Wars and Warning

The night air stank of blood and burning fur.

Smoke curled through the shattered clearing, rising in lazy plumes into the night sky. Fires crackled where fallen bodies lay, their rogue forms twitching even in death. The metallic tang of blood clung to everything, coating the trees, the soil, even the wind. Distant howls faded into silence, swallowed by the darkness beyond the trees.

Theron stood over the last rogue, his claw buried deep in its chest, ripping through bone and sinew. His eyes glowed with unholy fury, pupils slitted, lips pulled back in a snarl that revealed both fang and wrath. With one final twist, he yanked his arm free, letting the corpse fall in a lifeless heap.

Behind him, Nyx knelt beside Caelum, her breaths shallow and uneven. Her body trembled, not just from pain, but from something deeper. Her limbs were weak, still sizzling from the silver’s cruel touch. The scent of her own scorched skin made her gag. But her mind, her mind was a battlefield ablaze.

“You alright?” Caelum rasped, voice rough as gravel. One of his eyes was swollen shut, blood trickling from a gash at his temple. Despite it all, his gaze was fixed on her, sharp with concern.

She nodded slowly, suppressing a grimace. “More pissed than injured.”

He let out a dry, pained chuckle. “That’s my girl.”

Theron turned, breathing hard, blood dripping from his arms and chest, his chest heaving like a beast barely leashed. His hybrid form began to recede, bones cracking and shifting as he forced himself back into his human self, though nothing about him felt human in that moment. His eyes still burned, wild and dangerous.

And then his gaze landed on her.

In three long strides, he was by her side. He dropped to his knees, grabbed her wrists, and examined the deep burns the silver chains had left. His touch was rough, but trembling.

“What the hell happened to your guards?” he growled.

Nyx yanked her hands back, wincing as skin tore where the flesh had fused. “Don’t you dare shout at me.”

“You went into the woods alone.”

“I wasn’t alone. Caelum was with me.”

“Exactly. One person. And no damn weapon!”

“You’re the one who told me to stop carrying one!” she snapped, her voice rising.

“That was before the rogues got this organized!”

“I tried to fight back.”

“And look where that got you!” he shouted, rising to his feet in frustration. “They almost took you, Nyx!”

“I know!” she roared back, fists clenched, eyes blazing.

Caelum, still sitting awkwardly on the ground, raised a hand weakly. “If I might offer a bit of…”

“Shut up,” both Nyx and Theron snapped in unison.

Caelum sighed. “Right. Carry on.”

Theron turned back to her, his expression no less intense. “They weren’t here by accident. They were waiting. This wasn’t just a rogue patrol, they set a trap.”

Nyx looked up at him, eyes hard. “I know.”

The word hung in the air like a blade.

Theron froze. “What do you mean, you know?”

She pushed herself to sit upright, though her arms trembled with the effort. Smoke still rose from her skin where the silver had scorched it, but she didn’t flinch. Her voice was cold. Steady. “Evander was here.”

The name dropped between them like a thunderclap.

Theron’s fury drained into a dangerous calm. “You’re sure?”

She didn’t blink. “I’d recognize his scent anywhere. It’s burned into me.”

A silence fell. Caelum stiffened.

“His voice,” she continued, quieter now. “I heard it when the rogues dragged me into the trees. He wasn’t hiding. He wanted me to know it was him.”

Theron turned away, jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might snap. He paced a few steps, then stopped, shoulders tight with tension.

“How did he know where you’d be?” he asked at last.

Nyx shook her head. “I don’t know. But this wasn’t random. He came himself, Theron. Not through his warlocks or his mutts. Himself. That means he thinks you’re weak.”

The words landed like knives. Theron flinched, barely, but Nyx saw it.

He was silent for a long moment.

Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said, “He’s right.”

Caelum stirred. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Theron slowly turned back to them. His eyes weren’t glowing now, but they held something worse. Defeat.

“I lost my link to the Moon Goddess,” he said quietly. “Weeks ago. The emerald crest was stolen from me.”

Nyx stared at him. “You what?”

“I’ve been trying to retrieve it before anyone found out. If the Alpha Council hears, they’ll challenge me. I’ll lose my seat as Alpha King.”

“And you didn’t think to tell us?” Caelum said, staggering to his feet.

“I couldn’t risk it,” Theron said. “Not when the Council is already suspicious. Not when every border is being tested. Evander knew. Somehow, he knew. That’s why he’s moving now.”

Nyx’s heart pounded. Her blood was ice in her veins. “You’ve been fighting without the blessing of the Goddess?”

“I have no choice,” he said. “Until I get it back.”

“Well, you took too long,” she spat. “He already made his move.”

A long silence fell again. This one felt heavier. Final.

Caelum exhaled and looked around at the devastation. “We need to move. This place isn’t safe anymore. Not for her. Not for any of us.”

Theron turned his gaze back to Nyx.

“I’m increasing your guard. No arguments. I want two warriors on you at all times. Round the clock.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not your prisoner, Theron.”

“You’re not,” he said, stepping closer again, lowering his voice. “But you’re mine.”

That stopped her.

His hand brushed a strand of blood-matted hair from her face. “And I will burn the world down before I let him take you again.”

Her breath caught in her throat, but she shoved the emotion down quickly. She hated how easily he got under her skin. How her pulse reacted to his presence, even when her soul wanted vengeance.

“I’m not afraid of him anymore,” she said firmly, chin raised.

“Good,” Theron replied. “But fear isn’t the problem.”

“What is, then?”

His voice dropped, eyes shadowed.

“He’s coming for all of us.”