The clearing exploded with energy as Kael collided with the monstrous rogue. The impact sent both wolves skidding across the forest floor, claws tearing into earth, growls shaking the air. Sparks from nearby fires lit up the chaos like lightning.
Elara charged forward, her blade glowing brighter with each heartbeat. The creature wasn't just massive — it was unnatural. Its limbs were too long, its snout twisted, eyes glowing with the burn of dark magic. This wasn't a born wolf. It was built. Changed.
"Kael!" she called, dodging a falling tree limb as the rogue flung him through the underbrush.
Kael recovered fast, shifting mid-air and landing hard on his feet, blood trickling from his jaw. "I've got him," he growled.
"No," Elara said firmly, stepping beside him. "We take him down together."
The rogue roared, swinging an arm with enough force to knock down a boulder. Elara and Kael split, flanking it, moving like mirrors. As Kael distracted it with a feint, Elara leapt onto its back, driving her blade deep into the creature's shoulder.
It howled in fury, spinning and flailing, throwing her off. She hit the ground hard, wind knocked from her lungs. The rogue lunged, claws aimed straight for her chest.
Kael shifted mid-sprint, tackling the beast mid-air before it reached her. The two clashed again, and this time Kael didn't hold back. His Alpha aura surged like a storm, waves of power rippling from him. The earth cracked beneath their struggle.
Elara gasped, recovering just in time to see Kael pin the creature to the ground, his claws buried in its throat.
"Now!" he shouted.
Elara summoned her remaining strength, ran, and plunged her blade into the rogue's heart. It screamed — a horrible, high-pitched sound — before going still. Black smoke hissed from the wound as its body collapsed.
Silence fell.
Then, cheers. From the trees, wolves emerged — their pack, still standing, still strong.
Elara dropped to her knees, gasping. Kael knelt beside her, pulling her close.
"We did it," he said.
She nodded, resting her forehead against his. "That was just one."
"And we're still breathing," Kael whispered. "Together."