I didn't have time to react. It was a growl that seemed to rumble through the building, the vibrations racing across my skeleton, sending waves of fear crashing over me. My body froze, my heart beat against my chest while my brain fought desperately to keep up with the chaos unfolding around me.
Orion's face was set in concentration, his eyes scanning the hall as if he could sense something I could not. Damon, on the other hand, looked almost amused, like he had known all this all along.
"What's going on?" I whispered, shaking, my body taut.
Orion didn't respond right away. His eyes flickered to Damon, hardening. "This isn't just about you anymore, Ava. This is bigger than the prophecy. It's about survival.
I didn't get it. What was he talking about? Survival from what? And why was Damon so cool, so Detached? His presence, once unsettling, now felt like an omen of an imminent storm. Teasingly, I could feel the weight of his gaze upon me, as if he were waiting for me to finally see. Finally, Orion spoke, his voice low and urgent. "The war is here," he said. "They're coming for us.
I blinked, trying to process his words. "Who's coming for us? What war?"
Damon let out a soft chuckle, his eyes never leaving me. "You still don't get it, do you, Ava? The pack is divided. And you… you're the key to everything. To end it. To decide which side wins."
I shook my head, and my mind started racing. I didn't want to be part of any war. I didn't want to take sides. I just wanted to be… normal. But everything around me was screaming that normal was a lie, that I was part of something much greater, something I had no control over.
Orion's voice cut through my thoughts, sharp and commanding. "We need to move. Now.
Before I could utter a word, there was another, even stronger tremor from beneath the floor, and then the unmistakable scratching of claws against it. Immediately, my heart went to my throat as I realized what it was a creature, a monster.
I took one step back, my breath catching in my throat. "What is that?
Orion said nothing instead, he tugged my arm to the closest way out, with Damon not uttering a word behind us. His feet almost made no sound, so silent it sent tingles down my spine. Between us three, tension hung, and all I could do was think how all wasn't proper, not with war, prophecy, or some other thing altogether.
We were at the door, but before we could step out into the air, the door slammed shut with a force that shook the building. I turned, my heart racing, and there it was in the doorway—its eyes glowing red, teeth snarled bared. It was huge, its fur matted and torn, its claws dripping with something dark and viscous.
Orion stepped in front of me, his body rigid, ready for a fight. Damon, on the other hand, looked utterly disconcerted, just watching the creature with almost a bored expression, like all this was some kind of game.
"Ava, stay behind me," Orion said, low but firmly. "Do not move unless I tell you.
I nodded, and suddenly, fear churned inside me. I didn't know what was happening, but one thing was for sure: I wasn't ready for any of it.
It growled, striding one pace forward with such fluidity as not to betray its large body. Its eyes caught mine, and suddenly it was as though it could stare right through my soul. It knew who I was, it knew what I was, it knew what was supposed to happen.
Then the assault was on.
And in an instant, Orion reacted-he was light in his movements-but he pushed me to the side, barely avoiding the creature in its attack. The force sent him crashing into the wall, but he got up fast, his eyes flashing with fury.
"Get out of here, Ava!" he shouted. "Run!
But I couldn't. My legs froze, and my body was too shocked to move. I could hear the sounds of battle claws scratching the floor and growls and snarls filled with air-but I couldn't look away from that creature. It was so huge and powerful, terrifying, yet there was something else in its eyes, something quite familiar.
Why is it looking at me like that?" I whispered, mostly to myself, really.
Damon's voice was cold, distant. "It's not just looking at you, Ava. It's waiting for you."
I turned to him, my eyes wide with confusion. "Waiting for me? What do you mean?"
Damon smirked; he didn't stop looking at the creature. "You're the one it's after. You're the one who can stop it.
Before I could ask more, it lunged again-this time right for Orion. He barely managed to get out of its reach, but its claws tore across his side with deep bloody gashes. Orion winced in his teeth, and before he had time to act, the thing went at him once more. Its assault was unending.
I took a deep breath and mustered up all my courage. Couldn't do anything but stand and watch; had to do something.
Instinctively, I pushed forward, not giving it a second thought, and moved between Orion and Damon as my body took over. In that split second, something in me rose in a surge at the glowing red eyes of the creature, some strange, incomprehensible power that only felt so … right.
I held out my shaking hand, having no idea what would or could happen. But the instant my palm faced his, something strange occurred: the air seemed to hum around me, and a jet of energy burst from my fingertips to strike the creature square in the chest.
It screeched in a recoil of pain, its eyes flashing with red in confusion. But it didn't retreat. Angrier now, more vicious, with a greater sense of brutality.
Orion's voice cut through the chaos. "Ava, back! You don't know what you're dealing with!"
It was too late. The creature charged again, this time faster. And this time, I wasn't prepared.
I had barely enough time to raise my hand, and the creature raked its claws across my arm, tearing through skin with a pain so searing that I could hardly breathe. I fell back, my vision blurring, but I refused to fall. I couldn't. Not now. Not when I was so close.
Then, something inside me snapped.
The power surged again, this time harder, and I felt it. Felt it coursing through my veins, through my very soul. I raised my hand once more, and this time, the energy that burst from me wasn't just a burst-it was a wave. A wave of pure force that sent the creature flying backward, crashing into the wall with a deafening thud.
For a moment, everything was silent.
It struggled back onto its feet then, its eyes shining now more brightly than before. And in that moment, I knew.
This wasn't over. It had only just begun.