Chapter 5

The night air hit Serena like a cold slap, biting into her skin as she stepped outside. Talon's hand remained firmly on her arm, his grip steady and unyielding, but there was something gentler in his touch now, something that made her feel as though he was trying to keep her grounded in the midst of the chaos. She could feel the power radiating from him, like an invisible force that surrounded them both, making her feel safe-yet utterly aware of the danger that still lingered in the air.

The forest seemed to whisper as they moved through it, the trees bending in unnatural ways as if they, too, were aware of the threat that had just passed through. The faint rustling of leaves beneath their feet was the only sound that accompanied them as they hurried through the woods.

"Where are we going?" Serena asked, her voice tight with anxiety. Her heart was still racing from the fight she'd just witnessed, the image of Talon and the rogue wolf locked in battle burned into her mind. She couldn't fathom how someone like her-someone so ordinary-could be dragged into something so extraordinary. A prophecy? Powers? Wolves that could shift into beasts?

"Somewhere safe," Talon replied curtly, his eyes scanning the shadows around them. He was alert, every sense heightened, like a predator on the prowl. "We need to move fast. Ryker's pack isn't the only one after you. There are others."

Her stomach clenched. "Others?" she whispered, feeling the weight of his words settle like a stone in her gut.

Talon didn't answer immediately, but she could see the tension in his posture, the way his jaw clenched as he fought the urge to look back. The sound of leaves crunching underfoot seemed to echo louder than ever as they made their way deeper into the forest, away from the cabin and whatever danger might be waiting there.

Serena could barely keep up, her legs aching from the frantic pace, but Talon never faltered, never slowed. It was as if he knew exactly where they were headed-like he was following an invisible path only he could see.

"Why me?" she asked again, her voice almost a whisper, but it held a desperate edge now. The questions were bubbling to the surface, each one gnawing at her, refusing to be ignored any longer. "Why is this happening? Why do they want me?"

Talon's pace slowed just a fraction, his gaze flicking briefly to her before turning back to the path ahead. His eyes were unreadable, his lips pressed into a thin line. "It's because of your abilities," he said after a long pause. "The visions. They're not just dreams, Serena. You see the future-things that haven't happened yet. You've been marked for a reason."

"Marked?" she echoed, the word hanging in the air between them. "For what?"

He hesitated again, as if weighing the best way to explain something far too complicated. "There's a prophecy, one that says you'll either save us or destroy us," he said softly. "And the rogues-Ryker's pack-they believe you're the key to unlocking a power that could change everything. They'll stop at nothing to control you."

Serena's mind reeled. She wasn't sure what was worse-the fact that she was some sort of weapon in a prophecy she didn't understand, or that these wolves-these dangerous creatures-were willing to kill to control her. Her stomach churned.

"So... they want to use me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Talon didn't answer at first. When he did, his voice was full of a quiet, dangerous intensity. "Yes. They want your power. But I won't let them have it. I won't let them use you like that."

Serena blinked, trying to process his words. "But if they're so powerful, how can you stop them?"

Talon's gaze shifted briefly toward the moonlight filtering through the trees, his eyes shadowed with an unreadable emotion. "I have my ways," he said, his voice low and filled with the weight of things unsaid. "But we need to get somewhere safe before they come looking for us."

She could hear the urgency in his voice, the hint of something darker lurking beneath the surface. Talon was a man-no, a wolf-of mystery, someone who had a past he wasn't sharing, and a future that was uncertain. She could feel it in the air, in the way he moved, in the way he spoke. She wanted to understand him, to know why he was protecting her, but she couldn't quite bring herself to ask.

As they pressed on, the sound of distant howls reached her ears. The eerie, haunting sound of wolves in the night, but these were different. These weren't like Talon. These weren't the kind that protected.

"These are Ryker's wolves," Talon muttered, his voice tense. "We're too close."

Serena's heart leapt in her chest, fear gripping her once more. "What do we do?"

Talon's eyes flicked to hers for a brief moment before he turned his attention back to the darkened path ahead. "We run," he said simply. "And we don't stop."

Before she could respond, Talon broke into a sprint, his legs stretching out in long, powerful strides that made it seem like he was gliding over the earth. Serena's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't even process the fact that she was being dragged into a world she didn't belong in, that her life had just shifted into something she had no control over. All she knew was that Talon's presence seemed to anchor her, and she didn't want to let it go, even as they raced through the dense forest.

The howls grew louder, closer. And in the distance, Serena could see flashes of movement-dark shapes weaving between the trees, their eyes glowing with the same yellow light as Ryker's.

Talon glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed with grim determination. "Stay close," he ordered, and Serena found herself obeying without question.

They pushed through the underbrush, branches clawing at Serena's skin, but she hardly noticed. The adrenaline was coursing through her veins now, her heart pounding with the knowledge that something terrible was closing in on them. She could feel it in the air-an electric tension, a primal warning that something wicked was coming.

Talon's voice rang out again, this time more urgent. "We need to make it to the clearing. Once we're there, we'll have a better chance of losing them."

Serena nodded, her legs burning as they pushed forward, but she didn't stop. She couldn't. The weight of everything that had happened, everything that was happening, pressed down on her. She was no longer just a bystander. She was part of this world-whether she liked it or not.

And as they approached the clearing, Serena couldn't shake the feeling that they were racing toward their destiny. Whatever it was.

But with each step she took, the pull of something deep inside her grew stronger. Something she couldn't yet understand, but that seemed to call out to her in a voice only she could hear.

She could feel her power stirring, waking up like a beast ready to be unleashed. And as the clearing came into view, she knew that her life was about to change forever.