Chapter 7

The night was too quiet.

Riley felt it in her bones and the wrongness of the silence pressing in around them. The cold bite of the wind should have carried the usual sounds of the forest, the rustle of leaves, the distant hoot of an owl, and the chirp of unseen insects. But there was nothing. Just the crunch of their footsteps against the damp earth and the slow, steady beat of her pulse hammering in her ears.

They were being hunted.

She didn't know how she knew it only that the feeling slithered under her skin, coiling tight in her chest.

Kieran walked ahead of her, his posture tense, golden eyes scanning the darkness like he expected an attack at any second. Nova followed closely behind, muttering curses under her breath every time a twig snapped beneath her boots. The backpack Riley had packed earlier was slung over her shoulders, heavier than she remembered, though maybe that was just the exhaustion settling into her bones.

"Where exactly is this friend of yours?" Nova asked, voice hushed.

"Not far," Kieran answered.

"Yeah, super specific. Love that for us," she muttered.

Riley shot her a look before glancing at Kieran. His jaw was clenched tight, his knuckles white where he gripped his injured side. He was still bleeding, though he was trying to hide it. The scent of his blood mixed with the pine-heavy air, sharp and metallic, and Riley hated the way it unsettled her.

They needed to move faster.

"We should pick up the pace," she said. "We don't know how long we have before they track us."

Kieran didn't argue, but the flicker of pain in his expression told her more than words ever could. He wasn't okay. The wound should have closed hours ago, but it hadn't, and Riley knew why.

The mark.

She hadn't let herself think about it too much, not with everything else happening but now, as she watched Kieran struggle to stay upright, the reality of what had happened between them pressed down on her like a weight. He had marked her. Even if it had been an accident, even if neither of them fully understood what it meant, it had changed something.

And that something was killing him.

"How much further?" she asked, forcing the thought aside.

Kieran exhaled sharply. "There's an old hunting cabin near the edge of the ridge. If we can make it there before sunrise, we'll be safe for a few hours."

Riley nodded, but Nova groaned. "Great. Another cabin. Because the last one worked out so well for us."

"Do you have a better idea?"

Nova scowled but didn't answer.

They kept moving. The trees stretched high above them, skeletal shadows against the dark sky. The moon had long

The trees stretched high above them, skeletal shadows against the dark sky. The moon had long since disappeared behind thick clouds, plunging the forest into near-total darkness. Riley kept her steps light, ears straining for any sign that they weren't alone.

Beside her, Kieran moved with a quiet grace that shouldn't have been possible given how much blood he'd lost. His golden eyes flickered in the dim light, sharp and alert, scanning the woods like he could sense something she couldn't.

Riley wasn't sure if that made her feel better or worse.

Nova, on the other hand, was not built for stealth. She stumbled over a root, barely catching herself before face-planting into the dirt.

"Dammit," she hissed, brushing dirt from her hands. "Why is everything in this stupid forest out to kill me?"

Kieran gave her a dry look. "If the forest wanted you dead, you'd already be dead."

Nova's glare could have melted steel. "Wow. Thanks for that comforting thought, wolf boy."

Riley sighed, glancing at Kieran. "Is this friend of yours expecting us, or are we just showing up and hoping they don't shoot first and ask questions later?"

Kieran hesitated. Just for a second. But it was enough.

Nova groaned. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me. They don't even know we're coming?"

"They'll help," Kieran said simply, pushing forward through the trees.

Nova muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, You'd better hope so, or we're all screwed.

Riley tightened her grip on the backpack strap slung over her shoulder, her stomach twisting uneasily. Kieran might have been confident, but she wasn't sure she shared that confidence. If this person was anything like the rest of the werewolves she'd encountered so far, they weren't exactly going to be thrilled to see her.

The feeling of being watched only grew stronger the farther they went.

The hair on the back of Riley's neck stood up. She slowed her pace, glancing over her shoulder, but the forest was empty. No movement. No sound. Just the endless stretch of trees disappearing into the darkness.

But something was there. She could feel it.

And then

A twig snapped.

Riley barely had time to react before Kieran moved.

One second he was beside her, the next he was in front of her, body tense, shoulders squared. His hands curled into fists at his sides, golden eyes glowing in the dark.

Nova froze, her breath hitching.

The silence was deafening.

Then

A low, guttural growl rumbled through the trees.

Riley's blood ran cold.

They weren't alone.

And whoever was out there wasn't friendly.

Kieran shifted his stance slightly, weight balanced, every muscle in his body coiled tight like a predator ready to strike. His breathing was even, and controlled, but Riley could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.

And then, a voice broke the silence.

"Well, well. Look what we have here."

A shadow stepped forward from the trees.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Smirking like they'd already won.

Riley's stomach dropped.

Because she knew exactly who it was.

Callum.

Callum's smirk widened as he stepped into the faint moonlight filtering through the trees. His dark hair was tousled like he hadn't bothered fixing it after shifting, and his sharp features were cast in eerie half-shadows. But it was his eyes that sent a chill through Riley's bones cold, calculating, and glowing with predatory amusement.

Behind him, two other wolves emerged from the darkness, their expressions unreadable, their presence radiating quiet menace.

Trapped.

Riley's fingers curled into fists at her sides, pulse hammering as Callum's gaze flicked between her and Kieran, amusement dancing in his golden eyes.

"Didn't take you long to run," Callum said, tilting his head. "I thought rogues were supposed to be tougher than this."

Kieran didn't move. He stood completely still, muscles taut, but Riley could see the strain in his posture. He was still injured. Still bleeding. And Callum knew it.

"Walk away," Kieran said, his voice low and even.

Callum chuckled. "Why would I do that? This is the most fun I've had in weeks."

Nova made a noise in the back of her throat. "Wow. Your definition of fun is seriously messed up."

Callum ignored her, taking a slow step forward, his eyes locked on Riley now.

And suddenly, she realized what he was doing.

He wasn't here for Kieran.

He was here for her.

A cold weight settled in her stomach.

"You don't belong in this world, Riley Hayes," Callum said, voice smooth like silk over a blade. "But you're here anyway. So tell me how you think this ends for you?"

Riley forced herself to hold his gaze, even as every instinct in her body screamed at her to run.

"I don't know," she said, lifting her chin. "Why don't you tell me?"

Callum's smirk sharpened. "Gladly."

And then he moved.

Fast. Too fast.

Riley barely had time to register the blur of motion before Kieran was suddenly in front of her, intercepting Callum's attack with a force that sent both of them crashing into the trees.

Snarls filled the air, fangs flashing, bodies colliding.

The other wolves lunged forward one going for Nova, the other straight for Riley.

Riley dodged on instinct, heart slamming against her ribs. She wasn't a fighter she knew that but she wasn't about to just stand there and get torn apart either.

Nova ducked under a swipe of claws, kicking out at her attacker's leg with a sharp crack. "Okay, this sucks!" she shouted, narrowly avoiding another hit.

Riley barely heard her.

Because the second wolf, the one who had locked onto her, was circling now, slow and deliberate. Testing her.

Waiting for her to slip.

Her breath came fast and shallow. She had no weapon. No real training. But something inside her burned something hot and unfamiliar, curling through her veins like wildfire.

She felt it before she understood it.

The wolf lunged.

And suddenly, Riley moved.

Faster than she should have. Faster than she'd ever moved before.

Her body twisted out of the way, reacting on instinct she shouldn't have, and before she could think, before she could even question, she had her hand wrapped around the wolf's wrist and twisted.

A snap. A howl.

The wolf staggered back, clutching its broken arm, eyes wide with shock.

Riley froze.

What the hell just happened?

Callum's laughter cut through the chaos.

"Oh," he said, breathless and delighted. "That is interesting."

Riley's heart slammed against her ribs, her hand still tingling with the impossible strength she had just used.

Because of that speed, that power

It wasn't normal.

And Callum had just seen it.

His smirk deepened.

"This just got so much more fun."