The first arrow tore through the night like lightning.
It hit one of the rogues square in the chest, dropping him before he could even scream. The scent of silver burned through the air — sharp, poisonous, lethal.
"Cover!" I roared.
Wolves scattered behind trees and overturned wagons as another volley of arrows hissed down from the ridge. The forest erupted into chaos — growls, fire, steel.
Council Hunters. Dozens of them. Maybe more. Each one armed with enchanted weapons designed to kill our kind.
Selene leapt onto a fallen log, her claws glowing with moonlight. "They're everywhere!"
"Then we make them regret it," I said, shifting my stance.
I felt it then — the pulse of the Shadow Blood in my veins. The old power waking like a storm. My vision blurred crimson as my fangs lengthened, claws burning black with energy.
The old Kael was gone.
The heir had died in exile.
What stood here was the Shadow Alpha reborn.
"Kill them all," I whispered.
Then I ran.
The ground exploded beneath my feet as I lunged through the mist. Arrows shattered against my skin as I hit the first line of hunters, tearing through armor and flesh. Silver burned, but rage burned hotter.
A hunter swung his blade — I caught it, twisted, and drove it back through his chest. Another came from behind; Selene was faster. She ripped out his throat before he touched me.
Marek roared somewhere to my left, smashing three men aside with his bare hands.
"Kael!" he shouted. "They've got a caster—"
Too late. The air shimmered. A wall of light surged forward, slamming into the camp. The blast threw us backward. I hit the ground hard, ears ringing, vision spinning.
Through the haze, I saw him — the caster. Cloaked in silver robes, eyes glowing with Council runes. His voice boomed like thunder.
"By the order of the Elders, you are condemned!"
I spat blood into the dirt. "Then they should've come themselves."
He raised his staff. Energy built around him — blinding, divine.
I reached for the shadows, calling them with a snarl. They came instantly, coiling around my arms like smoke alive. The forest itself seemed to darken, bending toward me.
When the light struck, I met it with darkness.
The explosion tore the world apart.
---
When the dust settled, half the ridge was burning. Trees twisted, bodies lay scattered, and the air was thick with ash.
Selene staggered to my side, bleeding but alive. "You're insane," she rasped.
"Maybe," I said, "but it worked."
Across the clearing, the caster struggled to rise — his robes torn, one arm missing. I stalked toward him, the shadows crawling behind me like wolves.
He tried to crawl away. "You… can't win. The Council knows now… they'll send more—"
I knelt, gripping his throat. "Good," I said softly. "Let them all come."
Then I snapped his neck.
The silence that followed was worse than the noise. Smoke drifted through the clearing. The survivors of my pack — a handful at best — watched me with awe and fear.
Selene spoke first. "We can't stay here. If the Council sent hunters, Ronan will hear about this by sunrise."
"I know," I said. My voice was calm again, but inside, something darker stirred.
Nyra approached, her face pale, her eyes full of conflict. "You weren't supposed to survive that."
I turned to her slowly. "You mean we weren't."
She swallowed hard. "They were supposed to capture you, not… slaughter everyone."
"Capture?" I took a step forward. "You call that mercy?"
Her voice trembled. "I told you — I didn't betray you. I warned you they were coming!"
Selene snarled. "You led them here!"
"Enough," I said. My tone cut through the chaos like a blade. "If I wanted her dead, she'd already be ash."
I turned toward the burning ridge. "This was just a taste of what's coming. The Council knows I'm alive now. Ronan will move next."
Marek limped over, blood soaking his arm. "What's the plan?"
I stared into the fire. "We stop reacting. We strike first."
Selene's lips curved into a cruel smile. "Where?"
I met her gaze, eyes glowing red under the dying moon.
"Nightshade City," I said. "We take the war to his doorstep."