*

Beneath the moon, the shadows crept, A human’s touch, and silence kept. The wolf retreated, vows were made, A promise left, though none were paid.

*

---

The forest was alive with the sounds of the night: the soft whisper of wind threading through branches, the occasional rustle of leaves as unseen creatures moved in the underbrush. Moonlight spilled through the gaps in the canopy, painting the ground in silver streaks.

This had always been my solace, this untamed wilderness where my thoughts could run as free as my paws. Here, I was no one’s heir, no one’s daughter, no one’s obligation. I was simply a wolfen.

But tonight, the forest betrayed me.

The scent hit me first a sharp, acrid warning that curled low in my stomach. Kael. His stench clung to the air, thick and unmistakable, mingling with the metallic tang of anger and violence.

I froze mid-stride, my claws digging into the soil. My ears flicked toward the sound of pawsteps crunching over leaves soft but deliberate, encircling me like predators closing in on wounded prey.

Then came the growl, low and menacing.

I spun, my hackles rising as shadows shifted in the gloom. Five wolves emerged from the darkness, their eyes gleaming with malice, their stances predatory. At their center was Kael, his dark fur blending seamlessly into the shadows, his golden eyes glinting with smug satisfaction.

There was no challenge in his posture, nodemand for submission. He wasn’t here to fight for dominance. This was a hunt.

A cold snarl curled through my chest, sharp and feral, vibrating in my throat. My claws flexed against the earth as I crouched low, muscles coiled, ready to strike.

The first wolf lunged.

I met it head-on, twisting as its jaws snapped inches from my throat. My claws raked across its muzzle, tearing fur and skin, and it yelped, stumbling back. But before I could regain my footing, another wolf barreled into me, its weight driving me into the ground.

Pain flared in my side as teeth sank deep into my flesh. I twisted, snapping at the attacker’s throat, tasting blood as my fangs tore through soft tissue. It reeled back, choking, but there was no time to savor the victory. Another wolf was already upon me, its claws slashing at my flank.

The fight descended into chaos a blur of snarls, blood, and pain. Each movement was instinct, every strike aimed to survive. I clawed, bit, and thrashed, my breath ragged and hot in my throat. The scent of blood was everywhere sharp and overwhelming clinging to my fur, saturating the air.

A howl of pain erupted from one of the wolves as my teeth closed around its leg, the crunch of bone satisfying in its finality. It limped away, whining, but there were still too many. They closed in again, their bodies pressing mine into the dirt, teeth ripping into my shoulder.

Kael stood just beyond the chaos, watching with a cruel smirk curling his lips. He made no move to join the fight, no gesture to end it. His presence was a mockery, a declaration of his dominance without lifting a claw.

Coward.

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I fought harder, desperation driving me. My muscles screamed, my body weakening under the relentless assault, but I refused to yield. With a final surge of strength, I threw one wolf off me, the momentum sending it crashing into a tree. Another lunged for my throat, and I turned, slamming my weight into it, sending it sprawling.

But the damage was done. Blood poured from gashes along my sides, my legs trembling under the strain. My breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps. They circled me, their movements cautious now, their hunger still burning.

I couldn’t win.

And they knew it.

With one last burst of adrenaline, I lunged at the nearest wolf, raking my claws across its flank before bolting into the trees. Pain shot through me with every step, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. The forest blurred around me, the scent of my own blood trailing behind like a beacon.

The howls of pursuit faded into the distance, but I didn’t slow. My heart thundered in my chest, my limbs shaking as I pushed forward. The world tilted, shadows swimming in my vision as exhaustion clawed at me.

The forest was restless. Its usual hum of life the whispering leaves, the distant chatter of creatures seemed muffled, like the world was holding its breath. My body ached, every movement a reminder of the fight I had barely survived.

I didn’t know how far I had run, only that my legs had finally failed me. When I was about to collapsed in the clearing, I thought it would be the end. But then I caught his scent, faint but distinct. Human. Male. Fearful.

At first, I tried to run, instinct urging me to move away. But my legs refused, trembling under the weight of exhaustion and blood loss. When my legs finally gave out, I collapsed hard onto the forest floor. I was vulnerable, exposed... everything I despised being. When his shadow loomed over me, I bared my teeth in a weak growl, the sound little more than a rasp.

He flinched.

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” he said. His voice was soft, uncertain, and his scent betrayed no malice. Only hesitation and fear.

I watched him with wary eyes as he approached, my body too drained to do anything more. He knelt beside me, his hands trembling as he reached for a cloth, water dripping from it. When the cold touch met my wounds, I tensed, a snarl rumbling weakly from my chest.

“Easy,” he murmured. “I just want to help.”

The pain was sharp, each swipe of the cloth tearing fresh whimpers from my throat, but I let him work. For hours, he cleaned and wrapped my wounds, his movements clumsy but deliberate. By the time he finished, I was too exhausted to even lift my head but I watched him murmur to himself falling asleep by the fire.

---

The next day, I stayed.

It wasn’t a conscious decision; my body simply refused to move. When it was about midday I tried to stand, but my legs buckled under me. The boy shaken by the sound, his eyes wide with alarm as he scrambled to my side.

“Hey,” he said, his voice still groggy. “Be careful.”

I didn’t have the strength to snap at him, let alone move away. So I stayed where I was, watching as he tended to wounds. His meager fire and gathered water from the nearby stream. Every movement of his was slow, deliberate, as if he feared making too much noise might scare me off.

“Guess you’re tougher than you look,” his voice sounding softer.

He talked a lot.

At first, his words came in hesitant bursts, as though unsure if he should be speaking at all. But as the hours passed, his voice grew steadier, the silence between us filling with his stories. He spoke of pain, of scars both visible and unseen. He didn’t say much about the people who had hurt him, but the weight in his voice told me enough.

I listened.

I told myself it was because I had no choice that I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to. But the truth was more complicated. There was something raw in the way he spoke, something that resonated deep in a place I hadn’t known existed.

For the first time in years, I felt... still. And my wolf loved it.

___

By the time the second night fell, I could feel my strength returning. My kind healed quickly; wounds that would have crippled a human for life were already beginning to close.

The boy fell asleep near the fire, his face illuminated by its flickering light. I stood slowly, testing my weight on my legs. The pain was still there, but it was manageable now.

I stepped closer to where he lay, watching his chest rise and fall with slow, even breaths. His features were softened in sleep, the scars on his face catching the firelight. He looked fragile. Too fragile to survive alone in a world as cruel as this.

And yet, he had survived.

I lowered my head, inhaling his scent one last time. Then, without a sound, I turned and slipped into the shadows.

The forest swallowed me whole, but I left a part of myself behind. A tuft of my fur, caught on a branch near the fire pit. A token, though I wasn’t sure why I left it. Perhaps it was a debt. Or maybe it was a promise.

As I moved deeper into the woods, my thoughts turned to Kael.

He would pay for what he’d done. For the cowardice that had led him to attack me with his pack of wolfen. My wounds would heal, and when they did, I would make sure he bore scars of his own.

But first, I needed to return home. My mother would be waiting, no doubt furious at my absence. She would demand answers, and I would give them. But I would also tell her about the boy. About the human who, in his brokenness, had shown me a kindness I hadn’t expected.

And in the quiet of my mind, I made a vow.

One day, I would repay that kindness. But I wouldn't have known that day would come sooner than expected.