8. Stalking Shadows

Dawn finds us still awake, wrapped in a silence thick with meaning. The shelter feels less like a safe haven and more like a turning point—an invisible battlefield where a war is being fought, one I’m only just beginning to understand.

“We need to move,” says Shadow, his voice hoarse with fatigue but resolute.

“Leave? Go where?”

“Far from here. Caleb won’t come alone next time.”

There’s something in his gaze that unsettles me deeply—like he’s already weighed all the options, and none of them are good.

“And how do you plan to outrun them? You said they’re watching you. That they’ll never stop hunting you.”

“This isn’t running, Amelia. It’s buying time.”

Before I can say another word, Shadow is already gathering his things—quick, precise movements that betray the urgency of the situation. I rise from my corner, the early morning cold biting at my skin as I watch him.

“What if they find us?” I ask, wrapping my arms around myself.

He stops, his golden eyes meeting mine.

“Then I fight.”

“And if you don’t win?”

“Then you make sure to keep running.”

The idea of leaving him behind terrifies me, but something in his tone tells me there’s no room for debate.

The journey through the forest is chaos—branches claw at my skin, and roots lie in wait to trip me. Shadow moves ahead of me, tall and powerful, his body flowing through the woods like he was born from them.

“Shadow,” I call, trying not to fall behind, “where are we going?”

“There’s a safer place. An old cabin.”

“Safer than the shelter?”

“For us, yes. For them, not so much.”

His answer is cryptic, but I don’t have time to press further. A howl breaks through the air—distant, but unmistakable.

“What was that?” I whisper.

“Caleb. And he’s not alone.”

Fear settles in my chest like a stone. Shadow halts, his senses sharpened—I can see it in the way his muscles coil, ready for combat.

“Keep going, Amelia.”

“What? No. I’m not leaving you.”

“There’s no time to argue. Run to the clearing. Follow the path to the right. The cabin’s at the end.”

“Shadow—”

“Run!”

His shout jolts me into motion, but every step feels like betrayal. I run as fast as I can, the sounds of cracking twigs and rustling leaves roaring in my ears. The howl draws closer, now joined by something else—a low, guttural growl that freezes my blood.

I don’t dare look back.

I reach the clearing, breathless and shaking, but something stops me. A figure steps out from between the trees, and my heart drops when I recognize him.

“Amelia?” Caleb’s voice is soft, almost seductive, but there’s something in his tone that sets every alarm in me off. “What are you doing out here… all alone?”

“Leave me alone,” I say, stepping back.

“Leave you alone? But I’m here to help you.” He takes a step forward, a flash of fangs breaking through his smile. “Shadow is putting you in danger.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I know far more than you think.” His gaze sharpens, golden eyes glowing with unspoken threat. “He can’t protect you from what’s coming. But I can.”

“I don’t need your help.”

I try to sound firm, but Caleb circles like a predator, each word meant to chip away at my defenses.

“You’re brave, I’ll give you that. But brave isn’t the same as smart. Shadow’s a lone wolf, Amelia. He doesn’t belong anywhere. And you? Do you really believe you can be part of his world?”

“I don’t care about his world. I care about him.”

My words catch him off guard. For a second, something shifts in his expression—as if he hadn’t expected that kind of conviction from me.

“That… is a mistake, little human.”

Before I can react, Caleb lunges. His movements are swift and lethal, pure predator—but he doesn’t reach me.

A deafening roar tears through the clearing as Shadow crashes into him with enough force to shake the ground. They tumble and thrash, a violent blur of growls and blows that paralyzes me.

“Run, Amelia!” Shadow yells, his voice filled with fury.

But I can’t move. I’m trapped between fear and the need to stay by his side.

Caleb rises, wiping blood from his mouth with a crooked smile.

“This isn’t over, Shadow.”

And with that, he vanishes into the trees, his silhouette swallowed by the dark.

“Are you okay?” Shadow asks, rushing toward me.

“What do you think?”

My voice quivers, and he pauses—as if my words hurt more than the fight did.

“I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

“No. You shouldn’t have lied to me.”

He looks at me, and for the first time, I see something in him I never expected—vulnerability.

“I didn’t want you to know how much danger you’re in just by being with me.”

“And you think that changes anything?”

Shadow doesn’t answer. Instead, he pulls me into his arms—warm, strong, shielding me from everything outside.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, voice broken. “But I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

I want to believe him.

But deep down, I know…

The shadows that haunt us won’t fade so easily.