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Elena's POV
The forest around them pulsed with an unnatural stillness. Shadows seemed to cling to the trees, pressing inward like silent watchers. Caleb had positioned himself protectively in front of her, his body tense, every muscle coiled as if ready to strike.
Her breath came in sharp, uneven bursts as her eyes darted to the figures emerging from the treeline. Wolves—six of them—slipped from the shadows like liquid night, their glowing yellow eyes fixed on her. They moved with eerie precision, their growls low and vibrating through the chilled air.
Caleb's voice was a rough whisper. "Elena, don't move."
Her pulse thundered in her ears, but she didn't dare disobey. The largest wolf stepped forward—its fur thick and black as pitch, its eyes colder than ice. Something about it unsettled her, made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. This wasn't just any wolf.
"Victor," Caleb muttered, his tone venomous.
The black wolf—Victor—let out a deep growl, the sound vibrating through Elena's chest. Then, before her very eyes, the wolf shifted. Fur receded, bones cracked and rearranged, and in seconds, where the wolf once stood, a man loomed. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his dark hair slicked back, and his eyes the same piercing gold. He wore nothing but dark pants, his bare chest scarred and as imposing as his presence.
"Caleb," Victor said, his voice smooth but laced with menace. "Protecting a human again? I expected nothing less of you."
Caleb stiffened, stepping closer to Elena. "Stay out of this, Victor."
Victor's gaze slid lazily to Elena, and she flinched under the weight of it. "This is her?" he said, a slow smile spreading across his face. "I can see why you're so concerned. She's… intriguing."
Caleb let out a low growl, and his body trembled as if he were holding himself back. "If you so much as look at her again, you won't live to regret it."
Victor chuckled darkly. "How noble of you. But don't you see, Caleb? This isn't just about you or your precious little pack anymore. She's part of this now, whether she likes it or not. You can't protect her forever."
"Watch me," Caleb snarled.
For a long, tense moment, the two men stared each other down, the air between them crackling with hostility. Then Victor raised a hand, signaling to the wolves behind him.
"Very well," he said. "I'll leave… for now. But don't get comfortable, Caleb. She's marked, and we'll come for her soon enough. You know you can't keep her hidden forever."
With that, Victor turned sharply, his body shifting effortlessly back into the form of the black wolf. The others followed suit, slipping back into the trees as quickly as they had appeared.
The silence that followed was almost deafening.
Elena let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, her body trembling. "What… what just happened?"
Caleb turned to her, his expression tight with worry. "We need to move. Now."
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Caleb's POV
The encounter with Victor had left a bitter taste in his mouth. He could still hear the bastard's mocking tone, the thinly veiled threats. Caleb had known Victor wouldn't back down easily, but seeing him face-to-face had confirmed his worst fears—Victor wasn't just interested in the pack anymore. He was after Elena, and that changed everything.
"Caleb?" Elena's voice broke through his thoughts. She was trailing behind him, clearly struggling to keep up as they hurried through the dense woods. "Can you please explain what's going on?"
Caleb stopped abruptly, turning to face her. She looked small and vulnerable, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she shivered in the cool night air. Guilt tugged at him. He hated dragging her into this mess, but there was no avoiding it now.
"Victor and his pack… they're dangerous," Caleb said quietly. "They've been trying to seize control of Blackwood Hollow for years. My pack has been the only thing standing in their way."
Elena frowned. "What does that have to do with me? Why is he so interested in me?"
Caleb hesitated, the weight of the truth pressing down on him. He hadn't wanted to tell her this—not yet—but after tonight, he couldn't keep her in the dark any longer.
"You're marked, Elena," he said softly. "Those symbols in the clearing? They weren't just random. They were placed there for you. Victor believes you're connected to something—something ancient and powerful."
She stared at him, her expression a mix of confusion and fear. "But I don't understand. I'm not special, Caleb. I'm just… me."
"You may not feel special, but there's something about you that drew Victor's attention. That's why I've been protecting you—why I have to protect you."
Elena shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. "I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be hunted or protected or… or marked!"
"I know," Caleb said, his voice low and soothing. "And I'm sorry. But right now, the only thing that matters is keeping you safe."
She looked at him for a long moment, her breathing shallow. "Where are we going?"
"There's a safehouse in the mountains," Caleb said. "No one knows about it except for me and my pack. We'll be safe there while we figure out what to do next."
Elena nodded reluctantly, swiping at her tears. "Okay. Let's go."
Caleb turned and started walking again, his senses on high alert as they moved deeper into the forest. The path ahead would be dangerous, and he knew Victor wouldn't give up so easily. But no matter what it took, Caleb would keep his promise to protect Elena—no matter the cost.
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Elena's POV
The deeper they went into the forest, the more the world seemed to close in around them. The trees grew taller, their branches tangled together like skeletal fingers, blocking out the moonlight.
Caleb walked ahead of her, his movements quick and purposeful. He seemed so sure of where he was going, so certain of what needed to be done. Elena envied that confidence. She felt like her entire world had been ripped out from under her, and she had no idea how to steady herself again.
"Caleb?" she called softly.
He glanced back at her. "Yeah?"
"Thank you," she said quietly. "For helping me."
Caleb's expression softened, and for the briefest moment, she thought she saw something in his eyes—something gentle and warm, hidden beneath the tough exterior.
"You don't need to thank me," he said. "I'm just doing what's right."
Elena swallowed hard, her chest tightening. She didn't know what scared her more: the threat of Victor's pack or the way Caleb was starting to make her feel.
Either way, there was no turning back now.
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