4

Tanya’s Pov

As if the Moon Goddess wasn't cruel enough. First, I was cheated on, forced to leave the pack in shame and now, I was being attacked by rogue panther shifters.

If my memory were to be erased, I wouldn't forget this day in a hurry.

The loud growl from one of the panther shifters snapped me from my thoughts and I shuddered.

The first panther shifter charged at me, his claws ready to tear me to shreds, but thankfully, adrenaline coursed through veins, enabling me to dodge right on time.

The unexpected move sent the shifter slamming against the trunk of the tree in a sickening thud.

Satisfaction settled in my chest but my victory was only short-lived.

There were too many of them, their dark forms emerging from the trees and their eyes glowing menacingly in the dark as they circled me.

I briefly closed my eyes, praying to the Moon Goddess to help awaken my dormant wolf powers.

But I felt nothing, no energy to tap from. I was wolfless after all.

I quickly brushed the thoughts aside and I tried to focus on the panther shifters growling as they closed the distance between us.

But if I die here, I wouldn’t be able to get revenge. They will get away with it and I couldn't afford to allow that to happen. My wolf reminded me.

I would fight regardless! I couldn’t afford to die out here!

My chest was constricted with uncertainty and fear, but I tried to remain calm as I tightened my grip around the hunter dagger.

The shifters were relentless, their growls slicing through the air, sending a cold shiver down my spine.

But the odds were against me.

The shifters were too fast and too synchronised.

Then without warning, they sprinted toward me, their fangs unsheathed, and glowing eyes zeroing in on me with murderous intensity.

My instinct was to take flight, but my body wouldn't budge, no matter how hard I tried. My body was as heavy as lead, and my mind was clouded with an overwhelming dread of impending death.

My knees gave way, and I slumped to the cold ground in defeat, my eyes blurring towards darkness.

Just when I thought it was all over, a deep growl, sharp and commanding, rang through the air, cutting through the commotion.

Immediately, the panther shifters stopped dead in their tracks, with fear glinting in their eyes.

I snapped my eyes open in shock just in time to see a huge figure emerging from the trees.

The panthers turned to face him and charged at him all at once.

How was he going to survive that? My heart pounded in my chest as I silently hope the stranger doesn't die because of me.

But his next move left me speechless.

“Leave,” he growled, his voice carrying deadly authority.

He lurched at them as fast as lightning, barely visible in the dim light, but his lethal grace was unmistakable.

He tore through the shifters with ferocity, unstoppable, like a force of nature defying reality. One by one, they fell to the ground in defeat, their snarls morphing into whimpers as they were cut down.

It was over in the blink of an eye, and silence lingered in the air. A wave of relief flooded through me. I was saved for now.

My knees gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. My breath whooshed out of my lungs in a painful rush, numbing my senses.

The man quickly rushed to my side.

His expression was unreadable, a mix of concern and something deeper that I couldn't decipher.

“Are you alright?”

His voice was rough but gentle and soothing.

“Y-yes, thank you for saving my life.” I whispered through trembling lips.

I was still in shock at how everything happened in a flash. But I'm alive now and it's all thanks to this mysterious stranger.

“Looks like you're having trouble walking. Let me carry you.” He said and without waiting for my response, he hoisted me into his arms.

Heat rushed to my cheeks at his forwardness.

I didn't ask him where he was taking me or who he was. Something in his presence told me I was safer with him than alone in the dark. My lips were too heavy and my body too numb.

But as I clung to his warmth and listened to the steady thud of his heartbeat against my face, a spark of emotion that I couldn't describe coursed through every fiber of my body.

What was that?! Why was my wolf reacting to this stranger?

I tried to look at him but the darkness didn't offer much light for me to make out his face.

I shuddered not from the night cold but from the unknown feelings swirling inside me.

He guided me to his horse and gently strapped me to it. He wrapped a warm blanket around me and my heart skipped a bit.

“Thanks,” I muttered, my cheeks blazing, as we started towards the long path of the forest.

Soon after, we arrived at an inn close to a creek.

As he gently lifted me from the horse, I averted my gaze, scared that my flushed cheeks may catch the bulb light glowing from the front porch of the Inn and he would see how much his actions were affecting me.

After strapping the horse securely at the tree close to the entrance, he turned to look at me.

“We should spend the night here.”

My eyes widened slightly.

“It's not safe outside at this time of the night. There have been unsettling news about wars brewing,” he explained as if sensing my anxiety. “Staying here for the night is the reasonable thing to do now.”

I simply nodded. He was right and besides, I don't have any choice.

He paid for a room for the both of us ignoring my protests to pay instead. I followed behind him quietly, mind reeling nonstop.

Who was this man? He singlehandedly took down a group of ferocious shifters without breaking a sweat.

“Care for a drink?” He glanced at me as he asked, breaking through my reverie.

I nodded. “I could use one.” After everything that's happened, I definitely needed one.

We proceeded to our room after getting some snacks and drinks.

As we ate and drank in silence, I couldn't help stealing a glance at him.

His dark tousled hair, his silver sharp eyes and well-sculptured jaw made him look like a Greek God right off a renaissance painting.  He was like a warlord.

He cleared his throat, breaking the silence as he looked at me with curiosity.

“By the way, what's a beautiful lady like you doing in the wilderness all by yourself?”

The question took me by surprise that I almost choked on my snack.