First Hunt — Shadows in the Forest

The forest was alive.

Not with birdsong or the rustle of wind, but with the pulse of life beneath the canopy—predators moving unseen, scents layering the damp earth, the metallic tang of blood lingering in places I couldn’t identify. Every step we took made the ground hum beneath my boots, and I realized I was listening to things I had never heard before: the soft padding of wolves on fallen leaves, the subtle snap of distant branches, the low murmur of creatures hidden in the shadows.

Kade moved ahead of me, body taut, senses alert. The bond throbbed in my veins, an invisible tether linking my awareness to his. It was disorienting at first—the forest seemed too vivid, every sound and scent amplified—but it also made me sharper, faster. I could feel his intent as if it were my own, a shared rhythm guiding us forward.

“This is your first hunt,” Kade said, his voice low, steady. “Your task isn’t to fight—yet. Observe. Move. Blend. Let your instincts guide you, but don’t let them consume you. Control is everything.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. My hands itched to move, to feel the pull of claws against the earth, to chase, to strike. The instincts surged beneath my skin, a wildfire I couldn’t yet control.

Our squad was small: Kade, me, and three of the Alpha’s most trusted warriors. Each moved with lethal grace, bodies low, ears and eyes alert. The forest seemed to respond to their presence, shadows curling as if in deference, the air charged with tension.

I stumbled once, heart leaping, at the sound of a branch snapping behind me. Kade’s hand brushed my back, grounding me, and the pulse of the bond reminded me to breathe. My senses had heightened too much, and I had almost overreacted.

“Focus,” he murmured. “Let the bloodmark guide you, not blind you.”

We reached the border of the territory. Broken trees, claw marks on bark, and disturbed earth told a story of movement—others had been here. Rival pack, no doubt. The air held a sharp tension, an undercurrent of hostility that made my hair prickle.

“Stay close,” Kade said. “They’ll sense you soon.”

The forest seemed to close around us. Shadows lengthened, the scents grew sharper, and the whispers of the bond between Kade and me hummed, guiding my instincts. I felt almost predatory, aware of every creature, every movement, every breath.

Then I saw it: a flicker of motion, just beyond a fallen log. Eyes glinting like amber fire. A wolf, large, muscled, alert. Not one of ours.

I froze.

Kade’s hand was on my shoulder in an instant, grounding me. “Observe,” he hissed. “Do not act until you understand.”

The wolf sniffed the air, nostrils flaring, ears swiveling. I could feel it analyzing, judging, calculating. I could feel its intent, the pull of its aggression. My pulse raced, muscles twitching with the urge to strike, to chase.

“Control,” Kade’s voice was firm, almost a growl. “Or die.”

I drew in a breath, letting the bond center me. My heart slowed, my instincts focused, and I realized I could anticipate the wolf’s next move—its crouch, its hesitation, the lean of its body before the strike.

We moved forward, Kade leading, me following, senses heightened. Every leaf, every twig, every scent told a story. The rival pack had been here, watching, waiting. They had not yet attacked—but soon, they would.

I felt the fire in my veins, the pull of the bloodmark. It was not just a tether to Kade. It was a tool, a weapon, a guide. My reflexes sharpened, my awareness expanded, and for the first time, I began to understand what being Bloodmarked truly meant.

Ahead, the clearing opened. Shadows shifted unnaturally, trees splintered, and the scent of fresh blood hit me like a wave. This was no mere patrol. The rival pack had left a warning, a challenge.

Kade’s eyes met mine. Gold and molten, piercing through the dim light. “Are you ready?”

I nodded, though the fire of fear and anticipation roared in my chest. The bond throbbed, a living thing, pulsing with power, desire, and danger.

“Good,” he said. “Because this is your first real test.”

The rival pack struck without warning.

A blur of movement, shadows and teeth, claws scraping the earth. My instincts screamed, heart racing, muscles coiling like springs. The bond pulsed through me, syncing with Kade’s own awareness. I could feel him—every movement, every thought, every surge of aggression—and it guided me, sharper than any human instinct could.

The first wolf lunged at me. I rolled, narrowly avoiding a slash that would have torn my side. Pain flared in my shoulder from the scrape, but adrenaline overrode it. The fire of the bond coursed through me, and I struck back, a swift kick to its ribs, teeth snapping too close to my arm to ignore.

Kade was everywhere at once. His golden eyes roamed the battlefield, limbs moving faster than I could track, his presence anchoring me, warning me, urging me to fight without losing control.

“Control!” he roared, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Not everything you feel is your own. Focus!”

I clenched my jaw, every muscle straining as another wolf lunged. My reflexes were a blur, faster than thought, my body moving instinctively in tandem with the fire pulsing in my veins. Each dodge, each strike, each pivot was precise. I could anticipate movements before they happened, the bond guiding me, sharpening my senses.

One wolf charged from the flank, jaws snapping. I dove to the side, rolling across the leaf-strewn ground. Claws grazed my leg, burning, but I landed in time to catch a breath and strike with a swift punch that sent the creature stumbling back.

The bond flared stronger. I could feel Kade’s heartbeat in my chest, his thoughts brushing against mine, urging me forward, warning me, pulling me into rhythm with him. I realized then that this was more than instinct. This was connection. Survival wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about him, the pack, the bond pulsing between us.

The battle escalated. The rival pack was fierce, coordinated, but I could sense the cracks. Their hesitation, their overconfidence, their inability to anticipate the bond’s reach. I moved as one with Kade, our actions synchronized in deadly harmony.

A wolf lunged at Kade from behind. Without thinking, I twisted, intercepting, and slammed into it with the force of my newly awakened strength. Its teeth missed me, and I felt a rush of triumph, power, and exhilaration. I was no longer merely human, yet not fully wolf. I was something in between—Bloodmarked, sharpened, dangerous.

Kade’s eyes found mine across the chaos, gold and molten. A flicker of approval, almost imperceptible, but it sent heat coursing through me. Good. You are learning. You are mine.

I moved again, faster, more precise. The bond guided my every step, and I realized that fear had no place here—only awareness, only control, only instinct honed by purpose. I countered attacks, dodged teeth and claws, anticipated leaps and lunges. The rival pack faltered. They hadn’t expected a human to fight this way.

The final wolf retreated after a swift, coordinated strike from Kade and me. Silence fell over the clearing, heavy, charged, and electric. My lungs burned, my muscles screamed, and my hands shook, but I had survived. Not just survived—I had excelled.

Kade approached, hand brushing my cheek. Golden eyes piercing mine. “You’ve done well,” he said, low, gravelly. “Your instincts… your control… it’s enough. For now. But remember, being Bloodmarked doesn’t just make you strong. It makes you a target. And every rival who sees the mark will want what is mine. They’ll come. They always do.”

I swallowed hard, pulse racing, still tasting the metallic tang of blood, still feeling the fire of the bond. “I—I did it,” I whispered, disbelief threading my voice. “I survived.”

Kade smirked, a predator’s grin, sharp and dangerous. “You did more than survive. You learned to fight as one with the bloodmark. That is power. That is danger. And that is why you are mine.”

I felt the weight of his claim, the pulse of the bond, the fire coursing through my veins. Survival was no longer enough. Every day, every mission, every battle would demand more. Control, power, and obedience were the price for being marked.

And I was ready—terrified, aching, and undeniably alive—to pay it.