No time for questions

"What's the plan?" I catch the words from somewhere at the edge of my awareness.

When I'm locked onto a hunt, the rest of the world fades. It's just me and the target. Nothing else gets through. I leave the room without looking back. Alex and Carina stay with Sofia. I pass Eli and Lucas in the hallway, their faces confused, but I barely register them. All three lycans fall in behind me as I move through the packhouse. Their footsteps trail mine, but I don't slow down.

At the entrance, I stop just long enough to kick off my shoes. The stone floor is cold under my bare feet. I pick up the spear and begin working with it, getting a feel for how it moves. The weight of it in my palms. The balance. I spin it around my body, testing its reach. My thighs ache from weeks of doing nothing. Same with my back. My neck. I stretch each one out, loosening the stiffness, getting ready for what's coming.

I tilt my head back and let the wind hit my face. Every hair on my body rises. I stand there and let the air tell me where the beast is coming from. When it blows across my skin, I catch it. Decay. Rot. Coming from the North. My mind grabs hold of that scent and doesn't let go.

Everything in me narrows down to the prey.

I can feel it out there. Moving toward us. Fast. Relentless. Whatever the wolves are throwing at it isn't slowing it down.

I don't think. I just run.

My feet carry me past the fields where I used to play as a kid. Past the clinic where I learned so much of what made me who I am. Past the orphanage, the first place in this pack I ever called home. The place that eventually gave me a family.

I'm moving so fast it feels like my feet aren't even touching the ground. The wind stings my eyes but they adjust. Behind me, I can hear the heavy steps of the lycans. They must have shifted to keep up. My leg muscles burn as I push them harder. Faster.

We reach a clearing and something makes me stop.

It's silent. Completely silent. No wolves. No beast. The wind has died.

I drop into a crouch and press my hand against the dirt. I connect with the forest, with the ground itself.

Then I feel it. Commotion. Heading our way.

Far off, I hear wolf howls. The signal to retreat. And they're coming straight toward us.

Noah moves in front of me. His massive body blocks my view, trying to shield me from whatever's coming. He doesn't understand yet. He can't see this thing. I'm the only one who can. Which means I'm the one who has to protect him. Protect all of them.

I don't get a chance to appreciate his midnight black fur before the first wolves break through the trees.

They're running like their lives depend on it. Straight for the packhouse. The last line of defense. They bought everyone time to hide. Time for the lycans to get away. The plan made sense. But all of us, me included, we underestimated this thing. I never thought it would tear through our best warriors this fast. But here it is. Half a mile from the packhouse.

That won't happen again.

More wolves pour past us. In the distance, I watch trees bend and snap under something enormous. Then I see it. The beast. Walking toward the clearing where we stand.

I move around Noah and sprint straight at it.

Now that I can see it clearly, I know I was right the first time. It's exactly what the old stories described. A chimera. Lion's head. Body like a human. Long tail. Hooves. I wish I'd paid better attention in those lessons when I was young. What were its weak points? How do you kill something like this? Where do they even come from?

No time for questions. It's seen me. It raises its giant foot to crush me. I dodge. Easy. Then its arm swings down. I dodge again. Its face twists. Annoyed.

I use its arm, still pressed against the ground, to climb up. My plan is simple. Blind it. Get to its face. Take away its sight and we might stand a chance.

I launch myself at the first eye, spear first. The blade sinks into it like nothing. The beast screams. I smile. First win. But when I try to pull the spear free, the beast thrashes. Violently. It throws me across the clearing. My back slams into a tree. Hard. Pain explodes through me and my vision goes white for a second.

Noah is there immediately. His huge form crouched beside me, ready to help me up.

There's no time. If we want to kill this thing before it kills all of us, I have to move now.

"The spear is stuck in its left eye! It'll show you and the others where to attack! GO!"

Noah races back to the clearing to spread the word. An attack forms. I force myself up and follow. I need that spear back. But first I have to figure out how we actually kill this thing. The others attacking will buy me time to watch it. Learn it. At least that's what I hope.

The beast shakes off its attackers. Its white eyes sweep the clearing. Searching. Looking for something. Looking for me.

It finds me. Our eyes lock. It charges. Full speed. Pure fury in its gaze. Now I'm the one being hunted.