I stared at my hands, slick with blood that wasn\u2019t mine.<\/p>\n
The forest was silent now, save for the rustle of leaves whispering secrets I didn\u2019t want to hear.<\/p>\n
The men were gone. The Alpha was gone. Only the memory of his storm-grey eyes lingered, sharp and impossible to forget.<\/p>\n
I wiped my palms on the dirt, trembling.<\/p>\n
Every breath burned my lungs, every heartbeat echoed the truth I\u2019d been running from.<\/p>\n
I was alone. Utterly, completely alone.<\/p>\n
I pushed myself to my feet, clutching the torn satchel that held what little I had left.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurvive,\u201d I whispered to myself, voice raw. \u201cNo one\u2019s coming for you, Kaia. Not this time,not ever\u201d<\/p>\n
With these words in mind, I kept walking. Hoping I\u2019d find a safe place to rest for the night.<\/p>\n
But,no matter how hard I tried I couldn\u2019t shake off the look on the faces of my\u2014No,Silvermoon Pack members.<\/p>\n
They hated me. They wanted me dead.<\/p>\n
Who would have thought they would turn against me in a heartbeat.<\/p>\n
Well, they did and now I\u2019m alone.<\/p>\n
Hours later.<\/p>\n
My body screamed in protest. Hunger gnawed at my belly, exhaustion clawed at my bones.<\/p>\n
I dropped to my knees near a stream, cupping my trembling hands into the icy water.<\/p>\n
I drank greedily, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.<\/p>\n
My reflection stared back at me on the rippling surface;wild hair, hollow eyes, a ghost of the Luna I once was.<\/p>\n
I almost didn\u2019t recognize herself.<\/p>\n
Maybe that\u2019s the point,I thought bitterly. They stripped me of everything until nothing remained.<\/p>\n
But then\u2026 his face rose in my mind. Gray eyes, fierce even through pain. The way his voice, hoarse and commanding, had whispered my name.<\/p>\n
Kaia.<\/p>\n
I pressed a hand to my chest, hating how those words warmed something deep inside me, something the pack had not managed to crush.<\/p>\n
I had saved him\u2014an Alpha greater than Draven, though I had not known it at first.<\/p>\n
For one fleeting moment , I had not been a traitor, not an outcast. I had been a healer again.<\/p>\n
The thought steadied my trembling hands.<\/p>\n
The forest was too quiet.<\/p>\n
That kind of quiet that presses against your ears until your heartbeat becomes the only sound left.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d been walking for hours\u2014 It felt like days.<\/p>\n
My legs ached, my throat was dry, and every shadow looked like it was waiting to pounce.<\/p>\n
Theo\u2019s scent was long gone, swallowed by the wind, but something else crept closer.<\/p>\n
Something familiar.<\/p>\n
I froze when I caught it\u2014jasmine and blood.<\/p>\n
Liora.<\/p>\n
Even out here, she wanted me dead.<\/p>\n
I should\u2019ve known she wouldn\u2019t rest after my exile. She never liked unfinished business.<\/p>\n
The first arrow came so close it sliced a strand of my hair. I ducked, rolling behind a tree, my pulse thundering.<\/p>\n
Two.Three, maybe four footsteps. Light. Trained. Not rogues. Her men.<\/p>\n
A voice echoed through the clearing, smooth and cruel.<\/p>\n
\u201cLuna Kaia,\u201d one of them mocked, spitting the title like poison. \u201cOur Luna sends her regards.\u201d<\/p>\n
I gritted my teeth. \u201cShe\u2019s not a Luna. She\u2019s a coward hiding behind other people\u2019s blades.\u201d<\/p>\n
They laughed\u2014a harsh, mocking sound\u2014and the second arrow whistled past my ear.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are an outcast Luna. You don\u2019t get to tell who\u2019s a Luna or a coward\u201d<\/p>\n
I grabbed a handful of dirt, crushed a few dried leaves from my satchel, and whispered under my breath.<\/p>\n
The mixture burned my palm, but I hurled it toward them anyway.<\/p>\n
A sharp hiss filled the air. Nightbane smoke.<\/p>\n
Their coughing bought me seconds.<\/p>\n
I ran.<\/p>\n
Branches tore at my clothes, roots caught my boots, but I didn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n
The forest blurred into a smear of darkness and shadow. One wrong step, and I\u2019d be another body in the woods.<\/p>\n
When I finally stumbled into a clearing, I dropped to my knees, gasping.<\/p>\n
My hands shook, but I was alive. Still alive.<\/p>\n
For now.<\/p>\n
Liora wouldn\u2019t stop until she saw my head on a pike. But as I pressed my palm over my racing heart, one thought steadied me.<\/p>\n
A low growl rolled through the night.<\/p>\n
My head snapped up. Between the trees, a pair of eyes glowed\u2014amber, feral, watching.<\/p>\n
Another set appeared beside them. Then another.<\/p>\n
The men had found me.<\/p>\n
I backed up slowly, heart pounding, but the forest had already closed in.<\/p>\n
Shadows shifted, teeth flashed, the air thick with hunger and hate.<\/p>\n
And above it all, I froze. silent, and watching with a fear-gripped breath.<\/p>\n
Great. Getting cast out isn\u2019t enough, I\u2019m getting hunted too.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve already died once. The next time, it\u2019ll be on my terms.<\/p>\n
When the first rogue came slinking from the shadows, eyes glowing with hunger, I was ready.<\/p>\n
I snapped a branch into a crude spear, heart hammering as it lunged. A desperate thrust, a splash of blood, and the beast fled howling.<\/p>\n
Then, another came forward, targeting my heart. One rippling slash and I will be dead.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t let that happen. Not after everything.<\/p>\n
So, I did whatever I had to. To escape.<\/p>\n
I dip a hand into my satchel and haul a tangible wolfsbane powder on the men while they lunge towards me.<\/p>\n
Then, I grabbed a sharpened stick, stood tall despite the tremor in my knees, and faced the distorted men.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on,\u201d I murmured. \u201cLet\u2019s see show you what this outcast monster is capable of\u201d<\/p>\n
I stabbed another one.<\/p>\n
I stabbed him through the ribs and he fell to the ground.<\/p>\n
Hurt.<\/p>\n
Filthy with blood.<\/p>\n
My chest heaved, adrenaline burning through my veins.<\/p>\n
I had survived. Again.<\/p>\n
Exhausted. Fatigue. I painfully trekked down.<\/p>\n
Collapsing by the riverbank, I stared up at the sky, stars scattered across the black like shards of glass.<\/p>\n
Every inch of my body ached, but somewhere in that pain, a fire had begun to spark.<\/p>\n
I whispered into the night, my voice raw but steady.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll live. Even if only to watch them all fall.\u201d<\/p>\n
A whiff of rot stench.<\/p>\n
They were tracking me again.<\/p>\n
I could smell them. The ugly stench of rogues, filthy and rot.<\/p>\n
I crushed the leaves of silverroot between my fingers, the way Seraphine had taught me long ago.<\/p>\n
The crushed sap shimmered faintly, its scent sweet but deadly to creatures touched by the curse.<\/p>\n
I smeared it along the edge of a broken branch and planted it beside the path. Then I waited.<\/p>\n
A growl tore through the silence, low and throaty.<\/p>\n
The rogue appeared.<\/p>\n
A hulking figure, ribs showing through scabby fur, eyes blood-red under the moonlight.<\/p>\n
He moved on all fours, sniffing the air.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s close,\u201d he rasped. \u201cThe traitor bitch.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach twisted. Liora sent them. More of them.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t think she\u2019d send a bunch of murderous rogues after me.<\/p>\n
I rose from the shadows slowly, knife in hand. \u201cLooking for me?\u201d<\/p>\n
He lunged, but his paw brushed the silverroot-smeared branch. The poison burned through his veins instantly; he howled, writhing as black veins crawled up his arm.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t wait. I kicked his chest, drove the knife down through the soft part of his shoulder. He roared, tried to claw at me, but I twisted harder until he went still.<\/p>\n
For a long moment, I just stared at him. The forest was silent again.<\/p>\n
My hands were shaking.<\/p>\n
Not from weakness.<\/p>\n
From the terrifying realisation that I didn\u2019t feel guilty.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did I stop being just a healer?\u201d I whispered, voice cracking. \u201cWhen did I become this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Something glimmered around the rogue\u2019s neck. I tugged it free\u2014a bronze emblem engraved with a crescent and thorned crown.<\/p>\n
Silvermoon\u2019s royal crest.<\/p>\n
My blood ran cold. Not surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cLiora,\u201d I breathed. \u201cYou really won\u2019t stop until I\u2019m gone, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n
A howl echoed in the distance. Another rogue. Maybe two.<\/p>\n
I tightened my grip on the knife. \u201cCome then,\u201d I whispered into the dark. \u201cLet\u2019s finish this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Branches scraped my arms as I stumbled through the dark, lungs burning, every breath a knife.<\/p>\n
Cutting me open.<\/p>\n
The scent of blood.<\/p>\n
Rogues and mine\u2014dripped through the air like a trail.<\/p>\n
I pressed a hand to my side where claws had torn through my skin moments before.<\/p>\n
Warm, sticky, pulsing. The wound refused to close.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey always come back,\u201d I muttered under my breath. \u201cRogues never hunt just once.\u201d<\/p>\n
A snap echoed behind me.<\/p>\n
I spun, clutching the dagger that was more rust than blade. My body screamed for rest, but my wolfless instincts sharpened to something near feral.<\/p>\n
Out of the shadows, he emerged. Taller than the last one, his teeth bared, eyes blazing orange.<\/p>\n
A rogue drenched in madness.<\/p>\n
\u201cFound you,\u201d he snarled. \u201cThe Alpha\u2019s little disgrace. You can\u2019t get away from us.\u201d<\/p>\n
He lunged. I ducked, slashing upward, catching his arm.<\/p>\n
The blade cut deep, but not deep enough. He slammed me into a tree, the impact knocking the air from my lungs.<\/p>\n
Pain exploded across my ribs.<\/p>\n
Move, Kaia.<\/p>\n
I drove my knee into his stomach, rolled aside, and grabbed a handful of silverroot leaves from my satchel. I crushed them, the sap gleaming faintly, and smeared it across my dagger.<\/p>\n
The rogue hesitated, nostrils flaring.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that smell?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour death,\u201d I hissed.<\/p>\n
He charged again. I swung.<\/p>\n
The blade caught his throat, but his claws raked across my shoulder at the same time.<\/p>\n
Red-hot pain blinded me. We both fell.<\/p>\n
He thrashed, choking as the poison took hold, his body convulsing.<\/p>\n
I crawled back, blood soaking my torn shirt, chest heaving. When his breathing stopped, the forest was silent again.<\/p>\n
I pressed my hand to my shoulder. The wound pulsed and oozed. My vision blurred.<\/p>\n
I could feel my body losing the fight.<\/p>\n
The healer in me screamed to move. To find something\u2014but the exhaustion was surging.<\/p>\n
I tried to stand. My knees buckled. The world tilted sideways.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot yet,\u201d I gasped, dragging myself toward the trees. \u201cNot yet\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shadows Follow Lonely Minds \u2014 Christopher Harris 6 Chapter 006 I stared at my hands, slick with blood that wasn\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-nightshade-heir-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27251\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}