Chapter 2 The Bloodbound's Howl

• The wind whipped through the trees as Lyra and Kylan ran deeper into the forest, the chilling howls of the Bloodbound echoing in the distance. The trees seemed to close in around them, their gnarled branches like skeletal hands reaching out from the shadows. Lyra's heart beat fast, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she struggled to keep up with Kylan's relentless pace.
• “Where are we going?” she called out between breaths.
• “To safety,” Kylan replied, his voice low and urgent. “There's a place where the Bloodbound can’t follow, but we have to get there before the moon rises higher.”
• Lyra wanted to press him for more answers—about the curse, about her brother—but the sound of something crashing through the underbrush behind them pushed all other thoughts aside. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes widening as she caught a glimpse of the massive black wolf from the clearing, its glowing eyes locked on her.
• “Faster!” Kylan urged, pulling her forward.
• The forest floor was uneven, covered in roots and fallen branches, but Lyra forced herself to move faster, her legs burning with the effort. She could feel the weight of the wolf's presence behind her, the air thick with its predatory hunger.
• The howl came again, louder this time, closer. It sent a shiver down her spine, filling her with a primal fear she couldn’t shake. It wasn’t just the sound of a beast—it was the sound of something old, something cursed, something that had waited centuries for this moment.
• Kylan suddenly veered to the left, yanking Lyra off the main path. They plunged into a thick patch of trees, their branches scraping at her skin and clothes as they ran through. Ahead, Lyra could see a break in the trees, a small clearing bathed in the pale light of the rising moon.
• “We’re almost there!” Kylan shouted over his shoulder.
• Lyra's muscles ached, and her lungs burned with every breath, but she didn’t slow down. The wolf’s growls were growing closer, and she knew if they didn’t reach safety soon, there would be no escaping it.
• Finally, they burst into the clearing, and Kylan came to an abrupt stop. Lyra stumbled to a halt beside him, her eyes darting around as she tried to catch her breath.
• The clearing was small, barely large enough to fit them both comfortably, and at its center stood an ancient stone circle, the stones towering above them like silent sentinels. The air inside the circle felt different—lighter, somehow—like the oppressive weight of the forest couldn’t touch them here.
• “What is this place?” Lyra asked, her voice barely a whisper.
• “It’s a sanctuary,” Kylan said, his chest rising and falling with quick breaths. “The stones were placed here long before the curse. The Bloodbound can’t cross the circle. They can’t touch the ancient magic that protects this place.”
• Lyra looked at the stones more closely, noticing the intricate carvings etched into their surfaces—symbols that reminded her of the ones she’d seen on the altar. “Is this where the curse started?”
• Kylan shook his head. “No. But it’s connected. Everything in this forest is connected to the curse in one way or another.”
• Before Lyra could ask more, a low growl echoed through the trees, and she spun around to see the black wolf at the edge of the clearing. Its amber eyes blazed with hunger, its massive body tense as it paced back and forth just outside the stone circle. The wolf snarled, baring its sharp teeth, but it didn’t cross the line.
• Lyra's blood ran cold. “It’s still here.”
• “They can’t enter,” Kylan reassured her, though his voice was tight. “As long as we stay inside the circle, we’re safe.”
• But Lyra wasn’t comforted. The wolf's eyes remained locked on hers, and she could feel its fury, its desire to break through the barrier and tear them apart. It was like it knew her—like it was waiting for her.
• “What does it want?” she asked, her voice shaking.
• Kylan didn’t answer immediately, his eyes never leaving the wolf. “It’s not just hunting you. It’s trying to draw you out. The Bloodbound—they sense things. They’re connected to the forest, to the curse. And you…”
• Lyra turned to look at him, confusion knitting her brow. “Me? What about me?”
• Kylan hesitated, his gaze shifting to the ground. “You’re not like the others, Lyra. Your family—your bloodline—it’s tied to the curse in ways you don’t fully understand yet.”
• Lyra's heart skipped a beat. She had always suspected her family was hiding something about their connection to the curse, but hearing it from Kylan—someone who clearly knew more than he was letting on—made her stomach twist in knots.
• “What are you talking about?” she demanded, stepping closer to him. “What do you know about my family? About me?”
• Kylan met her gaze, his expression grim. “The Bloodbound… they were created because of a pact—an ancient betrayal between your ancestors and the spirit of the forest. Your family holds the key to breaking the curse, but it’s also bound to it. That’s why the wolves are after you.”
• Lyra's mind raced as she tried to make sense of what Kylan was saying. A pact? A betrayal? Her family connected to the curse?
• “But my brother…” she stammered. “Ryan. He’s out there. The wolves took him.”
• Kylan's face softened with sympathy. “They didn’t take him, Lyra. He’s becoming one of them.”
• The weight of Kylan's words hit her like a punch to the gut. She staggered back, her breath catching in her throat. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head in denial. “He can’t be. He’s just a kid. He’s—he’s not like them.”
• “The curse doesn’t care about age,” Kylan said quietly. “It’s in your blood. It’s in his blood. The full moon brings out the beast, and once it happens… there’s no going back.”
• Lyra's vision blurred with tears. Ryan, her adventurous little brother—was he really turning into one of the Bloodbound? Could he already be lost to the curse?
• “I can’t let that happen,” she said, her voice trembling but filled with resolve. “There has to be a way to save him.”
• Kylan watched her for a long moment, his eyes filled with something unreadable—pity, perhaps, or regret. “There might be a way,” he said slowly, “but it won’t be easy. And it won’t come without a price.”
• “I don’t care,” Lyra said, wiping away her tears. “Whatever it takes, I’ll do it. I’ll save him.”
• “The full moon’s just beginning,” Kylan said, glancing up at the sky. “We don’t have much time.”
• Lyra looked at the glowing moon above them, its light growing brighter by the minute. She knew the danger they faced—knew that the Bloodbound would not stop hunting her, that Ryan's transformation was already in motion.
• But she had made her decision.
• She would face the curse head-on.
• She promised her brother she would be back, and she would do anything to keep that promise.