Maya's POV
"Run!" Kael grabs my wrist and yanks me toward the back of the cave.
I don't argue. Those howls outside sound like nightmares given voice—wet, gurgling screams mixed with animal snarls. Whatever's coming for us isn't natural.
Kael drags me through a narrow tunnel I didn't notice before. The space is so tight I have to turn sideways, rocks scraping my shoulders. My heart pounds so hard I think it might explode.
"What are shadow beasts?" I gasp.
"Dead things that shouldn't be walking." His voice is grim. "They're made from dark magic—corpses reanimated and twisted into weapons. Usually they stay in the Shadowlands, but someone summoned them here."
"To kill me?"
"To kill whoever's in Lila's body, yes."
Great. Just great. I've been alive in this world for less than two hours, and something already wants me dead.
We burst out of the tunnel into open forest. The three moons cast everything in eerie silver light. Kael shifts mid-run, his body rippling into that massive white wolf. He's even bigger than I remember—easily the size of a horse, with fur that seems to glow.
He crouches low and jerks his head at his back.
"You want me to ride you?" I ask incredulously.
He growls, and I swear it sounds annoyed.
Behind us, something crashes through the cave tunnel. I hear scraping claws and that horrible wet breathing.
I climb onto Kael's back, grabbing fistfuls of his fur. His body is warm and solid beneath me, muscles coiled like steel springs.
Then he runs.
I've never moved this fast in my life. Trees blur past us. Wind tears at my face and hair. I press myself flat against his back, holding on for dear life, convinced I'm going to fall and break my neck.
Through the forest, I catch glimpses of our pursuers—massive shapes made of shadows and rot, with glowing red eyes and jaws that drip black liquid. There are at least ten of them, and they're fast.
One lunges from the side. Kael dodges without slowing, so smoothly I barely shift on his back. His reflexes are incredible.
We race through the forest for what feels like hours but is probably only minutes. My arms ache from holding on. My thighs burn from gripping his sides. But I don't let go.
Finally, we break through the tree line into a large clearing. Structures made of wood and stone dot the area—homes maybe? This must be the Frostclaw clan territory.
Several wolves patrol the perimeter. When they see Kael, they howl in greeting, then freeze when they spot the shadow beasts pursuing us.
Kael doesn't stop running until we reach the largest structure in the center of the clearing—a massive den built into a rocky hillside. He shifts back to human right as we reach the entrance, and I tumble off his back, landing hard on the ground.
Strong hands grab me and haul me inside. The doorway is narrow, reinforced with thick wooden beams and carved with symbols that glow faintly.
"Ward stones," Kael says, breathing hard. "They'll keep the shadow beasts out. Temporarily."
I peer through the doorway and watch as the creatures slam against an invisible barrier. Each time they hit it, the carved symbols flare brighter, but the light is flickering. Weakening.
"How long will it hold?" I ask.
"Not long enough." Kael moves deeper into the den. "Someone broke the outer ward stones to let them in. The inner protections won't last more than an hour."
I follow him inside, my mind racing. His den is surprisingly large—carved directly into the hillside with multiple rooms branching off a central living area. Furs cover the floor. Weapons line the walls.
It's the home of a warrior. A killer.
The blue system screen pops up in my vision, and I nearly scream.
[EMERGENCY QUEST UPDATED]
[YOU HAVE SURVIVED THE FIRST ATTACK. CONGRATULATIONS!]
[NEW QUEST ACTIVATED: FORM BOND WITH ALPHA KAEL STORMFANG]
[TIME LIMIT: 7 DAYS]
[REQUIREMENT: REACH 50% BOND LEVEL WITH YOUR FATED MATE]
[CURRENT BOND LEVEL: 5%]
[REWARD: ADVANCED HEALING POWERS + PROTECTION FROM SHADOW BEASTS]
[FAILURE: DEATH BY SYSTEM-INDUCED POISON]
[NOTE: THE ATTACKS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL YOU COMPLETE THIS QUEST. ONLY A FULLY BONDED MATE CAN PROTECT YOU FROM DARK MAGIC.]
My blood runs cold. "You've got to be kidding me."
"What?" Kael turns to look at me.
"The system. It wants me to bond with you. Like, really bond. Fifty percent bond level in seven days or I die." I laugh hysterically. "It says the attacks will keep coming until I do."
Kael's face goes hard. "So you're the target. And bonding with me protects you from dark magic?"
"Apparently."
He's quiet for a long moment, staring at me with those ice-blue eyes. I can see him thinking, calculating.
"Then we bond," he says finally.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me." He crosses his arms. "If bonding protects you from the attacks, and the attacks endanger my clan, then we have no choice. We bond."
"You literally killed Lila for refusing to bond properly!" I shout. "And now you want to bond with me?"
"I told you—I didn't kill her. Someone else did and made it look like I was responsible." His jaw clenches. "But that's irrelevant. What matters is keeping you alive long enough to figure out who's behind this."
"Why?" I demand. "Why do you even care if I live or die?"
He steps closer, and I see something flicker in his eyes. Something almost vulnerable.
"Because the mate bond isn't something I chose. It's not something either of us chose. But it's real, and it's connecting us whether we like it or not." He touches the mark on his neck. "I can feel your fear right now. Your anger. Your exhaustion. And it's driving my wolf insane knowing you're in danger."
"That's not love," I say quietly. "That's just biology."
"I never said it was love." His voice is cold again. "I said it was necessity. You need protection. I need answers about who's attacking my territory. We use each other until this is resolved."
It's the most practical, unromantic proposal I've ever heard.
But he's right. I need protection, and he's the strongest thing in this world so far.
"Fine," I say. "But we do this my way. No forcing. No violence. We bond slowly, and you actually talk to me like I'm a person, not property."
Something almost like respect crosses his face. "Agreed."
We shake hands, and the moment our skin touches, the mate mark on my neck flares with heat. The bond level ticks up to 7%.
[QUEST ACCEPTED]
[7 DAYS REMAINING]
[GOOD LUCK, MAYA. YOU'RE GOING TO NEED IT.]
A loud crash echoes from outside. We both spin toward the entrance.
The ward stones are failing faster than expected. Cracks spread across the glowing symbols.
"They're breaking through," Kael says.
Then I hear voices—multiple people shouting orders outside. Through the doorway, I see clan members gathering, weapons ready, preparing to fight the shadow beasts.
But one voice rises above the others, female and commanding: "Bring out the witch! She's summoned these creatures! Kill her and they'll disappear!"
Kael's face goes pale. "That's Vera. The clan's only other female."
"Let me guess," I say bitterly. "She wants me dead."
"She wanted Lila dead," he corrects. "Because Lila was competition. And now you're in Lila's body."
The crowd outside starts chanting: "Bring out the witch! Bring out the witch!"
Kael looks at me, and I see genuine concern in his eyes for the first time.
"Maya," he says quietly. "I can't protect you from the entire clan. If they believe you're responsible for the shadow beasts..."
"They'll kill me," I finish.
The ward stones shatter completely.
Shadow beasts pour through the barrier, but instead of attacking the clan members, they stop. They all turn their glowing red eyes directly toward Kael's den.
Directly toward me.
And I realize with horrifying certainty: someone in this clan is controlling them.
Someone who wants me to look guilty right before I die.
The female voice—Vera—shouts triumphantly: "See? The beasts obey her! She's the witch! Kill her now!"
The clan members advance toward the den, weapons raised, murder in their eyes.
Kael steps in front of me, his body tense. "Stay behind me."
But we both know the truth.
He's one wolf against dozens.
And I have seven days to bond with a man who might not be able to keep me alive through the next seven minutes.