The night air stank of smoke and iron.
Kael hadn't said a word since they left the tunnels. The motorcycle's engine hummed beneath them, the city lights streaking past like burning comets. Selene sat behind him, her arms around his waist but her thoughts far away.
Neither spoke. There wasn't much to say after watching that kind of horror.
When they reached the outskirts of the city, the roads turned quieter—cracked asphalt, flickering street lamps, the hum of old factories dying in the dark. Kael stopped outside a worn warehouse. From the outside, it looked like nothing. On the inside, it was home.
The safehouse.
As they stepped in, the scent of wolves hit her—earth, fur, and faint traces of gun oil. Shadows moved in the corners; pairs of glowing eyes followed her. The pack.
Kael's people.
Selene could feel the hostility before she heard it.
"Who's the human?" one of the wolves growled from the back. His name was Rylan—broad shoulders, dark hair, scars down his neck. "You bring outsiders now?"
"She's with me," Kael said. His voice was calm but cold enough to freeze fire.
Rylan scoffed. "You said that last time too. Ended with blood on the floor."
Kael's gaze hardened. "You want to challenge me, Rylan?"
Silence. Then a quiet shake of the head.
Didn't think so.
Selene glanced around. Wolves of different ranks and builds filled the space—some lounging, some sharpening blades, others watching her like she didn't belong. Which, to be fair, she didn't.
Kael walked to the center of the room. "Lucien's alive," he said simply. The words dropped like thunder.
A ripple of anger spread through the room.
"He was supposed to be dead," someone said.
"We buried that bastard six years ago," another muttered.
Kael nodded. "I saw him. He's building something under the city. He's turning wolves into hybrids."
The room went quiet again—heavier this time.
Kael continued. "He's not doing it alone. He's got humans—scientists, mercenaries. They're experimenting on our kind. We stop it before it spreads."
Rylan's voice cut through the silence. "And her?" He tilted his chin toward Selene. "What's she doing here while we're talking pack business?"
Selene crossed her arms. "Saving your Alpha's life last night, for one."
Rylan growled, but Kael raised a hand. "She's staying. She knows things we don't. We'll need her."
No one argued further, but the tension didn't fade.
Kael turned toward the old table in the corner. Maps of the city were spread across it—tunnels, safe routes, enemy sightings marked in red. He stood there, staring at the marks as if willing them to burn.
Selene joined him quietly. "They don't trust me."
"They shouldn't," Kael said. "Not yet."
She looked at him, half a smile tugging at her lips. "You really know how to make a girl feel welcome."
He didn't return the smile. "Trust is earned here. Usually with blood."
Selene leaned on the table. "Then I guess I'll just have to bleed for it."
Something flickered in Kael's eyes—something like respect. Or maybe recognition.
Outside, thunder rolled over the city. The storm had been building since sunset, and the smell of rain crept through the open vents.
Kael turned to his pack. "We move at dawn. Lucien's lab is gone, but he'll have more. He's recruiting, building. We hit him before he hits us."
"Then what?" Rylan asked.
Kael's gaze darkened. "Then we burn every trace of his experiments. Every last one."
---
Hours later, the pack had gone quiet. Most were asleep or on watch. Only Kael remained in the training room, bare-chested, sweat slicking his skin as he worked through forms with twin blades. His movements were precise—controlled anger disguised as discipline.
Selene stood by the doorway, watching.
"You don't sleep much, do you?" she asked.
He didn't stop moving. "Sleep is for those who aren't hunted."
She walked closer, slow and measured. "That's your excuse for everything?"
Kael finally paused, turning to her. "You came here for a reason, Selene. What do you want?"
Her eyes softened. "To help you stop him. What Lucien's doing… I've seen it before. My father worked with people like him—companies that used werewolves and vampires as test subjects. I couldn't stop him then. Maybe I can now."
Kael watched her quietly for a moment. "That's your redemption story?"
"Maybe. What's yours?"
He sheathed the blades. "I don't do redemption. I do survival."
The silence between them stretched, filled only by the sound of rain hitting the tin roof. Then Selene stepped closer, close enough to smell the faint musk of wolf and sweat.
"You know," she said softly, "for someone who acts like he doesn't need anyone, you look like a man who's forgotten what peace feels like."
Kael met her eyes. "Peace gets people killed."
"Or saves them," she countered.
He didn't reply.
Instead, he walked past her, grabbed his jacket, and stopped by the door. "Get some rest. We move out in four hours."
Selene exhaled, watching him disappear down the hall. "You're impossible," she muttered under her breath.
But when he was gone, her expression shifted—curiosity, maybe admiration. Or something she wasn't ready to name yet.
---
By dawn, the pack gathered again. The air was thick with anticipation. Kael stood before them, dressed in black tactical gear, eyes steady.
He unsheathed one blade and dragged its edge across his palm—blood dripping onto the floor.
"I swear," he said, voice low but powerful, "to protect my pack, to hunt those who betray our kind, and to spill blood until the moon turns red."
He looked around. "Those who stand with me—take the oath."
One by one, the wolves stepped forward, cutting their palms, repeating the vow. When Selene stepped forward, every eye turned to her.
She hesitated. Then she took Kael's blade, sliced her hand without flinching, and pressed her palm to his.
Her blood mixed with his.
"Then you're one of us," Kael said quietly.
For a moment, she thought she saw the ghost of a smile on his face. Then it was gone.
The storm broke outside as they moved out—dark silhouettes melting into the rain.
Above them, the city lights flickered. Somewhere in the depths below, Lucien Vargan watched through security screens, a smile playing on his lips.
"So the Alpha makes his move," he murmured. "Good. Let's see if the wolf can survive the fire."