I walked back to the hut in silence. Rex followed me for a while, but then turned back to speak with the others. I heard his voice fading into the snowstorm, low and determined, but I couldn't make out the words.

  Once inside, it felt as if the walls were closing in. The warmth from the fire no longer helped. Not when my heart felt like ice.

  Will was still out there.

  And there was nothing I could do about it.

  I sat down on the bed and stared into the flames. Flickering, dancing... unpredictable. Just like him.

  My thoughts spun.

  What would I do if he didn't come back?

  I didn't know when it had happened—when he had started to mean more than just irritation, more than just anger. But it had happened. I felt it now, in every nerve ending, in every sigh. I missed his voice. His way of growling at me when I was too stubborn. His eyes that saw everything, even what I tried to hide.

  And I hated that he might never know.

  People moved around the hut. I heard footsteps, voices, someone carrying water, someone else asking for more herbs. But no one mentioned Will. No one said a word about him.

  No one knew.

  I hugged my knees and rested my chin against them. There was nothing I could do. I was powerless. A stranger in a world I hadn't chosen, cursed with something I didn't understand, and feelings I didn't want.

  But I felt them anyway.

  When evening came, I lay awake, staring up at the ceiling while the fire quietly burned out. The darkness outside was thick, but my thoughts were worse. Sharper.

  What if he doesn't come back?

  What if he does... and I never tell him how I feel?

  But I couldn't say it. Not now. Not yet. I didn't know what would come next. And maybe, just maybe... it was already too late.

  The next morning, I woke to sunlight breaking through the cracks in the hut. The warmth from the blanket still lingered over my body, but my head felt heavy—like the thoughts from the night before were still there, refusing to let go.

  Will was still gone.

  I didn't know what was worse—the silence from the forest, or the silence from the people here. No one had said anything. Everyone seemed to understand that uncertainty was like a wound—you didn't touch it, you left it alone.

  But I couldn't leave it alone.

  I pulled on my jacket and stepped outside. The air was fresh, almost crisp, and the snow crunched under my feet. A couple of women were gathering firewood at the edge of the village. Some children laughed further away. Life went on. As if nothing had happened.

  I felt like a shadow among them.

  "You look like someone who hasn't slept in weeks," said a voice beside me.

  I turned. Niva. She was carrying a basket of clothes, her hair tied up in a messy bun, her eyes bright but gentle.

  "Feels like it," I replied.

  She raised an eyebrow and gave a crooked smile. "Want to go for a walk?"

  I nodded. We walked along the path away from the clan, not toward the forest but far enough that the wind carried away the sound of other voices. She stopped by a bench made of two stones and sat down. I did the same.

  "Want to talk about it?" she asked softly.

  I sighed. "What would I even say? That I'm worried about a guy who's been mean to me since day one? That I don't know what's happening to me—or to him?"

  She chuckled, not mockingly, more like she understood exactly. "Sounds like you're human. Welcome to the club."

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my head in my hand. "He means something to me, Niva. I don't know when it happened. But it did. And now he's out there... alone... and I have no idea if he's even alive."

  She grew serious. "Will's tougher than he looks—and that says a lot, because he looks pretty damn tough."

  I smiled faintly. "True."

  "And he cares. More than he dares to show."

  I turned my gaze to her. "Do you know something?"

  She hesitated. "No. But I have eyes. And I've seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one's watching."

  My heart skipped a beat. "He... looks at me?"

  "Like you're the last light in the forest," she said without blinking. "And trust me, Will doesn't stare at anyone without a reason."

  I stared ahead, unsure what to say. The warmth in my chest was unexpected—and dangerous.

  "What am I supposed to do if he doesn't come back?" I whispered at last.

  Niva took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Then you'll still be strong. Because that's who you are. And if he does come back..."

  I looked at her.

  "...then you'll tell him. Tell all of us. What a curse truly means."

  I sat silently for a moment, letting Niva's words sink in. Her hand remained in mine—warm and steady—as if she were anchoring me to reality.

  "I never thought I'd end up here," I said quietly. "A world full of wolves, curses... and feelings I don't know what to do with."

  Niva smiled softly. "None of us chose this life entirely, Tracy. Not even those of us who were born into it. But sometimes life chooses for us. And then we have to decide whether we fight it... or grow with it."

  I drew in a deep breath. "And what if you do both?"

  She chuckled. "Then you're wiser than you think."

  We sat in silence for a while, with the snow glittering around us and the wind playing with our hair. It almost felt like the world had paused just to make room for our thoughts.

  "Can I ask you something?" I said finally, a bit hesitantly.

  Niva raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

  "You said Will stares at me when he thinks no one's looking. How do you know it's not just... distrust? He's never exactly been open."

  Niva leaned closer, a little conspiratorially. "Because I've seen him talking to Sac about you."

  My eyes widened. "What?"

  "He didn't say much—it's Will we're talking about—but he asked questions. About what you liked. If you felt at home here. If you... missed anyone."

  My heart pounded harder. "He asked that?"

  "Mhm," Niva said with a wink. "And do you know what Sac told him?"

  I shook my head.

  "That you're braver than you know. And that if Will doesn't stop looking at you like you're his last chance at peace, maybe he should actually say something to you instead of just being so... Will."

  I laughed, though it almost turned into a sob. "He's hopeless."

  "He's scared," Niva corrected gently. "Just like you. It actually makes you two pretty alike."

  I looked down at our intertwined hands. "I don't know if I'm ready to feel what I'm feeling."

  "You don't have to be ready," she said softly. "You just have to be honest. With him. And with yourself."

  I nodded slowly, and a bit of the weight in my chest lifted.

  "Thank you, Niva."

  She smiled and stood. "Come on. Amelia's going to flip if we're not back soon. She doesn't like it when people sneak off with 'the chosen one.'"

  I laughed, and for the first time in days, it felt real.

  As night fell over the clan, people gathered around the large fire in the center of the village. Torches lit up the paths between the huts, and the smoke from the fire mingled with the smell of fresh bread, spices, and something that smelled like roasted meat.

  I stood a little apart, in the shadows, watching everything. The men wore bearskins, the women draped colorful shawls over their shoulders. Laughter and music floated through the air—drums, flutes, singing. It was like another world, another time. And yet... it didn't feel entirely foreign anymore.

  Niva appeared at my side again, draping a blanket over my shoulders. "You don't have to dance," she said, "but you shouldn't stand alone."

  I gave a small smile. "I'm just trying to take it all in."

  "This is how we live. We celebrate when we survive. And today—we survived. Again."

  Farther away, I spotted Sac sitting on a bench, a thick bandage around his leg. He was talking to Gus and Wics, and though he looked pale, there was a smile on his lips.

  I started walking toward him but froze when an older woman called out, "Sacra is coming!"

  Everyone fell silent. The drums quieted. People moved aside, creating a path as Sacra stepped out from the shadows. She was dressed in dark furs, her staff in hand—the same one adorned with the wolf skull, the moon, and runes carved into the wood. She looked as powerful as the first time I had seen her, but now also... more vulnerable. As if the night's events weighed heavily on her too.

  She raised her hand, and the people bowed their heads in respect.

  "My children," she said with a clear, steady voice. "We are gathered again. Not without wounds, but with hope still alive. One of our bonds fell in battle but rose again. Another remains lost in the forest, but his heart is not lost. And the one who bears the light..." —her eyes found mine— "...is still here. Which means that hope is still here too."

  Everyone turned to me. So many looks. Some kind. Some curious. Some filled with respect. Others with wonder. I wanted to sink into the ground—or maybe step forward.

  "Tonight we celebrate," Sacra continued, "not to forget the darkness, but to remember why we fight against it."

  And as if on cue, the music started again—slowly, softly, then growing more lively. Children ran between the adults, someone lit more fires, and the scent of honey and smoke once again filled the air.

  I walked slowly toward Sac, who stood as he spotted me.

  "You look alive," he said, trying to smile but wincing.

  "You too—barely."

  We looked at each other for a moment. Then he said quietly, "Will's coming back, Tracy. I know he is."

  I wanted to believe him. I wanted so badly to believe.

  But somewhere deep inside, the heaviness still remained.

  The night had thickened. It was darker than before, even though the fire still burned at the heart of the village. There was something in the air—like electricity before a storm.

  I stood close to Sac, the blanket still over my shoulders, when the sound came.

  A branch snapping.

  People turned. Some stiffened.

  And then I saw him.

  Will.

  He staggered out of the shadows, the snow swirling around his legs. His jacket was torn on one side, blood dried at his temple, and his gaze—so tired—but alive.

  "Will!" I cried and ran forward.

  He looked up, his smile weak but real. "Tracy..." His voice was hoarse, but filled with relief.

  I threw my arms around him before I even had time to think. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

  He placed a heavy hand on my back, as if it took all his strength just to stay standing. "I'm okay," he mumbled, "but we have to go. Now."

  "What do you mean?" I gasped.

  Will looked around quickly. His voice dropped to a whisper. "They're after me. The dark side. They know you're here."

  "What? How—?"

  "No time to explain." He grabbed my hand tightly. "We have to get away. I'm going to hide you."

  "But the others?" I glanced back at Sac and Amelia. "We can't just leave them!"

  "It's you they're after!" he hissed. "If we stay, more people will die. I can't... I can't let that happen."

  And then, just as the first scream echoed across the village, he pulled me with him into the forest.

  We ran. Branches tore at my jacket, snow swirled up and settled like frost in my hair. The sounds from the village grew louder behind us—shouts, chaos, growls. Someone screamed my name.

  "Will!" I gasped. "We have to go back!"

  "NO!" He stopped and turned to face me. His eyes blazed in the darkness. "There are too many. This is the only chance to save you!"

  "But you—!"

  "I'll be fine."

  And without another word, he swept aside fir branches from a hidden opening in the ground—a cave, cold and black.

  "Get in," he ordered. "Quickly."

  I hesitated, but the sounds behind us... they were getting closer. The screams. The blows. Someone crying. Something howling.

  I climbed in.

  Will pulled the branches back over the entrance. Darkness closed around us. Silence fell—but outside, the night continued to burn.

  And I didn't know if we had been saved—

  Or if we had just run away.