Shadow of the Wolves

The Hunt Begins

The cabin was dimly lit, the air thick with the smell of burning wood and damp earth. Luca slammed the door behind them, locking it with a loud clunk. Emma's heart raced, her mind still spinning from what she'd just learned—or rather, what little her brothers had told her. Wolves? She couldn't wrap her head around it. But the glowing eyes, the feral growls, the tension that hung in the air like a storm—they couldn't be explained away.

Ethan lit the fire, his face illuminated by the flickering flames. His jaw was clenched, frustration in his every movement. "We should have told her sooner," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

"Too late for that now," Luca shot back, pacing in front of the window, his eyes scanning the treeline outside. His muscles were tense, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "They've already found us."

Kai, leaning against the wall in his usual quiet way, finally spoke, his voice low. "We can't stay here long. They'll come after her."

Emma, standing in the middle of the room, felt the weight of their words. Her? Why her? She wasn't like them—was she?

"Wait." She stepped forward, her voice shaky but firm. "Why would they come after me? I'm not—" She stopped, unsure how to finish the sentence. Not a wolf? Not like them?

Luca sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at her with an intensity that made her stomach twist. "It's complicated, Emma."

"Yeah, well, you better uncomplicate it," she snapped, her patience gone. "You can't just drop this on me and expect me to sit quietly while you figure out how to protect me from...from whatever the hell is out there!"

The fire crackled in the silence that followed. Ethan's face softened, and he stood up, crossing the room to her. "You're not like us, Emma, but you're not just human either. You're—"

"You're something more," Luca finished, cutting in. "We don't fully understand it ourselves, but there's a reason we've always kept you close, why we've protected you all these years. You're...different."

Emma blinked, her throat tightening. Different. The word echoed in her head, a label she never wanted. "So what does that mean? Different how?"

Ethan glanced at Luca, who gave a reluctant nod. "There are rumors in the packs," Ethan continued, his voice quieter now. "Stories about people like you—half-bloods. Part wolf, part human. Born with powers even we don't have."

Emma's breath hitched. Part wolf? Powers? This sounded like something out of a nightmare.

"That's why they're coming for you," Kai said, his voice steady and calm. "To use you—or worse."

A cold shiver ran down Emma's spine. "Use me? For what?"

Luca's eyes flashed, the golden hue still lingering. "To make themselves stronger. If they get their hands on you, they'll do whatever it takes to unlock your powers. You'll be their weapon."

Emma swallowed hard. The room felt too small, too hot. She backed away, her mind swirling with fear and disbelief. "This...this can't be happening."

"It's real, Emma," Ethan said softly. "We didn't want this for you. That's why we kept you in the dark for so long, why we kept you safe."

"Safe?" she echoed, her voice breaking. "You've been lying to me my whole life!"

Luca slammed his fist into the wall, his face a mask of frustration and guilt. "We were trying to protect you!"

"By keeping me ignorant?" Emma shot back, her anger rising. "By treating me like a child? I'm not some helpless little girl anymore!"

"Emma, please," Ethan pleaded, stepping between her and Luca. "We didn't have a choice. If you knew what you were, they would have sensed it. The packs would have come for you sooner. We were trying to give you a chance at a normal life."

"A normal life?" Emma let out a bitter laugh. "What part of my life has ever been normal? You've always been overprotective, always hovering, and now I know why. You're not just brothers—you're my keepers."

The silence that followed was thick with tension. The fire popped, sending a few sparks into the air.

Kai, who had been watching quietly from the corner, stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. "None of that matters now. What matters is that they're coming, and we need to figure out our next move."

Emma met his eyes, seeing the worry there, the unspoken fear. She knew he was right. They could argue all night, but it wouldn't change the fact that something dangerous was out there, hunting her.

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "What do we do?"

Luca stopped pacing, his eyes locked on her. "We move. Tonight."

"Where?" Emma asked.

"There's a place," Ethan said, grabbing a map from the shelf and laying it on the table. "A safe house, deep in the mountains. It's off the grid, impossible to find unless you know where it is. We'll go there, regroup, and figure out our next step."

Emma nodded, though doubt gnawed at her. Could they really outrun whatever was coming? And more importantly, could she outrun the truth about herself?

Just then, a loud crash echoed from outside, shattering the tense calm. The window rattled as something—or someone—slammed against it. A low growl rumbled through the night, sending chills down Emma's spine.

Luca's eyes flashed gold again, and he moved to the door, his muscles tense. "They're here."

Ethan and Kai were already shifting, their eyes glowing, fangs beginning to lengthen as their bodies took on a more feral shape.

Emma stood frozen, her heart hammering in her chest. She had no powers, no supernatural strength. She was just Emma—the girl who had no idea who she really was.

"Stay behind us," Ethan ordered, his voice deep and distorted as his transformation began.

But Emma shook her head, her jaw clenched with determination. She was done hiding, done being the girl who didn't know anything. "No," she said, stepping forward, her voice steady despite the fear. "I'm done running."

Luca glanced at her, surprise flickering in his eyes, but he didn't argue. "Then stay close. We fight together."

The door burst open, and the first of the intruders lunged into the room—a snarling, feral wolf with blood-red eyes. Emma's breath caught, but before she could even react, her brothers were on it, tearing into the creature with a speed and violence that left her reeling.

She backed toward the fire, her hands shaking. She wasn't ready for this. Not for any of it.

But as the battle raged around her, something deep inside Emma stirred—something dark and powerful, something she had never felt before.

Her brothers weren't the only ones with secrets.

And as the intruders poured into the cabin, one after another, Emma realized she wasn't as helpless as she thought.

Not anymore.

And when the time came, she would fight.