Luna Aurora (Alpha Fenrir)

Chapter 262

Elyra stirred awake to the faint crunch of leaves outside their makeshift camp. Her silver hair glinted in the dim light of the dying fire as she sat up, every sense on edge. The stillness of the forest seemed unnatural, as though the very air was holding its breath. A guttural growl shattered the silence.

Shadow-beasts surged from the treeline, their glowing red eyes and jagged forms barely visible in the pre-dawn gloom. Elyra scrambled to her feet, reaching for her dagger as Dain sprang into action beside her.

"Matthew, stay back!" Dain shouted, his voice sharp and commanding.

But Matthew, clutching a thick branch, limped forward to join them, his expression grim. "I'm not sitting this one out."

Dain's movements were raw and instinctive, each strike fueled by a primal drive to protect Elyra. His fists connected with the beasts' shadowy forms, scattering them into plumes of darkness. Elyra, her heart pounding, channeled

lunged for Matthew, its claws aimed for his chest. Elyra's scream tore through the air as Dain intercepted it, the sound of bones cracking

endless, but as the first rays of sunlight pierced the canopy, the remaining beasts retreated, dissolving into the shadows. The clearing was littered with scorch marks and broken branches,

on her feet, exhaustion crashing over her. Dain caught her just before she fell, his arms steady

he whispered, his voice

his hand brushed her cheek. The tenderness in his eyes, the way his thumb lingered near

her resolve firming. "We