🔹Act 11🔹

Orin’s Pov

“Let me out, Vey!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

‘No. We need to be far from her,’ Veythar’s voice rumbled deep inside my head, heavy but low. ‘She cannot see us like this.’

“I said let me out!” I snapped again… my chest was heaving and my body was shaking with rage.

He ignored me, his breaths came rough and uneven as he pushed forward. I was pissed that he would do something so stupid and reckless— he could feel the pain and anger that was burning through my body still he didn’t give in. Instead he went on running, faster than he normally would.

“Fuck!” I cursed out, the words slipping out before I could hold it back.

“What the fuck was that,Vey?” I asked as I ran through the woods at full speed as if I was escaping someone.

‘We are escaping someone, Orin,” Veythar roared in my ears… so loud I could hear it rumble in my ears and chest.

“You didn’t have to let her see us like that,” I added, my tone was a bit lighter now but still sharp with anger underneath.

‘I was hungry and it’s been a long time since I have ever lashed out like that…” Veythar growled.

“A long time?” I said as I suddenly stopped in my tracks.

I bent over breathing hard as my hands rested on my knees. It was not out of exhaustion… no, but it was just so I could take a breather from everything that had happened a while ago. I needed to breathe, to think and to get away from the chaos burning in my head.

For a moment, everything was quiet except for my breathing. Then I started to hear the forest again — a woodpecker tapping on a tree, birds singing from somewhere high above.

I could hear the wind blow softly… so soft on the leaves and they in turn gave a soothing rustling sound. A drop of water fell from a leaf and landed on my arm. The ground felt soft under my feet, and the forest seemed calm and alive.

I didn’t move. I just stood there and listened, letting the sounds and smells of the forest fill me up.

‘What are you doing, Orin?’ He finally questioned, his tone was calmer now.

“Thinking actually,” I muttered, my voice came out way too strong than I had expected.

Veythar had always been a creature of great power and character and what had happened back there was out of his behavior— that wasn’t him. It was not us.

‘Thinking about what?’ He asked.

I didn’t answer right away. My jaw tightened as flashes of Kaelis’s face filled my mind — her wide eyes staring at me and I could feel the fear that covered her. I could still smell her. The way her fear hit me like a wave when she saw what I had become.

“What happened, Vey?” I queried but my voice was softer this time.

‘I have no idea.’ He said after a short pause and a soft sigh. ‘All I know is that I wanted to protect her and keep her safe but… but I lost all control when I knew her life was in danger. I didn’t know what I was doing…’

“But you lost control,” I snapped, the anger boiling again. “You tore those men apart, Vey. You didn’t even stop. You didn’t even try to—”

‘I know!’ he roared, cutting me off. The sound shook me from the inside, making my chest ache. He went quiet again, and when he spoke next, his voice was smaller. ‘I know. I could feel it. The hunger… the rage… I haven’t gone that far in years.’ His voice came out lighter now but it sounded like he was heartbroken and that he was punishing himself.

“You scared her, Vey. She doesn’t see us as a man anymore. She sees us as a monster and an animal.”

‘Maybe that is what we are,’ he said bitterly.

“No,” I muttered. “That’s not who we are. That’s not who I am.”

‘You think she will forgive us?’ he asked quietly.

I didn’t answer and couldn’t because I had no idea how to.

After a while, he broke the silence again. ‘You wanted to know what came over me.’

“Yeah.”

‘I don’t know,’ he admitted. ‘It felt like something was pulling me apart inside, like I was both me and not me but one thing was clear — she had to be protected. No matter what.’

I swallowed hard. “And the feeding?” I asked, my stomach tightening at the thought of it.

‘Hunger,’ he said after a pause. ‘Raw and consuming. I tried to fight it, but it was like something was inside me, feeding off me. I can’t explain it.’ He groaned.

“That’s not good enough, Vey.” My voice cracked a little. “You can’t lose control like that. She’ll never look at me the same again.”

He went silent again, and I could feel his shame through the link we shared.

‘Then maybe it’s for the best,’ he murmured.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

‘Maybe she should stay away from us,’ he said. ‘Maybe she shouldn’t have to see what we really are.’

“You don’t mean that.” I groaned. “I had wanted to run away and not look back but you… you wanted her by your side so what the fuck is it?”

The silence that fell between us was way too thick that it could be cut with a very sharp knife but we had both done this and throwing blames right now wasn’t the right way to go.

Then Veythar’s voice came through, softer this time. ‘There’s something else, Orin. The attack— it was too precise. They knew exactly where to find her. How did the Ashfangs know she was there?”

I frowned. “You think someone told them?”

‘Someone had to. There’s no other way… not unless they were already tracking her.’

“And that means Valrik knows she’s alive. Damn it! She isn’t safe here anymore.”

He was about to answer when a sharp snap echoed through the trees. His body tensed instantly as every muscle in him tightened and his senses snapping awake.

Then, before I could say anything, he moved… fast, silent, and deadly— more deadly than he was earlier.

“Vey— wait!” I tried to call out but it fell on deaf ears.

Branches cracked, as he ran to where the sound came from at a faster speed than he normally would and in the next breath, he stopped.

Kaelis.

She was there.

She had crouched behind a thick oak tree, her breathing was shallow and her eyes were wide. Her face was pale, her hair sticking to her cheeks and she looked terrified, but when she saw me— saw us— something shifted in her eyes. Fear, yes, but also something else.

For a heartbeat, everything stopped moving as her gaze met his.

Veythar hesitated, his claws still digging into the ground. He looked at her as his chest was rising and falling fast.

‘She followed us,’ he whispered inside me.

He tried to turn away, ashamed, but her voice stopped him.

“Don’t run,” she said, breath trembling. “Please. Don’t run away from me again.”

She stepped closer, slowly but cautious, and there was no fear in her steps— only the storm in her eyes. “I don’t even know why I came here,” she whispered. “But I did. And I know one thing… I need you, Orin. Both of you. And I think… you need me too.”

Veythar lowered his head, a deep growl vibrating in his chest, not from anger but pain. ‘You shouldn’t be here,’ he said quietly.

“And yet… here I am,” she shot back.

In a moment her eyes widened like she had thought of something as she flew her hand to her mouth gasping, then she looked at me… Veythar rather with a careful but suspicious look.

“I… I can understand you.”

Veythar and I were so shocked that we could barely move from where we stood.

How was this possible?

We have heard of this before but…

‘She can hear me,’ Veythar murmured, disbelief in his voice as he cut me off.

Kaelis took another step forward, her eyes blessed in the faint moonlight. “You’re not just an animal,” she said softly. “You’re… him too. Both of you are.”

He turned his head away, his body still trembling with restraint. “You don’t understand, Kaelis. I am not… I’m not safe. I can’t control it.”

“You think I care about that?” she whispered. Her voice cracked, but her steps didn’t stop. “You think that’s enough to make me run from you?”

He stayed silent, his breathing was rough.

“I saw you,” she said, her voice trembling but steady. “I saw what you did. I was scared and I still am, but I don’t believe that’s all you are.”

He flinched, and I felt it too — that small pain, that small hope breaking through the fear.

“Please,” she said softly. “Look at me.”

Veythar’s body relaxed slowly and his claws dug less into the ground. His shoulders dropped, then for the first time, he lowered himself, crouching slightly, as his eyes were locked on her.

She lifted her hand, shaking but steady enough to reach for him. Her fingers brushed his face gently. He didn’t move. Her touch was so small, so fragile, but it broke something inside me.

Her lips trembled. “It’s you… isn’t it?”

He didn’t speak, but his eyes softened. Slowly, and painfully, his form began to change. The fur receded, the bones shifted, the glow faded. The growl became a breath, and then it was me again… Just me.

My chest was bare, my hands were still covered with blood, and she was looking right at me.

She whispered, “You shouldn’t have run.”

Before I could think, she reached up, her hand still trembling, and touched my face again— but this time as a man. The warmth of her skin burned against mine.

“Kaelis,” I started, but the word got lost when she leaned closer.

Then— I don’t know who moved first.

Her lips met mine or my lips met hers but I knew that the world stopped. It wasn’t gentle, rather it was desperate and raw as every heartbeat, every breath, and every ache poured into that one moment.

My hand moved to her waist, hers were playing in my hair. It felt like everything we had been holding back finally broke free.

Then I pulled away. “Kaelis…” I whispered, my voice shaking. “Stop… we can’t.”

She shook her head, her lips still trembling. “Then go,” she said softly. “If you don’t want this… go.”

But I didn’t and I couldn’t.

Instead, I kissed her again— harder and deeper this time as our tongues fondled each other and our hands played with our bodies.

And then, she let out a loud gasp that vibrated through my body. It was a sharp sound that made her body go numb in my arms.

“Kaelis!” I shouted, catching her before she hit the ground.

“Damn it,” I whispered, holding her tighter, my heart pounding.

For the first time that night, I was truly afraid.