Chapter 13 — Taken or Protected
The Air Snaps
The air snapped. That was the only way Elara could describe it. One second—silence. The next—
Chaos.
"Move!" one of the hunters shouted.
The glowing weapon fired. A sharp burst of energy shot across the room.
Lucien moved instantly. He grabbed Elara and pulled her down just as the blast tore through the wall behind them, splintering wood and sending dust into the air.
Elara's ears rang.
"What are they using?" she gasped.
"Silver-infused rounds," Lucien said, his voice low. "Designed to weaken Lycans."
Another shot fired.
Lucien shoved a table over, using it as cover. The impact shook the entire room.
"They're trying to capture you," he added.
"Capture me? Why?"
"They don't understand your power. To them, that makes you dangerous."
Lucien's Defense
A hunter stepped forward, aiming directly at Elara.
"Last warning," he said. "Hand her over."
Lucien rose slowly. And this time—
He didn't hold back.
His eyes flared gold. The air around him darkened, pressure building like a storm about to break.
"No."
The word wasn't loud. But it carried.
The ground beneath their feet cracked slightly as power surged through him.
The hunters hesitated. Just for a second.
That was all Lucien needed.
He moved. Faster than Elara could follow.
One moment he stood beside her—
The next, he was across the room.
A hunter crashed into the wall, his weapon flying from his hand.
Another tried to fire—
Lucien caught the weapon mid-shot, crushing it in his grip before throwing the man aside.
Everything happened too fast. Too powerful. Too unreal.
Elara could only watch.
A third hunter lunged forward with a blade.
Lucien turned—
Claws flashing—
And stopped the strike inches from his chest.
The blade trembled.
The hunter froze.
Lucien leaned in slightly, his voice cold.
"Leave."
Retreat
The man swallowed. But didn't move.
That was his mistake.
Lucien pushed him back hard enough to send him sliding across the floor.
The remaining hunters regrouped quickly, pulling back toward the door.
"This isn't over," their leader said, breathing heavily. "We'll be ready next time."
Lucien didn't respond. He just watched them. Waiting. Daring them to try again.
After a tense moment—
They retreated.
The door slammed shut behind them.
Silence returned.
But it wasn't peaceful.
It was heavy.
Processing the Chaos
Elara's chest rose and fell quickly as she tried to process everything that had just happened.
Slowly, Lucien turned back to her.
The gold in his eyes faded.
The room felt… normal again.
Or at least, as normal as it could be.
"They'll come back," she said quietly.
"Yes."
"And the wolves are still after me."
"Yes."
"And you're… an Alpha."
Lucien didn't answer that one.
Elara let out a shaky breath, running her hand through her hair.
"This is insane."
Lucien stepped closer.
"It's your reality now."
She looked up at him.
Fear flickered in her eyes.
But something else was there too.
Trust.
A Promise
"Why are you helping me?" she asked softly.
Lucien held her gaze.
For a moment, it seemed like he wouldn't answer.
Then—
"Because I made a promise."
Elara frowned slightly. "To who?"
His expression shifted. Something deeper. Older.
"To you."
Her heart skipped.
"What?"
But Lucien looked away.
Like he had already said too much.
Moving Forward
Before she could press further—
A distant howl echoed through the forest.
Not close.
But not far enough.
Lucien's eyes darkened again.
"They're tracking us."
Elara's stomach tightened. "So what do we do?"
Lucien looked back at her.
This time, there was no hesitation in his voice.
"We don't run anymore."
A pause.
Then—
"We move forward."
Elara swallowed.
Forward into what?
War?
Truth?
Or something far more dangerous?
She didn't know.
But one thing was certain now—
There was no going back to her old life.
Not after this.
Not after him.