Chapter 13: The Hunters Arrive

The voices grew louder.

Branches cracked beneath heavy boots. Wolves moved through the forest with purpose, their scent carried ahead of them by the wind.

I could feel them coming long before I saw them.

Kael stood at the edge of the clearing, every muscle tense. His posture remained calm, but there was something dangerous beneath it—a readiness that made even the darkness seem cautious around him.

The bond pulsed faintly beneath my skin.

Not pain.

Warning.

"They're close," I whispered.

Kael didn't look at me.

"I know."

The answer came quietly, but his focus never wavered.

A moment later, shadows emerged from the trees.

One.

Then three.

Then six.

Armed wolves stepped into the clearing.

Their eyes immediately found Kael.

Relief crossed several faces.

Then their attention shifted to me.

And everything changed.

The atmosphere became tense.

Questions filled the air before anyone spoke them.

At the front stood a broad-shouldered man with dark hair and sharp gray eyes.

Authority surrounded him.

Not Alpha authority.

Something different.

Trust.

Loyalty.

The kind earned through years of standing beside a leader.

His gaze landed on Kael.

"Alpha."

Kael nodded once.

"Darius."

The newcomer exhaled visibly.

"We've been searching for two days."

Darius.

The Beta.

I remembered hearing the name whispered among warriors during the attack.

His eyes shifted toward me.

Assessing.

Calculating.

The way Kael always did.

Except Darius didn't hide his curiosity.

"Is this her?"

The clearing became very quiet.

Kael's expression hardened immediately.

"Careful."

The warning wasn't loud.

It didn't need to be.

Darius raised an eyebrow.

Interesting.

Apparently, even Betas weren't immune to Alpha warnings.

Still, he looked at me again.

Longer this time.

The mark on my arm suddenly burned.

Sharp.

Unexpected.

I gasped.

Instantly, every eye in the clearing turned toward me.

My stomach dropped.

No.

No no no.

Not now.

The mark pulsed again.

Brighter.

Stronger.

Like it had sensed the attention.

Kael moved immediately.

He stepped between me and the others before anyone could react.

The motion was so fast that several warriors visibly stiffened.

Darius noticed.

His expression changed.

Not confusion.

Recognition.

And that frightened me more than confusion would have.

"What happened?" one of the warriors asked.

No one answered.

The mark continued glowing beneath my sleeve.

Kael's voice dropped.

"Do not approach her."

The command echoed through the clearing.

Several warriors exchanged looks.

Darius stared at Kael.

Then at me.

Then back at Kael.

Understanding slowly appeared on his face.

And he didn't like what he understood.

"What have you done?" he asked quietly.

The question hit harder than an accusation.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"I didn't do this."

Darius laughed once.

Without humor.

"That's not an answer."

The tension instantly doubled.

I looked between them.

Something important wasn't being said.

Something old.

Something dangerous.

The bond pulsed again.

Heat spread through my arm.

My breathing became uneven.

Kael noticed immediately.

His attention snapped toward me.

"Lira."

The simple sound of my name grounded me slightly.

Not completely.

But enough.

"What is happening?" I whispered.

His jaw tightened.

"Too many wolves."

I blinked.

"What?"

"The bond is reacting to the pack."

That made no sense.

Then again, almost nothing did anymore.

Darius stepped forward.

Only one step.

The mark exploded.

Pain shot through my arm.

I cried out.

Immediately, a wave of force burst outward.

The ground shook.

Leaves exploded from nearby trees.

Several warriors staggered backward.

One actually fell.

Silence crashed over the clearing.

Everyone stared at me.

I stared at my hand.

Horrified.

"I didn't mean—"

"Lira."

Kael's voice cut through everything.

Firm.

Steady.

Grounding.

I looked up.

His eyes held mine.

Nothing else.

No panic.

No fear.

Just focus.

"Look at me."

I obeyed without thinking.

The moment I did, the burning eased slightly.

The force vanished.

The clearing became still again.

A long silence followed.

Then Darius spoke.

Very carefully.

"The stories are true."

My stomach tightened.

Kael's expression darkened.

"Enough."

"No."

The Beta shook his head.

"We need to talk about this."

"Not here."

"Then when?"

The two men stared at each other.

Years of trust stood between them.

But so did disagreement.

For the first time, I realized Kael wasn't only fighting enemies outside his pack.

He was fighting fear inside it too.

Darius turned toward me.

The mark tingled immediately.

Not painfully.

Just enough to make me aware.

His expression softened slightly.

"I am not your enemy."

I wanted to believe him.

But after everything that had happened, trust felt expensive.

Before I could answer, another warrior rushed into the clearing.

His breathing was uneven.

Urgent.

Something was wrong.

"Alpha."

Every head turned.

The warrior swallowed.

"We found signs."

Kael's eyes sharpened instantly.

"What signs?"

The warrior hesitated.

Then:

"Hunters."

The word dropped like a stone into still water.

My stomach sank.

Darius cursed under his breath.

Kael became completely still.

That silence frightened me more than anger would have.

"What kind?" Darius asked.

The warrior's face paled.

"Silver hunters."

Every expression in the clearing changed.

Fear.

Real fear.

I looked between them.

No one seemed surprised.

Which meant they knew exactly what that meant.

Unfortunately, I didn't.

"What are silver hunters?" I asked.

No one answered immediately.

That alone was terrifying.

Finally, Darius looked at me.

"People who specialize in killing wolves."

My blood went cold.

"Human hunters?"

Darius shook his head.

"Not exactly."

That answer somehow made things worse.

Kael turned toward the warrior.

"How close?"

"Less than a day's travel."

The clearing fell silent again.

A day.

Whatever these hunters were, even experienced warriors looked uneasy.

Kael's attention shifted toward me.

His expression remained unreadable.

But I could feel something through the bond.

Concern.

Not for himself.

For me.

The realization hit harder than it should have.

Darius noticed the look.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Then he said something that changed everything.

"They're not here for Blackridge."

The clearing went still.

Kael already knew.

I could see it.

Darius continued.

"They're tracking the mark."

The words punched the air from my lungs.

The mark.

Me.

The hunters were following me.

My legs suddenly felt weak.

"No," I whispered.

Darius didn't look away.

"They've been searching for generations."

The bond pulsed sharply.

Almost violently.

As if reacting to the truth.

I grabbed my arm.

The burning intensified.

Memories from the dream flashed through my mind.

The woman.

The circle.

The broken seal.

The voice.

The bond was never meant to be complete.

Kael stepped closer immediately.

The pain eased slightly.

Not completely.

But enough.

His voice lowered.

"We leave now."

Darius frowned.

"Where?"

"Farther north."

The Beta's expression darkened.

"You can't keep running forever."

"No."

Kael looked toward the distant forest.

His eyes became cold.

Deadly.

The eyes of an Alpha preparing for war.

"But we can choose where the battle happens."

A chill ran down my spine.

Because I suddenly understood something.

The hunters weren't the only threat.

The bond was growing stronger every day.

Enemies were beginning to notice.

And somewhere out there, others were searching too.

The dream had awakened something ancient.

Something powerful.

Something dangerous.

And now everyone wanted it.

The mark pulsed again.

Slow.

Steady.

Almost alive.

As if it knew exactly what was coming.

Kael looked at me.

For a brief moment, the Alpha disappeared.

Leaving only the man beneath.

Determined.

Protective.

Worried.

Then the mask returned.

"Gather your things," he said.

"We move immediately."

The warriors obeyed at once.

The clearing erupted into motion.

Preparations.

Orders.

Weapons.

Strategy.

The calm of the previous night vanished completely.

War was coming.

Not the kind fought over territory.

Not the kind fought over pride.

This war was older.

Buried beneath centuries of secrets.

And somehow—

I stood at its center.