Chapter 6 Ready

An enchanted forest sat in front of them. The tree line a dark slash across a twilight sky. A void where light didn’t penetrate. The eery silence coming from the darkness setting the contestants on edge. Feet shifting anxiously, voices hushed and whispered while they waited for the signal to begin. The smell of panic and fear permeated the air making some anxious and fueling the predatory nature of others.

Alex scanned the competition, David standing stiffly beside her. Thousands of them waited in the field between the parking lot and the tree line. Eyes were wide and nervous, suddenly afraid to die. There was a mix of species. Most physical differences were subtle, pointed ear here, an odd shaped pupil there. An odd combination of strength and delicate persuasion.

This was going to be a blood bath.

Shifters would Shift once they hit the tree line. Their human bodies would transform into wolves or bears giving them the advantage of sight, speed, and brute strength. Built for the forest wolves would slip through the underbrush unseen and unheard, Bears crashing through like bulldozers.

They only had the night to make it through the forest.

On the other side an impenetrable monstrous door. A slab of ancient stone and metal that would close when the first rays of sunlight hit it. Anyone still inside the forest when dawn broke would be locked out of the Blood Race permanently.

Alex’s breath fogged in the cooling twilight as she scanned the field. The crowd pressed in tight, a living mass of nerves and ambition. David stood like a stone pillar, unmoving, tension rolling off him in waves.

Alex felt something else beneath the surface. A vibration in the air, like the forest itself was holding its breath. Magic pooled at the edges of her senses, brushing against her skin in faint, electric whispers. It made her fingers twitch. Her Elemental instincts strained toward the tree line like a tide pulled by the moon.

The forest was excited. Eager. Hungry

It wasn’t just waiting for them to enter; it was inviting them. Drawing them in with dark ancient anticipation. The air tasted charged, metallic, like the moment before a lightning strike. The branches shivered in the windless dusk, leaves rustling in patterns that felt intentional, almost conversational.

The forest around their village felt delicate and sweet. Its song warmed her like a blanket. Rubbing against her like a cat asking for pets. This forest wanted blood. It was like standing at the edge of a living creature’s mouth, the breath of it warm against her skin, the heartbeat of it pulsing under her feet.

Her powers responded in kind. A low thrum building in her chest. Reaching back out to the forest in recognition. Not fear…recognition. A greeting between old beings who understood each other.

The vibration deepened, humming through her bones. Her senses sharpened, colors brightening at the edges, sounds separating into layers she wasn’t supposed to hear. She felt the forest’s pulse, its anticipation, it’s hunger for movement and magic.

Alex slowly, letting the thrum settle.

David’s shoulder brushed hers. “You, ok?”

She nodded, exhaling slowly. “It’s intoxicating.” David grunted. He couldn’t feel it. Not in the way she could. All he could feel was the anxiety rippling over the crowd. Smell the adrenaline and nervous sweat.

The familiar hum under her skin, the comforting presence, surged. Pulling at her attention. Sharp and warm, unmistakably alive. Alex’s breath caught, the thrum inside her ribs jumpstarting her heart. The vibration rolled through her chest, down her arms, settling low in her stomach with a heat she’d only ever felt once before.

The forest’s excitement had been loud, eager, hungry. This was a single note cutting through the noise. An invisible connection that had been loose and relaxed a moment ago, tightening. Her gaze drifted across the field, drawn by instinct, past the crowd.

David shifted beside her, his voice low, meant only for her to hear. “What’s wrong?”

Alex closed her eyes, a brief flutter of her lashes against her cheeks. Swallowing hard she barely resisting the urge to purr. If the forest had been intoxicating, this was erotic. Her skin flushed hot, tingling. Warmth threading through her senses, familiar in a way that made her chest tightened.

“He’s here.” Her eyes felt heavy when she opened them. The hum surged again, softer this time, almost shy, and her breath hitched. When she saw him, electricity sparked through her like she’d been struck by lightning, arcing through her from head to toe. Her pulse stumbled, then raced.

He stood unmoving, entirely focused on her. She couldn’t see his eyes from this distance, but she felt the weight of his attention sweep over her, precise and unyielding, searing her skin. The beat of her heart thundered through her ears, breath quickening.

Jesus he was gorgeous.

The last rays of sun beat down on him like a spotlight, glinting off his dark hair. His strong jaw covered in a day's worth of dark stubble. His forearms and biceps were tense where they crossed over his chest, his posture steady. The corner of his mouth tipped up in the beginning of a smile that sent a warm rush through her.

“Holy fuck,” Alex breathed, reaching behind her she gripped David’s wrist. Her eyes stayed locked on the man from her past, her pulse hammering so hard she felt it in her fingertips. The hum between them tight, warm, tugging lightly like it was urging her to move closer.

David followed her line of sight and froze. His wrist stiffened under her grip. His jaw clenched, his other hand coming up to wrap around her arm, steading, bracing. Like he could feel her need to move. She felt the strength in his hand, the caution. He knew her strength, knew her powers. If she wanted to pull out of his grip, she could…easily.

Her grip tightened around his wrist, trying to focus on his pulse beating beneath her fingers. The hum pulsed again, a breath against her skin. Alex swayed.

The silver eyed man didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Then his eyes flicked over her shoulder to David, and it felt like something snapped. A sharp crack of energy shot through the hum, a sudden tightening that made Alex’s breath catch.

His jaw flexed once. A small, controlled movement. But she felt it like a ripple across her skin. Like he hated David on sight. Hated his proximity to her. His hand on her arm. The tension in the air was so sharp even David felt it.

“Fucking awesome,” he murmured beside her, shifting closer. His voice was tight, not amused. “Alexandria, you have to stay with me.”

“I know.” Even as she spoke, she leaned, a subtle pull away. Davids fingers tightened, anchoring her in place.

The silver eyed man’s attention shifted suddenly away from her and to someone standing next to him. Snapping the line between them. Like he’d been pulling on it before and he’d just let go. The hum loosened it’s hold so fast Alex fell back, bumping into David. The jolt knocked the breath from her chest. The hum returning to its steady presence under her skin, languid and warm.

“Well,” Alex said on a shaky breath, turning back toward the looming forest. “Things just got a lot more interesting.”

“Yay,” David said, his voice flat.