Chapter 05

"How did you do that?" Zack asked, his voice strained with pain from his wounds.

Zaya stepped back, still trembling.

"I... I don't know. When I saw he was about to—" She broke off, confused.

Her voice failed.

"I didn't think. I... I killed him."

Zack breathed with difficulty, but kept his gaze steady on her.

"If you hadn't done it, he would've killed me. And then he would've done something far worse to you."

Zaya felt a knot tighten in her chest.

"Thank you for fighting for me, Zack. But you're badly hurt now. You need help."

He managed a half-smile despite the pain.

"Don't worry. I've been through worse. I'm a wolf — I'm already healing. Look."

Before Zaya's eyes, the wounds began closing slowly, one by one, the flesh knitting itself back together.

"See? That doesn't happen when it's silver... or when the wound is fatal."

"I know that, you dummy," Zaya murmured, relief washing over her.

Then she grew serious.

"Zack... why did you try to save me? You risked your own life for me."

He shrugged, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"That's what friends do, isn't it?"

Zaya stared at him, stunned.

"So... we're friends?"

"You saved my life too. That counts for a lot."

Zaya's voice dropped low.

"I didn't want to lose my only friend."

"And the only person who's ever shown me compassion."

Zack fell silent for a moment before asking:

"In your pack... the pack that banished you — didn't you have any friends?"

"No. Nobody wanted to come near me."

He let out a heavy sigh.

"In mine, I had a few. But when I was expelled, every last one of them turned their backs on me. Maybe I was too reckless."

Zaya shook her head slowly.

"Maybe. But I've never met anyone with a heart as good as yours — someone who'd give their own life for a stranger."

Zack corrected her with a faint smile.

"A friend. Don't forget that."

They kept walking, aware that there was still a long road ahead. The forest seemed to grow denser with every step, shadows stretching between the twisted trunks as though watching their every move. The silence hung heavy, broken only by the rustle of leaves beneath their paws and the weary rhythm of their breathing.

Zaya stayed alert, her heart still racing from the recent fight, while Zack — his wounds nearly healed — remained watchful. The Darkness Pack wasn't far; she could feel it. Something in the air had shifted, charged with danger... and with destiny.

"Let's run, Zack. Can you handle it?"

"Good as new."

They broke into a run through the forest, and for a moment neither of them thought about the danger — only the freedom surging through them. The wind cut between the trees, and for a few heartbeats, everything felt lighter.

Further ahead, Zack caught two rabbits, despite Zaya's immediate protests.

"Eat, or you'll end up weak and hungry."

"But they were so cute and—"

"Zaya, don't make me lose my appetite by regretting that I killed our food."

"Fine... I'm too soft and emotional."

"A little. You just need to understand the law of survival. But I'd say you already took a huge step by taking down that big bad wolf."

"Zack..."

"You must've suffered a lot. Being rejected by your mate... Is the pain really as bad as they say?"

"Yes. It's a pain that tears your soul apart. I can't explain it, but ever since then it's like a piece of me is missing."

"He didn't seem like a good person... your ex-mate. Why did he reject you? Did he already have someone? A family?"

"No. He was the alpha of the pack and didn't have a Luna yet. But he always humiliated me. I... I hadn't been able to shift until that night."

"So you were eighteen? I thought—"

"No, Zack. I'm twenty. But I'd never managed to shift."

"Why? That's strange."

"I don't understand it either. But that's how it was. When I finally shifted, he realized I was his mate... and he humiliated me in front of everyone."

"My sister mocked me. My stepmother was thrilled to see me fall. My father didn't protect me — he even said I wasn't his daughter anymore."

"Bastards! How could they do that to you? And that scumbag... who is he?"

"There's no point talking about it anymore," Zaya answered, steady, though the pain still lingered. "Revisiting the past only reopens wounds. What's done is done, Zack. All I want now is to move forward."

He nodded, quiet for a few seconds.

"I get it. In my case, I didn't have anyone to count on. My parents died when I was still a kid."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"Let's drop the sob stories. The road's still long — no use wasting energy on sadness."

"Exactly. Let's leave the past behind and push ahead, focused on what we want: reaching the destination we're aiming for."

"The Darkness Pack... What a lovely destination you picked." Zack let out a short laugh.

They ran again for a long stretch, stopping only to rest. It went on like that for two more days, until the forest began to grow darker and more forbidding. The trees pressed closer together, and light barely pierced the dense canopy overhead. They were very close to the Darkness Pack.

"Wow... Now I get why they call this place the Darkness Pack. It really is grim." Zack glanced around as he spoke.

"This gives me chills. We could be very close to our end, Zaya," he continued.

"I know, but it doesn't hurt to try. Either way, this might be our destiny."

"Great argument," Zack muttered, dripping with sarcasm.

Suddenly, a scream echoed through the trees.

"Help! Help!"

The voice was thin, desperate — a child's.

"Did you hear that, Zack?" Zaya's heart hammered in her chest.

"I heard it. But wait, Zaya. It could be a trap," he replied, tense.

"It could be, but if a child's in danger, we have to save her." She was already moving.

"Zaya, wait!"

But Zaya's wolf was already racing toward the sound, heart pounding, fear clenching her chest as she imagined what might be happening.

"And I was supposed to be the impulsive one... Wait for me!" Zack grumbled, bolting after her.

When Zaya reached the scene, her blood boiled.

Two massive wolves held a little human girl. She was crying, thrashing, struggling to break free from the claws pinning her down.

"Let her go!" Zaya snarled, surging forward.

One of the wolves let out a cruel laugh.

"And what are you gonna do? Kill us?"

"If we have to," Zack said, appearing at Zaya's side.

The two of them growled, positioning themselves in front of the child, ready to strike.

The other wolf tilted his head, studying Zaya with interest.

"How about we make a trade? We let the kid go... and you come with us. A young she-wolf like you could bring us plenty of benefits." The wolf's voice dripped with a vile laugh.

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