The forest did not welcome them anymore.
Kael felt it with every step they took away from the ravine—the subtle shift in sound, the way the insects fell silent too quickly, how the shadows stretched just a little too long between the trees. This place had once been neutral ground, an old border where neither pack nor coven lingered for long.
Now it felt hostile.
"Stay close," Kael muttered.
Lucien did not comment on the irony. He was already doing exactly that.
They moved through the undergrowth without speaking, their pace measured, senses sharp. Kael's wolf prowled just beneath his skin, muscles coiled, ready to burst free if needed. The encounter with the Crimson Council's emissary still rang in his ears—the bond is accelerating—as if the words had been carved directly into his bones.
Every time you choose each other, it deepens.
Kael hated how true it felt.
A sudden snap echoed to their left.
Kael spun, blade half-drawn.
"Stop," Lucien said quietly.
Kael froze. "You heard that."
"I did," Lucien replied. "But it wasn't meant for us."
Kael frowned. "What does that mean?"
Lucien tilted his head, eyes unfocused for a moment, listening to something Kael couldn't hear. "Scouts," he said. "They're flushing the perimeter. Testing reactions."
"So they are hunting us."
"Yes," Lucien said simply. "Just not directly."
That did nothing to ease Kael's tension.
He exhaled slowly, forcing his grip to loosen on the blade. "They want to see how we move. How we protect each other."
Lucien's gaze flicked to him. "You caught that quickly."
Kael didn't look back. "I've been hunted before."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Lucien slowed, just slightly. "By whom?"
Kael hesitated. His instincts screamed at him to deflect, to keep his history locked away where no one could use it against him.
But the bond stirred—gentler now, coaxing rather than demanding.
"My own pack," Kael said quietly.
Lucien stopped walking.
Kael felt it immediately—the absence of movement behind him—and cursed under his breath. He turned.
Lucien stood perfectly still, expression unreadable, crimson eyes darkened with something sharp and controlled.
"They tried to kill you," Lucien said.
It wasn't a question.
Kael swallowed. "They said I was unstable. That the curse—I didn't even know it was a curse back then—made me dangerous."
Lucien's jaw tightened. "And they were wrong."
Kael let out a humorless laugh. "They were scared."
"Fear does not excuse betrayal," Lucien said coldly.
Something fierce flashed through Kael's chest at the certainty in Lucien's voice. "You say that like you've never—"
"I have," Lucien interrupted.
The silence between them deepened.
Lucien turned away first. "We should move. Talking here is unwise."
Kael nodded, though his thoughts refused to quiet. He followed as Lucien led them off the main trail, down into a shallow ravine choked with ferns and fallen branches. The ground dipped sharply, slick with moss and damp stone.
Kael's foot slid.
He barely had time to react before gravity pulled him sideways.
Lucien caught him.
It wasn't graceful. Kael collided with Lucien's chest, momentum forcing them both down behind a fallen log. Kael's shoulder struck the earth hard enough to jar his teeth.
Lucien hissed sharply.
"Are you—" Kael started.
"I'm fine," Lucien said, breath uneven.
Kael's hand was still gripping Lucien's coat, fingers fisted tight. He could feel the solid line of Lucien's chest beneath the fabric—unnaturally still, yet warm where their bodies touched.
Too warm.
The bond flared violently.
Kael gasped, heat tearing through him like wildfire. Lucien's breath hitched, fingers digging into Kael's arm as if anchoring himself.
For a terrifying moment, Kael thought he might shift right there—bones aching, vision blurring.
Lucien leaned his forehead against Kael's temple. "Breathe," he murmured. "With me."
Kael forced air into his lungs.
In. Out.
The bond slowly eased, retreating to a low, dangerous hum.
They stayed like that longer than necessary.
Finally, Kael pulled back, heart hammering. "That— that was worse than before."
Lucien nodded, eyes half-lidded. "Because we're closer to the next Blood Moon."
Kael frowned. "You said it wasn't soon."
"I said not soon enough," Lucien corrected quietly. "Time feels different when the curse accelerates."
Kael pushed himself up, offering a hand. Lucien took it without hesitation, allowing Kael to pull him to his feet.
Neither of them let go immediately.
A sharp whistle cut through the forest.
Lucien stiffened. "That's not Council."
Kael's wolf surged. "Hunters."
Arrows struck the tree above them, splintering bark.
"Move!" Kael shouted.
They ran.
The forest blurred around them as they sprinted downslope, branches clawing at their clothes. Kael heard pursuit—boots, breath, the metallic scent of weapons laced with silver.
Too many.
Lucien abruptly veered right, dragging Kael with him toward a narrow rock cleft barely visible through the undergrowth.
"In there," Lucien ordered.
Kael didn't argue.
They slipped into the cleft just as another arrow struck stone where Kael's head had been. The passage narrowed quickly, forcing them into close quarters, bodies brushing, breaths mingling in the darkness.
Kael pressed his back to the rock wall, blade raised.
Lucien lifted a hand. "Wait."
The footsteps passed them by.
Voices murmured—frustrated, irritated.
"They vanished."
"Circle back."
The sounds faded.
Kael sagged slightly, adrenaline leaving him shaky. Lucien stepped closer instinctively, placing a steadying hand at Kael's elbow.
"You're hurt," Lucien said.
Kael blinked. "I am?"
Lucien brushed his fingers along Kael's side. Kael sucked in a breath as pain flared.
"Arrow grazed you," Lucien said. "Silver-tipped."
Kael swore. "I didn't feel it."
"You wouldn't," Lucien replied. "Not right away."
Lucien's movements were careful as he guided Kael deeper into the cleft, where the stone widened just enough for them to crouch. He removed his cloak and pressed it against Kael's wound, applying firm pressure.
Kael watched him, chest tight.
"You're very calm for someone being hunted by their own kind," Kael muttered.
Lucien's mouth curved faintly. "Panic has never saved me."
Kael hesitated. "You were really part of the Council."
Lucien stilled. "Yes."
"Why leave?"
Lucien didn't answer immediately. His fingers tightened on the cloth. "Because they demanded obedience over conscience."
Kael met his gaze. "And now?"
Lucien's eyes softened just enough to hurt. "Now they demand your life."
Kael laughed quietly, shaking his head. "You're terrible at reassurance."
"I know," Lucien said. "I'm still learning."
The words lingered between them.
Outside, the forest shifted uneasily, as if aware of the choice being made in the shadows.
Kael leaned back against the stone, exhaustion creeping in. "When this ends," he said softly, "if it ever does… what will you do?"
Lucien looked at him, really looked at him, as if committing the answer to memory.
"I don't know," he admitted. "But for the first time in centuries… I want to find out."
The bond pulsed—gentle, dangerous, alive.
Kael closed his eyes, just for a moment, letting himself believe that was possible.
Above them, clouds thinned.
And far away, the Blood Moon waited.