Chapter Seven - The Hunt Begins.

The sound of horses grew louder. Their hooves pounded against the forest floor like thunder. My heart hammered in my chest as I counted the beats, trying to count how many they were this time.

Carlos moved fast. He kicked dirt over the fire, killing the flames. The cabin went dark except for the pale light from the moon coming through the windows.

"Stay down," Carlos whispered to me. His hand found mine in the darkness. "Whatever happens, don't come outside."

"Carlos…"

"Promise me." His voice was urgent. "Promise me you'll stay hidden."

I nodded. "I promise."

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. His lips were warm and soft. "Everything will be fine," he whispered against my skin.

But I could smell his fear. It was sharp and bitter in the air.

The horses stopped right outside the cabin. I heard leather creaking as the riders got down. Heavy boots hit the ground. Two sets of footsteps walked toward the door.

"Remember," Rowan said quietly to Carlos, "Let me do the talking."

Carlos and Rowan went to the door. I crawled to the window and peeked through a crack in the shutters. Two men stood in the yard. They were both tall and dressed in dark leather. One had a thick beard and carried a crossbow. The other was younger, with short hair and a scar across his nose.

"Good evening," Rowan called out as he opened the door. His voice sounded calm, but I could see his hands were clenched into fists.

"Evening," the bearded man said. "We're looking for someone. A woman. She might have passed through here."

"No women here," Rowan replied. "Just me and my friend."

The younger man stepped forward. "Mind if we look around? Just to be sure."

"I do mind," Rowan said. His voice got harder. "This is my home. You have no right to search it."

"We have every right," the bearded man said. He moved his hand to the crossbow on his back. “She’s dangerous. You don’t know what she is.”

My blood went cold. They knew.

“We said she’s not here," Carlos growled. He stepped up beside Rowan. "You're wasting your time."

The air shifted. Muscles tensed.

"Are we?" The younger man smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. "Because I can smell something interesting."

He lifted his nose and breathed in deeply. His eyes got wide. Then he looked right at the window where I was hiding.

"She's here," he said to his partner. "I can smell her."

"No," Rowan said firmly. "You're mistaken."

"Move aside, old man," the bearded one said. He pulled out his crossbow. "We're going in."

The men tried to push past.

"Over my dead body," Rowan snarled.

"That can be arranged," the younger man said.

Everything happened very fast after that. The bearded man raised his crossbow. Rowan lunged forward and knocked it from his hands. Carlos grabbed the younger man by the throat.

"Now!" Rowan shouted.

Both Carlos and Rowan began to change. Their bodies twisted and grew. Their clothes ripped, and fur surged from their skin. Bones cracked and reshaped. In seconds, two large wolves stood where the men had been.

Rowan's wolf was gray with white around his muzzle. He was big and powerful, with intelligent yellow eyes. Carlos's wolf was massive and powerful. His fur was dark brown, almost black, with a white patch on his chest.

The two hunters changed too. The bearded man's wolf was huge and brown like a bear. His fur was thick and shaggy. Mean green eyes glowed in his massive head. The younger man became a lean gray wolf with yellow stripes along his back. His scar was still visible across his snout.

The four wolves circled each other in the yard. Their lips pulled back to show sharp teeth. Low growls filled the air.

The brown wolf attacked first. He went straight for Rowan's throat. But Rowan was ready. He dodged to the side and bit down hard on the big wolf's shoulder. Blood splattered the ground.

The striped wolf lunged at Carlos. They collided in the middle of the yard, rolling and snapping at each other. Carlos was faster, but the striped wolf was violent. His teeth found Carlos's leg. Carlos yelped but didn't let go of his grip on the other wolf's neck.

I pressed my face against the window. My hands shook as I watched the fight. The sounds were terrible. Snarling and growling. The wet sound of teeth meeting flesh. The thud of bodies hitting the ground.

Rowan and the brown wolf were locked together. They rolled across the yard, each trying to get a killing bite. The big wolf was stronger, but Rowan was smarter. He used the other wolf's weight against him.

Carlos broke free from the striped wolf and jumped back. Blood ran down his front leg, but he didn't seem to notice. The striped wolf crouched low, getting ready to spring again.

That's when the brown wolf made his move. While Rowan was watching Carlos's fight, the big wolf twisted free. He grabbed Rowan by the scruff of his neck and lifted him off the ground.

"No!" I whispered. I pressed my hand over my mouth, breath caught in my throat.

The brown wolf spun around and threw Rowan as hard as he could. Rowan's body flew through the air. He hit a thick oak tree with a sickening crack. His body went limp, and he fell to the ground. He didn't get up.

"Rowan!" Carlos howled.

The striped wolf used Carlos's distraction to attack. He leaped on Carlos's back and bit down hard. Carlos rolled, trying to throw him off.

Now it was two against one. The brown wolf padded over to help his partner. His green eyes glowed with hunger. Blood dripped from his jaws.

Carlos was hurt and outnumbered. The two hunter wolves circled him like vultures.

“Carlos!” I whispered, tears stinging my eyes.

I couldn't just watch anymore. Carlos was going to die. And it would be my fault.

I started to move toward the door.

The two wolves attacked Carlos at the same time. Carlos tried to fight them both, but they overpowered him and kept on attacking him.

Tears slid down my cheeks. I bit my lip until I tasted blood. My fingers dug into my palm. My whole body trembled.

At that point, all I could see was red.