Chapter 32
Kora’s POV
The mist didn’t let up as we left the battlefield behind. It clung to us like damp skin, swallowing every sound we made. My boots squelched in the wet soil, my palms still stained with blood. I didn’t know if it was mine or the rogues’.
I held the herbs tightly, not daring to let them go. My mind kept circling back to that scarred wolf, to the way it froze when the scent hit the air. To the voice that came with it.
“Run, little wolf.”
Even now, the echo curled inside me like smoke.
“Keep moving,” Edward ordered, his tone sharper than usual. He hadn’t let go of my hand since the attack, his grip firm, protective. Maybe it was more for him than me, but I didn’t care. I needed it.
Behind us, the pack trudged in heavy silence. Some limped, some dripped blood, but no one complained. Luka carried a boy who’d been clawed across the chest, his face pale but alive. Mara walked with her blade still slick, eyes sharp and restless.
Everyone looked shaken. And I knew why. Rogues didn’t fight like that. Rogues didn’t move like a trained pack.
But those had.
The forest thinned eventually, the mist giving way to a wide stretch of meadow. The grass was tall, wet with dew, bending under our steps. For the first time since dawn, the sky peeked through, pale gray with hints of gold.
I inhaled deeply, trying to push the stench of blood out of my lungs.
We stopped at the edge of a small river. The water was dark but running fast, and Edward called for a break. People lowered themselves to the ground, some washing wounds, others simply sitting like their legs couldn’t carry them anymore.
I sank down beside the river, dipping my hands into the cold stream. The sting cleared my head a little. I let the herbs soak in my lap, the water turning faintly green.
“Talk,” Edward’s voice came low behind me.
I looked up. He was standing over me, his arms crossed, his jaw set like stone.
I swallowed. “About what?”
His eyes narrowed. “You know what.”
I looked down at the herbs, twisting the wet stems in my fingers. “The old woman gave them to me. She said I’d need them. I didn’t believe her, but when I dropped them, the wolf—”
“Stopped,” Edward finished for me, his tone clipped. “It didn’t attack. You’re saying herbs made it hesitate?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
Edward crouched, his eyes searching mine. “Kora, do you realize what this means? Those weren’t ordinary rogues. Someone’s controlling them. And whatever these herbs are, they interfered with that control.”
My chest tightened. “Aaron.”
The name left my lips like poison.
Edward’s jaw ticked. He didn’t say yes, but the silence was loud enough.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The river gurgled, the pack murmured in the background, but it felt like we were the only two in the world.
Finally, Edward reached out, brushing my wet hair from my cheek. His touch was softer than his voice. “If those herbs can stop them, then you don’t let go of them. Ever. Do you understand me?”
I nodded quickly.
“Good.” His hand lingered for just a second longer before he stood, scanning the horizon. His shoulders looked heavier than I’d ever seen them.
I leaned back, staring at the sky. The weight of it all pressed on me — the rogues, the herbs, Aaron’s voice. And the baby. The tiny life inside me that I hadn’t even begun to understand.
Was this what fate wanted? For me to be hunted, tested, pushed until I broke?
I closed my eyes, letting the river’s sound fill me. And for a moment, I let myself imagine what it would be like to live without fear, without running. To sit beside Edward in a meadow like this with no blood on our hands, no enemies at our backs. Just peace.
The fantasy didn’t last. A scream shattered it.
My eyes flew open as the sound echoed across the meadow. It came from one of the younger pack members, a girl with hair like spun gold. She was pointing toward the trees, her eyes wide with terror.
Shapes were moving there. Not wolves this time. Men.
Dozens of them, armored, their banners snapping in the wind.
Edward cursed under his breath, his hand flying to his blade. “Hunters.” The word sent a shiver down my spine.
Hunters. Humans who knew of us. Who tracked us, trapped us, slaughtered us for sport and pride. Worse than rogues, worse than enemies. Because they didn’t see wolves as kin or rivals. They saw us as beasts.
“Move!” Edward barked, his voice cutting like steel. The pack scrambled, grabbing weapons, helping the wounded to their feet. The river rushed at our side, the only barrier between us and the oncoming army.
But there were too many. Far too many.
I clutched the herbs tighter, my stomach lurching. Hunters. Rogues. Aaron.
The world was closing in on us from every side.
Please Log In or Sign Up to continue reading.
Unlock all Chapters with 3$
Proceed to payment to unlock all chapters and continue reading.