Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Kali’s POV
“What do you say, Luna?”
The voice snaps me out of my thoughts, yanking me back to the present. I blink, realizing I had been lost–lost in the memory of Jack’s cruel words, lost in the horrifying reality of what returning to him would mean.
“You either stay out here and risk your life, or you come with me,” the warrior says.
devil’s den.
His
tone
is
oddly gentle for someone suggesting I walk back into the
I meet his gaze, searching for any hint of deception, but there’s none. His eyes remain warm, kind–too kind for someone from Blood Fang. And yet, here he is again, hovering over me like some unwanted guardian angel.
A bitter laugh escapes my lips. “I’m sorry,” I say with sarcasm. “But I can’t go back with you to Blood Fang. I’d rather die out here than set foot in that hellhole again and return to your beast of an Alpha.” My throat tightens, but I push through. “Only the Moon Goddess knows what he’d do to me if I went
back.”
The warrior–whatever his name is–shifts uncomfortably. “But-”
I cut him off with a sharp glare. “You know how vile your pack is. It stands for everything I despise–everything I refuse to be a part of. You even warned me once, told me to keep my head down since Jack hadn’t officially made me Luna yet.” I scoff. “Well, guess what? I will never be Luna to a heartless pack like yours. So why the hell would I go back? Leave me alone and return on your own.”
His lips press into a thin line, and I can see the conflict in his eyes. He doesn’t agree with Jack–at least, not fully. But loyalty is a chain that binds stronger than logic.
“No, I can’t,” he finally says. “The Alpha ordered me to be your shadow.”
I roll my eyes and turn away, walking off without another word.
“Luna“, his voice calls out again, making me stiffen. “Don’t you want this?”
I whip around, ready to snap at him, until I see what he’s holding. My bag of gold.
Shit.
My face burns as I snatch it from him, muttering, “Tch. Thanks,” before turning on my heel and storming off.
I don’t look back, but I know he’s there, lingering in the shadows, watching me. There’s no way he’d disobey Jack’s orders. He might not be at my heels, but he’s following. He’s waiting.
Minutes pass. Then an hour.
The deeper I go into the forest, the darker it becomes. My wolf stirs beneath my skin, restless, but I can’t shift. Not while I know he’s still out there, lurking, reporting back to Jack,
I hate this. I hate him. I hate Jack.
The unease in my stomach grows. The trees stretch tall and lifeless, their twisted branches whispering warnings through the wind.
Then I hear it.
A rustle.
I stop, my heart hammering in my chest, but I force myself to keep moving, picking up my pace.
1/5
Chapter 21
Another rustle. Closer.
I break into a jog, assuming it’s him–the warrior. But the moment I hear the unmistakable sound of a blade sliding from its sheath, my blood runs cold
And then–cold steel presses against my throat.
“Don’t move,” a voice growls behind me. “Unless you want your pretty little head rolling like a ball.”
My breath hitches. The blade isn’t pressed hard enough to draw blood, but it’s firm enough to be a threat.
Fear grips me, but then–something feels off.
The way he holds the knife…it’s not with the brutal confidence of a killer. It’s almost…reluctant. Like he doesn’t want to hurt me.
“Better run back to your pack,” he mutters, his voice low and distorted, like he’s trying to disguise it. “The wild isn’t safe for women like you. Or…” He pauses, and I can practically hear the smirk in his voice. “You could be sold off to an Alpha. I’m sure someone would pay a high price for you.”
That voice.
I know it.
Despite his pathetic attempt to mask it–trying to roughen and deepen it—recognize it instantly. And his scent. He didn’t mask it well enough.
Fury surges through me. Acting on instinct, I take a risk. I slam my elbow into his stomach, making him grunt in pain. The knife slips from his grasp, and I seize the opportunity. Without hesitation, I bring my knee up, striking him hard between the legs.
He groans, stumbling back.
I don’t hesitate—I grab the fallen knife and plunge it into his side–just deep enough to wound him, but not enough to be fatal.
A pained grunt escapes him as he grips his wound, staggering. I don’t give him a chance to recover.
I rip his mask off.
And there they are.
Those damn kind eyes.
My jaw clenches. “I knew it was you,” I snarl.
His face pales. “How did you-?”
I roll my eyes. “Your scent. Your voice. And now your eyes,” I cross my arms. “Now, do you want to tell me what the hell you’re doing? I clearly told you to fuck off.”
He sighs, running a hand through his hair in frustration. For the first time, he looks human–not some mindless soldier following orders. “I’m sorry,” he mutters. “The Alpha told me to do all I could to bring you back… If not-” His voice falters. “He’ll kill me.”
My blood runs cold.
“He’ll what?” My hands curl into fists. “That heartless bastard-”
“I had no choice,” he says, eyes pleading. “I have to bring you back, Luna.”
Silence stretches between us, thick and heavy.
Then, I exhale sharply. “Fine.”
He blinks. “What?”
¥68%
Chapter 21
“I said fine,” I repeat. “Let’s go back. I’ll pretend this never happened. You never attacked me, never threatened me, never tried to drag me back like some runaway slave. Deal?”
He nods quickly. “Deal.”
For a moment, we just stand there, surrounded by the sounds of the forest. Then, out of nowhere, I ask, “What’s your name?”
He hesitates. “Fury.”
I pause. “Fury?”
He nods, looking almost sheepish. The stab wound I gave him is already healing–too fast for a normal warrior wolf
A memory flickers in my mind–back when I thought I was dreaming, I had heard that name. Fury.
I scoff. “What kind of name is that?”
He lets out a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m an orphan,” he admits. “Didn’t have a family, so the pack named me. Because of my strength.” His expression darkens, and for a moment, I see the pain he tries to hide.
Something tugs at my heart, but I shove it down, clearing my thoughts. This isn’t the time to feel anything.
“Whatever,” I mutter. “Let’s get this over with.”
But as we start walking, goosebumps crawl over my skin.
Because I know–this time, Jack won’t just try to break me.
This time, he’ll try to own me.
But I’ll make damn sure he regrets ever sending Fury after me.
“Luna, don’t you think shifting into our wolves would make this whole journey faster?” Fury’s voice breaks the silence as we move through the dense forest. “If we keep running like this, it’ll take days to get back.”
I stiffen.
Fuck.
I knew this was coming. I knew he’d suggest shifting eventually, but I can’t. I can’t let him see my wolf. Not when I barely trust him. Not when my wolf is probably the size of his–if not bigger. That’s not normal. Not for a woman. And if he sees that, there’s no way he won’t report it to Jack.
I can’t risk it.
slow my pace and clutch my stomach, faking a pained expression. “I–I don’t feel so good.”
Fury stops instantly, eyes filled with concern. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know,” I say, grimacing like I’m struggling to keep moving. “Maybe exhaustion. Maybe something I ate. But I can’t shift.” I swallow hard, looking at him desperately. “Can you… change into your wolf and carry me instead?”
He doesn’t hesitate. “Of course.”
He shifts in seconds, his large, dark gray wolf standing tall before me. His fur is thick, almost midnight black under the moonlight, and his piercing eyes remain just as kind, just as gentle–even in wolf form.
He lowers himself so I can climb onto his back, and I do, gripping onto his fur as he takes off into a full sprint.
The wind whips against my face, and my body relaxes despite myself. The rhythmic sound of his paws pounding against the earth is almost soothing. My
Chapter 21
eyelids grow heavy, and before I know it, sleep takes me.
A jolt wakes me.
My eyes flutter open, adjusting to the dim light filtering through the trees. My body is still pressed against Fury’s wolf form, his warmth grounding me. But something feels…different.
Then I see it.
Blood Fang territory.
And standing at the border, waiting for me-
Jack.
A chill races down my spine.
I had not wanted to see him yet. Not so soon. Not before I could gather my thoughts, prepare myself for the inevitable confrontation. But here he is- standing at the border, his silver eyes locked onto me like a predator stalking prey.
And something is very, very wrong.
Shouldn’t he be happy that I’m back? That his little runaway has finally returned?
Then why does he look like he’s about to explode?
His face is so red, I swear steam could be coming out of his ears. His jaw is clenched so tight, it looks like it might snap. And those silver eyes–those raging silver eyes–are practically glowing with fury. His body is stiff, his hands curled into fists at his sides, and I don’t even need to hear him growl to feel the storm brewing inside him.
What the fuck?
Fury slows as we approach, coming to a stop right in front of Jack.
I quickly slide off his back, my feet hitting the ground. My legs are shaky from the ride, but before I can even take a step-
Jack moves.
One second, he’s a few feet away. The next, he’s right in front of me, his grip bruising as he yanks me against his chest.
I gasp, my hands instinctively pushing against him, but he doesn’t let me go. Instead, his nose presses into the crook of my a violent shiver down my spine.
k, his deep inhale sending
Then he growls.
Low. Deep. Possessive.
“I hate that you have his scent all over you.”
My breath catches in my throat.
Jack’s grip tightens, his fingers digging into my waist like he wants to mold me into him, erase whatever traces of Fury still linger on my skin. His entire body is tense, his wolf lurking just beneath the surface.
And then, his silver eyes flicker up, locking onto Fury.
“Even though he’s my best warrior,” Jack says, his voice deceptively calm, “I still want to snap his neck.”
ال
FII, 20 Jun
Chapter 21
My stomach twists.
Fury lowers his head submissively but doesn’t say a word.
Jack’s hand moves to my jaw, tilting it up so I have no choice but to meet the burning fire in his eyes.
6876
416
“You belong to me,” he murmurs, his hot breath brushing against my lips. “And I’ll make damn sure you never forget that again–or regret not running when you had the chance.”
