Hunter nods.
Robert and Evan shift into their bear forms, startling Aura, who moves closer to me. I embrace her and whisper softly, “It’s going to be okay.”
“Is it?” she asks, voice flat and face impassive.
“It is.”
We will win this battle because we are dragons. No wolf or bear has a chance against our might and power.
24
KELAN
We move stealthily through the trees, yet our presence is unmistakable. Tension builds with each step. Fire gathers within me, prepared to ignite.
Ronyn leads the western flank with Robert, while Darial and Evan take the east, both composed and strategic. I advance through the center with Aura behind Hunter and myself. Aura moves silently, her fur cape inadequate for the cold, her breath shallow as if suppressing a scream.
The camp is near, its heat seeping into the night. Wolves patrol in human form, focused only on their laughter and bravado. Fear lingers in the air, mingled with decay and unchecked dominance. This place is ruled by force rather than honor.
My dragon growls low in my chest. This is a bad place. Much evil has been carried out here. Even the trees recoil from it, as though the land itself remembers every atrocity.
We reach the crude outer wall; logs lashed together without skill. This barrier was built by those who haven’ttruly expected to face resistance or challenge.
I nod to Hunter and crouch, eyes glowing as I scan for movement.
A man emerges, carrying a child with red curls, much like Aura’s had been before her mating transition. The child is scrambling in his arms and pushing against his chest with her hands. She wails, and Aura stumbles forward, but I catch her wrist before she gives us away. Her pulse surges, desperate and wild under my palm.
“Wait,” I whisper.
Her gaze remains fixed on the man and her daughter. She trembles, caught between desperation and restraint, power building beneath her skin. Across the camp, two wolves guard an old shed, likely where Hunter’s friends are held.
“Distraction,” I growl to Hunter.
He nods. Moments later, Evan and Robert burst through the underbrush, snarling. The guards, initially stunned, react quickly, shifting forms with urgency.
I leap free and shift partly, letting out a controlled burst of fire that slashes through the dirt like molten teeth. The ground hisses and glows, lighting the clearing in violence.
The guards scream and stagger back, one still clutching the child who cries out.
Aura screams, a sound that rips through every part of me, and runs toward the child, but I reach the guard first. In one brutal motion, I twist with dragon strength. His neck snaps like dry wood. He crumples, body slack as Ahya falls forward into my arms.
Aura reaches for the child as the man falls. The child is small, her eyes swollen with tears.
Aura trembles as she holds her child. “She’s cold,Kelan.” She prepares to hand her back when chaos erupts in the camp.
A howl, raw and furious, tears through the darkness. Then another. Then dozens of wolves pour from tents, some shifting forms, all driven by rage and fear. The compound descends into chaos.
Two figures push through the crowd with distinct confidence. One is broad-shouldered, with a scarred face and a predatory grin. The other is lean and feral, his wolf eyes sharp with hunger.
They head directly toward her.
Aura stiffens beside me. “That’s them,” she gasps. “Kelan… that’s them.”
The larger one laughs, a low, satisfied rumble. “Missed you, little rabbit,” he calls. “You run real pretty. Makes the catch sweeter.” He drags his tongue slowly over his teeth as if tasting the memory.
The wolf circles, head tilted, nostrils flaring as he drinks in her scent. “Told you we’d find you again,” he murmurs, daring to step closer than any creature should ever get to her again. “Told you the chase wasn’t over.”
Aura recoils as if burned.
