Chapter 8

The world had narrowed to the violent rhythm of breathing, the snapping of branches, and the suffocating tension between predator and prey.

Riley wasn't sure which one she was anymore.

Her fingers still tingled from where she had struck the wolf, from where she had twisted his wrist too hard too easily. She shouldn't have been able to do that. Shouldn't have been able to move that fast, react that quickly. And yet, she had.

And Callum had seen it.

The amusement in his golden eyes sent a fresh wave of panic rolling through her, but she shoved it down. Now was not the time to fall apart.

Kieran and Callum were still locked in a brutal fight just beyond the tree line, snapping jaws and flashing claws moving too fast for her human eyes except you're not just human, are you? to track.

Nova had managed to slam the other wolf into the ground and was scrambling to keep him down. "A little help would be great!" she yelled, dodging as he lashed out.

Riley took a half-step forward, but Callum's low voice cut through the chaos.

"Don't stop now, Riley."

She went rigid.

He was looking at her, not Kieran. Not Nova. Her.

Callum's smirk was slow and knowing as he took a measured step closer, ignoring Kieran's snarl of warning. "That was impressive. Very impressive."

Riley's pulse pounded against her ribs. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He chuckled. "You're a terrible liar."

Riley's hands clenched into fists.

She didn't want his attention. Didn't want the sick satisfaction in his expression or the way he was looking at her like she was something new to hunt.

But she also couldn't deny what had just happened.

Kieran threw off Callum's next attack with a snarl, shoving him back hard enough to send him skidding through the dirt. "Back off, Callum," he growled, fangs flashing in the moonlight.

Callum didn't even look at him. His gaze remained locked on Riley, burning with something dangerous and interesting.

"I wonder," he mused, tapping a finger against his chin, "how long you've known."

"Known what?" she snapped, even though dread curled in her stomach like a living thing.

Callum tilted his head. "That you're not just some fragile little human caught in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Riley's blood turned to ice.

Kieran moved before she could, launching himself at Callum with a ferocity she had never seen before. Their bodies slammed together, rolling through the underbrush in a blur of teeth and claws.

Nova finally managed to knock out her attacker with a well-placed strike to the head, but she barely had time to gloat before Riley grabbed her wrist and yanked her backward. "We have to go," Riley said, heart hammering.

Nova's eyes flicked toward Kieran and Callum, then back to Riley. "We can't just"

"I know," Riley cut in. "But if we stay, we're dead."

Nova cursed under her breath but nodded, grabbing the nearest heavy branch like she meant to use it. "Lead the way."

Riley hesitated just a second longer before calling out, "Kieran!"

He didn't stop fighting, but his gaze snapped to hers for the briefest second.

She hoped he understood what she was about to do.

Then she grabbed Nova's arm and ran.

The forest was a blur of shadows and moonlight as Riley ran, her breath coming in sharp bursts. Nova was right behind her, cursing under her breath, but Riley couldn't afford to slow down. Not when the howls were closing in.

The moment Callum had looked at her looked at her she'd known she had to get out. There was something too sharp, too calculating in his gaze, and she wasn't about to wait around to find out what he was thinking.

Kieran had barely given her a nod before she turned and fled, knowing that he'd keep Callum distracted long enough for them to escape.

But running wasn't enough. Not this time.

Her body felt wrong, her muscles thrumming with energy she didn't understand. She wasn't supposed to be this fast. She shouldn't have been able to break that wolf's wrist so easily. But somehow, she had. And worse, Callum had noticed.

The road appeared ahead, a thin strip of asphalt cutting through the dense forest. A flash of headlights in the distance sent a fresh surge of hope through her chest.

"There!" she gasped, pointing.

Nova didn't hesitate. They sprinted the last few feet, breaking through the treeline just as the sound of pursuit crashed through the woods behind them.

A dark shape lunged from the shadows.

Riley barely had time to react before she was shoving Nova out of the way, twisting to avoid the set of claws swiping toward her. The wolf landed where she'd just been standing, snarling as it spun to face her again.

Her stomach clenched.

This one was bigger than the others.

"Somewhere safe," Kieran said, his voice rough.

Riley wasn't sure she believed him.

The car's interior was filled with the scent of blood his blood. It soaked through his shirt, a stark contrast against his pale skin, and every time he exhaled, Riley swore she could hear the slight hitch of pain he was trying to hide.

"You're still bleeding," she said, her voice quieter than she meant it to be.

"I noticed," Kieran muttered.

Riley exchanged a glance with Nova, who raised an eyebrow as if to say Are you gonna push this, or should I?

Nova didn't wait for an answer. "Okay, not to be the voice of reason, but maybe we should not ignore the fact that Kieran is dying in the driver's seat."

"I'm not dying," Kieran said, but the way he tightened his grip on the wheel made Riley think otherwise.

"Right, sure," Nova said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because losing that much blood is normal. Super casual."

Riley didn't argue. Instead, she reached forward, pressing a careful hand against his arm. "Kieran," she said, softer now, "you need to let me look at it."

"I'll be fine," he said, but his voice lacked conviction.

The car hit a pothole, jolting them all. Kieran sucked in a sharp breath, his hands briefly jerking on the wheel before he steadied it. That was all the confirmation Riley needed.

"We need to stop," she insisted.

Kieran clenched his jaw, but after a long moment, he let out a slow breath. "There's a place a few miles from here," he admitted. "We can stop there."

Riley let herself relax, just a little.

The car sped down the winding road, cutting through the darkness like a ghost. Riley kept her eyes on the side mirror, watching for any sign of pursuit, but so far, nothing.

Still, the unease in her chest refused to fade.

Callum had seen what she'd done back there. Felt it. And the way he had looked at her like she was some puzzle waiting to be solved sent a cold shiver down her spine.

She didn't understand what was happening to her.

But Callum did.

And that terrified her.

The safe house was less of a house and more of a run-down shack in the middle of nowhere. The moment Kieran pulled up, Riley felt her stomach twist.

"This is it?" Nova asked flatly, staring at the weathered wooden structure like it personally offended her.

"It's off the grid," Kieran said, already moving to open the door.

The moment he stood, he staggered.

Riley was out of the car before she could think, her hands gripping his arm to steady him. His skin was too warm beneath her touch, feverish.

"Kieran"

"I'm fine."

"You keep saying that, and yet here we are."

Kieran exhaled heavily but didn't push her away. He let her help him toward the cabin, Nova trailing behind them, grumbling under her breath about tetanus and serial killer vibes.

Inside, the air was thick with dust, the scent of aged wood, and something vaguely metallic. It was a single-room space small, cramped, but functional. There was a tattered couch shoved against one wall, a tiny kitchen space with barely functioning appliances, and a cot in the corner.

Kieran collapsed onto the couch with a wince.

Riley immediately grabbed the first-aid kit she spotted near the sink, yanking it open as she knelt beside him. She peeled back his shirt, biting back a curse at the sight of his wound. It was deep. Jagged. Worse, it should have started healing by now.

But it wasn't.

Her stomach twisted. "Why isn't it closing?"

Kieran hesitated.

Nova crossed her arms. "Yeah, I'd like an answer to that too. You're a werewolf, right? Fast healing and all that?"

Kieran's gaze flicked to Riley.

She knew the answer before he said it.

"It's the mark, isn't it?" she whispered.

His silence was enough.

Riley pulled in a slow breath, her pulse hammering against her ribs. She had suspected it, but hearing the confirmation made it real. Too real.

"What does it mean?" she asked.

Kieran's golden eyes searched hers, something unreadable flickering in their depths. "It means," he said, voice quieter now, "that we don't have time to figure it out. Because if it's affecting me"

His gaze lingered on her.

A shiver crawled down Riley's spine.

He didn't have to say it.

If the mark was doing this to him, what the hell was it doing to her?

Riley barely slept that night.

Nova had passed out on the cot, muttering something about how if she was gonna die, she might as well be well-rested, but Riley hadn't been able to close her eyes.

Instead, she sat on the floor near the couch, her arms wrapped around her knees, listening to the steady rhythm of Kieran's breathing.

She wasn't sure when she had started watching over him.

At some point, his breaths had turned heavier, and slower, his body sinking deeper into exhaustion. And despite everything, despite the lingering tension between them, despite the weight of the unknown pressing down on her chest she had stayed.

Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was something else.

But when Kieran shifted slightly, his breathing hitching like he was on the verge of waking, Riley didn't move away.

Didn't let go.

Even as she felt something inside her shifting, unraveling.

Because for the first time, she wasn't sure she wanted to.