The forest erupted into chaos as Adrian barely managed to dodge the pack leader's ferocious strike. The werewolf's claws slashed through the air, missing Adrian's face by mere inches. Every nerve in his body screamed for him to shift, to let the wolf take over and rip through the pack with savage force, but Adrian held his ground.
He couldn't lose control. Not here. Not when everything was on the line.
"Stay close!" Adrian barked, pulling Alina back behind him. He could hear the growls and whispers of the other werewolves moving silently in the shadows, encircling them. Their presence was like a suffocating fog, the air thick with the primal scent of wolves.
The leader's eyes glinted with hunger as he lunged again. This time, Adrian was ready. He sidestepped the attack, his boots digging into the soft ground for leverage as he whirled around to face the beast. Every muscle in his body screamed for action, for the shift. But it wasn't time. Not yet.
The pack leader let out a guttural growl, his yellow eyes locked on Adrian. "You're a fool, Blackwood. You cannot outrun fate."
Adrian's gaze flickered to Alina, whose eyes were wide with fear, but also filled with a fierce determination. She held the small silver dagger tightly in her hand, her knuckles white as she kept it at the ready, prepared for any opening to strike. She didn't flinch, didn't step back. In that moment, she was just as much a warrior as he was.
The leader let out a low chuckle. "You think your little human friend can help you? She's nothing but a distraction."
Adrian growled, stepping forward, putting himself between Alina and the leader. "Don't underestimate her."
But before the pack leader could respond, one of the other wolves, a younger one with a sleek, dark coat, sprang forward from the shadows, aiming for Alina. Adrian's heart skipped a beat as he saw the attack coming.
"No!" he shouted, and in a burst of adrenaline, he reached out and shoved Alina aside, knocking her out of the path of the werewolf. The creature's claws raked across his side, and pain exploded in his chest. He staggered back, blood soaking into his clothes, but the adrenaline and rage coursing through his veins numbed the worst of it.
Alina screamed, her hands shaking as she scrambled to her feet. "Adrian!"
He held his side, trying to steady himself, but the world around him swam in a haze of pain. He could feel the shift threatening to overwhelm him. The wolf inside him wanted to tear through his flesh, to emerge and make the pack pay for what they'd done. But Adrian fought it back. He couldn't afford to lose control—if he did, they would all be doomed.
The younger wolf advanced, its eyes glowing with malice. Adrian's vision cleared just enough to see the sharp claws, the gaping mouth ready to strike. His body screamed for him to run, to fight back, but there was nowhere to go.
A sudden flash of silver moved past him—Alina.
Without hesitation, she plunged the silver dagger straight into the side of the wolf's neck, her hands steady despite the fear etched across her face. The wolf yelped in pain, its eyes wide with shock before it crumpled to the ground, twitching violently before it lay still.
Adrian's heart skipped a beat as he turned to look at her. "Alina—"
She didn't give him a chance to finish. "We don't have time to talk," she said breathlessly, yanking the dagger free and wiping the blood on the grass. "We have to keep moving. They're not done with us."
The pack leader, his yellow eyes burning with fury, took a step forward, his lips curling into a wicked smile. "You think you've won? You haven't even begun to understand the power you're up against."
Adrian's body ached with exhaustion, his blood staining his shirt, but he refused to show weakness. He would not let them win. "We'll see about that."
The pack circled closer, their movements fluid and silent, stalking them like predators waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Adrian could feel his strength waning, the toll of the previous night's transformation still weighing on him. But he couldn't stop. Not now.
A howl pierced the air, chilling and haunting, echoing through the forest. Adrian stiffened, his senses sharpening. That wasn't just any wolf's cry—it was the call of something ancient, something powerful.
The pack leader's grin faltered as the howl rang through the trees. He turned his head slightly, as if listening for something, his yellow eyes narrowing. "It's him," the leader muttered under his breath. "He's here."
Adrian didn't have time to process what the leader meant. The air around them crackled with an electric charge, and the world seemed to darken further as if the very forest had become alive with menace.
"What do we do?" Alina asked, her voice tight with fear. Her hand was still on the dagger, her body poised to fight.
"We don't fight him," Adrian said quietly, glancing around. "Not yet. We need to get to the ruins. That's the only place where we'll be safe. That's where the talisman's power can protect us."
Alina's eyes widened. "The ruins?" she whispered. "But... the pack is closing in. How will we—"
Before she could finish, a shadow moved swiftly through the trees, emerging at the edge of their vision. A massive figure, cloaked in darkness, stepped into the moonlight.
Adrian's breath caught in his throat.
Standing before them was something far more dangerous than any werewolf: a towering figure, far larger than any man, with glowing red eyes and long, tattered robes. His skin seemed to shimmer as though it wasn't quite solid, as though he didn't fully belong to the world they inhabited.
"Who are you?" Adrian demanded, his voice hoarse, but filled with command.
The figure raised his head slowly, and a cold smile stretched across his face. "I am not your enemy, Blackwood," the figure said in a voice that sent chills down Adrian's spine. "But I'm afraid your time has come."
Adrian's heart raced as he recognized the aura of power around the figure. There was something undeniably ancient about him, a presence that felt as though it had existed long before even the wolves had walked this earth.
The pack leader snarled, stepping forward. "You're too late. The talisman belongs to us. We will finish what we've started."
The figure tilted his head, his eyes glowing brighter. "I think not," he said with an eerie calm. "The talisman belongs to no one—not yet."
Adrian's pulse quickened. "Who are you?" he repeated, his body trembling with the anticipation of the battle that loomed ahead.
The figure's smile faded, and his gaze softened slightly. "I am the one who watches over the balance. You seek the talisman, but it is not your destiny to wield its power, Blackwood. At least not alone."
Adrian didn't understand, but he knew one thing for certain: if he didn't act fast, everything would fall apart.
"We need to go," Adrian whispered to Alina, his hand on her arm, pulling her toward the distant ruins. The figure was still there, but something told him that his presence was not necessarily an ally. Not yet.
Without waiting for a response, he began to move. His legs burned from exhaustion, and his side throbbed with pain, but he pushed forward, urging Alina to follow.
They had no choice. The ruins were their only hope.
As they ran deeper into the forest, the sound of howling filled the air once more—louder, closer. The pack was still hunting them. But now, Adrian had an even greater fear than just the pack.
The mysterious figure was watching them, and whatever power he held, it was far older, far darker than anything Adrian had encountered before.