"Guys! We are under attack-" A splash of blood sprays in my view. My voice is cut off as a large pair of teeth sink deep into my shoulder. The pain shoots throughout my body, and I let out a gasp.

"What-Ah-CALEB!" Lukia shouts as she draws her bow but is quickly pounced by a brown wolf that nearly sinks its teeth into her throat until Yann pushes it off her. Everyone, now awake from my warning, rushes to help get the massive creature off of me, but within its jaws, it jerks forward and drags me out of the cave and into the storm. My screams are drowned out as I grab my dagger and stab into the creature's eye.

The blood of the creature flows down onto my chest and neck before it releases me in a fit. The beast mangles my entire left arm and shoulder; the storm washes away the blood, but a steady stream continues to flow from the wounds.

A loud howl before a snarl, the massive creature's yellow eyes peer through the darkness until a single bolt of lightning flashes, revealing a massive black humanoid beast standing on all fours. It is not bipedal; it is standing like a man. Standing before me is a unique type of Lycan. They are called a few names, but these beasts are an evolved form of beast people who were cursed after they devoured the hearts of man and beast in a sadistic ritual, which gave them incredible power in the form of their bodies being transformed into werewolves. Cursed to live for many years, their offspring with beasts or humanoids would kill the mother as the offspring would take the form of a giant wolf. Until they grew old enough and strong enough, they would evolve into this humanoid state that is a werewolf.

And right now, I am face to face with a fully grown werewolf that dragged me into the middle of a storm, its offspring surrounding me with vicious growls and stares. Standing over nine feet tall and a couple feet wide, the massive beasts claws sharpened, its fangs soaked with my blood looks intently with lust.

Its eye had slowly regenerated and is now back to normal. I knew my weapons would be ineffective to kill it fast enough. My only option was to cut its head off with one clean strike before it could kill me. But with several of its pack now surrounding me, I had no option but to get back to everyone somehow. My only chance for survival was to evade any lethal blows and prevent them from stopping my escape.

The pack leader growls and orders its pack to close in. My left arm was chewed pretty severely; it would be pointless to use it. Drawing my blade out of its sheath, I begin to channel my magic around it, letting the currents of the storm to be absorbed into the blade. If I can't kill them, I can at least hold them off.

"Caleb!" My name was barely distinguishable in this raging storm. My companions called for me as they searched. I had to alert them before they were ambushed. They could be easily killed by the alpha from the shadows.

Taking in a deep breath, the storm around me deafens my ears, but I can sense the movement of the rain around me. Twirling the blade behind my back, I feel the pressure of wind expanding around the blade. The wolves leap toward me. Their massive bodies quickly close the distance as their bodies are the size of a fully grown human.

"Tempest Burst!" Slamming the blade into the mud erupts the air around us. With the storm's strong winds, the vacuum of the magic expanded far bigger than before, creating a shockwave that sent me tumbling and hitting a nearby tree. Blood drips across my brow from the impact. The light of the cave is barely visible in the distance.

"Where are you!" Lukia shouts, shooting a flare arrow that lights up in the sky—a special arrow to signal someone's position. However, Lukia shot the arrow just above the trees. The bright flash of the pinkish hue of magic illuminates the menacing pack as they slowly approach, their shadows growing bigger with each step.

"Get back to the cave! We have a werewolf alpha!" Slipping in the mud, I roll to my feet and make a long dash to the group. Sounds of branches and growls follow closely behind. One tries to intercept and pounce. With quick reflexes, I summon a barrier to stop it dead in its tracks before continuing my sprint.

Chest heavy and burning, I spot the outlines of everyone, my body on fire from the pain that keeps me moving. The alpha catches up after avoiding any distractions and claws my back. My leather vest stops some of the attack, but the claws pierce through the armor and enter the flesh of my back. The cold and stunned feeling spreads through my body. I grip my sword tightly and retaliate with a quick slash to the side.

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The alpha used its claw to deflect my blade before I drew my dagger; holding it in my mangled arm, I stabbed into its chest. Werewolves feel less pain due to the curse, but that doesn't mean their organs are the same. With the blade piercing the lungs and close to the heart, the alpha pushes me away; my dagger slips out of the chest. A large splash of blood pours from its chest. It clutches at the wound, backing away distraught; it coughs blood and leans against a tree, trying to breathe.

Now was my chance. Sprinting once again, my allies were only a short distance away until a lone wolf struck. The jaws wrapped around my leg and twisted, the bone fracturing from the sudden impact and turn. Another gasp of pain escapes me as the teeth of the creature clench onto the bone. With my blade, I swing down, but the wolf jerks its head to the side and attempts to drag me.

Quickly grabbing my sheath, I use it as support to lift my body into the air. The wolf's grip on my legs loosens before my blade cleaves through it. I slash it deeply, barely missing the connection of its neck and shoulders. Wanting to live, the wolf flops to the ground and struggles to run away.

The moment passed as I looked at my torn leg. "Damn it! I can't move!" The pain is paralyzing. Having to lean against a tree, I tried to claw my way forward, but with only one usable arm, I called out. "I'm here!" My voice echoes against the storm, disappearing into the violent winds; they are carried away from me. Soaked and bloodied, my eyes have trouble staying awake—my pale and weakened face strains with every breath.

Several eyes within the dark slowly approach. My fate now settled in front of me, and my life now hung in the balance. Pointing my sword forward, I held my ground to them. However, I was filled with intense fear. My thoughts of Tia and her smile coiled around my heart. "I'm sorry, Tia. It seems I won't keep our promise..."

Just as the wolves begin to close in, they become still. Their eyes perk and home in on a sound that I fail to notice. My breathing became shallow, my body limp, and my heart slowed. The ground shakes subtly, and a large outline of a massive beast slowly approaches. I blink momentarily, trying to understand or make sense of what I see.

The hot breath of this creature brushes my face. It can easily bite my head off with ease or tear me in half. Gently, the wolf licks my face and shakes its head. Something about my blood stirs it, but it backs away gently. I stare intently to see the alpha goes down on all fours to be next to the massive beast. The werewolf alpha wasn't the leader; this massive wolf in front of me was the offspring's father.

Loud cracks of thunder vibrate in the sky until the flash of lightning unveils the carriage-sized, dark gray fur and deep yellow eyes of the same Dire wolf that we faced during the Shadow Hunter job. It was the very same creature. All this time, it was actually a Dire werewolf. The creature's flesh morphs and shifts as it grows smaller. The sounds of its bones crush and shatter only to reform into a tall but stocky humanoid beast.

"Unbelievable..." The words escape my lips. The gray wolf shifts its focus to me again.

"You were that boy."

It talked. This creature, cursed with a terrible affliction, retained its former intelligence or developed on its own. It spoke with a broken accent, but it was understandable. The voice pierced through the storm to reach my ears.

"I apologize for my family. We only want to survive." He stepped forward and kneeled next to me. The black werewolf had shifted into his own wolf form, which was still bigger than the smaller ones. The gray wolf gripped my chin and looked at my wounds, then turned back to his pack. "This boy will not be harmed! He is a true hunter and shall be respected! Find something else to feast upon!"

The black wolf growls and barks.

"Zyak, this boy is under my mark. You will not harm him." The black wolf snarls before barking for its children to follow and leave. "My son is still young as well as his children. I can't protect you or your companions with my presence, so I will bestow upon you my mark so that future encounters with my kind shall be less hostile as this. Hold still."

"What...is your name." Gasping between each breath, I am empty as blood loss has taken its toll on my body. My eyes stared into his own. He let out a slight smirk.

"My name has been lost for many years. Local legend of my existence has produced the Gray Wolf. But if you so wish to know who I am, then Vyctor is what you may call me and nothing else for your own good."

"Vyctor...my name is Caleb Aris...son to Valum Aris."

"Enough, you lost too much blood. Stay still. My mark will take only a moment." Pushing my head away, Vyctor sinks his teeth into my shoulder. The blood drips down my neck and into his mouth. A few seconds later, he releases me and then gently places his hand on my chest. A warm sensation flows through me, dulling the pain.

"W-What did you-"

"Your friends shall find you; I must look after my pack. My mark shall protect you in the future. Farewell." His voice turned deep for his final words as his body morphed and shifted into his massive wolf form. He looked at me for another moment until he howled loudly into the storm; the trees near me blocked out most of the rain as I lay against one of them. Vyctor watched for something until he saw it. He turned away and dashed away from sight. Leaving me exhausted, I drift to sleep as the sounds of rain soothe me into rest...