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Chapter ten

Tristan

I pushed forward, my lungs burning and legs heavy.

The forest blurred past in smears of shadow and moonlight, and my ears pounded with each thud of pursuit behind us.

Ewan and his new allies were relentless.

They followed like a curse I couldn’t shake, intent on taking her from me.

The fury and chaos, the last moments of indecision before my gut overrode my loyalty to a pack that wasn’t what I thought it was.

I had grabbed Serena by the wrist and pulled her into the night, a storm of wolves snapping at our heels.as we left.

A shout rang out somewhere to my left, close enough to shoot adrenaline through my exhausted legs.

We tore through trees and thickets, leaping fallen logs in frenzied zigzags as we tried to shake them.

And when the first silver bullets flew past, I almost lost it.

This was war. If we didn’t find some way to hide, some fucking miracle, they would catch us before sunrise.

Serena ran beside me, her eyes narrowed with fierce determination, matching my stride with strength I didn’t expect.

A fallen branch snagged my foot, sending me crashing forward.

She caught my arm, her grip firm and unyielding, hoisting me back to my feet.

No words passed between us; they weren’t needed. We both knew what was at stake.

I forced myself on, each breath a ragged gulp, each step a jolt of pain.

I wasn’t sure how long we could last like this.

They were fresh and focused, fueled by the belief they were doing the right thing.

It made them ruthless, a threat I couldn’t underestimate.

I cursed Ewan and every memory I had of his loyalty.

How had he turned so easily? It all circled back to the fucking curse.

If I’d never met Serena, never found out what she meant to me, we wouldn’t be in this position.

But I’d be lying if I said I regretted it.

Her presence was like a pulse of energy, pushing me forward, keeping me alive.

Another shout cut through the night, followed by a howl of triumph. They were closing in. Panic clawed at my gut. They’d spread out, and our erratic trail would only confuse them for so long. We needed to find cover. We needed—

Light.

My eyes caught the barest flicker in the distance, and for a second, I thought I imagined it. I slowed, my senses tingling with something new, something strange.

“Tristan?” Serena’s voice was breathless and raw, but the question in it was sharp.

I turned toward the light, praying I wasn’t leading us to our capture. “This way!”

We veered right, into a dense grove where the trees grew so close they almost touched.

The lights grew brighter, weaving in and out of the forest like spectral flames.

As we ran toward them, the ground dipped sharply, and we stumbled, nearly losing our balance.

What I first thought was a cliff or ravine came into view, its edges defined by towering arches and massive stones.

I pulled Serena closer, blinking at what couldn’t be real.

Ancient ruins spread out before us, a vast and unexpected sanctuary hidden in the heart of the woods.

Celestial carvings adorned the weathered stone, glowing faintly under the moon’s soft touch.

It was beautiful, eerie, and absolutely perfect.

I barely paused to consider the implications before I led her in.

The air shifted, charged with a current I felt down to my bones.

I knew this place, though I’d never been here before.

Legends spoke of it—an old ground, once neutral, where fae and wolves met under truce.

My father used to speak of this place like a bedtime fable—too sacred to touch, too ancient to find.

But it was real. And I’d brought her here.

That it still existed, tucked away like this, was something I didn’t have time to consider. It was shelter. That’s what mattered.

I held Serena’s gaze, a silent agreement passing between us. Her eyes flashed with understanding, and she squeezed my hand, an anchor in the storm that chased us. I didn’t need to ask if she trusted me. The fact that she was here, running at my side, was answer enough.

We moved deeper into the ruins, leaving the cover of trees for the maze of archways and chambers.

A strange rhythm echoed around us, the distant howl of our pursuers blending with the low hum of ancient power.

Each stone seemed alive, vibrating under my touch as I ran my hand along its surface.

The temperature dropped, a welcome relief from the heat of our escape.

I could breathe again, the tightness in my chest loosening as we put distance between ourselves and the hunt.

The moon poured through gaps in the ruin’s ceiling, casting patterns on the ground that mirrored the marks we shared.

Her gaze lifted to the light-dappled floor, and her eyes widened—caught between wonder and dread.

The runes weren’t just familiar—they pulsed with the same light as her mark.

The same magic I carried. This place wasn’t just shelter.

It was connected to us. The shouts and howls grew faint, confused.

Ewan’s men wouldn’t dare come here, not without careful thought. I was counting on it.

“It’s them or us,” Serena said, the defiance in her voice cracking slightly under exhaustion.

“Us,” I replied, and nodded toward a narrow passage that spiraled down, half-hidden by shadows and overgrown vines.

We ducked inside, moving fast, fear and adrenaline giving us speed even as our bodies threatened to give out.

The path twisted and turned, the ceiling so low I had to crouch.

At any other time, the ruins would have fascinated me.

Their raw, ancient beauty hinted at the power they held, and I itched to understand it.

But right now, we just needed to disappear.

Serena stumbled, catching herself against the wall.

She looked at me, the question in her eyes different now—can we stop?

I hesitated. They were so close. I could still feel them, sense the urgency of their chase.

But my lungs were on fire, my legs unwilling to move.

If I didn’t stop, they’d be dragging me out of here unconscious.

I nodded, and we slid down against the cold stone. For a moment, neither of us spoke, our breath clouding like smoke in the cold, damp air.

“How long do you think we have?” she asked, wiping sweat from her brow with a trembling hand.

I watched her, my mind racing to assess, plan, and react all at once. “Long enough,” I said, my voice more confident than I felt.

I shifted closer to her, listening to her breathe, feeling the thrum of her pulse from a foot away.

It would have been easier to blame her for all of this.

To put the burden on her curse and her presence and the way she’d made me question everything I thought I knew.

Stormvale had raised me. Taught me strength.

Duty. I was supposed to lead them, not run from them like a ghost in the woods.

Instead, I found myself caring more than I ever thought I could.

I cared enough to betray my own blood, to run from the only life I’d known, to risk everything for her.

“Some hiding place,” she said with a half-smile, looking around the crumbling walls and dirt-streaked floors.

“It’s the last place they’ll think to look.”

“It’s perfect, Tristan.” Her voice was soft, an admission I felt more than heard. She leaned back, letting her eyes fall closed. “It’s absolutely perfect.”

And for a brief moment, we had time. Time to catch our breath, to wait for the next disaster, to wonder how it had all come to this.

Her head dropped against my shoulder, and the contact was electric.

The comfort it brought was bittersweet, reminding me of what we faced when the sun rose.

Just when I started to believe we were safe, the air shifted again—like something was watching.

The walls loomed around us, thick with the weight of old secrets.

Stones pulsed like living things, glinting with magic and dust as we pushed deeper into the ruins.

It was freezing, but we couldn’t risk a fire.

Not yet. Not when there was even the slightest chance Ewan’s men would find us.

Serena pulled my coat tight around her shoulders, stubbornly refusing to complain.

I’d wrapped it around her when she fell asleep, sitting guard like an idiot for half the night.

She could’ve been kidnapped, and I wouldn’t have fucking noticed.

Her head was still on my shoulder when I woke up, stiff and cold and afraid they’d catch us before we even had a chance to fight.

At least this time, they didn’t have the scent of our fear to follow. Maybe we were finally one step ahead.

I grabbed Serena’s hand, hauling her to her feet. She flinched, and I knew how it must’ve looked. Like I was panicking, making us run again. Like I couldn’t handle what was about to happen. Maybe she wasn’t wrong.

“We should go,” I said, almost pulling her toward the entrance.

“Not without knowing what we’re up against,” she said, yanking back. “You saw the walls. The carvings.” Her eyes glowed with intensity, sharper than I’d ever seen them. “This is what we need. It’s right here, Tristan.”

My chest tightened, frustration and fear grinding together until I could barely breathe. I knew she was right. I hated that she was right.

“Then we read fast and get the hell out,” I said, my voice harsh in the cold air.

We moved toward the main chamber, wide-eyed and frantic. The stones radiated with eerie light, illuminating runes and symbols I hadn’t noticed when we first hid here. It was more than I’d seen in any of the legends. More than I thought was possible.