Chapter 6 Fire and Separation

Seraphine's POV

Twelve armed men. Six dogs. One sister backed against a tree with a rifle in her face.

Calculate. Don't feel. Just think.

The wolf inside me screamed to tear through them all. Rip. Shred. Kill. But that would mean exposing what we were. That would mean bringing Malachar's hunters down on us.

No. Need a distraction. Something big enough to scatter them.

My eyes scanned the village behind the hunting party. Hay barn to the left—dry timber, perfect kindling. Woodpile near the center—close to residential homes. Clotheslines strung between houses, heavy with blankets.

Fire. Fast and chaotic. Their fear will do the rest.

I moved silent through the trees, circling back toward the village. The hunters were focused on Lyralei, barking questions, waving guns. She was stalling. Smart girl.

Just hold on a little longer.

I found the hay barn first. The door was unlocked—stupid rural trust. Inside smelled like dust and animal feed. I pulled matches from my pocket—stolen from the cabin—and struck one.

The flame caught instantly. Hay burned like it was soaked in gasoline. I didn't wait to watch. Sprinted toward the woodpile while the first shouts erupted behind me.

"Fire! The barn's on fire!"

The woodpile was stacked high and bone-dry. Another match. The flames spread fast, licking up toward the nearby houses. I grabbed a burning branch and ran for the clotheslines.

The fabric went up like a curtain of flame.

"Jesus Christ! Everything's burning!"

"Get water! Move your asses!"

Perfect chaos. People running everywhere. Buckets clanging. Dogs barking in confusion. And most importantly—the hunting party splitting up.

Now.

I sprinted back toward the clearing. Only three men remained with Lyralei now. Hunting Vest still had his rifle on her, but the others were distracted, looking back at the fires.

I came in low and fast. Slammed into the first man from behind—heard ribs crack as he went down. The second spun toward me. My fist caught his jaw. He dropped like a stone.

Hunting Vest swung his rifle toward me. "What the—"

I grabbed the barrel, twisted hard. The gun fired—deafening crack that made my ears ring—but the bullet went wide. I ripped it from his hands and drove my elbow into his face. Blood exploded from his nose.

"Sera!" Lyralei's voice.

"Run! Back to the cabin!"

But more men were coming. I could hear them shouting, organizing. The dogs were going crazy now—they'd caught our scent.

Fuck. Can't fight them all.

"Release the dogs!" someone yelled. "Don't let them escape!"

The barking changed pitch. Hunting barks. They were being unleashed.

I grabbed Lyralei's hand and we ran. The tree line was fifty feet away. Might as well have been a mile.

"There! The thieves!"

"They started the fires! Get them!"

We hit the forest at full speed. Branches tore at our faces and clothes. Behind us, the baying of hounds got louder. Closer. They were faster than us in this terrain.

No choice now. Have to transform.

"Sera, they're right behind us!"

"I know!" I shoved her forward. "Keep running!"

But the dogs were closing fast. I could hear their paws hitting snow, their panting breaths. Twenty feet. Fifteen. Ten.

The transformation ripped through me.

No time for slow and careful. Just raw, violent change. Bones breaking and reforming. Muscles tearing and rebuilding. Fur erupting across my skin. The pain was blinding but familiar.

God, it hurts. Always hurts.

I dropped to all fours as the wolf settled into place. Bigger than natural. Stronger. Eyes glowing gold in the darkness. The world sharpened—every scent, every sound crystal clear.

Lyralei was already turning back, no hesitation in her movements. She'd done this before.

I growled low. Get on.

She moved fast, climbing onto my back with practiced ease. Her fingers found their grip in my fur instantly, weight settling in that familiar way. No fear. No questions. Just survival.

Hold tight.

I bolted deeper into the forest. Trees blurred past. The dogs were fast but I was faster. Their barking faded behind us as I pulled ahead, leaping fallen logs, splashing through frozen streams.

"Holy shit," Lyralei breathed against my neck. "You're so fast—"

Gunshots cracked through the night. Bullets hit trees, sending bark flying. The hunters were shooting blind, but one lucky shot was all it took.

Keep moving. Don't stop.

I ran until the village sounds faded completely. Until it was just us and the forest and the cold night air. We were pulling ahead. Almost free.

We're going to make it—

Pain exploded through my front left leg.

Iron teeth bit deep into flesh and bone. A trap. Hidden under snow and dead leaves. The metal snapped shut with a sound like thunder.

I howled. Couldn't help it. The agony was blinding, overwhelming. My whole body seized up.

Trap. Fuck. How did I miss it?

Lyralei screamed as my violent thrashing threw her off balance. She tumbled sideways, hit the ground hard, kept rolling down an embankment I hadn't even seen.

"Lyra!" The word came out as a snarl.

She rolled fast, crashing through underbrush. Disappeared into darkness. Gone.

No. No no no—

I yanked at the trap. Blood poured from the wound, black in the moonlight. The metal wouldn't budge. I pulled harder, whimpering, desperate.

Behind me, the baying of hounds grew louder. They'd caught up.

Get free. Find her. Get free.

I twisted my leg, ignoring the screaming pain. Something tore. Flesh ripping. The trap opened just enough. I pulled my mangled leg free and nearly collapsed.

But I was loose.

"Lyralei!" My voice echoed through the trees—half human words, half wolf growl. "Where are you?"

Nothing. Just wind and rustling branches and the sound of hunters crashing through underbrush.

She's down there. She has to be down there.

I limped to the embankment edge. Steep and rocky, disappearing into shadows. Her scent was there but fading. She could be anywhere. Hurt. Unconscious. Dying.

I can't leave her. Can't—

A gunshot cracked. The bullet hit a tree inches from my head, showering me with splinters.

"There! The wolf!"

"Shoot it! Kill the fucking thing!"

Another shot grazed my shoulder. I yelped, stumbling.

If you stay, you die. If you die, you can't save her.

The most impossible choice. Stay and search, knowing they'd kill me. Or run, leaving my sister alone in the darkness.

Mom. Dad. I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry.

I threw back my head and howled. Long and anguished. A promise and a goodbye wrapped in one terrible sound.

I'll come back for you. I swear on Mom and Dad's graves, I'll find you.

Then I ran. Hating myself with every step. Blood trailing behind me. My sister's name echoing in my head like a curse.