Chapter Four: The Shadow

“Well,” he said, his voice smooth, almost playful, “this is interesting…”

I didn’t move. I couldn’t. My body felt too heavy, too weak, but my eyes stayed on them. The one who spoke tilted his head slightly, like he was studying me for his own amusement. There was something dangerous about the way he smiled, like he already knew something I didn’t.

The one in the middle didn’t smile at all. His gaze moved from me to the rogues holding me down, sharp and cold, like he had already decided what to do with them.

“Release her,” he said. His voice wasn’t loud. But it carried.

The rogues hesitated. One of them laughed nervously. “And who are you to give…”

He didn’t finish. The calm one moved first. I almost didn’t see it. One moment he was standing still, the next he was right in front of the rogue who spoke. His movement was smooth, controlled, like he had done it a thousand times before.

The rogue dropped without wasted effort or hesitation. The forest fell silent again, but this time it wasn’t empty, it was tense.

The flirtatious one let out a low whistle. “You always start without warning. Where’s the fun in that?”

The cold one didn’t respond. He stepped forward and attacked the rogues.

Everything turned into chaos again, but this time it was different. This wasn’t a fight. It was one-sided.

The calm one moved like he could see everything before it happened. He didn’t rush, didn’t panic. Every step was measured, every strike clean.

The flirtatious one fought like he was enjoying it. There was a lightness to him, like this was nothing more than a game. He even laughed once when one of the rogues missed him completely. “You’re trying too hard,” he said, stepping aside easily before knocking the rogue down.

The cold one… He didn’t play. He didn’t waste time. Every move he made ended quickly.

I watched them, my chest rising and falling slowly. This was power. Real power. Not the kind I had seen in my pack. Not the kind that needed to prove anything. This was the kind that just… was.

It didn’t take long. It never does when the outcome is already decided. The last rogue fell. Silence returned. The kind that pressed into your chest.

The flirtatious one brushed his hand against his clothes like he was cleaning off dust. “That was disappointing. I thought they would last longer.”

“They weren’t meant to,” the calm one replied.

The cold one didn’t say anything. He turned. His eyes landed on me again. And this time, I felt the weight of it.

“Get up,” he said.

I didn’t move. Not because I didn’t want to. Because I couldn’t. My body didn’t listen.

The calm one stepped closer, stopping a short distance away. He didn’t touch me, just observed. “She’s injured,” he said.

“I can see that,” the cold one replied.

The flirtatious one crouched slightly, lowering himself to my level. “You look like you’ve had a very bad night.”

I let out a weak breath. “You have no idea,” I said.

He smiled a little wider. “Oh, I think I do. You don’t end up here looking like that without a story.”

“I don’t feel like telling it,” I replied.

He chuckled softly. “I like her,” he said, glancing at the others. “She speaks like she doesn’t care.”

“I don’t,” I said.

That made the calm one look at me more carefully. “You should,” he said. “It might keep you alive.”

I shook my head slightly. “I’ve already been sentenced twice tonight,” I said. “It didn’t work the first time. I don’t think it will matter now.”

The cold one stepped closer. “Then we won’t waste time,” he said. “We kill her and leave.”

My heart didn’t react. It didn’t race. It didn’t hurt. It just… accepted it.

“Go ahead,” I said quietly.

The words surprised even me. But they were true. I was tired. Too tired to beg again. Too tired to care.

The flirtatious one’s smile faded slightly. “Well, that’s not the reaction I expected.”

The calm one looked between us. “She’s not afraid,” he said.

“She should be,” the cold one replied.

“I was,” I said softly. “Earlier.”

They went quiet. “Something changed?” the calm one asked.

I met his eyes. “Yes.”

He didn’t ask more. The cold one didn’t wait. He stepped forward again. “Enough,” he said. “We don’t keep strays.”

Before he could move further, the calm one spoke. “No.”

That stopped him. The cold one turned his head slightly. “No?”

“She’s different,” the calm one said. “You felt it too.”

There was a pause. The flirtatious one stood up slowly. “Oh, I definitely felt something. It wasn’t normal.”

I didn’t understand what they meant. But I didn’t interrupt.

The cold one’s gaze returned to me. For a moment, he said nothing. Then, “Explain.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” I replied.

The flirtatious one let out a quiet laugh. “She’s bold.”

“She’s lying,” the calm one added.

I frowned slightly. “I’m not.”

“You are,” he said calmly. “And not very well.”

I looked away. “I don’t care if you believe me,” I said.

“That’s the problem,” he replied.

The cold one exhaled slowly. “We’re wasting time,” he said. “She’s a risk.”

“She’s an answer,” the calm one corrected.

“To what?” the cold one asked.

“That,” he said, glancing at me again, “we don’t know yet.”

The flirtatious one crossed his arms. “I say we keep her.”

The cold one’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You say that about everything that interests you.”

“And I’m rarely wrong,” he replied lightly.

The tension between them filled the air. I felt it. Even in my state.

I tried to push myself up again but I failed. My arms trembled. My vision blurred slightly.

“Stay down,” the calm one said.

“I’m fine,” I muttered.

“You’re not,” he replied.

“I’ve been worse,” I said.

The flirtatious one looked amused again. “I believe that.”

I wanted to say something else. But my body gave up. The strength I didn’t know I had left disappeared all at once.

The last thing I heard was someone saying my voice sounded strange. Then everything went dark.