Torn Between Destinies

Chapter 21: Chapter Twenty One

The wind bit at my face as we ran. Aira clutched Kiani’s hand, pulling her close, her eyes wide with panic. We could hear them behind us—John’s men. Loud voices. Heavy boots. Shotguns cocking.

"This way!" I shouted over my shoulder, guiding them off the dirt path and into the trees. I knew the way to the portal. The Seer had shown me. It was hidden, shielded by magic and forest. But we had to get there before it was too late.

Kiani stumbled, falling to her knees. "Mama!"

Aira picked her up without a word and kept running, her breath ragged, arms trembling. I slowed down to help, gripping Kiani’s small hand.

"Are they close?" Aira asked, her voice shaking.

I sniffed the air. "Yes. Too close."

I could hear them shouting.

"Find the witch! Find the girl!"

They didn’t even care about Kiani. They only cared about Aira. About control.

And they hated me. I’d shown them something they didn’t understand. My claws. My strength. My growl.

My wolf.

We ducked behind a fallen log, hearts pounding. I pressed a finger to my lips. "Quiet."

The men passed nearby. One of them stopped. My breath caught.

"I swear I saw them come this way," he said.

"Keep moving. We’ll catch them."

They continued on. I waited ten more seconds, then stood. "Let’s go."

We moved fast, staying low, ducking through branches and leaves. The night was dark. The moon high. My senses were still dulled—I hadn’t fully regained my wolf—but I felt stronger now than I had in days. I was protecting them. That gave me power.

"We’re almost there," I said.

"How far?" Aira asked.

"Just past that ridge."

Kiani whimpered. "My feet hurt."

"We’re going home," I said softly. "Real home. Just a little more, okay?"

She nodded, eyes full of trust. It made my chest ache.

We climbed the slope. Vines clung to our legs. Aira gasped. Her arm bled from a scratch.

Then I saw it. The portal. It shimmered in the air like heat above fire, hidden in a ring of twisted trees.

"There!" I pointed.

Aira stopped in her tracks, staring. "Is that—?"

"Yes. It’s how we get back to Thornridge."

She hesitated. "What if it’s a trap?"

"It’s not. I swear. This is the only way. The Seer helped me find it."

We ran toward it.

Then—

A gunshot cracked the night.

I screamed, pushing Kiani to the ground. Aira ducked behind a tree.

"They’re here!" I shouted. "Go! Run!"

Aira picked up Kiani again and ran toward the portal.

Another shot. It grazed my shoulder. Pain ripped through me.

I turned. Four men stepped into the clearing. John wasn’t among them—but I knew he’d sent them. And they were armed.

"Give us the woman," one said, raising his gun. "She belongs to John."

"She doesn’t belong to anyone," I growled.

They didn’t listen.

I stepped in front of the portal, blocking the way. "She’s going through. And you’re not stopping us."

"You some kind of freak?" another asked, sneering.

"I’m her daughter."

They laughed. "Then you’re a freak too."

My blood boiled.

I felt it rise inside me. The wolf.

I let it come.

My nails grew longer. My eyes burned gold. My skin heated as power filled my limbs.

I roared, loud enough to shake the trees.

Two of the men froze.

The third raised his gun again, but I was faster.

I leapt, slamming into him. The gun flew from his hand. I pinned him to the ground, teeth bared.

"Don’t touch my family," I hissed.

He stared at me, terrified.

The others ran.

The fourth shot wildly, then fled with the rest, crashing into the forest.

I stepped back, letting the wounded man crawl away.

I turned. Aira stood frozen, holding Kiani, her mouth open.

"You..." she whispered.

I nodded. "I told you. I’m your daughter. I’m not just beast. I’m yours. And I’m here to take you home."

She slowly walked toward me, her lips trembling. "You saved us."

"I’ll always save you."

She touched my cheek. "I believe you now."

I turned to the portal. "We don’t have much time. They’ll be back."

"Will it hurt?" Kiani asked softly.

"No, sweet girl. Just hold Mama’s hand."

I held out mine.

Aira took it.

Together, we stepped into the light.

It was like diving into warm water. The air shimmered around us. The wind roared. My skin tingled. I heard a howl—distant, familiar. My wolf calling home.

Then everything shifted.

The forest disappeared.

We landed on soft earth. Moonlight filtered through silver trees. The stars above us were brighter, closer. The air smelled different. Wilder.

Thornridge.

We had made it.

Kiani looked around, eyes wide. "Where are we?"

"Home," I whispered.

Aira fell to her knees, tears falling. "I remember this place."

I helped her up. "You’re safe now."

"I thought I’d never see it again."

"You don’t have to run anymore."

Suddenly, a shape appeared in the trees.

I tensed—then relaxed.

It was the Seer.

She nodded at me. "You kept your promise."

"I did."

Her eyes landed on Aira. "And now... it is time for hers."

Aira straightened. "What do you mean?"

"You must be bound to this land, if you wish to stay. The ritual Nefang once tried to perform—you must complete it."

Aira looked at me. "Will it change me?"

"Yes," the Seer said. "It will make you one of us. Fully."

Aira looked down at Kiani. Then at me.

"Do it," she said. "I want to stay with my daughters."

I smiled through my tears. "Then we begin."

The Seer stepped forward.

And under the light of the Thornridge moon, the ritual began.