Only For The Brave

Chapter 32

Thad had been tracking the creature for weeks, pushing himself to the limits of exhaustion.

During the day, he explored the dense forest as a wolf, relying on his sense of sight.

His wolf form was striking-a pitch-black coat with a touch of white on both ears.

Those features are the only signs of vulnerability in his imposing appearance.
As night fell, Thad transformed back into his human form.

His eyes scanned the forest floor, looking for signs invisible to the untrained eye.

Broken twigs, faint footprints in the trees, and the foul scent wafting through the air were clues he carefully gathered.

This night was no different. Moonlight penetrated the canopy of leaves, casting a glow on the forest floor. Thad moved silently, all his senses seemed to be on a high alert.

He knelt at the edge of the river, probing the ground for fresh tracks. There, in the mud, he found partial footprints - larger than any wolf's, but unmistakable, they were wolf footprints.

"This is it," he muttered to himself. He stood up, his body tensed and got ready for action.

Shifting back into his wolf form, he resumed the chase, his nose close to the ground, following the faint scent trail.

The creature was cunning, its trail often leading to dead ends or through dangerous terrain.

But Thad was relentless.

He navigated through thorny bushes and across icy rivers, his claws barely made a sound on the forest floor.

The deeper he explored, the stronger his scent became, mingled with something dark and unearthly.

At noon, it returned to human form to rest and acclimatize. Sitting on a fallen log, Thad rubbed his tired eyes and stretched his aching muscles.

The forest was silent, the usual chirping of birds and insects had fallen silent, as if they too sensed the lurking danger.

He took out a small map from his bag, marking the areas he had explored.

The map was full of intricate details-every rock, river, and clearing was noted. Thad knew he was close. He could feel it in his bones.

As dusk approached, he shifted once more, his wolf senses picked up the trail.

He moved quickly, weaving between the trees with the grace and speed of a predator.

The scent grew stronger, more pungent.

He reached a small clearing and stopped, his ears twitched as he heard a faint sound.

There it was-the cave entrance, barely visible behind a curtain of vines. The scent was overpowering now, filling his nostrils with decay and something more sharper.

Thad transformed back into a human, standing in the doorway of the cave.

He knew he had to warn Karina, that whatever she was planning was not a confrontation he could face alone. He scanned his surroundings carefully, memorizing every detail.

With one last look into the darkness of the cave, Thad turned and ran back into the forest, his mind consumed by what he had found.

Yet Karina didn't care at all when he told her how dangerous the creature was.

Although Karina's bravery was one of the things that made her look attractive in his eyes, recklessness would not be tolerated.

"Take me there, Thad," she said yesterday.

That paced restlessly inside his small log cabin at the edge of the forest. The light from the fireplace cast shadows on the walls, but not enough to warm the dilapidated cabin.

He was the last of the Kilead tribe, werewolves renowned as legendary hunters. Her people had been wiped out by a mysterious plague, leaving her orphaned and alone at the age of 10.

Kahn, the alpha Mond, took her into their territory. He was raised together by the mother wolves, and Mond eventually became his new home.

Thad has long harbored admiration for Karina, but she only has eyes for Karyan, Kahn's son.

However, when Karina sought him out and tasked him with finding the lair of a monstrous creature in the middle of their forest, he agreed.

"What are you looking for?" she ventured to ask.

"That's my business," Karina replied curtly.

Thad accepted the task. It was a rare opportunity to spend time with Karina, to prove himself in her eyes. His unique tracking skills, inherited from his Kilead heritage, would be put to the test.

However, he soon realized that the creature possessed a form of dark magic, which could sense the arrival of even the most skilled hunter.

"I will not take you," he said. "That thing is not something to talk to. It's wild and vicious."

"Haven't you heard that that thing used to be a werewolf like us? I'm sure there are still remnants of that in him."

“If there were any remnants of his former consciousness, he wouldn’t have attacked people so blindly,” Thad said.

“Her attack pattern is that of a wild animal. She should have sought me out and attacked me, because I was the one who might have disturbed her. No, Karina. I’m not taking you there.” Thad walked away.

***
But Karina was not someone who could be refused. That night, a single knock on his cabin door and Karina stood there with an annoyed expression.

She entered without waiting for an invitation.

"You are truly impolite, Thad," she snapped. She immediately sat in the only chair in the room. Her black hair glistened in the moonlight streaming through the window.

Thad sighed and closed the door behind him. "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" Karina retorted. "I want you to take me to that creature's lair!"

"That's the same as signing your death warrant," Thad replied. "Have you not seen how many people have been attacked by that creature, and one of them died?"

"That's your fault," Karina shot back. "You weren't careful."

"Oh really?" Thad glared, offended. "You gave me the impression that you knew the creature. Who is he? You should also know that he possesses magic. And you should have warned me."

"I didn't know he had magic," she countered. "Besides, I don't have to tell you my reasons. You just need to help me."

Thad shook his head. "I won't help you anymore."

"Come on, Thad." Karina got up from her chair. She approached Thad, who stood stiffly by the door. "You just have to take me there, then leave if you're scared. I give you permission to abandon me."

Thad looked at Karina with disgust. "Do you think I'm that much of a coward?"

"No. You're not." Karina extended her hand, caressing Thad's face. "I never thought you were a coward..." Her face moved closer to Thad's, her lips touched his ear. "That's why...." she whispered. "Take me there, Thad..."

Karina's hand began to move to Thad's chest, touching, caressing... but Thad stopped her hand, his face turned grim as he said, "I'll take you, but I won't leave you."

Karina's smile bloomed. "I knew you wouldn't."

***