Chapter 04

"Are you out of your mind? Nobody dares go near the Darkness Pack. It's like signing your own death sentence."

Sura held his gaze, unwavering.

"I don't have another choice. I'd rather die trying to save myself than sit here in the forest waiting for death to find me."

Zack let out a nervous laugh.

"You're insane. I don't want to die — period."

Sura tilted her head slightly.

"Isn't that where we're all headed anyway?"

"I'd rather not think about that right now. And besides, what exactly do you plan to do at the Darkness Pack?"

He looked her up and down, sardonic.

"Gonna seduce Shadow? They say it's not even easy to get close to him."

"No. I want nothing to do with relationships."

"I want to become one of his warriors."

Zack's eyes went wide.

"Did you hit your head?"

"I fell. When they threw me out."

He scoffed.

"That explains a lot. You clearly ended up with some kind of brain damage."

Sura drew a long breath.

"Zack, come with me. It'll be even harder on my own. You probably know the forest better than I do," she pleaded.

He stepped back.

"Come on, Sura. I shared a meal with you, not my life."

She nodded without arguing.

"Fine. I'm used to being alone."

"Thanks for sharing the food. I was starving."

Sura stood and started walking, slowly disappearing among the shadows of the trees.

Zack stayed rooted in place, struck by her words.

After a few seconds, he growled in frustration — and got to his feet.

"Hey, wait up! I've always been curious about what the other side of the forest looks like."

"And... one more adventure can't hurt." A crooked grin spread across his face.

He quickened his pace to catch up with her.

They ran for two full days.

With Zack's help, they managed to eat better, and in some stretches of the forest they found rainwater pooled in small hollows formed in the tree trunks by the recent storms.

They ran.

They stopped to rest.

Then they ran again.

Exhaustion already weighed heavy in Sura's muscles when something different caught her attention.

"What is that?" she asked, slowing her stride.

Ahead of them, the ground became a gruesome scene.

Wolf skulls, bones, and scattered skeletons lined the path in a grim, almost ritualistic display — a silent warning to anyone who dared press forward.

"We're close to the Darkness Pack. This is a warning for those who try to pass," Zack answered, his tone grave.

Sura swallowed hard.

"Death?"

"Yes. And that's one of the reasons everyone fears Shadow."

The wind swept through the trees, rattling the bones with a faint, dry creak.

The forest seemed to whisper a single message:

"Turn back... while you still can."

But they kept going.

"How much longer do we have to run and walk? I'm completely exhausted, Zack," Zaya said, her voice drained.

He slowed his pace and surveyed the area around them.

"Let's rest for a bit. You sleep, and I'll keep watch. Then we switch... I need sleep too."

Sura nodded and lay down on the damp earth.

Want to spend some time in your human form, Zaya? Sura asked through the mind-link.

"No. Absolutely not. I'm not standing around naked in front of a wolf I barely know."

"Zaya, that's normal among wolves."

Not for me.

There was a brief pause.

"Do you think Zack would hurt us?* Sura pressed. *He would've done it already if he wanted to."

"No... I just don't feel comfortable. I still don't fully trust him."

Sura didn't respond. Exhaustion overtook her quickly, and before long Zack drifted off as well.

But the rest didn't last.

A long, menacing howl sliced through the forest's silence.

Sura jolted awake, every sense on high alert.

"I think we've got company."

From the shadows emerged a brown wolf — large, muscular. His bared fangs and low, rumbling growl made it clear he hadn't come in peace.

"A white she-wolf? Rare to find one in this part of the forest. It's been a long time since I've seen one like you."

"Leave us alone. We don't want trouble. We're just passing through," Sura declared, her voice firm.

The brown wolf took a step forward.

"You know... it's hard to find a living female in the forest. Guess today's my lucky day."

"Don't come any closer!" Zack snarled, stepping in front of Sura. "Stay away from her."

The stranger let out a low, ugly laugh.

"We could share her... or we fight to the death over her. Your call." His voice dripped with provocation.

No, Zack... Zaya thought in panic.

"You won't lay a single claw on her," Zack shot back, his eyes blazing with fury.

The brown wolf lunged without warning.

Zack met him head-on.

The two bodies collided with savage force, and a bloody fight erupted right there in the heart of the forest.

Snarls, fangs, claws, and blood.

Zaya watched in desperation, her heart hammering, unable to tell who would walk away alive.

The forest, once again, demanded its price.

The two wolves crashed together with brutal impact, the sound echoing through the silent woods. Zack struck first, sinking his fangs into his opponent's shoulder, but the brown wolf was bigger and heavier. With a vicious snarl, he twisted his body and hurled Zack against a trunk, tearing a grunt of pain from him.

Claws ripped through the air.

Teeth clashed.

The brown wolf charged again, striking Zack's flank with savage force. The blow opened a deep gash, and the smell of blood spread far too quickly. Zack tried to fight back, but his movements grew sluggish — the fatigue of the past two days now extracting its toll.

The enemy gave no quarter.

With a powerful leap, the brown wolf brought him down, pinning a heavy paw against his chest. His fangs descended dangerously close to Zack's throat, and Zack struggled to breathe, feeling the strength draining from his own body.

Then a different growl tore through the air.

A growl loaded with ancient fury.

Sura entered the fight like a white bolt fired from the shadows. Her eyes burned with hatred and resolve. Before the brown wolf could react, she launched herself onto him, driving her claws deep into his throat.

The strike was precise. Lethal.

The wolf tried to howl, but the sound died in a muffled gurgle. His body convulsed one final time before crashing heavily to the ground, motionless.

Silence reclaimed the forest.

Sura stood over the enemy's body for several seconds, her chest heaving, before pulling away and rushing to Zack's side. She pressed her muzzle against him, checking that he was still breathing.

He was alive.

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