CHAPTER 4

Kael didn't give it a second thought. 

The speed at which he is moving makes it difficult for me to see him. In one moment, he is standing in front of me, and the next, he is slapping the stranger with all of his strength behind his back. It is the man who hits the stone wall, which causes it to break.

During the course of Thorne's flight into the air, his bones suddenly fracture, and his fur begins to emerge from his skin. Suddenly, a very large dog appears next to Kael and gives him a stern look. 

I get grabbed by Draven's arm. "Don't move."A frozen whisper comes out of my mouth as I say, "I wasn't going to." 

A great deal of noise can be heard coming from the woods outdoors. The animal stomps and groans. These howls cause the windows to shake in response. It appears as though the trees are being illuminated by fiery eyes that are crimson in color. 

On the contrary, Kael chuckles despite the fact that he has the scout held down. "Not enough time." Already, the boundary that separated them has been breached. 

It is Kael's snarl. "You'll wish you hadn't done this." 

The individual makes the statement, "Oh, I already do," and then looks back at me. "But he'll like it." 

Draven pulls me back at the same time as the floor begins to shake beneath us. A heartbeat can be felt beneath my feet, and it is the silver marks that I was unaware were there. 

In response, Draven responds, "No." "Not now." "What's going on?" With my heart pounding, I inquire. 

According to what he says, "The land is reacting to you." "It thinks you're in danger." 

Outside, a large number of wolves suddenly emerged from their hiding place behind the woods. The combat is swift and vicious, and Kael's pack rushes forward to meet them by their side. A mixture of blood and fur is produced when the moonlight is present. 

Something is yelled out by the scout in a language that I am not familiar with. 

As time goes on, the marks on the floor get paler. 

The heat is rushing through my bloodstream and filling my entire body. As the moonlight bends toward me as if it were alive, I let out a cry and grip my chest. "Selene!" Kael yells toward me. "Fight it!"How is it that I don't know! 

The walls are glowing with light. The ground is even more trembling. The wolves are driven away by a shockwave that emanates from where I am like leaves being blown away by a storm. 

The sudden onset of silence. 

Every one of our dogs, as well as theirs, freezes. 

Then, a voice can be heard echoing through the forest. Calm down. Unwavering. Without a doubt. "Little Moonbound, you feel it now, don't you?" 

A chill goes through my veins. 

As the voice continues, it says, "Because I do." "And I'm coming for what's mine." 

Above, the moon beams with a brilliant silvery light. 

As something within me reacts, my knees give way and I allow myself to fall.** ---