Chapter Seven

The plan was simple. Too simple. Which meant it might actually work.

I outlined the plan quickly. "We camp at the old watchtower ruins. The one we passed two miles back. It's three miles from your border, close enough that your scouts can reach us if we need backup, far enough that the hunters will think we're still running scared."

"And then what?"

"Then we let them come."

"At least this way, we choose when they find us. Where they find us,” I said. 

"It's insane," Kael said.

"It might work," Darius countered.

Kael looked between us like we'd both lost our minds.

"If even one of them gets past us?"

"They won't." I stepped closer to him. 

"You won't let them. And if they do…" I took a breath. "I can protect myself now. You've seen what I can do."

"You can barely control it."

"Then I'll learn."

"By putting yourself in danger?"

"By making my own choices." The words came out harder than I intended. "I'm tired of running, Kael. I'm tired of being protected like I'm helpless.

Kael stared at me. I could see him thinking. Calculating. Hating every part of this plan.

"How many groups are tracking us?" he asked Darius finally.

"At least that Brenner spotted. Probably more." Darius scratched his jaw.

"Three hours," he said finally. "We set up at the watchtower in three hours. I'll send word to Torin. Have Brenner and Ren close in from the east." He turned to me. 

"But Sierralya —” His hand caught my wrist. His grip was firm.

"If this goes wrong. If they get past me. You run. You don't look back. You run straight for Black Wolf territory and you don't stop. Do you understand?"

I met his eyes. "I understand."

I didn't promise to obey.

We both knew I wouldn't run.

Three hours turned into four.

The first group came at midday, bad timing for an ambush, which told me everything I needed to know about them.

Desperate. Poorly trained. Probably farmers or tradesmen who'd heard about the bounty and thought easy gold was worth the risk. 

I watched from behind the watchtower wall as they approached. Five men. Mismatched weapons. No armor worth mentioning.

Kael's signal—a low whistle—cut through the air.

The hunters didn't even see it coming.

Darius took the first one. Silent. A blade between the ribs before the man could draw breath to scream. Torin, Brenner and Ren emerged from the trees like smoke, taking down two more.

The last two tried to run. They didn't make it far.

It was over in seconds.

"One group down," Darius said quietly, cleaning his blade. Now we wait for the next group.

They made us wait.

Twenty minutes passed. Then thirty. Then an hour.

I was starting to think they wouldn't come when Kael's hand found my shoulder. He pointed north.

Movement in the trees. Not rushing forward. Circling. Watching.

They knew it was a trap.

My mouth went dry.

"How many?" I whispered.

"Eight." Kael's voice was barely audible. "Maybe ten.”

This wasn't a group of desperate farmers. These were soldiers. Mercenaries. Real ones.

Kael made a series of hand signals. Torin, Brenner and Ren melted back into the trees. Darius disappeared around the far side of the watchtower.

"Remember the plan," Kael said quietly. "Stay behind cover until I signal. “Then—"

"Then I make myself visible. I know."

His hand tightened on my shoulder. "If this goes wrong—"

"It won't."

"Sierralya."

"Trust me."

He stared at me for a long moment. Then he moved close, his forehead touching mine briefly. "If you die, I'm going to be very angry with you."

Despite everything, I almost smiled. "Noted."

Then he was gone, moving into position.

I waited.

The hunters emerged from three directions at once. Not charging. Advancing carefully, weapons ready, checking every shadow.

The leader—his face scarred, eyes cold, armor that had seen real use—stopped twenty feet away from the watchtower.

"We know you're here, Black Wolf!" His voice carried across the clearing. "Heard there's good money, gold, and land on the girl. 

"That's a lot of incentive. So look the other way while we do what we came for.”

Kael stepped into view. "She's under my protection."

"Your protection won't buy us anything." His smile widened.

That was the signal.

The hunters attacked.

Kael met the first one blade-to-blade, steel ringing against steel. Darius appeared from the shadows, taking down another. Torin, Brenner and Ren rushed from the east.

But there were too many.

I watched from behind cover as the battle turned chaotic. Kael was holding his own, but his shoulder wound slowed him. One of the hunters noticed.

Started pressing the advantage.

Two more broke through the line.

Heading straight for me.

Now.

I stepped into view.

Both hunters saw me. Their eyes lit up. Easy prey. Unprotected.

They charged.

I waited until they were close. Five feet. Four.

Then I reached for it. That vast, furious thing inside me. The white wolf.

My hand shot out—

The first hunter flew backward. His body slammed into a tree with a crack that echoed across the clearing. He dropped and didn't move.

The second hunter tried to stop. Too late.

I caught him too. Sent him spinning sideways into the dirt fifteen feet away.

The forest went silent.

Every eye turned to me.

Then the real fight started.

A hunter broke away from Kael, blade raised, coming straight at me—

Kael was faster.

He threw himself between us. The sword meant for my chest caught him across the ribs instead.

No.

Time slowed.

I saw the moment steel bit into his skin. Saw blood bloom across his shirt. Saw him go rigid with pain but not fall, not back down, just drive his own blade into the hunter's throat.

The man dropped.

"Kael!" I was moving before I thought about it, catching him before his knees gave way.

"I'm fine," he gasped.

He wasn't fine. Blood poured from a long cut across his ribs. Not deep, but bleeding too much.

Three hunters were still standing. They looked at their fallen companions. At me. At Kael bleeding in my arms.

Then they ran.

Darius started to follow.

"Let them go," Kael said, forcing the words out . "Let them tell everyone what happened here.”

"Well," Darius said finally,"That went about as well as expected”

He managed a pained smile. 

"Sit," I said.

"Sierralya."

"Sit down."

He sat.

The wound wasn't deep. But it was long. A thin red line across his ribs that wouldn't stop bleeding.

I tore more strips from my already-destroyed shirt. My hands were steadier now. Focused on something I could fix.

I wrapped the bandage tight, my fingers working quickly. He was too pale. The wound wasn't fatal, but he'd lost too much blood.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly.

"For what?"

"You're bleeding because of me."

"I'm bleeding because I chose to be." His hand covered mine over the bandage, holding it in place. 

I wanted to argue. To tell him he was an idiot. That his life mattered.

But his hand was over mine, and the words stuck.

“Kael…I —”

"We need to move." Darius's voice cut through the moment. "The ones who ran will bring reinforcements. 

"How far to the border?"

"Two miles," Torin said. He'd been silent until now, watching me with an expression I couldn't read. "We can make it by nightfall if we leave now."

I stared at the bodies scattered across the clearing. Eight men. Maybe more. Some weren't moving. I'd done that. My power had done that.

"Sierralya." Kael's voice pulled me back. "We need to move.”

I helped him to his feet.

Ahead, the Black Wolf border waited. And beyond that, judgment.