The night exploded.
Damian descended from the trees like a falling star of white death.
The beasts never sensed him.
One moment they were charging
the next
a monstrous white shadow crashed among them.
BOOM!
The earth shook.
Soil and shattered roots flew through the air.
The older man, who had been thrown aside by the black beast, widened his eyes in disbelief.
The young woman froze.
And the younger man nearly dropped his dagger.
Because before them...
stood something impossible.
A giant white wolf.
Its fur shone beneath moonlight like silver snow, while crimson eyes glowed with terrifying intelligence.
The beasts halted.
Their snarls weakened.
Fear entered their yellow eyes.
Damian stood between them and the humans.
His chest rose slowly.
Bloodlust moved through him.
But this bloodlust was different.
Not hunger.
Dominance.
The wolf inside him hated intruders.
Especially hunters.
One of the beasts growled.
Its exposed ribs moved as black saliva dripped from its jaws.
It was slightly smaller than Damian but still massive, taller than a grown horse.
The creature hesitated.
And Damian understood immediately.
It feared him.
The realization made something inside him grin.
The prince slowly lowered his head.
A deep growl escaped his throat.
"Grrrrrr…"
The sound alone shook the clearing.
The humans trembled.
Even the trees seemed to hold their breath.
Then...
the largest beast attacked.
It moved violently, claws tearing through earth.
Fast.
Much faster than ordinary wolves.
Its jaws opened wide
and Damian disappeared.
The creature bit only empty air.
Its yellow eyes widened.
Too late.
Damian appeared at its side.
His claws struck.
CRACK!
Bone shattered.
The beast screamed.
One foreleg bent unnaturally as flesh split open.
Damian felt satisfaction.
Not pleasure.
Instinct.
Predator crushing predator.
The injured beast stumbled backward.
The other two lunged together.
Their timing surprised him.
Coordinated.
Not mindless.
Damian twisted.
One claw passed beneath his neck.
The second beast crashed against his shoulder.
The impact pushed him backward several meters.
The prince growled.
The creature had strength.
Its jaws snapped toward his throat
Damian met them head-on.
CRUNCH.
His own jaws crushed against the beast's face.
The sound of breaking bone echoed through the clearing.
Black blood burst outward.
The beast shrieked violently.
And Damian...
felt something dangerous.
Enjoyment.
His pupils narrowed.
The wolf liked battle.
Too much.
The third beast attacked from behind.
Its claws raked across Damian's flank.
Natalie would have screamed seeing it...
but the wound barely opened.
The creature froze.
Its yellow eyes widened.
No blood.
Almost no damage.
Damian turned slowly.
His crimson gaze locked onto it.
The beast stepped back.
Fear.
Real fear.
And the wolf inside Damian became offended.
It dared attack
and now feared consequence?
The prince lunged.
The creature tried fleeing.
Hopeless.
He slammed into it violently.
Trees cracked beneath their weight.
The beast howled.
Damian pinned it.
His claws dug through ribs.
And then...
he tore.
RIP!
Warm blood covered his fur.
The beast twitched
then died.
Silence lasted only a second.
The wounded first beast charged again.
Desperate.
Mad.
Damian met it halfway.
Their bodies collided like battering rams.
The impact shattered stone nearby.
The creature clawed wildly.
Damian answered with brutality.
His jaws closed around its neck.
The beast struggled.
Its claws dug into his shoulder.
But Damian only bit harder.
Harder
until...
SNAP.
The neck broke.
The body collapsed.
Only one remained.
The last beast stood trembling.
It looked at its dead companions.
Then at Damian.
And something unexpected happened.
It whimpered.
Not rage.
Not courage.
Fear.
It turned and fled.
The wolf inside Damian exploded with instinct.
CHASE.
His muscles tightened.
The prey was escaping.
He almost moved
almost...
when another scent reached him.
Fear.
Human fear.
Damian looked toward the survivors.
The three humans stood frozen.
The younger male shook violently.
The older warrior bled heavily from his shoulder.
And the woman...
she stared at him with wide silver-gray eyes.
Her heartbeat raced.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
He heard it clearly.
Too clearly.
The scent of fresh blood reached him.
And suddenly...
the hunger returned.
His throat burned.
The wolf stirred.
His crimson eyes locked onto the wounded man.
Warm blood dripped onto grass.
Alive.
Fresh.
The younger human stepped forward immediately.
Shaking
but protective.
He raised his dagger.
"Stay back!"
Damian stared.
The boy's voice trembled.
His hands trembled.
Yet he still stood between Damian and the others.
A foolish act.
The wolf did not respect bravery born from weakness.
It respected strength.
His claws flexed.
The hunger deepened.
The younger male swallowed.
The woman whispered...
"Don't…"
Damian took one step.
The humans stiffened.
Then...
a familiar voice cut through the clearing.
Cold.
Sharp.
And commanding.
"Your Highness."
Damian froze.
Sirius emerged from shadows.
Silas followed behind him.
The executioner's crimson eyes moved calmly between corpses and survivors.
He immediately understood the scene.
Three dead beasts.
No danger.
Only tension.
Silas whistled.
"Looks like we arrived late."
Damian remained silent.
His eyes still rested on the humans.
Sirius noticed.
And he noticed something else...
the prince's breathing.
The hunger.
The struggle.
He stepped closer.
"You have hunted enough tonight."
The words were calm.
Not accusation.
Reminder.
Damian's ears twitched.
The wolf disliked interruption.
But Sirius' voice reached deeper than instinct.
The humans stared.
Your Highness?
The younger man looked confused.
The older warrior looked horrified.
A prince?
This monster?
Damian slowly turned toward Sirius.
His voice emerged low.
"They crossed Darkheart territory."
Sirius nodded.
"They did."
"They bleed."
"Yes."
Silence.
Then Damian asked
"What would you do?"
The question surprised Silas.
Sirius answered without hesitation.
"I would ask who they are."
The prince looked back at the humans.
The hunger remained.
But reason slowly returned.
The older man immediately knelt.
Blood stained his clothes.
"We mean no offense!"
His voice was strained.
"We were attacked while crossing the forest!"
Silas crossed his arms.
"And why were you crossing royal territory at night?"
The younger male remained tense.
The woman spoke this time.
Her voice was soft...
but controlled.
"We seek refuge."
Damian watched her.
Something about her scent felt unusual.
Not human.
Not fully.
His eyes narrowed.
Sirius noticed immediately.
And so did the woman.
The executioner stepped beside Damian.
Quietly...
so only he could hear
he spoke.
"Your Highness…"
His crimson gaze moved toward the woman.
"...something is wrong."
Damian already knew.
Because beneath blood...
beneath fear...
another scent hid.
Faint.
Ancient.
And strangely familiar.
The moon above disappeared behind clouds.
And for reasons he could not explain...
Damian remembered silver eyes.