Chapter 4

"Everyone get inside! Now!"

Coach Sullivan's voice boomed across the campus as students scattered in every direction. The emergency bell was ringing, a piercing wail that sent everyone into a panic.

"What is that thing?" someone screamed.

"Did you see it? It was huge!"

Noah stood frozen near the gymnasium entrance, his phone pressed to his ear. His father's voice crackled through the speaker, urgent and commanding.

"Noah, listen to me very carefully. Do not go after that thing. You can't kill it yourself. Find safety now. The hunters are on their way."

Noah watched as the white blur disappeared into the woods beyond the campus. His wolf was already stirring, the hunter instinct roaring to life in his veins.

A kitsune. Here. At his university.

"Noah, did you hear me?" Andrew Phillips demanded.

"Yeah, I heard you," Noah said, but he was already moving toward the woods.

"Noah, I'm serious. Stay where you are!"

Noah ended the call and shoved his phone into his pocket. His father could be furious later. Right now, every instinct he had was screaming at him to chase. To hunt.

Kitsunes were supposed to be extinct. His grandfather had told him stories about the hunts, about how dangerous and cunning the fox spirits were. How they deceived and destroyed entire packs.

This one wasn't getting away.

Noah shifted mid stride, his body transforming seamlessly into his wolf form. His clothes tore away as he sprinted across the field and into the woods. The scent trail was fresh, sharp, and intoxicatingly strong.

The kitsune was fast. Faster than any werewolf Noah had ever chased. It weaved through the trees with impossible grace, its nine tails streaming behind it like ribbons of white flame.

Noah pushed harder, his paws pounding against the forest floor. Branches whipped past him, but he barely felt them. His entire focus was on the creature ahead.

And then it vanished.

Noah skidded to a stop, his claws digging into the dirt. He lifted his head, scenting the air. The trail ended here, but the kitsune was gone.

A sob broke the silence.

Noah's ears swiveled toward the sound. It came from behind a massive oak tree, soft and broken.

He approached slowly, his body low and ready. When he rounded the tree, he froze.

Yuna sat curled against the trunk, naked and crying. Her arms were wrapped around herself, trying to cover her body. Leaves and dirt clung to her skin, and her eyes were red and swollen.

"Yuna?" Noah shifted back to human form, shock overriding everything else. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know," she sobbed, her voice barely audible. "Please, I don't know what happened."

Noah's mind raced. The timing. The scent. The way his wolf had reacted to her before.

"Wait a minute." He took a step back, his eyes widening. "No way. That can't be true."

"Please don't tell anyone," Yuna begged, tears streaming down her face. "I don't understand what's happening to me."

Voices echoed through the woods. Men shouting. Dogs barking.

The hunters.

"Shoot, that's my dad," Noah muttered. "We have to hide. Now."

He grabbed Yuna's hand and pulled her to her feet. She stumbled, weak and disoriented, but he kept her moving. They ran deeper into the woods until Noah spotted a small ravine, just big enough for them to hide in.

"Get in," he ordered, sliding down first.

Yuna followed, her bare feet slipping on the muddy slope. The space was tight, forcing them to press against each other. Noah could feel every inch of her skin against his, warm and soft despite the cold air.

"We need to mask our scent," he said quietly. He scooped up handfuls of mud from the bottom of the ravine and began smearing it over his arms and chest.

Yuna watched him for a second before doing the same, rubbing the mud over her shoulders and legs.

"Here," Noah murmured, reaching up to spread mud across her neck. His fingers brushed her skin, and she shivered.

Their eyes met. The space between them felt impossibly small. Noah's wolf purred despite the danger, despite everything.

"This isn't good," he whispered.

The voices grew closer. Flashlights swept through the trees above them, and the hunters' footsteps crunched on the fallen leaves.

"Spread out! It has to be here somewhere!" Andrew Phillips's voice rang out clearly.

Noah held his breath. Yuna pressed closer to him, trembling. He could feel her heartbeat against his chest, rapid and terrified.

The hunters passed directly overhead. One of them stopped, sniffing the air.

"I've got something. This way!"

But they moved in the wrong direction, following a false trail. Minutes passed that felt like hours. Finally, the voices faded into the distance.

Noah waited until he couldn't hear them anymore before moving. He climbed out of the ravine carefully, scanning the area.

"We're safe now," he said quietly. "Let's go."

He shifted back into his wolf form and lowered himself so Yuna could climb onto his back. She hesitated, then wrapped her arms around his neck. Her bare skin pressed against his fur, and Noah forced himself to focus on getting them back safely.

He took a route through the back of campus, avoiding the main areas where students and hunters would be gathered. By the time they reached his dorm building, the sun was starting to set.

Noah's room was on the top floor, away from most of the other students. He shifted back and unlocked the door, ushering Yuna inside quickly.

"Bathroom's there," he said, pointing. "I'll find you something to wear."

Yuna nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. Noah heard the shower start a moment later.

He pulled out a pair of sweatpants and an old t shirt from his dresser, setting them on the bed. Then he grabbed his own clothes and quickly got dressed.

His phone buzzed with messages from his father, but he ignored them. He needed time to think. To figure out what the hell was going on.

Yuna was a kitsune. The creature his family had hunted to extinction. The enemy he was raised to kill on sight.

And she was his mate.

The bathroom door opened, and Yuna stepped out wearing his clothes. They were far too big on her, the sleeves hanging past her hands, the pants pooling around her feet. She looked small and vulnerable.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Before Noah could respond, an announcement blared from the speakers outside.

"All students must report to the main field immediately. This is mandatory. I repeat, all students to the main field."

Noah and Yuna looked at each other.

"They're going to question everyone," Noah said grimly.

Yuna's face went pale. "What am I supposed to say?"

"Nothing. Let me do the talking." Noah grabbed a jacket and tossed it to her. "Put this on. And whatever happens out there, stay close to me."

"Why are you helping me?" Yuna asked, catching the jacket.

Noah met her eyes, his expression hard. "Because if I don't, you're dead. And I might be the one to kill you"