "You’re lying."
Asher's expression was grim.
"I wish I was."
Above them the moon shifted behind a bank of clouds casting the forest into deeper shadow.
And from the darkness another sound rosea long low howl.
Deeper. Louder.
Not the ragged cries of Asher’s enemies.
This was different.
Older.
Calling to her.
Asher stiffened his head snapping toward the sound.
His face paled.
"What is it?" Elara whispered.
He didn't answer for a long moment.
Then very softly he said:
"Something worse."
- Writer
