Page 16 of Samuel
His face paled as the full weight of my words settled over him. His voice was barely a whisper, raw and stricken.
“You cursed me…”
Then, with a sharp exhale, Blake threw the cleaver to the floor and bolted past me.
For a brief second, I stood frozen, too surprised to react. Had he just…?
I felt the faint brush of air as Blake’s body rushed past me, vanishing into the thick line of trees that bordered the cabin.
And then I smiled.
He was running.
I liked it when he ran.
Still, I decided to give him a head start.
Chasing him too soon wouldn’t be fair, and besides, a good hunt always required patience.
Ten minutes seemed like a reasonable lead. I could already tell that Blake wasn’t someone who gave up easily.
He had fire, and while he might not understand it yet, that fire was one of the many things I found irresistible about him.
His spirit drew me in like nothing else.
As I waited, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, imprinting Blake’s scent into my memory.
It was unmistakable—sharp, clean, cinnamon with an undertone of earth and something uniquelyhim.
A mix of determination and vulnerability, something wild yet fragile all at once.
The smell was intriguing, magnetic, and I knew I’d be able to find him anywhere.
After ten minutes, I set off at a leisurely pace, tracking him with ease.
The forest was quiet except for the occasional rustle of leaves, the sound of nocturnal creatures scurrying about.
Blake’s scent was fresh, leading me deeper into the woods. But then I heard it—a familiar howl.
My steps quickened, worry seeping into my chest. There were more of those wolves? I’d taken care of two just yesterday.
Rogue shifters usually hunted alone. It was odd for them to move in packs like this.
Could it mean there was an entire rogue pack out there?
That would explain the strange energy in this place, the growing unrest I could sense.
And then, of course, there was the dragon—the real reason I was out here in the first place. I hadn’t forgotten about it.
I knew it was still out there, lurking, watching, waiting for me to make my move.
Damn it. I broke into a jog, moving faster now, my senses fully alert.
The forest was vast, and Blake wasn’t in any condition to fight off a pack of rogue wolves, let alone a dragon.
He might be a hunter, but without his weapons and fully healed injuries, he was vulnerable.
The thought of those creatures finding him first made my heart pound harder.
