pte

ne's

-slicked aroma in the air before her wo

of the night, dragging my attention to her shape,

nd there was something about her posture-defen

en Lyra I'd gotten used to. This was someon

" I demanded, coming forward, but

wn, but she wasn't pr

d urgently. Her voice trembled, but there was

y head. "Leave? What the hell are you talkin

to the side as though she was wa

tle in the leaves seemed exaggerated, as though something-or someone-was hiding, wa

n?" I demanded, my pa

yes with a spark of something I couldn't quite p

erything..." Her words drifted off, and the doubt in her

l was she ta

other step back. "Stop running from me, Ly

amed, her fury for a brief time. "I'

remarks were a knife to my confiden

find the proper words. "You don't get it, Thorne. You believ

ady. The sound was too heavy, too purposeful to be an animal. I moved immediately, bring

arled, shoving h

ing voice reached us from the darkness.

aspy and dangerous-was one I'd

ne

ilhouette scarcely discernible until the moonli

m and Lyra. I wasn't sure if I was attempting to shield her,

d, my voice a hoarse growl

You seem to be under the assumption that you're in charge, Thorne. That this small gam

. "You know, I didn't expect her to be so...fragile. But I t

urged, my voice intensif

nk you can protect her? You can't even defend yourself. I'm stronger

the sheer wrath that had been rising inside me demanded a release. I was

e flashing to Lyra. "You know, she really is beautiful, isn't she?" Hi

, Zane didn't move. Instead, he mer

ered, his eyes never leaving mine. "She d

ns was like fire, yet something in my stomach told me he wasn

e the hero of this story, don't you? That you can simply ride in, s

nal," I spat, g

ething more in his eyes. "Delusional? Maybe. But yo

owl rippled through the trees, and this time, it wasn't just on

t simply a battle between us anymore. Something was com

ne remarked, his smirk growing into a grin ful

om the woods, falling with a power that rocked the earth un

re were

t wave of animals emerged from the darkness. "En

I turned to Lyra, her wide, hor

" I y

ay, another roar rang in the d

as only the beginning. A

ve long enough to fight back-or i

reverberated in the tumult. I grabbed for

cold steel of Zane's sw

ver, Th

e. I could feel the chill of it, the promise of death with every inch

a chill through me, but I wasn't done.

ce of my own body to crash my elbow into Zane's ribs. He moaned in agony, bu

h I could hear the little tremble in his voice.

ng to break free from the shadows of the beasts, but I coul

ow and deadly, "you don't ha

a blackboard. "You think I'm p

ut none of them moved just yet. They were waiting for Zane's sign

t in my ear. "Your pack's gone, Lyra's mine

ut to give him the joy of watching

lade brushed my neck, sending a flash of agony through me, but I didn't hesitate. I g

, my voice brea

er battling. She wasn't giving up. Not

creatures pausing, waiting for something. My heart hammere

owl. A loud, g

arger. Some

image that struck my eye

eyes flashed with a horrible brightness, and it advanced qui

a smile. "There's you

t simply about survival. It w

ere out

didn't know whether I co