Lira Kane's heart pounded as the fog swirled, the bar's
smashed neon sign flickering like a dying star. The shadow creature loomed
ahead, its red eyes glowing through the mist, claws long as daggers. It wasn't
a rogue werewolf—too tall, too fast, its laugh cold and wrong. Zane Blackwood's
roar echoed beside her, his body coiled for a fight, but Lira's focus was on
Mira. Her best friend's scream had cut off inside the bar, and every second
mattered.
"Move, Kane!" Zane snapped, his voice rough as he shifted,
black fur rippling over his skin. His wolf form lunged at the creature, claws
slashing. The thing dodged, impossibly quick, its claws raking Zane's flank.
Blood sprayed, and he snarled, spinning to snap at its leg.
Lira's arm throbbed, blood dripping from the rogue fight,
but she wasn't sitting this out. Mira was family—the only one who didn't see
her as a cursed witch. She staggered forward, magic flickering in her veins
like a weak pulse. "Mira!" she yelled, raising her good hand. A blue firebolt
shot out, grazing the creature's shoulder. It hissed, turning those red eyes on
her, and Lira's stomach dropped. It knew her.
Zane tackled it, his jaws clamping its arm. The creature
flung him off, smashing him into the bar's wall. Bricks cracked, and Zane slid
down, human again, blood streaming from his side. "Stay back, witch!" he
growled, pushing up, eyes blazing gold.
"Screw that!" Lira shouted, charging the bar's door. Her
magic sputtered, but she slammed her shoulder into the wood, bursting inside.
The bar was a wreck—tables flipped, glass shards glittering, bottles leaking
whiskey. Mira cowered behind the counter, her blond hair tangled, eyes wide
with terror. A second shadow creature—smaller, but just as deadly—crouched over
a broken table, its claws raised.
"Lira!" Mira screamed, scrambling back.
Lira didn't think. She threw a firebolt, the blue flame
weak but enough to make the creature flinch. It lunged, and she dove behind the
counter, grabbing Mira's arm. "Run, now!" she hissed, shoving her friend toward
the back exit.
Mira stumbled, but the creature's claws swiped, missing her
by inches. Lira spun, grabbing a broken bottle as a weapon. Her magic was
fading, pain screaming in her arm and leg, but she swung the glass, slicing the
creature's hide. It screeched, black blood oozing, and Lira's curse pulsed,
like it recognized the thing.
Zane crashed through the door, bloodied but standing.
"Kane, duck!" he roared. Lira dropped, and he leaped, shifting mid-air. His
wolf form slammed the creature into the wall, fangs tearing its throat. Black
blood sprayed, and the creature slumped, its red eyes dimming. But outside, the
first creature's laugh echoed, chilling Lira's bones.
"Get her out!" Zane barked, human again, his chest heaving.
He grabbed a barstool, smashing it into kindling, and hurled a piece at the
window, clearing a path. Lira pulled Mira up, her friend shaking but alive.
They stumbled outside, fog swallowing the bar. The first
creature was gone, but howls tore through the night—rogue werewolves, drawn by
the chaos. Lira's heart sank. "More of them?" she muttered, magic barely a
spark now.
Zane's eyes locked on her, blood dripping from his side.
"You're a magnet for trouble, Kane." His voice was rough, but his gaze flicked
to her wounds, a flicker of something softer in it. Her skin tingled, like his
stare was a touch, and she cursed her body for reacting. He was the enemy, not
her savior.
"Focus, Alpha," she snapped, shoving Mira behind her. "Your
pack's border's a warzone."
The howls closed in, and four rogues burst from the fog,
bigger than the last. Their fur was slick with blood, eyes wild. Lira's legs
shook, her magic drained, but she gripped the broken bottle, ready to fight.
Zane stepped in front of her, his body a wall, muscles tense. "Stay close,
witch," he growled, claws extending. "Or you're dead."
Lira's jaw clenched. She hated his orders, but Mira's
safety came first. "Don't get cocky, Blackwood." She raised the bottle, magic
flickering one last time.
The rogues charged. Zane met the first, his claws ripping
through its chest. Blood sprayed, but the second tackled him, fangs snapping at
his throat. Lira lunged, smashing the bottle into the rogue's eye. It howled,
reeling back, and she kicked its leg, sending it down. Mira screamed, dodging a
third rogue, and Lira threw herself at it, tackling it to the ground. Her
wounds burned, but she drove her elbow into its snout, buying time.
Zane roared, tossing his rogue aside, and slashed the
fourth, but more howls sounded—too many. "We're outnumbered!" he shouted,
grabbing Lira's arm. His touch sparked, a jolt of heat through her pain, and
her magic flared, unbidden. A blue glow lit their hands, and Zane's eyes
widened, his grip tightening for a split second.
"Move!" he barked, shoving her and Mira toward the forest.
Lira stumbled, dragging Mira, her lungs burning as they ran. Zane guarded their
back, his growls mixing with the rogues' snarls. The fog swallowed them, trees
blurring past, but the rogues' claws scraped closer, their breaths hot on the
trail.
Lira's vision swam, blood loss making her dizzy. Mira clung
to her, sobbing, and Lira's curse pulsed, like it was waking up. "Keep going,"
she gasped, pushing Mira ahead. But a shadow loomed in the fog—not a rogue, but
the red-eyed creature, blocking their path.
Zane skidded to a stop beside her, his chest heaving, blood
soaking his jeans. "What the hell is that thing?" he muttered, claws out, eyes
locked on the creature. It laughed, low and guttural, its form
shifting—half-wolf, half-something else, like a nightmare stitched together.
Lira's magic hummed, weak but stubborn, and her curse
burned, whispering secrets she couldn't grasp. "It's not natural," she said,
voice shaking. "It's… like me."
Zane's head snapped to her, his eyes searching hers. For a
moment, hate was gone, replaced by something raw—fear, maybe, or need. Her
heart skipped, and she hated how his look made her feel—alive, despite the
blood and pain.
The creature lunged, claws slashing. Zane shoved Lira
aside, taking the hit. His shoulder tore open, blood gushing, but he roared,
slashing back. Lira screamed, magic surging, and a firebolt blasted the
creature's chest. It staggered, laughing, and vanished into the fog, leaving
only its echo.
Zane dropped to one knee, clutching his shoulder, blood
pooling. Lira's chest tightened—fear, not for herself, but for him. "Get up,
Alpha," she said, voice sharp to hide her worry. She grabbed his arm, pulling
him up, their skin sparking again. His eyes met hers, gold and fierce, and her
breath caught.
Mira whimpered, pointing to the fog. The rogues' howls were
closer, and a new sound joined them—a low hum, like the air itself was
breaking. Lira's curse flared, her vision blurring with a flash of red eyes and
blood. Something was coming, something worse than rogues or shadows.
Zane's grip tightened on her arm, his voice a growl. "Run,
Kane. Now."
But Lira's feet froze, her curse screaming one truth:
whatever was out there, it wanted her.