The night stretched on as Selene followed Damon through the dense forest, her ankle throbbing with every step. The adrenaline that had fueled her escape was fading, replaced by exhaustion and doubt. She didn't know where they were going, or if they'd even survive long enough to get there.
Damon moved ahead of her, his steps sure and silent despite the uneven terrain. Selene hated how easily he seemed to navigate the danger, as though he wasn't the one who had cast her aside weeks ago, leaving her to fend for herself.
"Damon," she called out, her voice low but firm.
He paused, turning slightly. "Keep your voice down."
"No." She stopped walking, planting her feet on the damp earth. "I'm not going another step until you tell me what's going on. Why are they hunting me? What does Cyrus want?"
Damon's jaw tightened, his eyes scanning the darkness before locking onto hers. "This isn't the time—"
"It's never the time with you," Selene snapped. "If you want me to trust you, give me a reason to."
For a moment, the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind. Finally, Damon exhaled, running a hand through his hair.
"Cyrus wants control," he said, his voice low. "Your inheritance—your bloodline—it's a threat to him. He's convinced the pack that you're tainted, but it's a lie. Morgana's prophecy, everything they've told you, it's all part of his plan to take what's yours."
Selene's chest tightened. "My inheritance? My bloodline? What are you talking about?"
"There's more to your family's legacy than you know," Damon said. "But we don't have time for the full story. If Cyrus gets his hands on you, he'll make sure you never find out."
★★★
The sound of snapping branches interrupted them. Damon's head jerked toward the noise, his body tensing like a coiled spring.
"They're close," he muttered. He grabbed her arm, pulling her forward. "We need to move."
Selene stumbled after him, her mind racing with questions. What legacy was Damon talking about? Why had her father never told her any of this? And why was Damon the one protecting her now, after everything he'd done?
The forest seemed endless, its shadows stretching out like grasping hands. Selene's ankle burned, but she gritted her teeth and kept going. She wouldn't let herself be a victim again.
Suddenly, Damon stopped, his hand shooting up in a silent signal for her to freeze. Selene obeyed, her heart pounding as she scanned the darkness.
"What is it?" she whispered.
Damon didn't answer. Instead, he crouched low, his eyes fixed on a figure emerging from the trees. It was another tracker, his face twisted into a cruel smile.
"Well, well," the tracker drawled. "Didn't expect you to run this far, little wolf."
Selene's grip tightened on the knife Damon had handed her earlier. She wasn't going down without a fight.
---
Damon stepped forward, his voice cold and commanding. "This is your only warning. Leave now, or you won't leave at all."
The tracker laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "Brave words, Beta. Too bad Cyrus has already claimed her fate."
Before Selene could react, the tracker lunged. Damon met him head-on, the clash of their bodies reverberating through the forest. Selene watched, frozen, as the two wolves fought in a blur of claws and teeth.
"Run, Selene!" Damon shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
But she didn't move. Her instincts screamed at her to flee, but something deeper—a stubborn defiance—rooted her in place. She wouldn't leave Damon to fight alone, not when he was risking everything to protect her.
Gripping her knife, Selene stepped forward, her heart hammering in her chest. The tracker was focused on Damon, his back exposed. She hesitated only for a moment before plunging the blade into his side.
The tracker let out a howl of pain, whipping around to face her. His glowing eyes burned with rage, but before he could strike, Damon tackled him to the ground, finishing the fight with a swift, brutal blow.
★★★
The silence that followed was deafening. Damon stood over the tracker's lifeless body, his chest heaving. Selene stared at her bloodied hands, the reality of what she'd done crashing over her.
"You saved my life," Damon said, his voice softer now.
Selene looked up at him, her eyes blazing. "Don't thank me. Just tell me what happens next."
Damon nodded, his expression grim. "We keep moving. And we don't stop until you're safe."
★★★
The river came into view just as the first light of dawn broke through the trees. Damon led Selene to a rocky outcrop, where a narrow path wound down to the water's edge.
"This way," he said, motioning for her to follow.
Selene hesitated, glancing over her shoulder. The forest felt too quiet now, as though holding its breath.
"Damon," she said, her voice tinged with unease. "What if this is a trap?"
"It's not," he said firmly. "I've scouted this area before. The cave is secure."
But as they descended toward the river, a shadow moved across the rocks ahead. Selene's heart leapt into her throat.
"Damon!" she hissed, pointing.
He followed her gaze, his expression darkening. Another tracker stood at the cave entrance, his stance confident and unyielding.
"You're surrounded," the tracker called out, his voice echoing across the water. "Surrender now, and Cyrus might show you mercy."
Damon's hand went to his blade, but Selene grabbed his arm.
"There's no way out," she whispered. "What do we do?"
Damon's eyes met hers, and for a moment, she saw the conflict within him—the instinct to fight warring with the need to protect her.
"We make them believe we're surrendering," he said finally. "But when the moment comes, we fight."
The tracker's words echoed in the silence, wrapping around Selene like a noose: You're surrounded. Her chest tightened, fear battling with a rising determination. She looked at Damon, his stance steady, his blade glinting faintly in the dim light.
"Stay calm," Damon whispered, his voice steady but low. "We'll get through this."
Selene wasn't so sure. Shadows shifted at the edge of the trees, figures stepping into the moonlight one by one. Five. Six. Seven. They circled like predators scenting blood.
The lead tracker, standing by the cave entrance, smirked. "You've run far, but this ends now. Hand her over, Beta, and I might let you live."
Damon didn't flinch. His grip on the blade tightened, his gaze locked on the leader. "You'll have to kill me first."
★★★
Selene's heart pounded as Damon stepped forward, putting himself between her and the threat. She should feel safe, but the overwhelming odds made her stomach churn.
"You think you can protect her?" the tracker mocked. "Cyrus already owns her fate. This is just a formality."
The other trackers began to close in, their steps deliberate, confident. Damon raised his weapon, his voice cutting through the tension.
"Touch her, and I'll tear you apart."
The leader laughed, his voice sharp and mocking. "Brave words, but you're outnumbered."
Selene's hands trembled as she gripped the knife Damon had given her. She glanced at the dark river behind them, then at the trackers, calculating the chances of escape. They were slim.
"They won't stop," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "What do we do?"
Damon turned to her briefly, his expression grim. "We fight."
★★★
The first tracker lunged, and the fight began. Damon met the attack with a ferocity Selene hadn't seen before, his blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. The clash of metal echoed in the stillness, each strike a battle for survival.
Selene barely had time to react before another tracker charged at her. She stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding his swing. Panic flared, but instinct kicked in. She slashed out with her knife, grazing his arm.
"Behind you!" Damon shouted.
Selene spun, her blade meeting the next attacker's strike. The impact sent a jolt up her arm, but she held her ground, fueled by sheer desperation.
Damon moved like a storm, his movements sharp and relentless. But even he couldn't hold them all back. A tracker tackled him, pinning him to the ground.
"Damon!" Selene screamed, her voice raw with fear.
★★★
She turned to help him, but rough hands grabbed her from behind, wrenching the knife from her grasp. Another hand shoved her to her knees, and she gasped in pain.
"Stay down," the leader snarled, his grip like iron. "Cyrus has plans for you, little wolf."
Selene's mind raced, searching for a way out, but her body felt frozen. She could see Damon struggling, his blade just out of reach, blood streaking his face.
"Let her go!" Damon growled, his voice rough with desperation.
The leader smirked. "And miss the chance to bring you both to Cyrus? Not a chance."
★★★
Before the leader could strike, a low, guttural growl rippled through the air. The trackers froze, their confidence faltering.
"What is that?" one of the trackers muttered, glancing nervously at the trees.
The leader's smirk wavered, his gaze scanning the darkness. "Stay alert. It's nothing."
But it wasn't.
The growl grew louder, closer. Then, a massive wolf stepped into the clearing. Its fur was black as midnight, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light. The air seemed to shift around it, heavy with power.
Selene's captor loosened his grip, distracted by the imposing figure.
Seizing the moment, she twisted free and scrambled toward Damon, her heart racing.
The wolf snarled, its teeth bared, and the trackers hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances.
"What is that thing?" one of them whispered, his voice shaking.
The leader barked a command. "It's just an animal. Take it down!"
The wolf moved like lightning, tearing into the nearest tracker with terrifying precision. Chaos erupted as the others tried to defend
themselves, their earlier confidence shattered.
"Run!" Damon shouted, pulling Selene to her feet.
She stumbled after him, her legs trembling, the sounds of the fight ringing in her ears. The wolf's snarls mixed with the trackers' screams, but she didn't dare look back.
The river came into view, glinting silver under the moonlight. Damon led her to the water's edge, where they splashed into the icy current.
The cold bit at her skin, but adrenaline kept her moving.
Selene nodded, her fear giving way to a fierce determination. Whatever Cyrus had planned, she wouldn't let him win.
But deep inside, she couldn't shake the feeling that the wolf hadn't left them for good.