Kira did not scream. No, screaming wasn’t going to help her. A shiver of dread skirted down her spine. But she mustered courage and followed the girl, giving nothing away. As the girl led her a few feet, she decided it was time to save herself. She didn’t speak. She didn’t warn. She simply leaned down, opened her mouth, and sank her teeth hard into the flesh of the girl’s hand.

The maid let out a horrific, high-pitched howl—a sound that was far too deep and metallic to be human. Her grip loosened instantly. Kira wrenched her arm free, tasting blood on her tongue. As the girl began to stagger and shift, her bones cracking and her flesh melting into a mass of black shadows, Kira didn’t stay to watch the transformation.

She turned and bolted into the pitch-black woods, the darkness of the trees closing in around her like a shroud.

Meanwhile, once Derek stepped away from the chaos of the banquet hall into the restroom corridors, the haze of his memories finally lifted. The lights had come back on, but the fear in his chest refused to leave. He moved quickly down the restroom corridor, checking every stall again just to be sure. He had to know for a fact that she had not simply fainted or been knocked unconscious in the dark. Empty. All of them.

His jaw tightened. A door at the far end caught his eye. He ran toward it, following the faint trace of Kira’s scent that still lingered in the air. On the floor, a few feet away from the door, lay a pair of heels. He picked them up; they were Kira’s. She must have kicked them off to run.

He dropped them, pushed the door open and stepped into what looked like a small living area. The scent of Kira was stronger here, wrapping around him like a thread. It pulled him forward through the space and straight towards the kitchen beyond.

A single maid stood there, nervously tidying up abandoned pots and spilt food. She jumped when she saw him.

"The Queen," Derek growled, his voice vibrating with a lethal edge. "Did you see Her Highness pass through here?"

The maid trembled, her head dipping low in a submissive bow. "Not at all, Your Grace. I... I just came down to tidy up. Everyone left in such a hurry when the alarm for the Shadow Wolves started. I thought I should clean before..."

Derek did not even bother listening to the rest of her stammering explanation. His focus had already shifted to the back door at the far side of the kitchen. He moved past her and crossed the room in long strides toward the door.

Just as his fingers brushed the doorknob, the sound of cracking bones filled the air.

He turned just in time. The maid who had been standing there seconds ago lunged at him, her body twisting and stretching into a monstrous Umbra form, dark fur, red swirling eyes, jaws wide open.

His reflexes kicked in sharper than thought. He caught the creature mid-air, claws already extended. They sank deep into its chest. The Umbra thrashed, but Derek twisted hard and ripped his hand free, pulling the still-beating heart out with it. Hot blood sprayed across his chest and face, soaking his shirt and dripping down his arms.

The beast collapsed in a heap at his feet.

Derek stood there for half a second, breathing hard, blood dripping from his claws. Then he shoved the back door open and stepped into the cold night air.

The sounds of fighting echoed from the front of the pack house — snarls, crashes, shouts. He stood at the edge of the treeline that led into the woods. Different scents assaulted his nose: fear, blood, nightshades, and damp earth.

He exhaled heavily and spoke inside his head to Leo. I need you to focus. Find her scent. Only hers.

His beast stirred. Derek’s ears perked, nostrils flaring wider as he shut his eyes and concentrated. Other smells faded into the background until the world narrow down to that one familiar thread — jasmine.

When he opened his eyes, the trail was clear.

He took one step forward, ready to run, when two dark shapes exploded from the shadows beside the treeline. The first one slammed into his side with the force of a moving car, knocking him into the dirt. Derek did not waste time shifting; his human form was already bristling with Lycan power. Claws slashed across his arm, tearing through fabric and skin.

Pain flared hot and bright, but Derek twisted with it, using the momentum to grab the creature’s neck. He slammed it down onto the ground hard enough to crack the earth beneath them. Before it could recover, he drove his claws straight through its throat and twisted, ending its life in one moment.

The second Umbra leapt onto his back, jaws clamping down on his shoulder. Sharp teeth sank into his skin. Derek roared in fury, reaching over his shoulder to seize the beast by the scruff. He yanked it forward and over his head, slamming it onto the ground in front of him. The Umbra scrambled to its feet, snarling, and swiped at him again. Its claws caught his left arm this time, opening a deep gash. Blood welled instantly, dripping down his claws.

With a growl that came from deep in his chest, he charged forward, shoulder ramming into the creature’s chest. They crashed together in a tangle of limbs and fury. The Umbra’s claws raked his back, leaving burning lines of fire across his skin, but he pinned it down with his weight. With his free claw, he stabbed the creatures throat thrice. The creature let out a wet gurgle and went still.

Derek rose slowly, chest heaving, blood dripping from both arms. His shirt was torn and soaked red. The deep gashs on his body throbbed with every heartbeat, but the pain only sharpened his focus. He glanced once toward the ongoing fight near the house, then turned his gaze back to the dark woods. He had to find Kira.

Meanwhile, Kira ran through the dark woods, not knowing where she was going. Branches scratched her arms and face. Brambles caught at her torn dress, tearing it further. Her bare feet stung with every step on roots and stones, but she kept running.

Once she spotted another Umbra moving between the trees, she ducked behind a thick trunk and pressed herself flat against the rough bark. She held her breath, praying it would not smell her. The creature passed by, close enough that she could hear its low breathing. When it disappeared into the shadows, she bolted again.

As she ran, she glanced over her shoulder, checking for any sign of pursuit. Nothing but darkness and swaying branches. Relief flickered briefly, but when she turned her head forward again, she crashed straight into a solid chest.

She yelped in fear.

The impact knocked the air from her lungs. Strong arms wrapped around her instantly, steadying her before she could fall. A deep voice rumbled above her head.

"Got you."