Chapter 7: The Bear

The forest was louder than usual.

Twigs snapped in unnatural rhythm. Birds burst from branches in panicked flocks. The usual peace of the border was torn to pieces by growls—deep and guttural—and the sharp scent of blood.

Aiden ran ahead, black fur flashing between trees, his paws barely touching the ground. Behind him, Theron followed in half-shifted form—long white ears alert, his claws already drawn. The other pack members howled signals through the woods, converging on the disturbance.

Then Aiden saw it.

A bear.

Not just any bear—massive, scarred, and wild-eyed. Its fur was mottled with old wounds, its breath heavy and furious. It stood over a fallen scout, snarling. The scout twitched, groaning in pain, but the bear's massive paw pinned him down.

Aiden didn't hesitate.

He launched himself at the bear's side, teeth sinking into the thick hide, yanking it off the scout. The bear roared in fury and staggered back, swiping its claws at the black wolf.

Theron was already on the other side of the clearing, stepping forward with a blade that shimmered unnaturally—moonlight clinging to it like mist.

"Aiden, don't let it corner you!" he called sharply, voice low and commanding.

Aiden snarled in response, circling the bear as the others arrived, surrounding the beast. It roared again, trying to charge—but Theron was faster. He slid under the swipe of claws, slashing along its side. Blue blood sprayed.

The bear faltered.

Aiden leapt again, biting the leg this time. The beast reared back, shaking violently.A second wolf—a tawny beta—lunged at its throat.

And that was the turning point.

Within seconds, the pack was on it. Claws, teeth, snarls, and howls filled the air. It was chaos—until the bear finally dropped with a thunderous crash, shaking the ground.

Silence fell, broken only by ragged panting and the groans of the injured.

Aiden stepped back, his fur soaked in blood—some his own. A slash along his flank throbbed, but he barely noticed. His eyes locked on the scout lying still nearby.

"He's breathing," Theron said, already kneeling beside the young wolf, checking the wound. "Broken ribs. He'll live."

Aiden exhaled deeply, shifting back to human form, hands shaking slightly from adrenaline."Why did it come this deep?" he asked, wiping blood from his jaw. "Bears don't come near pack lands. Not alone. Not like that."

Theron stood slowly, his face grim. "Because it wasn't normal."Aiden narrowed his eyes. "You think it was sent?"

Theron didn't answer. But his silence was enough.

Aiden looked back toward the border—the line between the wild and the civilized. Between what they thought they controlled... and what was coming.He felt it in his bones.

Something had changed. he sniff the air, sometihng...was there, but too faint for human nose.he shifted to wolf form once agian Aiden sniffed the air again—soft, strange, familiar. It gnawed at something buried deep in his chest.

The others faded behind him.He ran.

Branches lashed at him. Rocks scraped his paws. His lungs burned with each breath, but he didn't stop. The scent—it pulled him, whispering memories he couldn't grasp. Something from before, something that mattered.

The stream gurgled as he stumbled to a halt.

Nothing.

Just water, moss, and trees. The scent had faded like smoke. He circled, pacing tightly, ears swiveling, heart racing. He knew this smell—someone. It clawed at the back of his mind, but no name came.

"AIDEN!"

The bark of his name struck something primal. His whole body tensed, then... whined.He turned sharply.

Theron stood a few trees away, half-shadowed, eyes glowing like silver ice."Get back. Now." His voice was low, firm—but not cruel.

Aiden's wolf ears flattened. Without knowing why, he lowered his gaze, took a few slow steps forward. Half-shifted. His tail dipped, betraying guilt or submission... but it gave a slow, uncertain wag.

"I smelled something," Aiden murmured, his voice barely human, caught between growl and whisper. "I know it. I just—I couldn't stop."

Theron didn't blink. "It could be a trap."

Aiden looked back toward the water, frustration burning in his throat. "It wasn't... It felt like a memory."

Theron's expression flickered—brief, sharp concern. "Come. We'll bring hunters back to track it properly. Alone, you're just prey."

Aiden's jaw tightened, but he nodded and stepped toward Theron, the adrenaline fading now into weariness. As he passed, Theron reached out, not forceful—just a grounding hand on the back of Aiden's neck. It wasn't dominance. It was... anchoring.

Aiden exhaled shakily and leaned into the touch for a heartbeat before pulling away.

As they walked back together through the forest, Aiden looked over his shoulder once more toward the stream.The scent had vanished.But the feeling hadn't.

Whoever it was... they were watching.