The wind rushed through my feathers as I soared over the forest. My heart raced, torn between exhilaration at this newfound freedom and sheer panic at my situation. Somewhere below, Liam and the pack faced an unknown threat. And here I was, stuck in the body of a hawk, utterly useless.
I spotted the flames first - angry red tongues licking at the trees near our territory's edge. Smoke billowed into the night sky, obscuring the stars. As I circled lower, the sounds of battle reached my heightened ears: snarls, yelps, and the unmistakable crack of gunfire.
Hunters. They'd found us again.
I dove towards the fray, desperate to help somehow. But what could I do? I couldn't fight, couldn't communicate. I was just a bird.
Then I saw him - Liam, locked in combat with two hunters. Even from this height, I could see the silver glint of their weapons. My heart leaped into my throat. Silver wouldn't kill him, but it would slow him down, make him vulnerable.
Without thinking, I tucked my wings and plummeted. Wind screamed past me as I fell, faster and faster. At the last second, I spread my wings, raking my talons across one hunter's face.
He screamed, dropping his weapon to clutch at his bleeding cheek. Liam seized the opportunity, taking him down with a vicious swipe.
"Skye?" Liam's eyes widened as I circled back around. Even in the chaos, a small part of me thrilled at how easily he recognized me.
I screeched in response, hoping he'd understand. We didn't have time for reunions. The other hunter was already raising his gun.
Liam nodded, as if reading my mind. Together, we faced the remaining threat. It was strange, fighting in this form. But there was a certain deadly grace to it. I dove and swooped, distracting the hunter while Liam closed in.
In moments, it was over. Liam stood panting, blood matting his fur. All around us, similar scenes played out. Our pack was holding their own, but barely.
A pained howl cut through the night - Jake. Without hesitation, I took to the sky again, scanning the battlefield. There - at the edge of the clearing. Jake was surrounded, four hunters closing in.
I screeched a warning, but it was lost in the chaos. Desperation clawed at me. I needed to be down there, needed to help. I needed to be human again, to be the Alpha my pack needed.
The thought hit me like a physical blow. In that moment of clarity, of absolute certainty in who and what I was, I felt the change begin.
It was agony. Bones shifted and grew, feathers melted into skin. I plummeted, no longer able to stay aloft. The ground rushed up to meet me.
I hit hard, rolling with the impact. When I came to a stop, I was me again. Human. Naked and bruised, but alive.
No time to dwell on it. I sprang to my feet, racing towards Jake. I'd lost precious seconds in the transformation, but I wasn't too late. Not yet.
"Hey!" I shouted, my voice hoarse but strong. The hunters turned, momentarily startled by my sudden appearance.
It was all the opening Jake needed. He lunged, taking down the nearest hunter. I was on them in the next heartbeat, letting the wolf within me surge to the surface.
The fight was brutal and swift. These hunters were good, but they weren't prepared for a pissed-off Alpha. In moments, they lay unconscious at our feet.
"Skye," Jake panted, relief evident in his voice. "You're back. How-"
"Later," I cut him off. "We need to end this. Now."
He nodded, falling into step beside me as we rejoined the main battle. With my return, the tide began to turn. Our pack fought with renewed vigor, driving the hunters back.
But something nagged at me. This attack was different from the others. The hunters seemed... desperate. Like they were searching for something.
As if in answer to my unspoken question, the earth beneath our feet began to tremble. A low rumble filled the air, drowning out the sounds of combat.
"Earthquake?" Jake yelled over the noise.
I shook my head. This was something else. Something...
The ground split open with a deafening crack. Hunters and werewolves alike scrambled for stable footing as a chasm opened in the middle of our territory.
"Fall back!" I shouted to my pack. "Everyone, retreat!"
But even as we ran, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the widening fissure. Because there, in the depths of the earth, I saw something impossible.
Lights. Buildings. An entire underground city, hidden beneath our feet.
The hunters forgot about us, rushing towards the chasm. I realized with a start that this must have been what they were after all along.
"Liam!" I called out, spotting him helping an injured pack member to safety. "We need to stop them!"
He nodded, passing off the injured wolf to another pack member before joining me at the edge of the newly formed cliff.
"What is that place?" he asked, eyes wide as he took in the hidden metropolis.
"I don't know," I admitted. "But we can't let the hunters get down there first."
Without another word, we leaped. The fall seemed to last forever, wind whipping past us as we plummeted into the unknown. At the last second, we shifted, our wolf forms better able to absorb the impact.
We landed hard on a street that looked like it belonged in another century. Gaslights flickered along cobblestone paths, illuminating buildings that were a mix of old-world charm and impossible technology.
And it was empty. Utterly, eerily empty.
"Where is everyone?" I wondered aloud, shifting back to human form. Liam did the same, his expression guarded as he scanned our surroundings.
"I don't know," he said quietly. "But Skye... I've seen this place before. In visions, dreams... during my time in the fae prison."
A chill ran down my spine. "What does that mean?"
Before he could answer, a voice rang out - impossibly loud, echoing through the deserted streets.
"Welcome, Alpha," it said, sounding both ancient and ageless. "We've been waiting for you."
"Who are you?" I called out, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. "Show yourself!"
"All in due time," the voice replied, tinged with amusement. "For now, know this: the fate of all supernatural beings rests in your hands. Choose wisely, Skye Sullivan. The Underworld City awaits your decision."
With that, the voice fell silent. In the distance, I could hear the hunters making their way down. Soon, they'd be upon us.
I turned to Liam, seeing my own confusion and fear mirrored in his eyes. "What the hell have we stumbled into?" I whispered.
He shook his head, reaching out to grasp my hand. "I don't know. But whatever it is, we're in this together."
As the sounds of approaching hunters grew louder, I squeezed Liam's hand. Whatever challenges this underground city held, whatever choice I was supposed to make, I knew one thing for certain.
Nothing would ever be the same again.