The cold wind clawed at Elira's skin as she stumbled through the dense forest, her breaths ragged and uneven. Shadows danced between the ancient trees, their gnarled branches reaching like skeletal hands to ensnare her. Her bare feet ached from the jagged rocks and fallen branches, but she couldn't stop. Stopping meant going back to him.
Her cousin's drunken voice still rang in her ears—a grotesque mockery of the brotherly care she had once hoped for. "You're mine now, little sister." The memory churned her stomach, and she pushed herself harder, her legs trembling under the strain.
"Elira…" she whispered her own name as if grounding herself. "Keep running. Don't stop. Just keep running."
She didn't know where she was going—only that she had to escape the suffocating cruelty of her family. She had prayed for years for love, for kindness, but all she found were cold stares and bruised ribs. Tonight, she had torn free from the chains of her past, but freedom came at a cost.
Her vision blurred as exhaustion clawed at her senses. She tripped on a root, crashing hard to the ground. The damp earth absorbed her cry of pain. The forest fell silent, save for the pounding of her heart.
But then, a sound—a low growl—broke through the stillness.
Elira's head snapped up, and her golden-brown eyes widened. Two enormous wolves emerged from the shadows, their fur as dark as the night, and their eyes gleaming with an unnatural amber glow.
"No…" she whispered, scrambling back until her back hit a tree. Her chest heaved as terror threatened to consume her.
The wolves didn't attack. They simply watched, their eyes intelligent and unnervingly calm. And then, one of them began to change.
Elira's breath caught as the transformation unfolded before her. Fur melted into smooth skin, bones cracked and shifted, and standing where the wolf once was, a man now loomed—tall, broad-shouldered, with piercing amber eyes that seemed to burn into her soul. His dark hair framed a face that was sharp and commanding.
The second wolf followed suit, its form shifting until another man stood beside the first. This one was leaner, his features less harsh but no less intimidating.
"You're human?" Elira's voice trembled, her body frozen in fear.
The first man stepped closer, his gaze intense. "And what are you doing in my forest, little human?"
"I… I didn't mean to trespass," she stammered, clutching the tattered remains of her dress. "I was just—"
"Running." His voice was low and authoritative, cutting through her words. "From what?"
Elira's lips quivered, but she didn't answer.
The second man crossed his arms, a smirk tugging at his lips. "She reeks of fear, Kaelion. But there's something else… something intriguing."
Kaelion—the Wolf Prince. Elira had heard whispers of him in the village, a ruler both feared and revered. She had never imagined meeting him, let alone like this.
Kaelion crouched before her, his piercing gaze holding hers captive. "You will tell me why you're here. But for now, you'll come with us."
"What?" Elira gasped, shaking her head. "No, please, I—"
He leaned closer, his voice a soft growl. "You have no choice."
Before she could protest further, her vision darkened. The last thing she saw was Kaelion's intense eyes, watching her as the world faded away.