My brain only takes a second to register the situation and overcome the shock.

In an instant, I drop my basket and dash.

The wind slaps my face, teasing a scream out of my throat but I hold it back. I need to preserve all my energy and focus on escaping rather than doing something as senseless as yelling. I'm alone in the vast expanse of the grasslands. No one would hear me anyway.

Their steps getting even closer despite my cadence being double theirs. Given that they're twice my height, they'll eventually catch up. Every two steps of mine is one of theirs, and God only knows what they'll do once they catch me.

Likely kill me.

Or worse.

Think, Adria. Think. You must survive.

An unusual calm settles over me as I run and it clears my mind enough to think.

Should I fight?

No. Perhaps I could take on one maybe two of them. But the three of them at once isn't possible at my current level.

But I also can't let them catch me.

I glance over to my right and make a split-second decision, arcing and running right for the Dark Forest.

Mostly everyone in the village, young and old, large and small, fear the Dark Forest. Only the Elite Soldier hopefuls know that the outer sections are safe. These men are not Elite Soldier hopefuls, and will likely not come in after me. Even if they do, I can scale a tree faster than they can grab me.

Hopefully, I don't lose my mind in the process.

I've survived a trip to the Dark Forest twice already, I try to draw comfort from the thought as I get closer. Perhaps I can do it again.

After all, strange and magical things always happen in threes.

I pump my arms and tap the ground lightly with my forefoot, propelling myself forward with a speed that surprises even me. I've always been fast, but it seems Wolf's brief training has done even more than my past life's conditioning. Even with my energy flagging, I start running faster, and I think that this might be the fastest I’ve ever run.

And I think I'll make it too.

But right at the edge of the forest, a huge body slams into me, driving me to the ground.

Damn.

He must have jumped from a distance and tackled me. The wind whooshes out of my lungs as I slam into the rocky ground and he presses his knee on my back.

“Ah, Muzungu.” He pants, as menace oozes from his tone. “You’ve made us work for this. “

“You'll pay for that,” another one says, chuckling. “Just as you'll pay for insulting the Prince.”

Fear floods me, stilling my struggle, but I refuse to freeze.

I refuse to go out like this, without taking at least two of them with me.

I refuse to make it easy for them.

Adria Elvswick. My name echoes in my mind, but not in my voice. You're a fighter.

The tight hands on my shoulders roughly flip me over.

And I toss a handful of sand and gravel into his eyes.

“Witch!” he bellows, but I don't stop to enjoy his pain. I drive my foot into his male area and shuffle out from underneath him as he howls.

Someone grabs my feet, and I kick their face, somersaulting back to my feet. Then as another charges me, I springboard off his face, and execute a twirling sidekick on number two, sending him stumbling into number one.

Damn. Back in the day that would have been enough to knock at least one of them out, but I'm still lacking strength in my thighs.

With the split second of a chance I earn, I run for the forest once again.

Unfortunately, they follow me.

They're too close for me to try to climb, so I forge a path between the trees instead, the narrower the better.

When fighting multiple opponents, I remember Savannah telling me in a past life. You must get them in a narrow space. The narrower the better so that they get in each other's way.

And that's exactly what happens. I can hear them behind me now, tumbling into each other and cursing, pushing, and shoving the other to get at me. As I flee, I grab onto a branch dragging it with me until it bends and then I let go.

A satisfying thwack meets a cry of outrage behind me.

I smile.

I do it again, and this time a snarl echoes behind me along with one of them swearing to rip my limbs from my body when he catches me.

I laugh maniacally feeling a rush.

I can't believe I'm actually having fun with death at my heels. Perhaps it's madness. Perhaps the forest has driven me insane.

Perhaps that's why I turn around to face them with a smile on my face, a smile that clearly discomfits them as they skid to a stop.

I feel full of...something. I'm not sure what it is but it's there inside me.

Unlike last time when I felt completely breathless in the forest, this time, I can feel the breath expanding my lung, almost too much breath. Of course, I'm not in the second section of the forest yet, as there's still some light, but this feeling is too foreign, too consuming to be natural.

My heart pounds with anticipation, eager to let off some of the energy I feel.

But then I hear growls coming from behind.

They hear it at the same time.

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"What the hell is that?" The one in front, who now has a red mark across his face demands.

The growl comes again, louder and more vicious this time and they take a step back.

They eye me and I stare back at them with a smile.

"You're welcome to stay," I say. "I'm sure my friend would enjoy the company."

They hesitate for only a second, before they turn tail and start running, cursing at each other the whole way. I take deep breaths, my chest rising and falling heavily, while I wait for them to get far enough away.

I glance at the sky, noting I can still see the sun, although I hadn't been watching it at all while I ran in here. I lost my mind and would have kept going deeper had the growl not stopped me.

That was the madness, I suppose.

I glance back at the forest, at the twisting vine and the looming darkness. I have so many questions, but the forest likely has no answers for me.

So I simply say, “Thank you," and start back out.

I'm still in a little bit of a daze as I walk out of the forest, still feeling that rush of energy pumping through me. I pick up a stray stick as I walk back to retrieve my basket and its contents, keeping an eye out on my surroundings for those men's return.

As I bend to pick up my basket, I stiffen in alarm when I hear pattering footsteps on the grass.

Straightening immediately, I brandish the stick like a sword, ready for another round of battle. But it's not a bunch of oafs approaching.

It's Caster, running.

“Adria,” he says as he comes to a stop in front of me. He pants lightly and a faint sheen of sweat dots his forehead.

Did he run from the castle here?

I don't drop my guard, frowning at him. I don't know where those men came from but they implied they were getting revenge on behalf of the prince.

“You sent them?” I say, tone cold and mind quick to connect the dots.

“What?”

"You sent those men after me? Didn’t you?” I wouldn't put it past the Prince to set this up to teach me a lesson. Perhaps Genya convinced him it was necessary. Or perhaps, he just wanted to run in and play hero, so I would be indebted to him once more.

"No!” Prince Caster seems offended by the accusation. ”How would you even think that I could do such a thing?

“Because they told me they were doing this for you.” I wonder if Prince Caster attacked me right now, how would I take him down? I don't know if I could. He's one of the best fighters I've seen, barring Wolf. I eye his throat, wondering if I would be able to get a clean strike at it.

Likely not, considering his quick reflexes.

Also attacking Caster at this stage would derail my plans significantly but I would also enjoy it thoroughly.

I would enjoy killing him once and for all.

The thought gives me pause. Did I just think about murdering Caster?

While I ponder, Prince Caster seems to understand the savage thoughts that are running through my mind because he holds up his hands in a defensive pose. “I swear to you Adria, on everything I know, on honor and on my mother, that I did not send those men after you.”

“But you knew they would be coming?”

“No, I-“ He runs his hand through his golden curls. “It was Brute. I overheard him talking about it with Paisley. When I confronted him he told me what he had done and said it was likely too late to stop them. I ran all the way here Adria I-“

"Leave,” I tell him. “Go back to your castle. I can take care of myself.”

“Adria,” He takes a step forward and I swing the stick in the air nearly hitting him.

“I said leave me alone!” I scream and for a second, I think I hear it echo out of the forest. I almost feel a gust of wind accompany it.

The Prince doesn't react as though such a thing happened. He doesn't seem afraid, but he does take a step back. "I can see your emotions are volatile, so I will take my leave. In any case, I'm sorry about all this and I’m glad you’re right.”

“Just go away,” I say and hold the stick even tighter. “The next time I swing I might forget that you are the Prince and your father will have to behead me for my insolence.”

"I would never let him do such a thing to you, Adria."

I snort at the irony. “Of course.”

Caster's face heats and he swallows thickly.

Thankfully, he begins to retreat, throwing wounded looks at me as he walks away.

Only when his body shrinks onto the horizon do I finally allow myself to sag. I take a breath that doesn't ease any of the pressure building inside me, and start the trek back home. I wonder when this strange, otherworldy tension will eventually dissipate and release me from its hold.

I don't know if I want it to go.

When I get into Wolf's cottage, it's empty. I drop my basket on the table, sinking into the seat. I finally feel the shudder start in my shoulders and travel to my toes.

I tell myself that I'm fine. I defended myself. I won. Again.

I smile at the thought, even as the tears push behind my eyes.

Suddenly, the door bursts open.

My head swings to find Wolf breathing like a beast. His dark form is silhouetted by the sun, and all I see are blazing yellow eyes. But then he walks closer to me and I finally spot the red stains all over his body and face.

Blood.

“Wolf," I stand, reaching for him. "What happened to you?”

He shakes his head and reaches for me too, but his hand stops halfway there, clenching and then dropping to his side. He opens his mouth but seems to have a hard time getting the words out, his breathing harsh and angry. He takes another breath as though to calm himself down.

But it doesn't work. His fists shake as he tells me. "I'm sorry. I wasn't there...I was late..."

"It’s fine,” I tell him. I don't even wonder how he knew. Perhaps it was him in the forest doing all that growling. Perhaps somehow, he gave me his strength.

I don't think about it too deeply.

I'm only glad that he's here.

“The important thing is that I was able to defend myself. Thanks to you."

"No, it's thanks to you,” he says and finally touches me, the barest brush of his fingers on the back of my hand.

When I don't flinch away, he takes my palm in his softly, loosely, allowing ample room for escape. “I can’t—I can’t breath thinking about–"

“Don’t torture yourself," I tell him, running my thumb over the back of his hand. "I'm safe now."

Wolf nods, and I finally pull back my hand, noting the red stains he left on my skin.

“Is this blood?” I ask.

He nods.

“You’re hurt?”

He shakes his head. “It's not mine.”

“Then why are you covered in blood, where did you get it from?”

“Hunting.”

I think about the growl in the forest, about the way I felt the wind around me.

“Wolf," I breathe out, “You didn’t..."

His eyes are firm unforgiving. “Their lives were forfeit anyway," he says. "At least, this way they'll be useful as food for the beasts."

I stare at him in awe. It seems that this whole time, due to how gentle he was with me, I forgot that Wolf was nicknamed the Yellow-Eyed Fiend in our past lifetime. He was a monster on the battlefield, who slayed as easily as he breathed.

Even once, after he saved my life and I was staring at him with hero worship, he told me, "I'm not a good man. Never forget that. I'm a beast that slays beasts."

He was half-right about that.

Today, he just slayed mine.

The emotion I was trying to suppress surges to the forefront all of a sudden, too explosive for me to hold back. I rise and throw my arms around his neck, burying my face in his chest.

Wolf cradles me close while I sob.