The next day
Ayla stood at the edge of the clearing, her pulse hammering in her ears. Behind her, Rhett scanned the trees, his jaw tight, muscles coiled like he was waiting for something to pounce.
It wasn't just a feeling anymore. Something was watching them.
"Do you see anything?" Ayla whispered.
"Not yet," Rhett murmured. "But it's close. I can smell it."
She glanced at him. "What does it smell like?"
He grimaced. "Rot. Ash. And blood."
A branch snapped in the distance. Ayla spun toward the sound, her heartbeat pounding against her chest.
Rhett stepped in front of her instinctively. "Stay behind me."
"I'm not helpless," she said, though her voice trembled.
"I know." His tone softened. "But you're marked. That makes you a target."
She hesitated. "And what exactly does that mean?"
Before he could answer, a low growl rumbled through the trees. Close. Too close, then Just like that, the forest fell still.
"Why didn't it attack?" Ayla asked, her voice a hush of fear.
"Because it's toying with you," Rhett said. "Testing your fear. Learning your scent."
Ayla felt sick. "That's comforting."
He turned to her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I won't let anything touch you. Not while I'm breathing."
She blinked up at him. "Why do you care so much?"
He looked away, jaw tight. "Because I've lost too many people already. And because… you feel familiar. Like I've been waiting to find you."
Before Ayla could respond, a bell rang in the distance, low and solemn.
"The funeral," she whispered.
Rhett gave a small nod. "I'll walk you down."
~~~~
The church stood crooked at the edge of Ashpine, its old stones damp with moss and fog. People were already gathered, some she remembered from childhood, and others were strangers. But none of them smiled.
They only stared.
"She's back," someone whispered.
"Look at her hand," another murmured.
Ayla clenched her fist and kept walking.
Cassia met her on the steps, expression tight. "You came."
"Didn't feel like I had a choice," Ayla muttered.
"They've been talking," Cassia said, glancing over her shoulder. "They think your blood brought the curse back."
"My blood?" Ayla hissed. "I didn't do anything."
"That doesn't matter," Cassia said. "Perception is everything here."
Ayla looked past her at the crowd. The tension was thick enough to choke on.
"Why are they so afraid of me?" she whispered.
"Because deep down," Cassia said quietly, "they think your grandmother's death was only the beginning."
~~~~~~
Inside the church, the casket sat at the front, covered in wildflowers and woven herbs. Ayla walked slowly down the aisle, Rhett silent at her side.
Ayla's hands trembled as she touched the casket.
"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered.
"You're not alone," Rhett murmured beside her.
His hand brushed hers just enough to send a bit of warmth through her.
"I should say something," she whispered.
"Then speak the truth," he said. "Even if they don't want to hear it."
She turned toward the gathered crowd. Their faces were Cold.
"My grandmother was fierce," Ayla began, voice shaking. "She taught me how to read the stars, how to trust the wind, and how to stand my ground."
"She also warned me that one day, the past would come hunting. I didn't believe her. I wish I had."
The crowd stirred.
"She didn't die from an animal attack," Ayla said, louder now. "Something killed her. Something old. And I think it's still here."
A murmur rose across the room.
A man in the back stood. "She's stirring up old stories," he spat. "You should've stayed gone."
Another voice, sharp and high-pitched: "She's marked! Just like her grandmother said she'd be!"
Ayla's mark pulsed beneath her skin, a low throb.
Rhett stepped forward, voice hard as steel. "Enough."
The room fell quiet.
"She speaks the truth," he said. "And if any of you had half the courage she does, you'd stop whispering and start listening."
Someone scoffed. "And you're just going to stand by her side, Rhett? Even now?"
Rhett turned his gaze on them. "Yes. Because she's not the danger. She's the warning."
Ayla stared at him, her heart beating strangely.
Later, after the service, the crowd left in uneasy silence.
Ayla stayed behind, tracing her fingers across the runes carved into the casket.
Quiet footsteps behind her.
"You didn't have to stand up for me," she said, eyes fixed on the runes.
"Yes, I did," Rhett said. "They needed to hear it. And so did you."
She turned. "You don't even know what I am. What if they're right?"
He stepped closer. "Then I'll face it with you."
Ayla swallowed hard. "Why do you keep risking yourself for me?"
"Because I can't stop thinking about you," he said. "Because something in me knows you."
She laughed shakily. "I don't even know myself anymore."
"Then let me help you remember."
"You say that like we're fated."
"Maybe we are," he whispered.
Their eyes locked.
She didn't pull away when he reached for her hand. Didn't flinch when he leaned in, breath ghosting her cheek.
"I don't know what's happening to me," she whispered.
"I do," Rhett said. "You're waking up."
Then, they heard a snarl, Fast. Savage.
A blur burst from the woods behind the church. It was a wolf with dark fur. Glowing eyes. Claws gleaming in the fading light.
Rhett moved instantly, pulling Ayla behind him.
"Run!" he shouted.
But she didn't move. Her body locked in place as the creature charged, but it stopped Inches away.
It growled, sniffed the air, and looked directly at her.
Then, It bowed.
Ayla gasped.
Rhett held his breath.
The beast lifted its head, golden eyes blazing, and spoke.
"I've found you, Ayla Thorn." but before she could react, it vanished into the trees.
Ayla collapsed to her knees, heart racing.
"What… what was that?" she breathed.
Rhett knelt beside her, shock written across his face. "Not a rogue. Not a wolf. That was a Shadowkin."
Her hands shook. "That thing spoke. It bowed."
"They shouldn't exist anymore," he said. "They were erased. Or so we thought."
"It knew my name. Ayla?"
Rhett nodded slowly. "It knows your blood. And that means this is bigger than anything I thought."
She looked up at him, fear pooling in her chest. "What do we do?"
He touched her shoulder gently. "We need to talk to the Elders."
"And if they won't help?"
Rhett's eyes burned with something fierce.
"Then we do it alone. Just you and me."