CHAPTER 395: HOW IT ENDED

Evaline:

The chill that swept through the clearing was unnatural. It was sharp enough to slice through bone, deep enough to silence every sound in the forest. The faint rustling of leaves stilled, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

I felt it in my veins - that dreadful, paralyzing awareness of danger. It slithered down my spine like cold poison. My heart lurched painfully, and every instinct screamed at me to move, to run, to follow River’s command, but my feet wouldn’t obey. My body felt rooted to the ground.

I watched as River went rigid. His hand clenched into a fist at his side, and his entire body tensed as if ready to strike.

The air thickened, pressing against my chest until it hurt to breathe. I couldn’t see what was there, hidden in the shadows beyond the trees, but I could feel them. Their presence, raw and violent, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"Evaline." River’s voice came out low and sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. He didn’t turn toward me, his eyes fixed ahead. "Go. Leave. Now."

I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. "River, what-"

"Go!" His tone snapped like a whip, deep and desperate. "Find the others. Don’t look back."

The way his voice shook on that last word made my stomach twist. It wasn’t anger. It was fear. Not for himself... for me.

I froze again, torn between instinct and heart. My mind screamed at me to listen, to run, but every part of me refused to leave him behind.

His stance shifted, the air around him crackling with restrained power. His shoulders rose and fell slowly, every muscle tight. "Evaline," he said again, softer this time, yet so heavy with meaning it made my eyes sting. "Please. Just this once."

And that was all it took.

I wasn’t stupid enough to argue. Not when I knew what he was capable of... and what I wasn’t. In any kind of physical fight, I would only get in the way. I didn’t have a wolf. I wasn’t trained like him. I couldn’t fight, couldn’t even defend myself properly. Staying would only put him at risk.

But still...

Instead of turning around and running, I took a trembling step forward. The world seemed to shrink until there was only him and me, standing between the quiet and the storm. I reached out, brushing my fingers lightly against his arm.

"Stay safe," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. "And come back to me quickly."

His jaw tightened, but his hand found mine. He gave my hand a firm squeeze... his silent promise. Then, without looking away from the darkness ahead, he said, "Always."

One breath. Two.

And then I ran.

The instant I turned, the sound of River shifting tore through the air - the crack of bones, the surge of power, the low growl that followed. My heart clenched painfully as the sound of snarling filled the clearing.

Chaos erupted behind me.

Branches whipped against my face and arms as I darted through the trees, the sharp sting of bark scraping my skin. I didn’t dare look back... not until the noise became too loud to ignore.

When I finally glanced over my shoulder, I froze mid-step.

A massive black wolf - too big, too monstrous to be anything but River - was tearing through a cluster of smaller wolves. Their eyes glowed red in the dark, their movements feral and uncoordinated. Rogues.

My stomach dropped.

Though my mates now ruled the Rogue world, there were still some left out there who hadn’t registered under the Rogue community. They were still wild, unbound, the kind that hunted without reason. Outcasts. Killers.

One of them lunged at River, but he moved like pure darkness, faster than thought. His claws ripped through the rogue’s side, sending it tumbling back with a pained yelp.

I stumbled over a root, nearly falling, but caught myself at the last second. I didn’t stop again.

My lungs burned as I ran faster, letting my bonds guide me. I didn’t know where the house was, not from this part of the forest, but I could feel my other mates... faint threads tugging somewhere ahead.

Just follow them, I told myself. Just get to them.

Then I heard it.

A growl. Low. Too close.

The sound of paws thudding against the forest floor made my blood run cold. I didn’t need to look to know that one of them was chasing me.

Panic surged. My feet pounded against the uneven ground, but I was already losing. I couldn’t outrun a werewolf even in human form, let alone one in their wolf form.

My chest heaved, the air sharp and painful in my throat. Branches clawed at my arms, leaving thin lines of blood. My hair snagged on twigs, my legs trembling with every step.

"Come on..." I gasped, forcing myself to move faster. But the forest seemed endless.

Behind me, the sound of pursuit grew louder. Closer.

And then... pain.

A branch caught my arm, tearing through my sleeve and skin. I hissed, stumbling, and before I could regain balance, another branch whipped across my face. My vision blurred. My legs screamed in protest, but I didn’t stop.

Not until my foot caught on something hard.

And I fell.

The world tilted violently, and the next thing I knew, the ground was rushing up to meet me. My palms scraped against the dirt and rock, my body hitting the forest floor hard enough to knock the breath out of me.

For a heartbeat, I couldn’t move. The pain, the exhaustion... everything blurred together.

Then the growl came again.

I turned, my breath catching in my throat.

Through the shadows, glowing red eyes stared back at me.

The rogue stepped into view, its teeth bared, saliva dripping from its maw. Its fur was patchy, its movements unsteady but full of hunger. It was close enough that I could smell the metallic scent of blood on its breath.

My heart pounded so loudly that I could barely hear anything else.

"River..." I whispered, though I knew he couldn’t hear me.

The rogue crouched low, muscles coiling.

And in that split second, as it lunged toward me, I could only think of one thing.

This was how it ended.