🌙 Episode 28: Shadows on the Trail
Ethan's POV
We moved north before dawn, the forest still cloaked in mist. Every sound put me on edge—the rustle of leaves, the crack of a branch, the cry of some distant animal. I didn't tell Lila, but I knew the hunters hadn't given up.
They never did.
She walked behind me, her breathing steady but quick. She hadn't complained once, though the forest floor was unforgiving.
"Ethan," she whispered at one point, "are we being followed?"
I paused, scanning the trees. My senses stretched outward, the wolf inside straining to catch a scent. Faint, but there. Metallic. Wrong.
"Yes," I admitted, keeping my voice low. "Stay close."
Her hand brushed mine, a fleeting contact that burned hotter than fire. "Then let's keep moving."
Gods, she was fearless—or reckless. Maybe both.
Lila's POV
Every step felt heavier. The trees pressed close, the air damp and charged, as if the forest itself knew we weren't alone. I kept glancing over my shoulder, half-expecting to see a shadow step from the mist.
Ethan moved like he belonged here, silent and sure, but I could feel the tension radiating from him. His hand hovered near me as if ready to pull me behind him at a moment's notice.
"Tell me the truth," I whispered. "If they catch us—"
"They won't." His tone was sharp, final. But it didn't ease the knot in my chest.
We reached a stream, water rushing over smooth stones. Ethan crouched, testing the current. I knelt beside him, watching his profile, the hard line of his jaw.
"You're bleeding again," I murmured. The bandage I'd tied was stained through.
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. The wound will heal."
I bit my lip. "Because you're a werewolf?"
His eyes flicked to mine. "Yes."
I stared at the water, trying to process that reality all over again. Healing. Strength. Power. Things humans couldn't even dream of. And yet he still bled. Still risked everything.
For me.
Before I could say more, he stiffened.
Ethan's POV
The scent hit me—sharp, acrid. Close.
"Move," I hissed, grabbing her hand. We plunged into the stream, water freezing against my skin. I pulled her downstream, letting the current wash away our trail.
Behind us, faint voices cut through the mist.
"They're close."
"Check the ridge."
Lila stumbled but kept pace, her grip fierce in mine. She didn't ask questions, just trusted me.
We pressed ourselves against the bank as shadows passed overhead. Three hunters, weapons ready, scanning the ground.
I held my breath, the wolf inside me snarling to attack. But we couldn't risk it. Not yet.
One of the men paused, sniffing the air. My chest tightened.
Then a hawk cried overhead, distracting him. They moved on, deeper into the woods.
Lila exhaled shakily. I could feel her trembling, though she tried to hide it.
"We need to move faster," I whispered.
Lila's POV
Fear clawed at me, but beneath it was something sharper—anger. These men hunted Ethan like an animal. Hunted us.
As we climbed the ridge, I couldn't stop myself. "Why won't they leave you alone? What do they want from you?"
He hesitated, muscles tense. Finally, he said, "It's not just me. They want all of us. Control, power… maybe revenge. Hunters believe our kind shouldn't exist."
His voice was low, filled with something I couldn't name. Bitterness. Pain.
I touched his arm. "You didn't choose this."
"No," he admitted. "But I'll fight to keep it."
And suddenly, I understood. This wasn't just about survival. It was about identity. About a war I'd stumbled into by loving a man I barely knew—and already couldn't imagine losing.
Ethan's POV
We made camp only when night fell, far from the trail. I built a small fire, barely enough to ward off the cold.
Lila sat close, arms wrapped around her knees. The flickering light painted her face in gold and shadow.
"They won't stop, will they?" she asked softly.
"No." My gaze lingered on the fire. "Not until one of us is dead."
Her silence stretched, heavy with unspoken fear.
Finally, she whispered, "Then we fight."
I looked at her, startled. Her eyes burned with determination, not fear.
And in that moment, I realized the hunters hadn't just underestimated me.
They'd underestimated her.
✨ End of Episode 28