All Chapters of THE LAST SHIFT: A Werewolf without a Wolf : Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

The hiss followed us.At first it lingered behind, soft as breath through leaves, but the longer we walked, the sharper it grew, splitting into many voices, many throats. The forest shifted with it, branches swaying though no wind touched them, roots curling from the ground like fingers trying to trip us.I tightened my arms around Kieran. His weight dragged at me, every step tearing my muscles, but I would not put him down. His face rested against my shoulder, his breath shallow and hot. The ember in him pulsed faintly, steady but weak, like a dying star that still refused to go out.The girl walked close to my side, her little hand fisting the hem of my tunic. She stumbled often, her cloak snagging on branches, but she didn’t complain. Every time the hiss rose louder, she pressed closer, her small frame trembling.“They’re following us,” she whispered.“I know.” My voice was low, rough.The trees thickened ahead, shadows pooling deep between them. Moonlight broke only in shards thro

Its scream ripped the night apart.It wasn’t the hiss of the creatures, nor the low chant that had shaken the earth before, it was deeper, rawer, like the forest itself had finally found its voice and decided to howl. The sound ripped through the roots above us, snapping them like brittle bones. The cavern shuddered, stones raining down in sharp clatters, as though the very soil wanted to spit us out.The girl’s hands flew to her ears. Her knees buckled and she fell hard, curling against the wall, her face twisted in pain. “It hurts! It’s inside my head!”I clutched Kieran tighter, curling around him with everything I had left. His heat was unbearable, searing through my burned skin until it felt like my arms would blister all over again, but I didn’t let go. I couldn’t. The ember inside him pulsed harder and faster, syncing with the scream outside, as though it recognized the call.“No.” My voice broke, raw and thin, but I forced it louder, pressing my forehead to his. “You are not t

The cavern’s damp, musty breath clung to my skin like the earth didn’t want to let us go. My knees gave way under Kieran’s weight, but I pushed myself up, taking it slow, one step, then another, pulling him toward that sliver of silver light breaking through the darkness. Every move sent sharp, burning pain through my arms and back. My heart pounded louder and louder with each beat. The girl stumbled beside me, clutching her ribs, her eyes wide and hollow with terror that seemed to drain all her strength. Dirt streaked across her face, but she held onto my sleeve like her life depended on it. Somehow, she kept up. Somehow, she knew stopping meant death.The roots weren’t done yet.They twisted and writhed over the stone floor like ripped-out veins, frayed ends still reaching. Some were pale and bone-like, others blackened with rot, but all of them twitched toward Kieran as if they could smell the fire burning inside him. One whipped out and slammed into my shin hard enough to almost

The ridge breathed beneath us like something alive. The stone was jagged, raw with cracks, its face darkened by centuries of damp moss and clawing roots that hadn’t yet burned away. I pressed Kieran against it, my hands trembling as I lowered him onto a narrow ledge. His head lolled to one side, breath scraping in shallow gasps, each one fragile enough to snap.Moonlight silvered his skin, washing the sweat from his brow into something ghostlike. The glow under his ribs was faint now, a dim ember barely pulsing, but fading.I knelt beside him, my own lungs screaming, my arms weak as water. My burns ached with every heartbeat, but I didn’t care. My hands cupped his face, thumbs brushing the curve of his cheekbones, desperate to hold him here. “Stay with me,” I whispered, the words catching like broken glass in my throat. “You promised.”His lips parted. No sound came this time. Only a shallow exhale, softer than the rustle of leaves. But I felt the ember answer, weak but real, pressing

The hollow was shallow, nothing more than a scar carved into the ridge wall, but it was enough to break the wind. Enough to give us the illusion of walls between us and the forest’s breath. I eased Kieran down onto the stone floor, his body limp but warm beneath my palms. His head rested against my thigh, his breath a broken rattle that scraped at my chest with every sound.The girl crouched near the entrance, clutching her side where blood seeped through her torn tunic. Her eyes flicked between the treeline and us, never still, never blinking long. She looked like a deer braced for the next arrow.I brushed damp hair from Kieran’s brow, my fingers trembling. His skin was too pale, his lips dry, but the faint glow beneath his ribs pulsed steady enough that I could feel it when I leaned close. Weak, yes. But alive. Always alive.I bent low, whispering against his temple. “You rest now. I’ll hold it back. I’ll hold you.”The ember answered faintly, pressing warmth into my palm.A sound