The growl echoed through the forest again, louder this time, more distinct. My heart raced as I scanned the treeline, the wolf inside me roaring to life. Tobias stood beside me, his jaw tight, his eyes focused on the darkened forest ahead.
"They're close," he muttered under his breath, his hand tightening around the hilt of the dagger at his side.
I could feel it too—the presence of something ancient, something powerful. The air was thick with it, like the moment before a storm, when the world holds its breath in anticipation. Every instinct in my body screamed for me to shift, to let the wolf take over, but I held back. Not yet.
"We need to move," Aria whispered from behind us, her voice low and tense. "If they find us out here in the open..."
"We're not running," I said, my voice harsher than I intended. I turned to face her, the urgency of the situation pressing down on me like a weight. "If we run, they'll hunt us down. We stand our ground."
Aria opened her mouth to argue, but Tobias cut her off. "Kael's right. They're already here. We can't outrun them now."
I felt a surge of relief at Tobias' support, but it was short-lived. The forest was alive with movement now, the shadows shifting and twisting as the pack of wolves closed in around us. My pulse quickened, and I could feel the wolf inside me pushing harder, desperate to be let free.
"Get ready," Tobias growled, his voice low and dangerous. He crouched low, his eyes narrowing as he watched the treeline. "They're coming."
I braced myself, muscles tensing, every sense on high alert. The sound of paws pounding against the earth filled the air, and then they appeared—massive, hulking figures, their eyes glowing in the darkness.
There were at least ten of them, circling us like predators, their growls low and menacing. Their coats gleamed under the pale moonlight, their muscles rippling as they stalked forward, their eyes fixed on us with a hunger that sent chills down my spine.
And at the center of the pack stood a figure taller than the rest, his form shrouded in darkness, but there was no mistaking him. The Old One. He stood there, watching, waiting, as if this was all a game to him.
The tension was unbearable. The wolves moved closer, their growls growing louder, more aggressive. My wolf snarled inside me, my instincts screaming for me to fight, to tear into them with everything I had. But I forced myself to stay still, to wait for the right moment.
"Kael," Tobias hissed, his voice barely audible. "We need a plan."
Before I could respond, the Old One stepped forward, his movements slow and deliberate. The other wolves parted for him, bowing their heads in submission as he passed. His eyes gleamed with dark amusement as he came to a stop just a few feet away from me.
"You've come far," the Old One said, his voice smooth and cold, like ice sliding over my skin. "But you're still not ready."
I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening as I glared at him. "We'll see about that."
The Old One smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "You think you can defeat me? That you can lead this pack? You're just a child, Kael. A child playing at being a leader."
His words cut deep, but I didn't let them show. I couldn't afford to let him get into my head, not now. "I don't have to be ready," I growled. "I just have to stop you."
The Old One chuckled, a low, sinister sound that made my skin crawl. "Oh, Kael. You still don't understand, do you? This isn't a fight you can win. It's a fight for survival. And you're not going to survive."
Before I could respond, he moved—faster than I could have anticipated. In a blur of motion, he lunged at me, his claws slashing through the air. I barely had time to react, throwing myself to the side just as his claws sliced through the space where I had been standing.
The force of the movement knocked me off balance, but I quickly regained my footing, my wolf snarling with fury. I could feel the power surging through me, the strength of the wolf pushing against the boundaries of my control. I let out a growl, and this time, I didn't hold back.
I shifted.
The transformation was instantaneous, the power flooding through me as my body contorted and shifted, bones cracking and reshaping, fur sprouting across my skin. I could feel the power of the wolf coursing through my veins, sharp and wild, but this time I wasn't afraid of it. I embraced it.
The Old One grinned, his eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction. "That's more like it."
We clashed again, the force of our collision shaking the ground beneath us. His claws raked against my side, but I barely felt it. The wolf inside me howled, pushing me forward, my teeth snapping at his throat.
But the Old One was fast—faster than I had anticipated. He dodged my attack, his movements fluid and effortless, and before I could react, he was behind me, his claws sinking into my shoulder.
Pain exploded through me, but I fought through it, twisting out of his grasp and launching myself at him again. This time, I was ready. I feinted to the left, and when he moved to counter, I lunged to the right, sinking my teeth into his arm.
He let out a snarl of rage, his claws slashing at me, but I didn't let go. I could taste his blood, feel the heat of his body as I held on, refusing to back down.
With a roar of fury, the Old One threw me off him, sending me crashing into the ground. I scrambled to my feet, my vision blurring from the impact, but I didn't have time to recover. He was on me again, his claws slicing through the air, but this time, I was ready.
I ducked under his attack, my claws raking across his chest. He let out a snarl of pain, stumbling back as blood oozed from the wound.
For a moment, I thought I had him.
But then, something changed. The air around us seemed to ripple, the ground trembling beneath our feet. The Old One's eyes gleamed with something dark and terrible, and I realized too late what was happening.
He was calling on his power.
The ground beneath me cracked, splitting open as dark energy surged from the earth, wrapping around me like tendrils of shadow. I struggled against it, but it was too strong, pulling me down, suffocating me.
The Old One stepped forward, his eyes glowing with dark satisfaction. "This is the end, Kael."
I fought against the darkness, my wolf howling in fury, but I could feel my strength slipping away, the shadows tightening around me like a noose.
"Kael!" Aria's voice cut through the darkness, but I couldn't see her. I couldn't move.
And then, everything went black.