The Moonbound

Lena ran. The scent of blood thickened the air. Hers? Someone else’s? She didn’t know. Didn’t care. Just keep running. Branches snapped behind her. Footsteps. Steady. Too steady. Her breath hitched. Not human. “s**t,” she gasped, pushing harder, her legs screaming in protest. Faster. Just a little faster. Another snap. Closer. A voice. Low. Amused. Too damn calm. “You can’t outrun me.” Lena’s stomach dropped. No. No one should’ve been that close. She hadn’t even heard them approach. A shadow shifted ahead—broad, unmoving. Watching. Her foot caught on something—a root, a rock, a mistake. She hit the ground hard. The impact knocked the air from her lungs, pain lancing up her ribs. Move. Move. She forced herself up, her hands digging into the damp earth. Silence. Where—? “Sloppy.” Her blood ran cold. Lena twisted toward the voice, heart pounding. The shadow moved. A man—no, not a man. Something else. Tall. Broad. Eyes are glowing—golden. Predatory. Lena staggered to her feet, pulse hammering. “Stay the hell away from me.” A low chuckle. Too amused. Too at ease. “That’s adorable.” A rush of air. Then he was in front of her. She barely had time to react. She lashed out, but he caught her wrist mid-swing, his grip like iron. “Let. Me. Go.” He didn’t even flinch. Instead, he tilted his head, eyes locked onto hers. “You have no idea what you are, do you?” Lena’s pulse stuttered. “What?” A beat of silence. Then, softer—too soft. “They’re coming.” Something in his tone made the air freeze around her. She swallowed hard. “Who?” His grip tightened—just a fraction. Just enough to make her feel it. “The ones who won’t be as nice as me.” A howl split the night. Close. Too close. Lena’s stomach twisted. The man exhaled sharply, annoyed. Impatient. “Guess you’re out of time.” Then darkness crashed over her. Lena’s body went rigid as the world tilted. One second, she was on the ground. The next—she was airborne, hoisted into the stranger’s arms like she weighed nothing. Panic surged. She thrashed, shoving at his chest, clawing at his arms—solid. Unyielding. “Put me down!” she snarled, her voice raw with fear. A low growl rumbled from his chest. “Unless you want to be torn apart, shut up and hold on.” She opened her mouth to argue—but then he moved. The world is blurred. The wind lashed her face, sharp and biting. Branches cracked and splintered under his rapid movement. The ground disappeared beneath them as he weaved effortlessly through the dense forest, his strides impossibly fast, impossibly smooth. Lena squeezed her eyes shut. This isn’t real. It can’t be real. The scent of pine and damp earth filled her nose, but beneath it, something darker lingered—blood, sweat, something primal. She forced herself to focus. Think. “You’re not human,” she whispered. His arms tensed. “Neither are you.” Her heart stopped. A chill that had nothing to do with the cold crept up her spine. “What—” A vicious snarl cut through the night. Close. Too close. Something crashed through the underbrush behind them. Heavy. Relentless. Hunting. The stranger cursed under his breath and pushed harder, vaulting over a fallen tree with ease. Lena’s pulse pounded. “What’s chasing us?” “You don’t want to know.” “Tell me!” Another snarl. Closer this time. The hair on her arms stood on end. The man’s golden eyes flickered down at her. “Wolves,” he said. “And not the kind you’ve seen before.” Lena’s breath came in short, panicked gasps. Wolves. Not the kind I’ve seen before. The words barely had time to settle before another snarl ripped through the night. Gaining. Closing in. “Faster,” she choked out. The stranger didn’t answer, but his grip tightened. He moved like a shadow, leaping over roots and fallen logs with terrifying ease. Moonlight flickered through the trees, casting everything in flashes of silver and black. A crash behind them. Twigs snapping. Breathless snarls. Lena twisted in his grip. “Don’t,” he snapped. She ignored him. She needed to see. She needed to— Eyes. Glowing red. Shifting shapes wove between the trees, fast, hulking shadows barely visible against the darkness. No. Not possible. Wolves don’t have red eyes. Then one of them leaped. A blur of fur and teeth. Lena barely had time to scream before the stranger twisted sharply, yanking her tight against his chest as he spun midair. Something slammed into the ground where they’d been a second ago. She felt the impact, heard the snarl of frustration—but they were already gone. He landed effortlessly, barely slowing, while her breath came in ragged, panicked gasps. Lena gripped his jacket. “What the hell—” “They don’t stop,” he growled. “Not until you’re dead.” Terror coiled in her gut. For the first time, she realized she might not survive the night. Another howl split the air. Not distant ahead. She went rigid. “There’s more?” The stranger swore but didn’t slow. His body tensed. Calculating. Lena’s stomach twisted. “You’re running straight at them.” “We don’t have a choice.” She could hear it now. The low, guttural growl circling them. Lena clawed at his jacket. “You’re running into a trap.” “I know.” She froze. “Then stop—” A dark shape exploded from the trees. Massive. Hulking. Not a wolf. Not a man. Something in between. Elongated limbs. Claws that gleamed in the moonlight. A nightmare made flesh. The stranger twisted. A jolt shot through Lena as he pivoted mid-stride, his grip vice-like as he **threw them sideways—**just as the creature swiped. The air hummed with the force of its attack. Claws sliced through the empty space where they’d stood a heartbeat ago. Lena barely had time to scream before they hit the ground hard. Pain shot up her spine. Dirt filled her mouth, lungs burning as she scrambled to her feet. The stranger was already up, standing between her and the thing that had tried to rip her apart. The creature snarled. The stranger growled back. Lena’s breath caught. His voice was wrong now—not human. The creature lunged. And this time—the stranger didn’t run.