14. Pacts and Shadows

The night wraps around me with its cold cloak as I keep running through the forest. My legs tremble, exhaustion threatens to bring me down, but I can’t stop. The thought of leaving Shadow alone with Caleb suffocates me. And yet, a deeper determination is growing inside me: if he’s willing to risk everything for me, then I’ll do the same.

The forest feels endless. Tall, dark trees rise around me, their branches clawing at the sky. The ground is uneven, littered with roots and stones waiting to trip me. But I press on, driven by a mixture of fear and purpose.

At last, a flicker of light between the trees catches my eye. I stop in my tracks, panting, and cautiously move toward the clearing ahead. There, a figure awaits me.

A woman—tall and slender—wrapped in a dark cloak that seems to absorb the moonlight. Her black hair shines like onyx under the moon, and her unsettling gray eyes watch me with a mix of curiosity and disdain.

“I knew you’d come,” she says, her voice soft but firm.

“Who are you?” I ask, though something inside me already knows the answer.

“I’m someone who can help you.” She smiles, showing teeth that are far too white. “But the real question is: are you willing to pay the price?”

The woman introduces herself as Isolde, a hunter of the supernatural. But not just any hunter—her specialty is breaking old oaths and ancient pacts, like the one Shadow sealed with his father.

“Your wolf is trapped,” she explains, walking slowly around me, her boots barely making a sound on the leaf-strewn ground. “That oath binds him not only to his father, but to Caleb as well. It’s a dangerous tether—one that can be used to control him.”

“Can you break it?” I ask, my voice shaking.

Isolde stops and looks at me, her expression unreadable.

“I can try. But I’ll need something in return.”

“Anything,” I say without hesitation.

The hunter laughs softly—a sound that makes my skin crawl.

“So brave… and so naive. But I like your fire, human.”

The ritual Isolde prepares is dark and terrifying. She takes me to a cabin deep within the woods, an ancient place that seems to breathe history—and death. The air inside is thick with the scent of burning herbs and something metallic, like dried blood.

“This won’t be easy,” she warns, placing black candles around a circle of salt. “And what you see may break you.”

“Nothing can break me more than what I’ve already endured,” I reply, clenching my fists.

Isolde smiles but says nothing more.

The ritual begins with a chant in a language I don’t recognize. The hunter moves her hands precisely, tracing symbols in the air that glow with a silvery light. The ground beneath me seems to hum, and the air thickens, making it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, a figure emerges from the shadows. It’s not Caleb—but it’s not Shadow either. It’s something else. Something ancient and terrible. Its eyes burn a deep, bloodred, and its presence floods the room with a crushing energy.

“What is that?” I ask, taking a step back.

“It’s the spirit of the oath,” Isolde answers without pausing. “To break it, we must face it.”

The spirit doesn’t speak aloud, but its gaze pierces through me. I feel like it sees every secret I’ve ever kept, every fear I’ve ever had.

“Why her?” The voice of the spirit rumbles in my mind, deep and rending. “Why would the wolf choose such a fragile human?”

“I am not weak!” I shout, though my voice trembles.

The spirit grins—a cruel twist of its features that freezes my blood.

“We’ll see.”

The confrontation isn’t physical—but it’s just as brutal. The spirit forces me to relive my worst memories, every moment of pain and loss I’ve ever endured. But through it all, I hold onto one image: Shadow. His face, his voice, his promise to always be by my side.

At last, the spirit seems to falter. Its form begins to fade, its voice dropping to a whisper.

“This is not over…”

With a final flicker of light, it vanishes, leaving the room in an eerie silence.

Isolde collapses into a nearby chair, visibly drained.

“You did it,” she says, her voice barely audible. “The oath is broken.”

“Does that mean Shadow is safe?”

The hunter studies me, her eyes tired but sharp.

“For now. But Caleb won’t stop. And without the oath, Shadow is even more vulnerable.”

My heart sinks—but there’s also a spark of hope. I’ve broken a bond that once seemed indestructible. The road ahead will be hard, but I know now: I’m not powerless.

“Thank you, Isolde.”

“Don’t thank me yet, girl.” The hunter gives me a bitter smile. “What comes next will be worse.”

When I return to the clearing where I left Shadow, the dawn is just beginning to paint the sky in shades of orange and pink. My body is exhausted, but my mind is alert, scanning for any sign of him.

And then—I see him.

Shadow stands at the center of the clearing, bloodied, battered—but alive. His gaze finds mine, and in an instant, I’m running into his arms, wrapping him in the fiercest embrace I can manage.

“I thought I lost you,” I whisper against his chest.

“You’ll never lose me,” he replies, his voice rough, but thick with emotion.

For a moment, everything feels right. But I know this is only the beginning. Caleb is still out there—and our love is still a threat too many want to destroy.

But together, we’re stronger.

And no matter how many obstacles rise against us—we won’t give up.