HUNTED-Chapter 418: Ember

Keira groaned. ’My sister is about to be taken, and I’m here on the verge of shifting for the first time?! You really think this is the best time?!" She cried out as her spine cracked.

Black fur began sprouting from her fingers as they enlarged. Claws ripped through her fingernails, and bones broke rapidly across her body.

’Yes.’ That mystical voice resonated back, and Keira felt as if she’d been pulled back abruptly, the world blurring past her as though someone had grabbed her by the back of her shirt and yanked her deep into the recesses of her mind.

’I’m Ember. I’m sorry our meeting is cut short, but our sister needs our help.’ Ember took two steps before a large white wolf, followed by another with a black ear, and a large black wolf appeared.

They were here. It was Aila, Eamon and Damon. The last of the gunmen turned on them but Finn, in his human form smacked the back of his neck and caught Chloe before she dropped with him.

Kodi’s wolf chased after another SUV, tackling it down by himself and stopping the vehicle, forcing it to collide with a tree further down the road.

Ember casually stepped closer, noting there were at least 5 men on the ground around Finn. He’d been fighting closer to the school grounds before Rex had taken out a few guards in front of Chloe.

’There are others at the field and more at Keira’s school,’ Finn reported in a mind-link.

A mind-link Keira was now a part of.

’Good work. Eamon, you and Finn hunt the others down.’ Aila spoke in the link and shifted into her human form, taking her daughter from Finn’s arms.

Lycans also appeared and were dispersed in search of more threats in the surrounding areas. People were either in utter awe of these creatures or terrified. It was understandable; they were at least 8 feet tall with long limbs and could stand back on their hind legs without any problems, making them even taller.

They were initially created under the Hunters Association using Aila’s blood to create hybrids that were brainwashed into fighting for them.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Little did the old organisation understand that Aila Cross could still control them and aid them in returning to their human forms. Her mum was truly an angel in their eyes, and so many served under her.

Damon’s overly large black wolf growled suddenly, snapping Keira and Ember out of their reverie. ’Rex… Why are you not with Keira?’

Aila turned to the guard and then followed his gaze to the black wolf with blue and silver eyes and a white streak running down one side of her body.

"Keira was in the middle of… getting her wolf?" Rex answered, seeming to shrink under Damon’s gaze. Keira forgets at times how intimidating her dad can be.

’Ah, we weren’t needed after all,’ Ember hummed happily.

"Keira?!" Aila accepted the cloak a new wolf arriving gave her, most like Damon’s orders, so she could cover up.

Ember nodded and released the reins back to Keira. Her legs started to tremble now that she was in this transformed state. It would take a while to get used to. ’You’ll get a handle on it in no time.’

’Are you sure about that?’ Keira couldn’t stop the shaking or comparing to her siblings who were already training in their wolf form the following day and making it look effortless.

’Stop comparing yourself to others. You’re brilliant. WE are brilliant,’ Ember answered confidently, sticking her nose up.

Damon’s wolf stopped in front of her and sniffed her ear. ’The urgency of the situation must have kicked your wolf into action,’ Damon noted proudly. ’Good job.’

’But I didn’t do anything,’ Keira replied, realising how much easier this whole mind-linking was.

’You tried to, and that brought out your wolf. I presume you forced Rex to take action in your place… You did well…’

Her dad’s praises made her feel better. Seeing Chloe well and snuggled into her mum’s arms relaxed her further, even while the lycans and pack were hunting down others.

Keira took one step, and her leg felt like lead, her body shaking. ’I don’t think I can hold onto this form for long,’ Keira sighed into the mind-link with her dad.

Damon pointed his head in the direction of the trees after some pack members confirmed it was clear. ’Try and make it there, we’ll send some clothes to you.’

Keira followed her dad’s instructions, barely making it into the shade of the trees before her fur slipped back into her pores and her bones cracked back into place. She gasped on her hands and knees, black hair falling over her features like a curtain. Her arms shook from the pain, and the strain shifting took on her body.

"When we get back home, I need to train. I can’t show how weak I am at this," Keira murmured between heavy breaths.

’We are not weak, Keira,’ Ember sighed. ’Resting your body is more important right now. If you put too much strain on the body, you will injure yourself, and then it will take longer to master something. I know you will not have any problems mastering it.’

’But Eamon, Amerie, Cato-’

’Would have rested too. They are not invincible. Nobody is,’ Ember continued in her calm yet logical voice.

Ember sighed again, ’What am I going to do with you?’

"Allow me to train," Keira pouted but meant it as a joke. Her wolf didn’t quite take it that way and growled in her mind in warning. "I’m joking! I’m joking!"

’Good. I don’t want to hear any more about being the odd one out or being weak. What you feed your mind is important…’

"Alright, alright." Keira leaned back and held her hands out as if she was trying to calm her wolf down in front of her. "But…" She inhaled deeply. "What is that smell…"

She closed her eyes to it. It was only faint, but it was pine… maybe cedarwood… Keira rose from the ground and started following the scent. Ember grew ecstatic, wagging her tail as she seemed to grow impatient in Keira’s mind.

Keira began rushing through the bushes, uncaring for the light slices of the twigs and leaves scraping against her bare skin until she heard the thudding sound of pawprints. She stopped behind a tree, and her mouth dropped open.

A giant black wolf with one amber eye and one icy blue with a scar slicing through its eye stopped in front of them after tossing away one of the gunmen who screamed in the air.

Its jaw was bloodstained, sharp teeth dripping with its recent kills. Battle scars were spread across its body. The more she looked, the more Keira realised it was probably a rogue—one that smelled divine.

Ember was practically rolling over onto her back.

As though the wolf heard them, its head lifted up and met her gaze. Keira’s fingers dug into the bark of the tree as she kept her naked body out of sight, watching as its bones began breaking rapidly, and within two seconds, it shifted back into its human form.

"Kodi?" Keira frowned and failed at stopping her eyes from trailing down his body. Among his body that had quite possibly been chiselled by the Gods, scars were scattered across his perfectly imperfect body. And his thighs were… and his THING was…

HUGE.

Keira’s eyes snapped back up when she heard his low chuckle. He stepped forward, making Keira hide further behind the tree. "You know it’s only fair I see a little something after you got a massive view."

"Cocky much?" Keira scoffed. Although he was infuriating, the more she was in his presence, the more she was relaxing, even while she was naked! "Here…" She pointed her foot out of the tree."

Kodi was by her foot in a flash, taking her by surprise, his hand wrapped around it and he looked up at her. She was sure the rest of her body was hidden. Yet the way he continued to look at her sent a shiver of goosebumps to kiss her skin.

"I didn’t realise this was the 18th century," he murmured, leaving the softest press of his lips to her ankle, and she almost melted right then and there on the spot!

’I can’t take it anymore!’ Ember burst through Keira’s mind, making her eyes glow a vivid blue. It was like she’d been trying to remain quiet this entire time and had some huge secret. His scent wrapped around her like a lover’s caress. ’He’s our-’

"Ugh." Keira frowned at the sudden prick in her neck. She placed her hand there as Kodi rose suddenly, his eyes alert, looking around.

Keira pulled something out of her neck and stared at the dart. ’Ember?’ The wolf she only just received didn’t answer. "Wolfsbane," she whispered and glanced to the side where the dart came from.

Kodi was already on the move in that direction. Something snapped, and a net burst around Kodi, flinging him to the ground. He cursed as the silver netting started melting over his skin.

"Kodi!" Keira took one step forward before pain stabbed into the back of her neck. She stared at Kodi wide-eyed, the edges of her vision starting to grow black.

"Keira!" He shouted for her, fingers caught in the netting.

It was the last thing she saw before the darkening spots swept her into unconsciousness.