Chapter3
1518 Words
Lena’s breath came in short, ragged gasps as the heat coiled under her skin, burning, unraveling. The shift was clawing at her, tearing through her veins like wildfire. Not now. Not here.
Ethan cursed under his breath. “Stay with me.”
She barely heard him. Her vision blurred. Every sound sharpened—the rustle of leaves, the heavy footfalls gaining behind them, the pounding of her own heart. The air smelled sharp, metallic. Blood.
A shadow lunged from the darkness.
Ethan moved first.
A snarl ripped from his throat as he spun, slamming into the attacker.
Lena gasped, staggering back. The world tilted.
The thing—a werewolf, but not like the ones she’d seen in movies—hit the ground hard. Too large. Too fast. Its eyes burned red, its elongated limbs twitching as it snarled.
Ethan didn’t hesitate. His hand shot out, claws flashing.
Lena’s stomach turned as blood sprayed the ground.
The creature let out a piercing howl and convulsed, its body shuddering. Then—it stilled.
Ethan rose, his golden eyes blazing, chest rising and falling in sharp breaths.
Lena’s heart slammed against her ribs. She took a step back. What the hell had she just seen?
“Keep moving,” Ethan ordered, wiping the blood from his hand like it was nothing.
Lena shook her head. “What was that?”
He didn’t answer.
Her pulse pounded. “Ethan—”
A bloodcurdling scream split the air.
Lena flinched. Her body went rigid.
Not an animal. A person.
Ethan swore. Then he ran.
Lena hesitated only for a second before she followed. Her legs were shaking, her body still fighting the shift, but she forced herself forward.
They broke through the trees into a clearing.
And Lena’s stomach dropped.
There—in the center of the clearing—was another werewolf. Pinned.
It thrashed against the ground, claws scraping the dirt, but there were too many of them.
Men. Dressed in black. Unmarked. Armed.
They circled the creature, silver blades gleaming.
Lena’s breath hitched. She took a step forward, but Ethan grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t.” His voice was low. Dangerous.
She stared at him, eyes wide. “They’re killing it.”
His expression hardened. “I know.”
Lena yanked at his grip. “We have to stop them—”
His hold tightened. “That’s not how this works.”
Her stomach twisted. She turned back to the scene.
The werewolf let out another guttural snarl, struggling harder—but one of the men stepped forward, driving a blade into its side.
A howl of pure agony rang out.
Lena’s knees almost buckled.
“What the hell is this?” she whispered.
Ethan’s jaw clenched. He wasn’t looking at her anymore.
He was watching them. The men.
His golden eyes burned with something dark. Something lethal.
Lena swallowed hard.
Then, Ethan said something that made her blood run cold.
“The Lunar Order.”
Lena’s breath hitched. The Lunar Order. The name sent a chill down her spine, even though she didn’t understand why.
The werewolf in the clearing let out another strangled snarl. It was weakening. Bleeding out.
Lena moved forward again. Ethan’s grip on her wrist tightened—hard.
“Don’t move.” His voice was sharp, low.
Lena gritted her teeth. “We can’t just—”
“They’ll kill you too.”
Her stomach turned, but she didn’t stop. She wrenched her arm, but Ethan yanked her back hard enough to make her stumble.
She spun on him, eyes blazing. “Let me go.”
“Not an option.”
She shoved at his chest. He didn’t budge.
A wet gurgling sound made her freeze. She turned back just in time to see the werewolf’s body **convulse—**then go still.
One of the men stepped back, his silver blade dripping with blood.
Lena’s stomach twisted.
The leader—**tall, broad, deadly calm—**lifted his chin. “Burn it.”
Panic flared in her chest. “No.” She barely realized she’d spoken aloud.
Ethan’s fingers clamped over her mouth.
“Shut. Up.” His voice was a growl, low and lethal.
Lena’s entire body tensed. Fire.
One of the men struck a match.
A second later, flames roared to life, engulfing the lifeless body.
Lena’s heart hammered. Her breath came in short, sharp bursts, her body threatening to shift.
She wanted to scream. To fight. To do something.
But Ethan’s grip held her firm.
“Not here,” he whispered. “Not now.”
Tears burned her eyes. She barely knew this creature. But something in her chest ached.
The Lunar Order stood around the burning body like they’d done this a hundred times before. Like it was nothing.
Then—one of them turned.
Lena’s blood went cold.
A man in black scanned the trees. Right toward them.
Her pulse spiked. Did he hear her?
Ethan stiffened. “Time to go.”
He grabbed her arm, pulling her back into the trees.
Lena yanked against his grip. “No—”
“Move.”
His voice left no room for argument.
She stumbled after him, her head spinning.
Behind them, the fire crackled. The scent of burning flesh filled the air.
They ran.
Lena’s breath came fast and uneven as she stumbled after Ethan, his grip like iron on her wrist.
Her mind reeled. The scent of burning flesh clung to the air, thick and suffocating. The Lunar Order had executed that werewolf without hesitation—without mercy. And they wouldn’t hesitate to do the same to her.
She yanked against Ethan’s grip. “Let me go.”
He didn’t stop. “Not a chance.”
Lena dug her heels into the dirt, her body tensing. “I’m not running.”
Ethan whirled on her so fast she barely had time to react before he was in her space. Too close. Too overwhelming.
His golden eyes burned. “Then you’re a bigger i***t than I thought.”
Lena’s pulse pounded in her ears. “They killed him. I could’ve—”
“You could’ve what?” His voice was sharp. “Gotten yourself slaughtered too?”
She swallowed hard, but the rage in her chest flared. “I won’t stand by and do nothing.”
Ethan exhaled harshly, running a hand through his dark hair. “You don’t even know what you are yet.”
The words sent a shock through her.
Lena’s fingers curled into fists. “What the hell does that mean?”
Ethan’s jaw tightened. “It means you’re not human, and you sure as hell aren’t just some clueless girl who got lost in the woods.”
Her breath caught. Not human.
A howl split the night.
Lena’s head snapped toward the sound. The Lunar Order was still close. Too close.
Ethan cursed. “We don’t have time for this.”
“Then tell me what’s happening,” Lena demanded. “Why were they hunting that wolf? Why are they after me?”
Ethan hesitated, something unreadable flickering across his face. “Because you’re dangerous.”
Lena’s stomach dropped. “That’s bullshit.”
Another howl. Closer.
Ethan’s hand shot out, grabbing her arm again. “Move. Now.”
Before she could argue, before she could even think—he was pulling her into the shadows once more.
The forest was alive with movement, but the Lunar Order moved like ghosts through the trees—silent, calculated, deadly.
Jonas crouched near the bloodstained earth where the werewolf’s body had been moments ago. The scent of burnt fur still lingered, mixing with the crisp night air. He ran two fingers through the ash, rubbing it between his gloved hands before looking up.
“She was here,” he muttered.
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward. Commander Voss, his silver-lined cloak barely making a sound as he moved. His sharp eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight, unreadable.
“Then where is she now?” Voss’s voice was like steel—cold and edged with authority.
Jonas exhaled, scanning the tracks in the dirt. “She ran. Someone helped her.” His fingers ghosted over an imprint—too large to be hers. He frowned.
Voss’s lips curled. “Ethan.”
Jonas glanced up sharply. “He was supposed to be dead.”
Voss let out a low, humorless chuckle. “Then it seems we underestimated him.”
Jonas didn’t like this. Ethan was dangerous enough alone, but if he was protecting the girl… No. This couldn’t be ignored.
He rose to his feet. “What’s so special about her?”
Voss turned his gaze toward the trees where she had vanished, his expression darkening.
“She doesn’t know what she is yet.”
Jonas stiffened. “And if she finds out?”
Voss’s voice was a whisper of finality. “Then we kill her before she remembers.”
A howl echoed through the night—not from the wolves, but from their own men. A signal.
They had picked up her trail.
Voss’s smirk deepened.
“Find her. Now.”
- Writer
