Chapter 28
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
SABLE
T he wind rushes past me, colder than it’s ever felt before, and yet all I can focus on is the sheer power of Torin beneath me. I’m clinging to the fur on the back of his neck, feeling the muscle ripple and flex with every leap, every bound. His body moves beneath me like a force of nature, unstoppable and wild, and I’ve never felt anything like this.
The sensation of his sabertooth form moving through the forest is unlike anything I’ve experienced. It’s a rush—one that gets under my skin and makes me laugh, the sound echoing in the night. His paws hit the earth with a thundering force, the power of them vibrating through my legs, my spine, my very core. I feel everything. Every muscle in his body. Every powerful movement. Every pulse of energy that surges through him.
You feel it, don’t you? Torin’s voice comes to me, a low, thrilling whisper in my mind. The power in the forest? It’s alive, Sable. It’s in the trees, the ground, the air we’re breathing. You’re not just on my back—you're part of it now.
The wind is rushing past us in a blur, but his words cut through it, slow and deliberate. I feel the hum of his voice deep inside me, vibrating in my chest, as if his words are an extension of the rhythm of his heartbeat.
The trees blur past us, the moonlight flickering through the canopy above like a pulse of light that can’t keep up with the pace. The rush is almost intoxicating, and for the first time in so long, I feel something other than the constant weight of the past. I feel… free.
You’ve never felt anything like this before, have you?
His words tease me, but there’s something deeper behind them. He’s right. I’ve never felt this alive. Not like this. There’s an electric charge in the air, a sense of wild abandon that makes everything else seem distant and insignificant. The pull of the earth beneath us, the sky above—it’s all wrapped up in this singular moment, this bond between us.
“No,” I say out loud, my voice almost breathless, as if the wind has stolen my words. “I haven’t. I’ve never felt like this.”
It’s the rush, Torin says, his voice a low, feral growl that vibrates against my skin. The rawness of the forest. The hunt. The power. It gets in your blood. Makes you feel alive. And when you're alive like this, nothing else matters. No rules. No cages. Just freedom.
I laugh, the sound escaping me before I can stop it, loud and unrestrained. I can’t remember the last time I laughed like this. Not a hollow laugh, not one born out of frustration or anger. This is real. This is pure joy, and I feel it spilling out of me with every leap he takes. The sensation of his muscles stretching, his body moving with a fluidity I’ve never felt before, is exhilarating.
It’s like a dam breaking.
I can’t help but laugh again, my fingers gripping the fur of his neck tighter as we move faster, faster, like we’re both chasing something impossible. Every breath I take is filled with exhilaration, the night air sharp against my skin, but it’s nothing compared to the rush of being on his back, the pounding of his feet like thunder beneath us.
You like it, don’t you? Torin’s voice is teasing now, but there’s an edge of satisfaction in it. You can feel it. The freedom. The power. You’re not bound to anything anymore.
I let out a breathless, almost reckless laugh, my voice loud in the silence of the forest. “Yes,” I say, the word tumbling from my lips. “I feel it. I feel it all, Torin.”
Good. Because this is what it feels like to truly be alive. You’ll never get this from anyone else. Not the way I can give it to you.
His words make something stir deep inside me. It’s not just the rush of the chase or the forest, or even his power beneath me—it’s the way he makes me feel like I’m not a prisoner of my past, like I’m not some weapon to be used. Here, with him, I’m just... alive.
This is your true self, Sable. Don’t ever forget it.
I don’t know how to answer him, how to capture what’s swirling inside me. So I just laugh again, the sound bubbling up from my chest like it’s too much to hold in.
It feels like the world has stopped, and in this moment, it’s just us—the power of his form beneath me, the rush of the forest, and the exhilaration of being free. For the first time in so long, I’m not thinking about the Trials, or what’s coming next. I’m not thinking about anything but the now.
For the first time in so long, I feel… alive.
Then, suddenly, Torin slows, the force of his movement tapering, his body easing into a less frenzied pace. My laughter dies in my throat, replaced by a flicker of confusion. I clutch tighter at the fur on his neck, trying to steady myself as he slows even further .
I lean forward, my breath catching, a little edge of concern seeping into me. “What’s wrong?” I ask, my voice tense, though I can feel the curiosity curling at the edges of my words.
He doesn’t answer right away, his body slowing further, his muscles tensing under me. Finally, his voice pushes through my mind, low and quiet. Someone’s approaching. A human.
I raise an eyebrow, the tension creeping back into my body. I slide off his back, stepping lightly into the snow, though I feel his presence like a shadow just behind me. “What about you?” I ask, glancing back at him.
Torin turns his head toward me, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "I’ll cloak myself,” he voices casually. “Humans aren’t smart enough to see past magic. At least, not most of them.”
I glance over at the approaching figure, hearing the crunch of footsteps in the snow. But then Torin adds something that stops me in my tracks.
“Well, except for you.”
I swallow hard, his words hitting me like a jolt of electricity. My pulse quickens, and for a moment, I can’t help but wonder—what does he mean by that? Why can I see past the magic? Why does it feel like I’m not as out of place in this world as I thought?
Before I can ask him anything else, the figure is closer, and I recognize him instantly.
Varek.
My stomach lurches. The sight of him pulls at something deep inside me, a mix of old memories and unresolved tension. He’s one of the few I’ve hunted with, back when everything was simpler, when I was one of them, when hunting warlocks felt like the only thing that mattered. Varek was good. He was lethal. We used to make a hell of a team, until… well, until everything started changing .
There’s a part of me that wants to bolt.
I could leave with him. It’s that simple. I could turn on my heel, follow him into the woods, and escape all of this— all of them . The men, the power, the lives they’re making me live. I could just run away with Varek and go back to the life I used to know. No more confusion, no more testing myself, no more trying to figure out what this strange pull toward Torin is. I could leave it all behind. He’s right there, close enough to touch, and the door to escape is open, ready for me to walk through.
I look at him again, and the old ache stirs inside me. There’s a sharpness to his jaw, a fire in his eyes. He hasn’t changed—he’s still that man I remember, the one I trusted, the one I knew could get me out of any bad situation. This world with Torin and his brothers, this place where everything’s shifting beneath my feet, doesn’t feel as solid. But Varek? Varek feels like home. I know him. I don’t need to second guess him. He’s the path back to safety. The path back to the world I understand.
The temptation to take that path is so strong, it feels like I could reach out and grab it.
I could leave. I should leave.
But wait...
The thought comes unbidden, like a whisper at the back of my mind. Maybe I don’t want to leave. Not completely. Not yet.
I glance around, but it’s more than just the physical space around me. It’s Torin, standing in the shadows. I can feel him there, even though I can’t see him. He’s watching, waiting, like he always does. His presence pulls at me in ways I can’t explain. His power. His magic. The raw, untamed feeling of him—like nothing in this world is beyond his reach.
The idea of leaving this, of running back into the world I used to know, suddenly feels wrong. Not because of Varek, but because of what I’ve found here. I’ve felt something I’ve never felt before— alive . I’ve felt the rush of power, the connection, the way everything seems to make sense when I’m near them. The way I can feel the power inside me.
Is that why you can’t leave? A small voice in my head asks. Because of the magic? The power?
I can’t deny it. There’s something about this world—the chaos, the fire, the sheer unpredictability—that makes me feel like I’m finally seeing the world as it really is. It’s terrifying, but it’s also liberating. I don’t have to hide. I don’t have to pretend I’m someone I’m not. For the first time, I’m not just surviving . I’m living.
And then there's the other part of me—the part that’s always been in control. The part that survived on instinct, on strength, on being the one who knew how to navigate the dark. Varek fits into that world perfectly. The old world. The world where I took an oath to hunt warlocks and avenge my family.
But now? This new world, this new life, it’s pulling at me in ways I can’t ignore. I’m not just a hunter anymore. I’m something more.
Maybe that’s why you’re still here.
I stare at Varek again, his confident smirk only reminding me of the life I thought I wanted. The life I left behind. The part of me that wants to run screams louder than I care to admit. But even as I think about escaping, I feel that tug toward the future I can’t yet see but feel deep in my bones.
What am I running from, really?
Varek’s presence, as comforting as it is, suddenly feels distant. It’s like I’ve outgrown it, like I’ve evolved past it. The life I had with him doesn’t make sense anymore. It’s not enough. It was never enough. Not when there’s this pull—this untapped power inside of me, ready to surface. Not when I have a chance to understand it.
I look at Varek, the man who represents everything I once was, everything I thought I wanted. And I realize, with a sick twist in my stomach, that it’s not the answer anymore. I’m not that person. I’m not the one who runs anymore.
But then, why do I feel like I’m standing on the edge of something I can’t control?
I don’t want to leave with him, not really. But I don’t want to stay in this world where I'm some prisoner, either.
I feel like I’m trapped between two lives, between two paths, and I can’t figure out which one to choose.
I can’t go back.
Can I?
Varek’s smile falters just slightly, like he can feel the shift in me. Maybe he’s already figured out what I’m thinking, what I’m feeling. But I can’t go back. Not to that life. Not when I’m beginning to understand the power in me, in this world.
I swallow hard, my mind racing. My heart is pounding in my chest. The decision feels too big, too monumental to make. But there’s only one answer now.
I can’t leave. Not yet.
“Take care of yourself, Sable,” Varek says, his voice softer now, like he’s trying to give me an out. But the words feel hollow.
I don’t answer him. I don’t need to. I just watch him walk away, every step feeling like it’s pulling me further from everything I thought I knew.
I can still feel Torin standing behind me, the tension humming in the air, and I finally turn to face him. His eyes are dark, his expression unreadable. He's in his human form.
“Why didn’t you try to escape, kitten?” he asks, his voice low and intense .
I don’t hesitate. The lie comes out before I even have time to think. “I don’t want you to kill him.”
Torin’s lips curl into a smirk, his eyes narrowing like he knows I’m lying. “That’s bullshit, and you know it.” He steps closer, his breath warm against my skin, and I feel his presence overwhelm me. “Why didn’t you leave, Sable?”
I take a step back, unsure of myself. “I don’t know,” I admit, my voice trembling just a little.
"Yes, you do."
How does this man know me so well already? “I don’t feel like I’m ready to leave yet. I want to understand what’s happening inside of me. This… thing. This power.” My fingers twitch at my sides as I try to steady myself. “I want to control it. Use it.”
Torin watches me, his gaze dark and intense. “And what else?”
I take a deep breath, forcing the words out. “Maybe I still want my chance to kill you all from the inside. Maybe that’s what I want.”
His grin widens, that dangerous gleam flickering in his eyes. Without warning, he grabs me, pulling me into him, his body hard and unyielding against mine.
“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”
"That's sort of the plan," I smirk.
Then, without another word, he kisses me hard, the force of it stealing the breath from my lungs as everything else fades away.