Pain. It gnawed at the edges of Kael's consciousness, dragging him between wakefulness and darkness. His head lolled forward, muscles heavy, body refusing to obey. Whatever they had used on him still lingered in his veins, dulling his senses, slowing his wolf.

  He flexed his fingers behind his back, testing the tightness of the ropes binding his wrists. The coarse fibers bit into his skin, slick with a mixture of sweat and blood. They felt as if they were laced with glass, or bits of metal. They'd secured him well, but they hadn't broken him. Not yet.

  He could tell his body was trying to heal from being brutalized. He had blood caked and dried all over his arms and legs, but because his wolf was partially subdued, he was weakened, and unable to fully recover.

  A low murmur of voices carried through the camp, blending with the occasional crackle of the fire. Kael forced himself to lift his head, blinking against the haze clouding his vision. His surroundings came into focus. Tents, scattered crates, and the glint of weapons stacked haphazardly against a log met his eyes, along with wolves, lazing about like tamed dogs.

  It had been a faint scent from one of these that deceived him.

  Not just any wolf. A scent Kael recognized, one he hadn't encountered in years. It had been buried deep in the recesses of his past, tucked away with a thousand memories he didn't want to revisit.

  It was someone from his time with Ingram.

  The old man had taken Kael many places when he was young, and had introduced him to many different wanderers like himself. Among them was a trader who used to weasel things away from the human world to sell to outsiders. Ingram enjoyed getting visits from the man and occasionally he would have his son along with him, who always rubbed Kael the wrong way.

  That scent had caught him off guard. He had lost his head, chasing the past, perhaps chasing a lingering memory of his old life. He should have known better than to trust it. He should have turned back. Should have ignored it and gone straight back to Nova. Instead, he had followed.

  His instincts screamed at him the moment he stepped off the path, but by then, it was already too late. The ambush hit him hard and fast.

  The first blow came from the side, a blur of motion, a figure lunging from the trees. Kael barely had time to react before a second body slammed into him from behind. Snarls and shouts tangled together in the dark as he twisted, breaking free just long enough to shift.

  Bones cracked. Skin split. Fur erupted.

  His wolf hit the ground running, claws digging deep into the forest floor.

  Three. No, four bodies closing in. Wolves.

  A yelp split the air as Kael tore into the throat of one, ripping away muscle and blood, killing him instantly. A second wolf lunged, but Kael was faster. His body coiled, twisting midair as he slammed into the attacker, sending them sprawling.

  A sharp jabbing pain and a burning sting tore through his side, then another. The scent of chemicals. His wolf staggered, muscles locking. He tried to push forward, but the world began to tilt. The trees blurred.

  He took another step, then another, but his body was failing him. His wolf thrashed inside him, furious, desperate, but everything was slowing down.

  Another hit, a brutal strike to the ribs.

  Then the ground rushed up to meet him.

  Boots. Voices. Hands dragging him. Someone cursed at his weight as they lifted him, securing his arms behind his back. His vision flickered in and out, pain anchoring him in short bursts as he was pulled through the undergrowth.

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  Then darkness.

  _____________

  Now, Kael sat bound in the dirt, his head tilted forward in a lingering haze from the sedative, as he let the weight of his own mistakes settle over him.

  He should have seen it coming.

  His lip curled in disgust as his eyes landed on them. Three traitors lounged near the humans as if they belonged among them. Their postures were too easy, too comfortable, as if turning against their own kind had cost them nothing...and among them the one who led him here..

  It made him sick.

  "Secure him properly this time," someone ordered. "He should be unconscious, not waiting for an opportunity to kill us."

  One of the men chuckled darkly. "You think he could take all of us? He is already sedated."

  The man approached, his boots scuffing against the dirt. His presence sent a ripple of tension through the air, one that Kael felt even through the drugged fog. He knelt in front of Kael, grabbing his jaw with a rough grip and jerking his head up. His body protested at the movement, the pain settling deep into his bones, but he didn't flinch.

  The man sneered. "Why are you worth so much?. What makes you so special?"

  Kael stared at him defiantly.

  He wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

  The man's grip tightened, but Kael didn't move, didn't react. He could take the hits. The taunts. The pain. He had been raised for worse than this.

  The man tightened his fist and slammed it into Kael's gut. Kael doubled over, a sharp grunt escaping him. His muscles tensed, his breathing labored, yet he lifted his eyes and locked them on his captors as if asking for more.

  The sedative was wearing off, not fast enough, but soon. He needed to stall. Needed to figure out his next move.

  The air shifted. A prickle ran down Kael's spine, cutting through the haze. Then, a twig snapped in the distance.

  His entire body tensed. That was close.

  His head turned slightly toward the sound, and his stomach dropped.

  Nova.

  His heartbeat thundered in his ears. No. No. No! She was supposed to stay put.

  And then he heard it.

  A snarl shattered the night.

  It was raw, vengeful, and furious.

  No!

  Kael stiffened, his muscles screaming in protest. She should have stayed put. She should have waited.

  The camp went still.

  The leader's head tilted slightly, an almost amused expression crossing his face. "Well, well," he murmured. "I was wondering when she'd show."

  Kael's blood ran cold. The way the leader watched, calm, expectant, he had been waiting for this

  A deep growl built low in his throat. He clenched his jaw, his wrists cutting into the bindings at his back.

  He couldn't warn her.

  He couldn't stop her.

  Kael barely had time to process what was happening before a shadow broke free from the ridge, and Athena struck.

  The first man barely had time to shout before her jaws clamped down on his arm. A scream tore through the air. Blood sprayed.

  Chaos erupted.

  Athena moved like a shadow, a streak of death cutting through them. A body slammed into a tree. Another fell, throat torn. The scent of blood thickened, mingling with the sharp tang of fear.

  Athena lunged for Kael, her claws digging into the dirt. Another wolf tried to intercept her, too slow. She dodged, snapping at the ropes that bound him.

  Kael forced himself upright, trying to make light of the situation. "Hey sweetheart, fancy running into you here."

  Athena bit at the bindings, but between snapping back at the other wolves and trying not to hurt Kael, she was too slow.

  The one in dark clothing, the leader, was already moving.

  Kael saw it before Athena did.

  Their eyes locked, and Kael was met with cold, calculated confidence.

  A slow, predatory smile curled his lips. In one smooth motion, he reached into his coat.

  Kael's stomach dropped.

  A glint of silver.

  The gun raised.

  Kael tried to move, but his body, wrecked, and bound, wouldn’t respond fast enough.

  The shot rang out,

  Then pain.