Luna in Chains

05.

Kade stared up at the night sky. The moon felt heavy, mirroring the weight of their escape, as it cast its pale silvery light over the dense pine around them. Shadows lengthened and twisted among the trees, dark fingers creeping across the forest floor. The pack safely slept in their beds, aside from the patrols moving through the packlands around them. Sleep was a far way off for the two young wolves, because it was finally time.

Lyra crouched beside Kade near the edge of the forest, her small fingers clutching the rough bark of a pine tree as if it were the only thing anchoring her to the moment. Nothing about this felt real. Her eyes darted around from the packhouse in the distance behind them to any little noise she heard. She scratched anxiously above her ear, causing some of her pale hair to fall from the knitted cap Kade made for her.

He shifted beside her, drawing her attention. “Careful,” he whispered. “This will catch the moonlight and make us easier to spot.” He tucked the errant strand back up into the cap for her before turning away. Lyra took a steadying breath. It didn’t make any sense, but the small gesture made her feel a fraction safer.

Kade’s dark eyes scanned the forest, making sure they were alone. His every sense was stretched taut as he tried to remember everything he’d ever learned in training. He clutched the wooden training sword in his hand, the only weapon he was allowed to carry. It was one he’d carved himself from sturdy oak, worn smooth where his hands gripped it. The weapon felt oddly heavy that night, like the weight of everything they were about to risk lay in his hand.

“Here’s the map,” Kade whispered, crouching to spread it in front of them. He carefully unfolded the creased parchment from his pocket. “We just need to get to this patch along the ridge. We follow that, cross the creek, then make for the border.” Kade relayed the simplified version of his plan again, as if it would assure their success.

Lyra nodded slowly, swallowing the knot of fear in her throat. “You’re sure?” she asked softly.

Kade’s jaw tightened, but he looked at Lyra with as much confidence as he could muster, “It’s the best chance we have.”

They rose carefully, slipping between the ancient trees like ghosts. Every step was measured, their breaths were shallow, and their hearts pounded so loudly it felt like the forest might hear and give them away.

The scent of pine and earth filled the air, mingled with the sharp tang of fear and adrenaline. Kade’s mind raced with every dark possibility. If they were discovered… it could be the end of him. There was no way to explain away the treason they were committing. He was only ten, but the burden of protecting Lyra pressed on him like a stone. His fingers tightened around the wooden sword’s hilt, silently cursing the gods for his inability to secure a real one. His fingers trembled around the training weapon through a mixture of cold and determination.

The pair reached the ridge just as the wind began to pick up, stirring the needles overhead. Kade crouched low, pulling Lyra down suddenly to do the same, as he peered over the forest below. The dark shapes of the trees stretched like a sea beneath them, punctuated by small pinpoints of light from the patrols’ campfires in the distance.

“Stay close,” Kade whispered, adjusting his pack on his shoulders. “We have to move fast.”

The night was alive with sounds. The rustle of small animals in the underbrush, the mournful hoots of an owl somewhere in the darkness, and other creatures scurrying through the forest kept both of them on edge. Any sound could be their last. Their hands brushed as Kade led them, and they both looked away from each other. The tension was so thick it was almost a sound itself, a low humming fear that prickled at their skin.

They carefully watched their steps along the ridge, feet silent on the moss and the pine needles. Their breath came in quick bursts, clouding in the chilled air. Every snap of a twig, every distant rustle, made their pulse spike.

Ahead lay the creek, a narrow thread of water winding through the forest like a serpent of moonlight. Crossing it would mean they were one step closer to freedom, to a future beyond the suffocating walls of Midnight Crest. One step out of the wood line toward the frozen water, and a harsh voice shattered their world.

“Stop! Who goes there?”

Kade froze, his heart hammering. His eyes rose to the source of the sound.

A patrol.

But they weren’t on any of the plotted patrol routes mapped in Kade’s dad’s office.

As the Beta’s son, Kade knew many of the pack’s warriors. He’d trained with them, and they treated him like a little brother. He didn’t recognize the wolf stopping them. This was a specialized perimeter patrol, a unit he’d only heard speculation about, but thought they were simply a folk story. He could have tried to talk his way out of it with most of the other patrols, although they’d still be escorted back to their parents. If the stories were true, these special warriors were known for their brutality. They focused on the outer edges of the pack land, where things were wild and nature could be ruthless.

Lyra gasped, clutching Kade’s arm with a white knuckled grip that would have hurt if it weren’t for the adrenaline flooding through him.

“Run,” Kade hissed.

Without hesitation, they broke into a sprint back into the trees. Roots tugged at their feet as branches whipped them in the face and limbs, the forest blurring around them. The patrol’s shouts rang out behind them, sharp and angry.

Kade’s breath burned in his lungs as he led Lyra deeper into the trees, but the warriors were faster, trained hunters in their element.

A tall figure burst from the shadows, a club raised high.

Kade’s instincts took over. He sidestepped, gripping his wooden sword tightly.

The warrior charged, his heavy footsteps thudding on the soft earth. With a practiced motion, Kade launched himself forward like a small missile. It took the older warrior completely by surprise as Kade deftly dodged the swing of his club, and the wooden sword smashed into the warrior’s knuckles. A loud crunch rang out as Kade broke something in the older warrior’s hand, and the club clattered to the ground.

The warrior stumbled, stunned by the unexpected resistance from a mere boy. He’d expected to kill the little runt and then deal with the girl. The thought was cut short as Kade brought his pommel crashing into the warrior’s temple, dropping him to the ground dazed.

Lyra’s breath hitched, eyes wide with fear. Kade had just taken down a grown wolf all by himself.

The reprieve was brief.

A second warrior caught up to them. He leapt over his downed patrol mate and lunged, his dagger flashing in the moonlight. Kade twisted sharply, bringing his wooden sword up just in time to block the blade’s edge. The hard scrape of wood against steel rang out, leaving a deep gash in Kade’s “blade”. Kade swung his sword in a short arc, knocking the dagger aside. He jabbed again, landing a blow deep into the warrior’s ribs and making him tumble backward over his groaning companion.

Lyra watched with a mixture of awe and worry. The last time she’d given any attention to Kade’s training was a year ago, and she was jarred at the difference such a short time had made. She knew he’d been more serious in his efforts, but seeing him so deftly handle two adult warriors put that in a very different light. A weird warmth in her belly bloomed for the first time as she looked at her best friend, his chest rising and falling sharply as his eyes narrowed on their attackers. His jaw was set, and the determination in his features was the most serious she’d ever seen him, as he kept himself between her and the danger before them.

She was snapped out of her thoughts as new footsteps thundered through the trees, along with the unmistakable sound of a wolf shifting. When she heard warriors shift instantly for combat, it always made her sick to her stomach. It was as if someone put bones into a grinding wheel.

Kade barely had time to react.

The warrior in wolf form lunged, pinning Kade face down on the ground. The wolf’s sharp teeth skimmed Kade’s throat, keeping him from escaping. Thin trickles of blood ran down his neck as he all but stopped breathing, trying not to move. The weight on top of the young boy was crushing, and he started to see black spots clouding his vision.

Kade tried everything inside of himself. He prayed. He begged. His wolf wouldn’t appear. It wasn’t time. He couldn’t shift, and there was nothing he could do against an adult wolf.

“Since you don’t have a wolf and you’re too f*****g young to hear him,” the warrior with the dagger spat as he stood up, massaging his ribs, “He’s telling you that if you move, you’ll lose your little f*****g head.”

“Stop it!” Lyra shrieked. The words were raw, shredding her throat as she fell to her knees in terror. She couldn’t lose Kade, not like this. She’d never be able to live with herself if he died because of her.

“Shut it, girl,” the dagger warrior answered, rolling his eyes. “We’ll take care of you next. And don’t try to run. You’re next, and that will just piss me off more.”

A shudder of revulsion from his tone shot down her spine, “You won’t touch me, or your Alpha will have your head on a pike outside of the packhouse.” Her words were venomous, and despite his precarious position, Kade couldn’t help but smile. Lyra could be indecisive, and she’d been terrified of the marriage, but she wasn’t weak.

“The f**k did you say to me, little-“

He stopped mid-sentence and almost dropped his dagger as Lyra pulled the knitted cap off, letting her silver-blonde hair ripple down her back and frame her face. It was unmistakable. There was no missing who she was in their pack. These particular wolves may spend very little time around the center of the pack, but Lyra was unmistakable.

“It’s the Alpha’s daughter,” he hissed at the other wolf. An unspoken conversation happened between them as the dagger-carrying warrior pulled ropes from his bag and tied Kade’s arms behind him, prying the young man’s sword from his hands and relieving him of his satchel.

The remainder of the patrol caught up to them. One managed to wake the first warrior Kade fought. The last sight Kade had of Lyra was her terrified face as she was dragged away by another warrior, disappearing into the night’s shadows, screaming and kicking her resistance.

“Please,” Kade gasped, trying to kick himself to his feet now that the wolf wasn’t on top of him anymore. “Don’t take her!”

One of them sneered at him, eyes cold as ice, “She’s going back to the Alpha. We’re not letting his daughter leave the packlands. You’re out of your little mind.”

The remaining warriors spoke in hushed tones that Kade strained to overhear, “Beta… son… morning… trouble.”

He could only hear bits and pieces, but it seemed someone had recognized him or pieced together the information since he was with Lyra. Kade’s heart ached as he strained against the ropes. He knew it was no use, but he tried anyway. Everything the wolves used, they designed or enchanted to withstand their own strength. The runes in his wooden blade came to mind. It’s why they didn’t shatter the training weapons.

Tears stung his eyes as his helplessness consumed him. His head fell against the cold earth beneath it, the frost stinging his skin, but he didn’t care. Lyra’s terrified face consumed his thoughts. His promise and how he’d never keep it haunted him.

It was over.