73. On the Edge of Chaos

The name Klaus is a poison that seeps into the air between us. Shadow stands rigid in front of me, like a wall of iron, and I can feel the intensity of his inner struggle. His protective instinct clashes with the fury crackling in the air, like a storm waiting to be unleashed.

"Who the hell is Klaus?" I whisper, trying to keep my voice steady as I take a step back, aware that my presence might be more of a burden than a help.

Klaus lets out a laugh that echoes through the trees. It's a hollow sound, laced with malice, and it sends a shiver racing down my spine. He takes another step toward us, his figure now bathed in the pale glow of the moon. His eyes shine with something wild, and the smile on his face feels more like a challenge than any sign of joy.

"Hasn't he told you, darling?" Klaus asks, his tone mocking as he looks at me with bold amusement. "I’m... an old thorn in your precious lycan’s side. Though, personally, I prefer to think of myself as a reminder of everything he tries so hard to forget."

"Leave," Shadow growls again, his voice low and saturated with imminent danger.

Klaus completely disregards the warning. He moves with maddening confidence, like a predator who knows the odds are in his favor.

"What’s the matter, Shadow? Gone soft enough that you need a human now to feel alive?" His smile widens, and his eyes sweep over me from head to toe, as if dissecting me. "Though I must admit... she does have something special."

I don’t know what stuns me more: his lewd insinuation or the low growl that rumbles from Shadow’s chest—a warning so primal and fierce it seems even the leaves on the trees tremble.

"Klaus, this is your last warning," Shadow says, stepping forward, his body coiled as if ready to pounce. "If you don’t leave now, you won’t walk away."

Klaus's smile fades, and for the first time, his expression hardens. His eyes gleam with a dark fire, and the air around us thickens, heavy with an almost electric energy.

"Do you really want to do this here?" Klaus asks, his tone calm but deadly. "In front of her?"

The words hit me like ice water. There’s something in his voice that makes me feel like a pawn in a game far beyond my comprehension—and I hate that feeling.

"Enough!" I cut in, my voice louder than I intended. Both men look at me, startled, but I don’t back down. "I don’t know what kind of history you two have, but I’m not going to stand here while you tear each other apart."

Klaus chuckles—a short, sarcastic sound—while Shadow shoots me a glance loaded with both frustration and concern.

"This isn’t your fight, Lyra," Shadow says, trying to sound firm, though he can’t quite hide the fear for my safety in his voice.

"It is my fight if you’re dragging me into it," I snap, arms crossed.

Klaus grins again, as if my defiance is the most entertaining thing he’s seen in years.

"I have to admit, I like her spirit," he says, tilting his head slightly toward me. "Brave… or foolish. I haven’t decided yet."

Shadow moves in a blur. Before I can react, he's already in front of Klaus, his hand clamped around his throat with such force the air seems to vibrate.

"Don’t talk about her again," he growls, his voice low and dangerous, like distant thunder.

Klaus doesn’t seem fazed. In fact, his smile returns—darker now, sharper.

"Ah, there’s the Shadow I remember," he whispers, his eyes gleaming with malice. "I was wondering how long you’d take to show up."

The tension is unbearable. I can feel Shadow struggling to hold himself back, to not surrender to the rage simmering just beneath the surface. But before I can step in, Klaus moves.

He’s so fast I can barely follow him. In an instant, he slips from Shadow’s grip and retreats, his posture still relaxed, though his eyes stay sharp and watchful.

"This isn’t over," he says, his voice light but laced with a veiled threat. "We’ll meet again, Shadow. And next time… it won’t be so friendly."

With that, he vanishes into the darkness, leaving us alone in a silence so loud it roars in my ears.

"Who is he?" I finally ask, my voice barely more than a whisper as I try to process what just happened.

Shadow doesn’t answer right away. He stands where Klaus had just been, his body still tense, his gaze lost in the shadows of the forest.

"He’s a mistake from the past," he says at last, his voice so low I can barely hear it.

"A mistake that wants to kill you?" I press, stepping closer.

He turns to me, and the intensity in his eyes stops me in my tracks.

"I won’t let him hurt you, Lyra," he says firmly, his tone making it clear that—for now—that’s the only answer I’ll get.

I want to protest, demand more answers, but something in his expression holds me back. There’s a weight in his eyes that tells me this is far bigger than I can yet grasp.

"So… what do we do now?" I ask finally, breaking the silence.

Shadow exhales, and though his stance remains solid, something in him seems to ease—if only slightly.

"Now we prepare," he says, his voice laced with a determination that’s both terrifying and strangely reassuring. "Because this is only the beginning."

And as I stand there, under the moonlight and surrounded by the darkened woods, I can’t shake the feeling that my life is about to change in ways I never could have imagined.