Legacy Wolves

Chapter 3: A Path into Darkness

Cassian followed Connor into the woods, but every step felt like a mistake. The farther they walked, the deeper his unease grew. Something wasn't right about this man. He moved too silently for someone his size, slipping through the underbrush like a predator on the prowl. And his answers—what little he had given—felt too rehearsed, too vague.

"Where are we going?" Cassian asked, his voice tight with suspicion.

Connor didn't turn around. "Somewhere safe."

Cassian clenched his jaw. That answer wasn't good enough. "Safe from who?"

"From everything," Connor replied, his tone dismissive. He glanced over his shoulder, eyes gleaming in the dim light filtering through the trees. "Look, kid, I get it. You're scared. Confused. But standing around asking questions is going to get you killed."

Cassian narrowed his eyes. Something in the man's tone grated on him, like Connor enjoyed holding the upper hand. He had offered no real explanation since they had started walking, only hints at something dangerous, something lurking in the shadows that Cassian didn't fully understand yet.

"What do you mean by 'everything'?" Cassian asked, refusing to let it go. "Who are you really?"

Connor stopped walking. He turned slowly, his lips curling into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Like I told you, I'm like you."

Cassian took a step back. "That's not an answer."

Connor's eyes flickered with something—annoyance, maybe, or something darker. "I could've left you out there, you know. Let the cops find you. Or worse, let the hunters get to you first. But I didn't."

Cassian felt his stomach churn. "Hunters?"

"People who hunt our kind."

"And what is our 'kind'?" 

Connor snickered. "Boy, do you not know anything?"

The way Connor spoke, the way he acted—it was degrading, like Cassian owed him something. For all he knew, Connor had been watching him long before last night, waiting for the right moment to swoop in.

"Why did you help me?" Cassian asked, his voice sharper now. "You don't know me."

Connor's smile faltered. He shrugged, turning his back on Cassian as he started walking again. "Let's just say I've got a soft spot for kids like you. Fresh blood. Untouched by the world. But that won't last long if you don't learn how to survive."

Cassian didn't move. His gut screamed at him to run in the opposite direction. He could hear the undercurrent in Connor's words, like every sentence had a second meaning, a trap waiting to be sprung.

"Who else is out here?" Cassian asked, still standing his ground. "What's really going on?"

Connor sighed loudly, as if he was tired of being questioned. "You're not the only one like this, kid. There's a whole world of us, and most of them aren't as friendly as I am." He flashed another toothy grin over his shoulder, but it was colder this time, almost mocking. "Some of them will hunt you for sport. Others will use you for their own ends. The second you turned, you became part of a much bigger game."

"Turned?"

"Into a wolf, kid!" Connor snapped. 

Cassian frowned, the words chilling him, but he wasn't buying it—not entirely. Connor was dancing around the truth. And that grin... there was something predatory about it.

"And what about you?" Cassian asked. "What do you want from me?"

Connor stopped again, but this time, he didn't smile. He turned fully, his expression hardening, the amusement draining from his face. "I'm trying to save your life. But if you don't want my help, feel free to go back blood moon heir. See how long you last on your own."

Cassian stared at him, his pulse racing. The way Connor stood, the way his eyes darkened as he spoke—it was a threat, thinly veiled. But Cassian wasn't a fool. He wasn't going to be intimidated into trusting someone who couldn't even give him a straight answer.

"I'll take my chances," Cassian said, backing away slowly.

Connor's expression flickered with something unreadable, his eyes narrowing. "Suit yourself," he said, his voice low, almost a growl. "But if you walk away now, don't expect to find me again when they come for you."

Cassian didn't respond. He didn't have the luxury of time to debate what 'they' meant—he just knew he couldn't stay. Every instinct in his body was screaming to put distance between himself and Connor. Whatever game this man was playing, Cassian didn't want to be a part of it.

He turned and bolted into the woods.

Branches snapped underfoot, the cold air biting his lungs as he ran. He didn't look back. He didn't need to. He could feel Connor's gaze on him, watching, waiting. Maybe Connor would follow. Maybe he wouldn't. But Cassian didn't trust him—he couldn't.

The forest thickened around him as he pushed deeper, his heart pounding in his chest. He needed space to think, time to process everything that had happened, and he wasn't going to get that with a strange, secretive man looming over him, promising safety but offering nothing but cryptic warnings.

After what felt like an eternity, Cassian slowed, panting as he came to a stop near a rocky outcrop. He crouched behind it, trying to catch his breath, his mind racing. His muscles burned, and the sting of exhaustion crept in, but adrenaline kept him moving. He scanned the area, his ears straining for any sign of movement. 

There was nothing but the rustle of leaves in the wind.

Cassian finally collapsed onto the cold ground, knees pulled up to his chest. He was alone. Alone with the memories of last night, of the accident, of his transformation. 

His parents... 

His stomach twisted painfully, guilt gnawing at him. They were dead because of him.

He leaned his head back against the rock, shutting his eyes for a moment, trying to block out the horror of it all. But it wasn't enough. Nothing would ever be enough to erase what had happened.

A sharp crack snapped him out of his thoughts. Cassian's eyes shot open, his senses immediately on high alert. 

He stood slowly, crouching low behind the rock, trying to make himself as small as possible. His heart hammered in his chest, fear clawing its way back to the surface. Had Connor followed him after all?

Another rustle, closer this time. Footsteps. Cassian held his breath, every muscle tensed.

But it wasn't Connor.

A figure appeared at the edge of the clearing—someone smaller, moving cautiously through the trees. It was a woman, her dark hair pulled back into a plait which swayed as she jogged. He eyes in the dim light were sharp as she scanned the area. She was carrying a bow, the string taut, an arrow nocked and ready to fire.

Cassian's heart raced. Why was there a girl in the forest with a bow? Was she a hunter? 

He ducked lower, trying to stay out of sight. The woman moved silently, her eyes sweeping the forest as though she was searching for something—someone. Cassian's felt vomit rise in his throat. Was she looking for him? 

Before he could decide what to do, she paused, her head tilting slightly as if she had heard something. She took a cautious step forward, her gaze locked on the spot where Cassian was hiding.

His blood ran cold. 

Cassian held his breath, every instinct telling him to run, but something stopped him. There was something different about her, something in the way she moved that set her apart from the danger he had sensed in Connor. 

And then, just as quickly as she had appeared, she vanished into the trees, moving with the same eerie silence. Cassian waited, breathless, until the sound of her footsteps faded completely.

Who was she? 

He couldn't stay here any longer. This forest wasn't safe—not from Connor, not from whoever this woman was. He needed answers, and he wasn't going to get them by hiding in the shadows.

But one thing was clear—he couldn't trust anyone.