Chapter 31
Kora’s POV
Morning came heavy and damp, the kind of cold that sank into your bones and refused to let go. The fire had burned down to little more than embers, and the forest around us was wrapped in mist so thick it was like walking through breath itself.
The pack was restless. Luka moved stiffly, his wound still bothering him though he’d never admit it. Mara scowled at the mist as though she could burn it away with her glare. Even the younger ones, usually quick with whispered jokes or small comforts, were silent.
Edward gave the order to move before anyone could complain. He didn’t say much, just adjusted his cloak and started forward. That was his way to push forward, no matter how heavy the burden.
I followed close behind him, my steps uneven. His words from last night still echoed in my mind. Stop pushing me away.
Was I? The thought gnawed at me. I hadn’t meant to, but maybe he was right. Maybe, in trying so hard to protect myself, I was building walls so high no one could reach me.
But then again, wasn’t that safer? Wasn’t that the only way I knew how to survive?
The mist grew thicker as we moved, curling around the trees and swallowing sound. It was hard to tell how far we’d gone, or even if we were still on the path. Everything looked the same — endless shadows, endless fog.
Then, suddenly, Edward stopped. His hand lifted, signaling silence. The pack froze instantly, every nerve strung tight.
I strained to listen. At first, there was nothing — just the soft drip of water from the trees, the muffled sound of our breaths. Then I heard it. A low growl. Not human. Not friendly.
The mist shifted, and shapes began to emerge. Wolves.
Not like the wolves I had grown up with, not pack or kin. These were rogues — lean, scarred, eyes glowing faintly in the mist. Hunger radiated off them, sharp and feral.
There were at least a dozen of them, maybe more. They circled us, their movements slow, deliberate.
My hand went instinctively to the dagger at my side. The air was thick with the scent of danger, and my pulse pounded in my ears.
“Stay close,” Edward murmured without looking back. His stance shifted, blade ready.
The rogues didn’t attack right away. They prowled, testing us, their growls low and guttural. One of them — larger than the rest, its muzzle scarred and torn — stepped forward, its gaze locking on me.
I froze.
Something about its eyes made my stomach drop. They weren’t wild, not completely. There was something... controlled in them.
“Edward,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “These aren’t normal rogues.”
He didn’t answer, but I knew he had noticed it too. His grip on his weapon tightened. The large wolf snarled, baring its teeth — and then it lunged.
Chaos exploded.
The pack moved as one, weapons flashing in the fog. Wolves slammed into us from every side, claws and teeth snapping. Mara let out a fierce battle cry as she drove her blade into one, twisting hard. Luka, despite his injury, fought like a man possessed, his axe cleaving through fur and flesh.
I ducked under a snapping jaw, slashing my dagger upward. The wolf yelped, staggering back, but another was already coming for me. My chest burned with panic.
Then Edward was there. He moved like a storm, his blade a blur of silver. Two wolves went down in seconds, their bodies collapsing into the mist.
“Kora!” he shouted. “Stay with me!”
I tried, gods I tried, but the wolves were relentless. They pressed in from every side, pushing us apart. Their coordination wasn’t natural. Rogues weren’t supposed to fight like this — scattered, mindless. These wolves moved with purpose, as though guided by something unseen.
By someone unseen.
The thought struck me like lightning. Aaron.
The scarred wolf came for me again, its massive form cutting through the mist. Its teeth snapped inches from my arm, the force of its weight knocking me backward. I stumbled, my dagger slipping from my hand.
For a moment, I was vulnerable, helpless. And then the herbs.
The bundle the old woman had given me slipped from my pack as I hit the ground, scattering across the dirt. The scent that rose up was sharp, bitter, almost metallic.
The wolf froze.
Its eyes, still locked on me, flickered — confusion, hesitation. It snarled, shaking its head, but it didn’t move forward.
My breath caught. The herbs. She had been right.
“Kora!” Edward’s voice rang out, pulling me back. He was fighting his way toward me, blood streaking across his arm, fury blazing in his eyes.
I scrambled, snatching up the herbs with shaking hands and holding them out. The wolf growled but didn’t advance. It took a step back instead, its body tense, as though fighting some invisible force.
Around us, the battle raged. But the scarred wolf — the leader — was staring at me, its gaze burning.
And in that moment, I heard it.
Not Aaron’s voice.
But close.
Run, little wolf. Run while you can. He’s coming.
My blood ran cold. The voice wasn’t in my head like before, but it was real enough. The scarred wolf’s lips curled, almost like a smile, before it turned and bolted into the mist.
The others followed, retreating as suddenly as they had attacked.
The clearing fell silent, broken only by the sound of our ragged breathing and the crackle of fading echoes. The ground was littered with bodies, both wolves and men. Blood stained the mist red.
I was still clutching the herbs, my hands shaking uncontrollably.
Edward was at my side in an instant, his blade dripping, his chest heaving. His eyes searched mine, fierce and desperate. “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head, unable to form words.
His gaze dropped to the herbs, and his jaw tightened. “What did you do?”
“I... I don’t know,” I whispered. “But it worked. They stopped.”
Edward’s expression was unreadable, torn between relief and suspicion. But he didn’t press further. Instead, he took my trembling hand in his, grounding me.
“We need to move,” he said firmly. “Now. Before they come back.”
I nodded, still clutching the herbs like a lifeline. But deep inside, I couldn’t shake the words that had echoed through me:
Run while you can. He’s coming.
Aaron wasn’t just chasing us. He was sending his monsters ahead, testing us, breaking us down.
And if this was only the beginning, I wasn’t sure how much longer we could last.
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