Chased by the Dark

Lila's legs pumped hard, her boots slipping on pine needles as she ran. The forest blurred around her—trees, shadows, flashes of Ryn's red hair ahead. Kade's hand gripped her arm, half-dragging her as growls rumbled behind them, deep and guttural. Whatever those things were, they weren't wolves. Not ferals either. The sound was wrong—too heavy, too hollow, like something dead had crawled out of a nightmare.

"Faster!" Kade shouted, his voice sharp over the crash of branches. Ryn darted ahead, her bow bouncing on her back, leading them deeper into the woods. Lila's lungs burned, her shoulder screaming with every jolt. The baby kicked hard, a jolt of pressure that made her gasp. She stumbled, but Kade yanked her up, his gray eyes wild.

"Don't stop," he growled. "They're gaining."

"What *are* they?" she panted, risking a glance back. Dark shapes loomed through the trees—big, hunched, with long limbs and glowing green eyes. Their fur—or whatever it was—looked patchy, like it was rotting off. One let out a sound, half-snarl, half-scream, and Lila's blood went cold.

"Wraiths," Ryn called over her shoulder, her voice tight. "Shadow wolves. Move your ass!"

Lila didn't know what wraiths were, but she didn't need to. They were fast—too fast—and the air stank of decay as they closed in. Her heart hammered, fear clawing at her throat. She wasn't just running for herself anymore. She had to protect the baby.

The ground sloped up, turning rocky. Ryn scrambled over a boulder, Kade boosting Lila after her. She scraped her knee, blood trickling, but kept going. The wraiths hit the slope, claws digging into stone like it was mud. One leaped, its jagged teeth snapping inches from Kade's leg. He twisted, kicking it square in the face. It yelped, tumbling back, but another took its place.

"There!" Ryn shouted, pointing ahead. A rope bridge swayed between two cliffs, spanning a deep ravine. It looked old—frayed ropes, splintered planks—but it was their only shot. Ryn sprinted for it, her boots thudding on the wood as she crossed.

Lila hesitated, staring at the drop below. Mist hid the bottom, but she heard water rushing—far, far down. "I can't," she breathed, clutching her belly. "It'll break."

"It won't," Kade said, shoving her forward. "Go!"

A wraith lunged, claws raking the ground where she'd stood. She yelped, stumbling onto the bridge. The ropes creaked, swaying under her weight. She grabbed the sides, her hands shaking as she inched across. Kade followed, his knife out, slashing at a wraith that tried to bite the ropes. It screamed, falling into the mist.

Ryn reached the other side, turning to notch an arrow. She fired, the shot whistling past Lila's ear. A wraith behind Kade howled, an arrow buried in its chest. It staggered but didn't drop. "Hurry!" Ryn yelled, nocking another.

Lila's foot slipped, a plank cracking under her. She screamed, grabbing the ropes as her legs dangled. The ravine yawned below, dark and endless. Kade hauled her up, his arm around her waist. "I got you," he said, voice rough but steady. "Keep moving."

She nodded, tears stinging her eyes, and crawled the last few steps. Her knees hit solid ground, and she collapsed, gasping. Kade made it across just as a wraith slammed into the bridge. The ropes groaned, fraying, but Ryn fired again—straight into its eye. It shrieked, tumbling into the ravine, and the bridge held.

For a moment, they just breathed. Lila's hands pressed into the dirt, her whole body trembling. Across the gap, the remaining wraiths paced, growling, their green eyes locked on her. One reared back, like it might jump, but didn't. They couldn't cross.

"What the hell *are* those things?" Lila asked, her voice hoarse.

"Bad news," Kade said, sheathing his knife. He was bleeding again—fresh claw marks on his arm—but he ignored it. "Wraiths don't hunt like that unless something's driving 'em."

"Driving them?" She sat up, wiping sweat from her face. "Like what?"

"Like someone," Ryn said, slinging her bow over her shoulder. Her freckled face was pale, her jaw tight. "Boss'll know. We need to get back."

Kade nodded, pulling Lila to her feet. "You good?"

"No," she said, honest for once. "But I'll live."

He smirked, faint but real. "That's the spirit."

They moved again, slower now, the adrenaline fading into exhaustion. The forest opened into rolling hills, dotted with stumps and old campfires—signs of rogue life. Lila's legs ached, her shoulder hot under the bandage. She kept a hand on her belly, feeling the baby settle. *We're okay,* she thought. *For now.*

Ryn led them to a cluster of trees, pulling aside branches to reveal a hidden path. It wound down into a shallow valley, where tents and wooden shacks sprawled—a rogue camp, rough but alive. Smoke rose from cookfires, voices murmured, and wolves prowled the edges. Heads turned as they approached, eyes narrowing at Lila. She shrank closer to Kade, suddenly aware of her torn clothes and bloody shoulder.

"New meat?" a gruff voice called. A big guy with a shaved head and a scar across his nose stepped forward, arms crossed. He sniffed the air, grinning. "Smells like pack trash."

"Back off, Tor," Kade said, stepping between them. "She's with me."

Tor laughed, loud and mean. "You collecting strays now, Kade? She's knocked up—gonna slow you down."

Lila bristled, stepping out from Kade's shadow. "I'm not slowing anyone down," she snapped. "And I'm not trash."

Tor's grin widened, but Ryn cut in. "Save it, Tor. Boss wants 'em. Wraiths hit us last night—same ones chasing these two."

That shut him up. He grunted, waving them past. "Fine. Don't cry when she guts you, Kade."

They moved deeper into the camp, Lila sticking close to Kade. People watched—some curious, some hostile. A woman sharpening a spear glared; a kid with a missing ear stared. It wasn't a pack, not like Jaxon's. No unity, just survival.

Ryn stopped at a big tent, its flap pinned back. Inside, a woman sat on a crate, maps spread on a rickety table. She was older—forty, maybe—with short black hair and a scar splitting her eyebrow. Her green eyes flicked up, sharp and cold, sizing Lila up in a heartbeat.

"Kade," she said, voice smooth but hard. "Who's this?"

"Lila," he said, nodding at her. "Ran into her last night. Pack threw her out. Hunters and wraiths on her tail."

The woman—Boss, Lila guessed—leaned back, crossing her arms. "Pregnant, too. You're a magnet for trouble, girl."

"Trouble found me," Lila said, meeting her gaze. "I didn't ask for it."

Boss snorted, almost a laugh. "Fair. I'm Sasha. Run this mess. You pull your weight, you stay. You don't, you're gone." She glanced at Kade. "Wraiths, huh? How many?"

"Five," Ryn said, stepping forward. "Lost two at the posts. These ones chased us from the ridge."

Sasha's face darkened. "They're moving too fast. Too bold. Something's pushing 'em—something big."

"Jaxon?" Lila asked, her throat tight. "My ex-mate. He's after me."

"Maybe," Sasha said, tapping the map. "Or maybe it's bigger than your little love spat. Sit. You're a mess."

Lila hesitated, then sank onto a stool, her legs grateful for the break. Kade stayed standing, arms crossed, while Ryn lingered by the flap. Sasha poured water from a jug, sliding it to Lila. She drank fast, the coolness soothing her dry throat.

"You're a rogue now," Sasha said, watching her. "No pack, no rules. Just us. Can you handle that?"

"I don't have a choice," Lila said, setting the cup down. "But I'm not weak."

"Good." Sasha smirked, then turned to Kade. "Clean her up. Rest. We'll talk wraiths tomorrow."

Kade nodded, leading Lila out. They crossed the camp to a small shack—wood walls, a cot, a bucket of water. He handed her a rag. "Wash up. Sleep. I'll keep watch."

She took it, dipping it in the bucket. "You don't have to babysit me."

"Not babysitting," he said, leaning against the doorframe. "Just don't trust Tor not to sniff around."

She managed a small smile, wiping blood and dirt from her arms. "Thanks. For today. The bridge… everything."

He shrugged, looking away. "Don't thank me yet. This place isn't safe either."

She paused, the rag dripping in her hand. "Then why stay?"

His jaw tightened, but he didn't answer. He stepped outside, leaving her alone. She finished cleaning, her mind racing. Wraiths. Rogues. Jaxon. Sasha. Kade. Too many pieces, and she didn't fit anywhere. But she'd survived this far. She'd keep going.

A scream tore through the camp—high, panicked. Lila dropped the rag, rushing to the door. Kade was already moving, knife out. Shadows shifted at the camp's edge—big, green-eyed shadows. Wraiths. Dozens of them.