The forest felt heavier the deeper they traveled, the silence pressing in like a weight on Taryn's chest. Even the birds were quiet, as if holding their breath for what was to come. The cursed chain hummed softly between her and Lucien, its magic a constant irritant—a reminder that she was never more than a few steps from her unwanted companion.

"This trail is pointless," Taryn muttered, kicking aside a vine that had snaked across the path. "We're going in circles."

Lucien trailed lazily behind her, clearly unbothered by the tangle of roots and branches. "Maybe if you stopped stomping around like a disgruntled elk, you'd see it's not the trail—it's the company."

Taryn shot him a glare over her shoulder. "Careful, vampire. You're one smart remark away from getting strangled with this chain."

Lucien grinned, teeth flashing. "Promises, promises."

They moved cautiously through the dense undergrowth, the trail narrowing to a winding path choked with brambles.

Taryn pushed a branch out of the way, muttering under her breath as it snapped back and hit Lucien in the chest.

"Hey," Lucien said dryly, brushing leaves from his coat. "I'm beginning to think you're doing that on purpose."

Taryn gave him a flat look. "Keep talking, and you'll find out."

Before Lucien could offer a smug retort, something rustled in the bushes ahead—a sharp, agitated movement that set both of them on high alert.

Taryn's hand shot to the hilt of her dagger, her senses sharpening. "Did you hear that?"

Lucien tilted his head, listening. "Definitely not the wind."

Another rustle, louder this time, followed by a low, guttural growl. Something moved just out of sight, slinking through the underbrush with disturbing ease. Taryn's muscles tensed, her pulse kicking into gear. Whatever it was, it was getting closer.

Then it appeared—a small, snarling creature with leathery skin and too many teeth. Its glowing red eyes fixed on them, and a growl rumbled deep in its throat.

Taryn let out a slow breath. "A grathhound," she muttered. "Should be easy."

Lucien raised a brow. "Doesn't look that easy."

"It's small. Fast, but fragile." Taryn drew her dagger, the blade glinting in the dim light. "Just don't get in my way."

Lucien smirked, reaching for the hilt of his sword. "I wouldn't dream of it."

The grathhound sprang without warning, a blur of claws and snapping jaws. Taryn sidestepped quickly, slashing with her dagger. The chain between her and Lucien snapped taut as he moved in the opposite direction, jerking both of them off-balance.

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Taryn stumbled forward, narrowly missing the creature's claws. "Damn it, Lucien!"

Lucien grinned, dodging another swipe from the beast. "I thought we were in sync."

"We're not!" Taryn snapped, yanking the chain to pull him closer. "Stay with me, or we're going to lose an arm—or worse!"

"See? This is why communication is important," Lucien said, barely ducking a swipe aimed at his face.

Taryn ignored him, circling the grathhound, her dagger at the ready. "Just focus!"

The creature darted between them, its claws flashing. They moved instinctively, both trying to outmaneuver the beast—except their movements clashed at every turn. When Taryn lunged left, Lucien shifted right, the chain jerking them awkwardly together.

"Can you not?" Taryn growled as she collided with his side, the chain pulling their arms painfully close.

"You're the one pulling!" Lucien shot back, fending off the hound with his sword. "This chain is a nightmare."

"No kidding!" Taryn retorted, gritting her teeth as the chain yanked again. Her wrist burned with every movement, the curse growing more insistent the longer they fought against it.

The grathhound lunged again, its jaws snapping dangerously close to Lucien's leg. He kicked it back with a curse, but the momentary distraction was enough to send the chain pulling tight again—dragging Taryn against him with bone-jarring force.

They crashed together, their arms tangling awkwardly, the chain burning painfully against their wrists.

"For gods' sake—" Taryn hissed, trying to untangle herself.

The grathhound took advantage of the chaos, darting in again, quick as a shadow, and both Taryn and Lucien moved to dodge—only for the cursed chain to jerk violently between them. Their wrists collided with a painful crack, the impact sending a sharp jolt through their arms.

Taryn stumbled into Lucien, who barely caught himself in time to keep them upright. The grathhound seized the opportunity, leaping forward with a snarl, its needle-like teeth snapping inches from Taryn's leg.

"Get your footing!" Taryn growled, shoving against Lucien's side.

"Hard to do when someone's yanking on my arm!" Lucien shot back, ducking a swipe from the grathhound's claws.

The cursed chain tugged again, pulling them awkwardly off balance. They staggered together, elbows colliding as they twisted to dodge the creature's rapid attacks.

"This is impossible!" Taryn snarled, swiping her dagger at the grathhound. It danced just out of reach, red eyes gleaming with malicious delight. "Hold still, damn it!"

The chain jerked painfully once more as both of them tried to maneuver independently—Taryn lunged left just as Lucien moved right, their efforts counteracting each other in a frustrating mess of tangled limbs.

The grathhound struck again, its claws raking the air between them.

"Enough!" Taryn snapped, yanking hard on the chain to pull Lucien toward her. "On my count—we go together."

Lucien arched a brow, his grin returning despite the chaos. "You giving orders now?"

"Do you want to kill this thing or not?"

"Fair point," he said, shifting his stance beside her. "Let's dance."

Taryn tightened her grip on her dagger, her jaw set. "One… two… three!"

They moved in unison this time—awkwardly, but together. Taryn feinted left, drawing the grathhound's attention. As it lunged toward her, Lucien's dagger flashed in the dim light, slashing deep across its side.

The grathhound yelped and staggered, but it wasn't done yet. It coiled to leap again—this time aiming straight for Lucien's throat.

Taryn reacted without thinking. She yanked the chain hard, pulling Lucien backward just as her dagger arced down. The blade found its mark, driving deep into the creature's narrow chest.

The grathhound collapsed with a final, pitiful snarl, its body twitching before going still.

Breathing hard, Taryn stepped back, her wrist still aching from the cursed chain's relentless tugging. She wiped her dagger on the grass, shooting Lucien a look that dared him to make a smart remark.

Lucien, still catching his breath, grinned lazily. "You know, we might actually make a decent team."

Taryn snorted. "Don't push your luck."

They stood there for a moment, catching their breath as the forest settled back into uneasy quiet. The grathhound lay motionless at their feet, its red eyes dimmed to nothing.

Lucien gave the chain a light tug, his grin widening. "See? I told you we should charge admission."

Taryn groaned, resisting the urge to throttle him. "Let's just keep moving before its friends show up." The grathhound might have been taken care of, but the real challenge was far from over—and Taryn wasn't sure whether the greater threat was the forest ahead… or the vampire at her side.

Lucien chuckled, the cursed chain clinking softly between them. They resumed their march through the forest, this time in slightly better rhythm, though the awkwardness of their proximity remained. Every step felt like a battle for control—one neither of them seemed willing to lose.

But at least, for now, they were both still standing.

And in the world they lived in, that was as close to victory as they were going to get.