Chapter 4: Hunted
Aria moved through the dense forest with careful, practiced steps. The trees had become had shield, the shadows her refuge. For a year she had survived alone, slipping past danger like a ghost. But this time, she had made a mistake.
She should have kept running.
Ever since the strange source of power had erupted from her back at the river, she had felt... different. Stronger, yes. But also exposed. It was as if something inside her had awakened, and now the world could sense it.
And that was how they found her.
The chase begins
She first caught they scent on the wind-fresh pine, steel, and the unbearable presence of a pack. Kieran's warriors.
They were tracking her again.
She cursed under her breath, heart pounding. Had they recovered so quickly from the last encounter? Or had Kieran sent even more of his men after her?
She didn't wait to find out.
Aria bolted, weaving through the trees, her bare feet silent against the damp earth. The wind whipped through her tangled hair as she pushed herself harder, faster-
A growl rumbled behind her.
Too close.
She risked a glance back-three wolves, sleek and deadly, their eyes glowing in moonlight. They were gaining on her.
Her muscles screamed, but she didn't slow down. She had survived this long she wouldn't let them take her now.
Then she made a second mistake.
She ran right into a trap
Caught
A fourth warrior stepped out from behind a tree, cutting off her escape. She skidded to a stop, breath coming in sharp gasps.
He was tall, his dark hair pulled back in a loose knot. Unlike the others, he wasn't in wolf form, but the way he stood the raw power radiating off him, told her he didn't need to shift to be dangerous.
"Aria," he said, his voice low and firm. "come quietly."
She bared her teeth. "Not a chance."
The wolves behind her circled closer.
"You don't understand," the warrior continued, his golden eyes steady. "The alpha-"
She didn't let him finish.
Aria lunged, aiming low, driving her shoulder into his ribs. He grunted, stumbling back, but he was stronger than she expected. he recovered fast, grabbing her arm before she could slip away.
She twisted, brining her knee up hard. His grip loosened just a enough-she ripped free and ran.
But the others were faster.
A wolf slammed into her side, knocking her off her feet. The impact sent them both tumbling through the underbrush. Aria hit the ground hard, pain flaring through her ribs.
Before she could move, the wolf shifted back into it's human form, pinning her down.
She struggled, but he was heavier, stronger. His hands pressed against her throat, not quite cutting her off air, but a clear warning.
"Enough," he growled. "You're coming with us."
Aria's vision blurred, panic surging through her veins. No. No, I won't be taken.
Then it happened again.
That power.
A sudden rush of heat built inside her, electric and untamed. The warrior's grip faltered for just a second-but it was enough.
Aria shoved upward, and an unseen force blasted from her body.
The warrior was thrown backward.
She gasped, rolling to her feet as the other wolves hesitated, their eyes wide with shock.
She didn't waste the opportunity.
She ran.
A narrow escape
The forest blurred past her. Her legs burned, her lungs ached, but she didn't stop. The warrior's shouted behind her, but their voice grew fainter with every step.
She kept running until the sounds disappeared entirely, until only the distant hoot of an owl filled the night.
Only then did she collapse, her hands digging into the earth.
She had escaped again.
But this time, she knew wouldn't be the last.
They would keep coming.
And next time.... she might not be so lucky.
She needed to know what she was.
And she had a feeling the key to everything was buried deep in the past she had been forced to forget.
End of chapter 4