"Sura... So we only have two options. We die here in the forest... or we die at the hands of Shadow, the Alpha of the Darkness Pack. Is that it?"
Maybe he can help us, Sura replied, cautious.
Zaya let out a bitter laugh.
"I'm a rogue now. And how do you know so much about the Darkness Pack? Nobody dares enter the dark side of the forest. Anyone who has... was never seen again."
Sura was quiet for a moment before answering.
"I was only dormant, Zaya... But I could hear everything that happened around us."
"I heard that the Alpha of Shadows recruits rogues to build an army."
"And that he plans to seize all the power someday."
That could just be rumors, Zaya murmured.
"It could. But still... it's our last option."
Zaya closed her eyes, feeling the emptiness that consumed her.
"Fine. We've got nothing left to lose. I have nothing left in this life, Sura. It doesn't matter if he kills us or not."
The reply came firm, almost protective.
Don't say that.
You have me.
"And you have yourself."
And that's enough.
"Lucky for us, it rained yesterday. We need to hide our scent. The forest is full of dangers."
Before Zaya could respond, Sura took over. The white wolf's body dropped to the ground, rolling through the soaked earth, coating her fur in thick mud until her scent was nearly impossible to track.
Sura, wait!
The wolf stopped and turned her head.
What is it, Zaya?
Zaya's gaze fell on the necklace lying on the ground.
"My mother's necklace... It's all I have left of her."
Sura padded closer, lowered her head, and carefully picked up the necklace between her teeth — as though it were something sacred.
Then she started walking.
Every step was cautious.
Every sound in the forest made her muscles tense.
Zaya felt her heart pounding, aware that ahead of them there was no promise of salvation — only the unknown, and the slim chance of surviving it.
After a long trek, Sura finally gave in to exhaustion. She sat beneath the canopy of a great tree, her body heavy, her breathing slow. Hunger burned in her stomach and thirst scorched her throat, but there was nothing to eat or drink anywhere nearby.
We need to eat, Zaya, or we won't be able to keep going, Sura said weakly.
Zaya felt a knot tighten in her chest.
"What are we going to do, Sura?"
The wolf's ears shot up, suddenly alert.
"Wait... I hear something. Behind that tree."
Sura crept forward with care, peering through the shadows.
There, near a fallen trunk, a deer fed undisturbed, oblivious to the danger.
The wolf's eyes gleamed.
"This is our chance, Zaya."
Zaya's heart hammered.
You want me to kill that deer? It's innocent. It didn't do anything to deserve dying. The horror in Zaya's thoughts was raw.
"Zaya, this is the law of survival. We're wolves. Carnivores. That deer is our food."
Don't do it, Sura! I forbid you. I want to go back to my human form. Zaya pleaded.
A brief silence.
Then Sura answered, her tone grave:
"Do you want to know what really happened to your mother?"
Zaya swallowed hard.
Yes... I do.
"Then we need to survive. Whatever it takes."
Sura began to close the distance, each step calculated to keep her hidden. She was just a few feet from the deer when, out of nowhere, a grey wolf emerged from the shadows like a phantom.
In one swift, brutal motion, it drove its fangs into the animal, dropping it to the ground in an instant.
The deer never had a chance to react.
Sura flinched back, instinctively ducking into the bushes, her heart racing.
The forest had made something clear:
They were not alone.
"If you want, I can share." The grey wolf growled, his muzzle still smeared with fresh blood.
"I already spotted you, she-wolf. Don't think you're hidden from me."
Sura hesitated for a moment before stepping out from behind the bushes. Her body stayed tense, coiled to attack or flee, depending on what came next.
"Come closer. Aren't you hungry?"
Sura's stomach answered before she could think. With careful steps, she moved in closer, until she finally lowered her head and began eating from the deer, sharing the kill with the grey wolf.
The silence between them was heavy, broken only by the sound of tearing flesh.
After a few moments, the wolf spoke:
"My name's Zack. What's yours?" He watched her as he said it.
"Sura."
Zack tilted his head slightly, thoughtful.
"Sura... It means 'brilliant.' A being of light."
"So tell me — how does someone with that name end up a rogue?"
The question landed like a silent blow.
Sura drew a deep breath before answering:
"I was rejected by my mate."
The air around them seemed to grow heavier.
In that instant, Zack understood: the white wolf wasn't just carrying hunger or exhaustion. She carried a deep wound — the kind that changes destinies.
"And you?" Sura asked, raising her blood-streaked gaze.
Zack let out a short, quiet laugh.
"What about me?"
"Why did you become a rogue?"
He moved a little distance from the carcass, wiping his muzzle with his paw.
"Actually... I'm not a rogue. I just like to roam around, hunt in the forest. It's a hobby of mine, you know?" A half-grin crossed his face.
Sura eyed him, suspicious.
"Kidding." His tone sobered. "I was expelled for daring to challenge the alpha's son."
Sura's eyes narrowed, intent.
"Since I'm the son of the alpha's brother, killing me would've started an internal war. So my uncle chose to expel me instead."
"His son and I never got along. We never followed the same rules... and that always came with a price."
A brief silence settled.
Sura realized then that beneath his casual tone, they shared something: both had been cast out for daring to exist on their own terms.
"Where are you headed, Zack?" Sura studied him carefully.
He shrugged.
"Nowhere. I'd rather stay around here. This stretch of the forest is quieter — far from other creatures and bigger dangers. If you want to survive, you should do the same."
Sura took a deep breath before she answered.
"I need to get to the Darkness Pack."
Zack froze.
"The Darkness Pack? You've got to be kidding me." His disbelief was plain.
Sura raised her head and met his eyes directly.
"No. I'm not."
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