FATE CORNERS THEM
1001 Words
"I figured you'd run," Damon said oozing self-assurance. He emerged from behind the trees, his shape towering in the darkness. "Did you think you could escape me, Lyra?"
Kael positioned himself in front of Lyra protecting her. "Keep your distance, Damon."
Damon's grin widened. "Distance? I've come to claim what belongs to me. And you Kael... you're still as dense as ever believing you can stop me."
Lyra's pulse quickened as she gripped Kael's arm. "Damon, please. Let us leave. You don't need to do this."
Damon glanced at Lyra, his eyes icy and controlling. "You're my wife Lyra. My pack. You should stay with me. And that's where you'll go."
A low rumble came from Kael's chest. "She's not yours. Not anymore."
Damon stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "And you think you can just take her? After all this time?"
"I won't take her," Kael said. His voice had calmness and intensity. "She's quitting you because of your actions. How you've handled her."
Damon chuckled, a sinister noise that frightened Lyra. "You think that don't you? That she'd ditch me for you? The guy who deserted her?"
Lyra moved from behind Kael, her voice trembled but stayed firm. "He didn't desert me Damon. He slipped up. But you... you're the one who crushed me."
Damon's eyes flashed with a sinister look. "You believe I broke you, Lyra?" His voice dropped sounding almost like a snarl. "I strengthened you."
"Strengthened?" Lyra's voice broke, her feelings spilling out. "You forced me to live scared. You caused me pain. You dominated me. That isn't strength."
Damon's face grew grim, his jaw tightening. "I handed you everything. I claimed you as my mate."
Lyra shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "You never let me decide. You stole everything from me."
Kael inched toward Lyra and put his hand on her back. "We're going, Damon. You can't hold us back."
"I believe I can." Damon's voice fell to a menacing murmur. He took a step forward, his eyes fixed on Kael. "You know, Kael, you're not thinking of a key point."
Kael stiffened, his eyes got smaller. "What's that?"
Damon's grin came back, his eyes shone with spite. "The pack obeys me now. And they're on their way here."
Lyra gasped. The howls they had heard before... they weren't just a warning. The pack wanted to find them.
"You can't escape," Damon said, his voice full of pride. "They'll track you down. And when they do..."
"You won't harm her," Kael said in a low voice, his hands in fists.
Damon's eyes grew dark, and he jumped at Kael throwing punches. They crashed into each other and fell to the ground.
"Kael!" Lyra yelled, her heart racing as she saw them fight.
Kael fought to gain control, but Damon wouldn't let up. He forced Kael down gripping his neck. "You made a mistake coming here," Damon growled. "You never had what it takes."
Kael struggled to breathe, but his eyes found Lyra showing fierce resolve. He used all his power to kick upward throwing Damon off and sending him tumbling.
Lyra's pulse quickened as she hurried to check on Kael. "Did he hurt you?"
Kael coughed struggling to breathe. "I'm okay." He stood up staring at Damon, who got up too, with an evil smile.
"This fight isn't over, Kael," Damon snarled wiping dirt off his clothes. "We're far from done."
Kael clenched his fists. "It will end."
Damon stepped closer, rage in his eyes. "You think you can beat me? You're on your own Kael. No pack member will help you. And Lyra... she's mine."
Lyra's hands shook, yet she remained upright next to Kael. "Nobody owns me."
Damon's eyes sparked with rage, but before he could speak, they heard footsteps coming from far away.
Lyra felt sick. "They approach."
Kael agreed with a serious look, his eyes searching the shadowy woods. "We must go. Right away."
Damon smiled more. "Go ahead and run. You can't get away from the pack."
Kael grabbed Lyra's hand leading her away from Damon. "We'll find out."
They ran into the woods, with Damon's laugh ringing out behind them. Lyra felt her heart race as they sprinted, the forest blurring into shadows and trees around them.
"Kael," she panted, her legs aching from tiredness. "What will we do?"
"We'll think of something," Kael replied, his voice calm despite the dread she knew grew inside him. "We just need to keep going."
But the footsteps behind them got nearer. The pack gained ground.
"They'll catch us," Lyra murmured, her voice shaking with fear.
Kael squeezed her hand. "We'll be fine if we reach the river."
"The river?" Lyra looked puzzled.
Kael nodded staring ahead. "The water will hide our smell. It's our only shot."
Lyra's heart raced as they moved forward, the river's roar grew louder nearby. But the pack closed in, their howls filled the night.
"We won't make it," Lyra panted, her legs felt weak.
"We will," Kael said with conviction. "Just a bit more."
They crashed out of the woods spotting the river at last. But as they neared the shore, a pack of wolves emerged from the dark cutting off their escape.
Lyra gasped as she tallied the wolves. She saw six at least, their eyes shining in the moonlight, their fangs on display.
Kael moved in front of Lyra, his muscles tight. "Get behind me."
The wolves snarled inching closer, their gaze fixed on Lyra.
Kael snarled back, his inner wolf rising. "You'll need to take me down first."
The pack leader, a big gray wolf with sharp yellow eyes, moved ahead growling. Kael tensed up, prepared to fight.
But before anyone acted, a voice rang out.
"Stop."
Lyra's pulse quickened as Damon emerged from the trees, his eyes showing pride.
"I warned you," Damon said in a threatening tone. "You can't get away."
Kael and Lyra found themselves cornered, with wolves all around and Damon approaching. They had no escape route.
- Writer
