Chapter 8
930words
As I dialed, Kieran took another sharp turn, trying to lose our tail. The black sedan appeared in my side mirror, gaining.
"They're getting closer," I warned.
Kieran's eyes flashed amber. "Hold on."
He veered onto a narrow forest road, branches scraping the sides of the SUV. The sedan followed, but struggled on the rough terrain.
Sophie answered, her voice tense. "They broke into your house, Elowen. Looking for your research."
My blood ran cold. "How do they know about me?"
"Someone tipped them off. They know about your bloodline, your book."
Kieran cursed under his breath. "Tell her we'll meet at the fallback location. She'll understand."
I relayed the message and hung up, just as something hit our rear window—a small impact, followed by a hissing sound.
"Tracking device," Kieran growled. "We need to ditch the car."
He pulled off the road into dense underbrush, the SUV barely fitting between the trees. "We go on foot from here. Stay close."
We abandoned the vehicle, plunging into the forest. Kieran moved with silent grace, while I stumbled over roots and rocks. After my third near-fall, he took my hand.
"Focus on your senses," he instructed. "Let them guide you."
I closed my eyes briefly, letting the new awareness flow through me. Suddenly, the forest floor seemed to map itself in my mind—every root, every dip, every stone. When I opened my eyes, I moved with newfound confidence.
"That's it," Kieran encouraged, squeezing my hand.
We traveled deeper into the woods, the sounds of pursuit fading behind us. Just as I began to relax, a new scent hit me—unfamiliar humans, ahead of us.
"Kieran," I whispered, pulling him to a stop.
He nodded, already aware. "They've circled around. Three of them, blocking our path."
"What do we do?"
His eyes met mine, deadly serious. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes," I answered without hesitation.
"Then run when I tell you to. Don't look back."
Before I could protest, he stepped forward, his body beginning to change—not the full transformation, but enough. His shoulders broadened, muscles rippled beneath his shirt, claws extended from his fingertips.
A man stepped from behind a tree ahead, rifle raised. "Sheriff Shaw," he called. "Or should I say, monster?"
Two more figures emerged, flanking us, all armed. The leader's eyes shifted to me.
"And you brought the half-breed writer. Perfect."
"Quarter-blood," Kieran corrected, his voice a growl. "And she's under my protection."
The hunter laughed. "Not for long. The council wants her book, and her bloodline ended."
"What council?" I demanded.
"The ones who've hunted your kind for centuries. Your father betrayed us when he fell for that she-wolf. Now we'll finish what he wouldn't."
Kieran's body tensed beside me. "El," he whispered. "Run. Now."
He lunged at the leader as I bolted into the trees. Gunshots rang out, followed by inhuman snarls. I ran blindly, heart pounding, the silver markings on my skin burning like fire.
A figure cut me off—the third hunter, grinning as he raised his weapon. "Going somewhere, wolf-girl?"
Something surged within me—rage, fear, instinct. I felt my body respond, strength flooding my limbs. When he fired, I moved with impossible speed, the bullet grazing my arm instead of my chest. Before he could shoot again, I was on him, my hands finding his throat with precision I didn't know I possessed.
His eyes widened in shock as I lifted him off his feet. "Not... possible," he choked. "Quarter-bloods can't..."
I threw him against a tree, the impact knocking him unconscious. Staring at my hands in disbelief, I saw the silver markings glowing brightly, extending now across my chest.
More gunshots echoed through the forest. Kieran. I turned back, running toward the sound, fear for him overriding everything else.
I found him wrestling with the leader, both bloody. The second hunter lay motionless nearby. As I watched, Kieran slammed his opponent to the ground, claws at his throat.
"Kieran, don't!" I called.
He froze, amber eyes finding mine. Slowly, he pulled back, though his claws remained extended.
"There are more coming," the hunter gasped. "You can't hide what you are anymore. Either of you."
Kieran knocked him unconscious with a swift blow, then turned to me. His shirt was torn, blood seeping from a wound in his side.
"You're hurt," I moved toward him.
"Silver bullet. It'll heal slowly." His eyes widened as he took in my appearance. "El, your markings..."
I looked down. Silver lines now covered both arms, visible through my shirt across my chest, pulsing with light.
"This isn't normal for a quarter-blood," he said, reaching for me. When his fingers touched the markings, they flared brighter. "Something's happening to you. Something unexpected."
"Is that why I could throw that hunter? He said quarter-bloods can't..."
Kieran's expression was troubled. "We need to get to safety. The pack needs to see this."
He led me deeper into the forest, both of us moving silently now, my new abilities making me nearly as stealthy as him. As we traveled, the burning in my markings intensified, along with a strange hunger that had nothing to do with food.
When Kieran stumbled, weakened by the silver bullet, I caught him without thinking, supporting his weight easily.
"Your strength," he murmured. "It's increasing."
"Is that bad?"
He didn't answer directly. "We're almost there."
We emerged into a clearing where a cabin stood, smoke rising from its chimney. Sophie burst through the door, rushing to help with Kieran.
"What happened?" she demanded, eyeing my glowing markings with alarm.
"Hunters," Kieran grunted. "They know about Elowen."
