BloodMoon: Captivated by the Forbidden Lycan Alpha
Chapter 156: HIDING IN THE SHADOWS

Chapter 156: HIDING IN THE SHADOWS

{" Loyalty, like an anchor, holds firm through any storm." }

The air outside hit me like a punch: cold, sharp, and unforgiving. The weight of the mountain still hung on my shoulders, the dark power I had unleashed in the depths pressing against my chest, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. The wind howled across the craggy stones, carrying with it the smell of salt and something else, a hint of blood, fresh and musky. It made my stomach churn, but I pushed it down. There was no time to dwell on what had happened inside that mountain. There was no time to waste on the evil that might still be lurking in the shadows.

My eyes scanned the horizon, the horizon where the world seemed to tear itself apart. And then, in the distance, I saw them.

Rolan.

His massive form stood out against the bleak backdrop of the rocky shoreline, his fur glistening with the sheen of sweat and blood. His Rogourau beast form was a hulking creature, a beast of terror and power, with eyes that burned like molten gold. The air around him seemed to crackle with wild, untamed energy. He was a predator, moving with such grace and ferocity that the earth beneath him seemed to shudder.

And on his back, Dante slumped and unconscious, his pale form limp against the shifter’s broad shoulders. Rolan’s muscles flexed with each step, his body trembling under the weight of Dante, yet he kept moving. There was a raw urgency in his movements, a desperation that pulled at me, gnawing at the edges of my resolve.

I shifted back into my human form and then quickened my pace, feeling the power of Kayne still thrumming in my blood, burning beneath my skin. I moved toward the rocky shoreline, the sharp edges of stone cutting into my boots, feeling the salt of the sea bite at my face. The deeper I walked, the further I got from the mountain, and the clearer the horizon became.

Rolan turned slightly, his golden eyes catching mine. There was something in them, something fierce, something protective. He wasn’t just carrying Dante. He was guarding him. Protecting him from what came behind, Rolan shifted, his gaze hardening as he turned his head back toward the path ahead, eyes scanning the landscape, alert, every muscle coiled tight.

"Don’t stop," I whispered under my breath, and I pushed forward, my pace quickening as I followed them, moving toward the distant, stormy see,a and then we got into the deep forest of Bloodstone mountain.

I moved faster now, my boots skimming over the uneven ground as I neared Rolan. His hulking form was a blur ahead of me, shifting slowly, his muscles rippling and contorting with the agonizing effort of changing back. The air around him seemed to tremble with the strain as if the beast inside him was reluctant to give up its hold on his body.

I was close enough now, close enough to see the sweat glistening on his skin, the way his face twisted in pain as his bones cracked and reformed. I slowed my steps, watching, my breath steadying as I prepared myself. The last thing we needed was for him to lose control in his human form. Not when Dante’s life hung in the balance. I finally caught up to him just as his large form shrank, his towering height reducing to something more familiar, more human. His golden eyes flickered, the last traces of the beast’s fury still lingering in their depths, but he saw me, recognized me, and gave a sharp nod.

"Help me," he grunted, voice rough from the shift, but there was no time for pleasantries. His gaze dropped to Dante, still unconscious, limp in his arms. He was no longer the beast that could carry Dante through battle; he was just a man, battered and exhausted, his muscles trembling under the weight.

I stepped forward without a word, my hand on Dante’s shoulder, steadying him as Rolan gently lowered him to the ground. The meadow ahead was untouched, a hidden clearing deep in the forest, surrounded by tall trees whose canopies shielded us from the world. The air here was thick with the scent of damp earth and wildflowers, the kind of place that felt... safe. For now.

As Rolan set Dante down, I noticed the exhaustion on his face, the weight of responsibility pressing on him. He glanced up at me, his golden eyes hard and sharp, but there was a flicker of something softer there, something vulnerable.

"Is he...?" I began, but Rolan’s eyes told me everything. Dante was alive, yes, but barely.

"For now," Rolan growled under his breath, kneeling beside Dante, his massive hand gently brushing back the blood-soaked hair from the Elder’s pale face. I crouched next to them, the dirt cools beneath my fingers as I surveyed the scene. There was nothing we could do for him here—not without risking our own lives. I knew that the evil would alert Lord Marcel, and the royal guards would come after us.

I turned my gaze to Rolan, my expression hardening. "We can’t stay. Not here. The evil will be drawn to this place."

Rolan nodded, his breath ragged as he adjusted himself, his body still not fully recovered from the shift. "I know." His voice was strained, but there was determination there.

"You’re not," I said quietly, my voice low but firm. "We’ll keep him safe. We’ll move him further."

Rolan nodded slowly, a flash of gratitude passing through his eyes. Without a word, he picked up Dante, and then we moved. My eyes never left Rolan as he carried Dante, his massive frame bending low, careful not to disturb the branches or create any noise that might give us away. Every step felt like it was too loud, every breath too shallow, but we had no choice. The forest was our only chance.

Dante’s weight, limp in Rolan’s arms, made every movement that much harder. He was barely conscious, his blood staining Rolan’s skin, his breathing shallow and ragged. I wanted to scream in frustration, to tear through the forest, but the guards would be here soon, and any sound, any misstep would be the end of us. I pressed my back to the rough bark of a tree, my senses stretched to their breaking point. The air was thick with the scent of pine and earth, but there was something else- no, something acrid in the air. The unmistakable scent of metal, of steel, of weapons.

The royal guards. They were getting closer. I could feel it in my bones, the thrum of danger, the suffocating certainty that we were being hunted. Rolan lowered Dante carefully to the ground beneath the cover of thick foliage, his face taut with worry. His golden eyes flicked to me, sharp with urgency.

"We need to move him farther," he muttered, his voice low, just above a whisper.

I shook my head, holding up a hand. "We can’t risk it. We must stay hidden."

The sound of boots crunching through dry leaves echoed from the distance, and my heart skipped. Too close. My eyes darted toward Rolan. He was already shifting his weight, preparing to rise, but I caught his arm.

"Wait." My voice was barely audible, but it was enough. Rolan’s eyes met mine, a flicker of understanding passing between us. We were on the edge, teetering between survival and exposure.

I pressed a finger to my lips, urging him to stay still. I closed my eyes for a moment, focusing on the sounds around us, the distant calls of animals in the night, the wind moving through the branches. Nothing. But the guards were coming. Their heavy boots, the metallic clink of armor those sounds cut through the silence, getting closer with each passing second.

"Keep him quiet," I whispered urgently, my gaze shifting to Dantewho was still unconscious. "We must wait. If they find us here, we’ll be dead before we even see them."

Rolan nodded, crouching low beside Dante, his form almost swallowed by the shadows. He glanced at me once more before lowering his head, making sure to keep his presence as minimal as possible. His Rogourau instincts were strong, his sense of danger heightened beyond anything I could comprehend. But even he couldn’t stop the royal guards if they found us.

I could hear them now, their voices muffled and distant but getting closer with every heartbeat. They were splitting up, searching in a systematic, almost ruthless way. They’d scour every inch of the forest, looking for the scent of blood, for any sign of our trail. I cursed under my breath, forcing my pulse to steady. We were running out of time. I glanced at Rolan again, a silent command passing between us. I shifted slowly, positioning myself deeper into the shadows. The further back we went, the less likely we were to be found, but there was a risk in every movement.

And then, I heard it, the unmistakable sound of metal scraping against stone, a guard’s voice calling out in the distance. "Search the area. He’s not far." I held my breath. This was it. If they came this way, if they noticed even the smallest trace of our presence, we were finished. I couldn’t let that happen. Not now, not when we were so close to safety.

I looked to Rolan, eyes locked in silent communication. He was still, his golden eyes scanning the surrounding forest like a predator in waiting, his body tense with the need to spring into action. The rustling grew louder, closer. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, every instinct screaming at me to move, to run, but I couldn’t. I had to stay still. Had to stay silent.

And then, just as the first of the guards broke through the trees, I felt a slight shift in the air—an almost imperceptible moment of stillness, a pause in the forest. I didn’t know if it was luck or something more, but for a heartbeat, the guards hesitated, turning away. The moment passed, and they moved on. Their steps faded into the distance, a nd then when I turned around, Ma stood there, looking fierce, and I realized that it was her powers that had made the guards turn back.

"What happened?"