THE WOLF KING-POV RAKA

Pain.

That was the only word in my head when I opened my eyes.

My back was burning. Like someone had poured boiling water from my neck to my waist. I wanted to scream, but my throat was dry. It tasted sour. The remains of last night's vomit.

Then something wet. Rough. Warm. Licking my wound slowly.

My body jerked. Instinct made me want to kick.

"Stop!"

My voice cracked. Hoarse. Like I hadn't drunk in three days.

When I opened my eyes, the sky was no longer black. It was gray-blue. Dawn. Thin light filtered through the banyan leaves.

And in front of my face, there was a snout. Huge.

Black fur. Wet. Its breath smelled of blood, earth, and carcasses.

A wolf.

Memories from last night hit me. Alina. Claws. Blood. Blacking out.

I tried to move back. But my body wouldn't listen. The moment I moved even a little, pain shot up to the top of my head.

The wolf didn't move. It sat. Head tilted, watching me like I was a kid who'd fallen out of a tree.

Behind it were six more. Forming a circle. Not attacking. Just guarding. All their yellow eyes were fixed on the bushes. Watching for Alina.

"Don't... eat me..." I whispered.

It sounded stupid. But that was honestly all I could think.

The biggest wolf snorted. It took one step forward. Its nose touched my cheek. Cold. Wet.

And then, a voice appeared in my head.

Not from its mouth.

More like someone was speaking directly inside my skull.

_"Be quiet."_

I flinched. Eyes wide. "Who?"

_"If you move again, your wound will open. You'll bleed out before the sun rises."_

The voice was heavy. Old. It echoed. Not the voice of a beast. It sounded like a king who'd ruled for hundreds of years and was tired of all of it.

I swallowed. "You... you're the wolf?"

_"I am the King."_

It sat back down. A pace away. Its tail swept the dirt.

_"My name doesn't matter. What matters is that you're still alive because of me."_

I laughed. It hurt. "No. I'm alive because I got lucky."

_"There is no such thing as luck in the East Forest, human child."_

It lowered its head. Its rough tongue started licking my back again. At first it was disgusting. It hurt. But slowly it turned warm. The burning wound went numb.

I closed my eyes. Six hours ago I was being chased by a demon. Now I was being healed by a wolf that could talk in my head.

My life hasn't been normal from the start.

"Why help me?" I finally asked. "You could've let me die. I'm human. Your enemy."

The wolf stopped. It lifted its head. Its eyes met mine.

Yellow. Deep. There was exhaustion there. And anger that had been buried too long.

_"Because Alina is hunting you,"_ it said quietly. _"And Alina belongs to Draven."_

That name made my stomach turn again. Draven.

"Why do you hate Draven?"

The King didn't answer right away. It walked around me. Its claws left marks in the damp earth. Slow. Like it was weighing its words.

_"Five years ago,"_ it said at last. Voice low. _"Our people and the tigers went to war. Fighting over the border. Our king... the White Wolf... fell there."_

It stopped in front of me.

_"They were supposed to submit. But they refused. And now I will take back what is ours."_

Silence.

_"Then came Draven,"_ the King continued. _"A human. But not an ordinary human. He was raised by the demon king. He was hungry. He wanted power. On the night of the blood moon, he killed my king. Took his heart. Drank his blood. And declared this forest was his."_

My throat tightened.

So this wasn't just about territory. This was a grudge. One that had taken root.

_"Because of your blood,"_ the King said. _"Your family's blood. Your father was the one who drove Draven out of the village. He hasn't forgotten. He will take revenge. Through you."_

My hands clenched. Trembling. Not from fear. From rage.

"So I'm just bait to you?"

_"You are the key,"_ the King corrected. _"As long as you live, Draven won't have peace. If you die by his hands, his power will be complete. He won't just control this forest. But every village. All the way to Rawabengek."_

My blood boiled.

The King crouched in front of me. Close enough that I could feel the heat of its breath.

_"You hate him, don't you?"_ it whispered in my head. _"You want him dead, don't you?"_

"I want to cut off his head myself," I answered. Honestly.

_"Good."_

The King grinned. All its teeth showing.

_"Then we are the same. You want his heart. I want my forest back."_

It paused.

_"Make a pact with me, Raka. I will heal you completely. I will teach you to hunt like a wolf. To smell fear. To kill without hesitation. In return, help me. In three days, on the night of the dead moon, we attack Draven. We kill him. We kill Alina."_

I looked around. The other six wolves were still silent. Waiting for my answer.

This was madness. This was suicide. But if I refused, I would die now. Or die tomorrow at Alina's hands.

And if I accepted... I would become a monster too.

Darman's face flashed in my mind. Eyes open. His neck...

The whisper "Alina is coming for you" for eight hours straight.

I had nothing left to lose.

I took a deep breath. It hurt.

"Fine," I said. "But I have one condition."

The King tilted its head.

_"Name it."_

"When Draven dies, I will be the one to cut off his head. And Alina... I'll deal with her."

The King was silent for two seconds. Then it howled. Softly. But the whole forest heard it.

_"Agreed."_

It stepped forward. Bit my arm. Not deep. Just enough to break the skin and draw blood.

The pain was unbearable. But before I could scream, its tongue was already licking the blood.

Warm. Then hot. The heat spread from my arm to my chest, to my heart, to my brain.

Images flashed in my head. The forest burning. The cave collapsing. Draven screaming. Alina crying blood.

Then it was all gone.

The King released me. Stepped back.

_"From now on, you are no longer an ordinary human,"_ it said. _"My blood is in your body. You can hear us. You can run faster. You can smell an enemy from a kilometer away. But remember. Every time you use this, the human part of you will erode."_

I sat up. My body didn't hurt as much anymore. The wound on my back had closed. Only a red line remained.

I looked at my hands. My nails... were a little longer.

"What am I now?" I asked quietly.

_"You are my fang,"_ the King answered. _"My weapon."_

It stood. Shook itself off.

_"Come. We have three days to train. And we start with hunting."_

I stood too. Legs shaky, but I could stand.

As I followed the King, a young wolf came up to me. It was carrying my machete. The one I dropped last night. The Karangasem wooden handle had been wiped with leaves so it wouldn't be slippery with blood.

I took it. It felt right in my hand.

From far away, from the direction of the cave, I heard laughter. Draven's laughter.

"He knows we're here," I muttered.

_"Let him,"_ said the King. _"Fear is a weapon. And now, it's his turn to be afraid."_

We walked. Seven wolves and one human. Cutting through the East Forest as the sun began to rise.

Behind us, the smallest wolf was covering my blood on the ground with leaves.

The war had begun. And this time, I was no longer the prey.

_To Be Continued_