Chapter 48

[ 1,281 words ]

Her fire

48: 48.

Her fire Kade

I smell the blood before I see it.

Copper and fear, sharp enough to slice through the cold night air.

My wolf is already pacing beneath my skin, claws scraping, teeth bared as we crouch in the shadows of the tree line.

Too many, he growls.

Too close.

“I know,” I murmur under my breath, eyes locked on the clearing below.

Liam is down.

That thought alone is enough to make something dark twist in my chest.

He’s sprawled on the forest floor, unmoving, his body littered with darts.

Even from here I can see the unnatural stillness of him—the way his chest barely rises.

Around him, the hunters close in.

Weapons raised.

Calm.

Controlled.

Like they’ve done this before.

“They’re not here to kill,” Ronan says quietly beside me, his voice edged with something dangerous.

“I see that,” I reply.

They’re taking him, my wolf snarls.

Like prey.

Like property.

My hands curl into fists.

Not happening.

Then—

Movement.

A flash of fire.

My breath catches.

Aria.

She bursts from the trees like a goddamn inferno, flames licking along her fur as her wolf explodes into existence mid-stride.

It’s not just a shift—it’s a detonation.

Raw power.

Wild.

Untamed.

“Holy hell…” Theo breathes from somewhere to my left.

She doesn’t slow.

Doesn’t hesitate.

She hits them head-on.

Flames erupt outward, a blazing arc that forces the hunters back.

One of them screams as fire catches his sleeve, another stumbling as he tries to aim through the heat distortion.

In seconds, she’s between them and Liam.

A wall.

A warning.

Ours, my wolf growls, rising fast now, energized by the sight of her.

She burns for her own.

I don’t think.

I don’t plan.

I just move.

“Now!” I snap.

Bones snap and twist as I shift mid-stride, the world dropping into sharper focus as my wolf takes over.

The ground flies beneath my paws as I launch into the clearing.

Barric is beside me—a massive, dark force that barrels straight into the nearest hunter, sending him crashing into the dirt.

Theo flanks left, fast and precise, while Ronan comes in from the right like a silent executioner.

Chaos erupts.

The hunters recover quicker than I’d like.

They’re trained.

Disciplined.

But they weren’t ready for this.

Not for us.

One raises his weapon toward Aria.

I slam into him before he can fire, jaws clamping down on his arm.

Bone crunches beneath the force, his scream cut short as I rip him off his feet.

Another swings at me—

Too slow.

I dodge, claws raking across his chest, sending him stumbling back.

More, my wolf urges, feral and relentless.

Drive them out.

Aria is a storm.

Fire lashes from her, forcing space between her and the hunters as she stands over Liam’s body, hackles raised, eyes blazing.

Her fire hits on in the chest and it eats away at its body as if it’s made of paper.

Shit.

The other hunters don’t try to get close after that.

A dart flies—

Ronan intercepts it mid-air, snapping it clean between his teeth before it can reach her.

Barric takes down two more in quick succession, his size alone enough to break their formation.

“They’re breaking!” Theo calls, his voice sharp even through the chaos.

Good.

Because I’m not in the mood to let them regroup.

I lunge forward again, forcing another hunter back, my growl low and deadly.

“Fall back!” one of them shouts.

Finally.

They retreat, dragging their injured with them, weapons still raised but their confidence gone.

Cowards.

Chase them, my wolf demands, muscles coiled to spring.

“No,” I force out, even as every instinct screams otherwise.

Because the second the last of them disappears into the trees, I turn.

Aria.

She’s still in her wolf form.

Still burning.

Still ready to tear apart anything that gets too close.

Including us.

I shift back as I approach, ignoring the bite of cold air against my skin.

“Kade—” Ronan starts, but I shake my head.

“I’ve got her.”

Careful, my wolf warns.

She’s not thinking.

She’s protecting.

I step forward slowly, hands raised slightly, palms open.

“Aria,” I say, keeping my voice low, steady.

Her head snaps toward me, lips peeling back from her teeth in a warning snarl.

Flames flicker higher.

Yeah.

She’s gone full defensive.

“It’s me,” I continue, not stopping, but not pushing too fast either.

“It’s over. They’re gone.”

Her chest heaves, eyes wild, glowing with that same fire that dances along her fur.

She doesn’t trust it’s over, my wolf murmurs.

She’s waiting for another attack.

“I know,” I say softly.

“I would too.”

I take another step.

She growls.

Ronan moves up beside me, his presence calm but firm.

“Aria,” he says, voice carrying authority.

“You’re safe.”

Her ears flick.

A crack in the wall.

“Liam’s safe,” I add quickly.

“We’ve got him.”

That does it.

The fire wavers.

Just slightly.

Push now, my wolf urges.

“You did good,” I tell her, meaning every word.

“You protected him. But we need you back, Aria. We need you.”

Her breathing stutters.

The flames begin to recede, flickering lower, like they’re being pulled back inside her.

“Come on,” I coax gently.

“Let her come back.”

For a long moment, nothing happens.

Then—

She shifts.

The fire vanishes as her body folds in on itself, bones reshaping, fur receding until she collapses onto her hands and knees in the dirt.

Human.

Shaking.

Wide-eyed.

“Liam—” she gasps, immediately turning toward him.

“They tried to take him,” she says, panic rising in her voice.

“They tranq’d him—there were so many—”

“I know,” Ronan cuts in, already kneeling beside Liam, checking his pulse.

“I see it.”

He swears under his breath.

Not a good sign.

I move to Aria, crouching beside her.

“Hey,” I say gently, reaching for her arm.

“We’ve got him.”

Her skin is cold.

Trembling.

“Come on,” I continue.

“I know you’re scared, but we have to move. Now.”

Her eyes snap to mine.

“What if they follow us?”

“They won’t,” I say firmly.

“They’re too busy running from Barric and Theo.”

As if on cue, distant crashing echoes through the trees.

Yeah.

Those two aren’t letting them go easy.

“They’ll be safe,” I add.

“But we won’t be if we stay here.”

She hesitates.

Then nods.

I help her to her feet, keeping a steadying hand on her as we move back toward the car.

Behind us, Ronan lifts Liam like he weighs nothing, already following.

We don’t stop until we reach the vehicle.

Only then do I realize—

Aria is completely naked.

I strip off my shirt without a word, handing it to her.

“Here.”

She blinks at it, then at me—

And then her face flushes deep red as the realization hits.

“Right,” she mutters, quickly pulling it on and clutching it closed.

Even now, I almost smile.

Almost.

I tug on my sweatpants, not bothering with anything else.

No time.

“Get in,” I say, opening the passenger door for her.

She slides in without argument, still shaking.

Ronan settles Liam in the back, climbing in beside him.

Then we’re moving.

The drive back to the pack is tense.

Silent.

Heavy.

Aria stares straight ahead, her hands clenched in the fabric of my shirt like it’s the only thing grounding her.

Once we’re inside the territory, the tension eases—just slightly.

Safe.

For now.

We don’t waste time.

Liam is taken inside immediately, others rushing to take over, assess, stabilize.

Aria stays close, refusing to leave his side until someone physically pulls her away long enough to talk.

“What happened?” Ronan asks.

Her voice shakes at first, but she pushes through, giving us everything.

The chase.

The crash.

The darts.

“They weren’t trying to kill him,” she finishes, her eyes distant.

“They wanted him.”

A heavy silence follows.

Because we all know what that means.

“This isn’t random,” I say finally, pacing the room.

Ronan nods, arms crossed.

“First the Nightbane pack.”

“And now hunters,” I add.

“Showing up organized, equipped, targeting specific wolves?”

“No coincidence,” he agrees.

Something’s hunting us, my wolf growls.

“But why Liam?” Aria asks quietly.

That’s the question.

“Power,” Ronan says after a moment.

“Information. Leverage.”

None of those options are good.

Footsteps approach.

Theo.

He pushes through the door, breathing a little heavier than usual, but otherwise unharmed.

“Barric’s got one,” he says.

I stop pacing.

“Alive?”

Theo nods.

“Barely. He’s waiting.”

Good.

Because I’ve got a lot of questions.

And I plan on getting answers.

It’s only then that I glance back at Aria.

And pause.

She’s sitting on the edge of the couch, shoulders hunched, eyes unfocused.

Not panicked.

Not crying.

Just…

Empty.

Shock, my wolf says quietly.

Yeah.

I move toward her slowly, crouching in front of her so she has to see me.

“Aria,” I say.

Her gaze flickers, finally landing on mine.

“We’re going to figure this out,” I tell her.

“But right now? You’re safe.”

She doesn’t respond for a moment.

But she doesn’t look away either.

Then, whisper soft, she says, “I killed him.”

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