CHAPTER 2 BEGINING

LIAM POV

My eyes darted across the scene, searching for clues, for answers. Who could have done this? What kind of monster had the strength, the brutality, to decimate my warriors so completely?

And then I caught a scent, faint but unmistakable. The stench of magic, dark and insidious, permeating the air like a stain on the soul.

A witch.

The thought sent a jolt of anger through me, a fire that burned away the despair. This was no ordinary witch, no mere dabbler in the dark arts.

I pushed myself to my feet, my gaze scanning the area with renewed vigor. Whoever had done this was powerful, deadly, and they were still out there, somewhere in the shadows.

I started moving, every instinct on high alert. The hunt was on.

The forest seemed to close in around me, the trees casting their gnarled shadows across my path. I heard the rustle of leaves, the creak of branches, the whisper of unseen creatures.

And then, a flash of movement caught my eye.

Something was there, lurking in the darkness.

As the person stepped out from the shadows, I saw her fully for the first time. She was stunning, in a haunting, unearthly way. Her dark hair framed her face like a curtain of night, her porcelain skin luminous in the moonlight. Her eyes, like pools of amber, were as fathomless as the depths of the forest itself.

She didn't see me at first, her gaze fixed on the scene before her. But as she turned, her eyes met mine. She froze, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.

I realized then that she hadn't seen me, hadn't sensed my presence until that moment. A witch, I thought, and a powerful one at that, if she could elude my senses so easily.

And yet, there was something more to her, a vulnerability that belied her beauty and power.

She took a step forward, and I felt myself tense, ready to defend myself if need be.

"What brings you here,?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

I scoffed at the suggestion. "I'm no killer of innocents," I said, my voice cold and hard.

"Then we are alike in that," she replied, her expression unreadable. "For I am no killer either, not of innocents."

I raised an eyebrow, skeptical of her words

"Why did you kill my people ?" i asked her with anger in my eyes 

 she looked at me with barely any emotion showing on her beautiful face 

" You were here long before i arrived ? she said

She took a step forward, her amber eyes meeting mine. "You're not one of them," she whispered, her voice a low hum in the night.

I said nothing, my eyes fixed on hers. She was right. I had arrived moments before her, the stench of death and dark magic still heavy in the air. I was no werewolf that was true maybe i had a wolf but deep down i know what I am 

"What brings you here, witch?" I asked, my voice low and dangerous. "Have you come to revel in the slaughter?"

Her eyes narrowed. "You insult me," she said, her words crisp as a winter's day. "I am no killer, and I take no pleasure in the loss of life, werewolf or otherwise. I seek the one responsible for this, just as you do."

I scrutinized her face, searching for any trace of deception. She met my gaze without wavering, her expression as still as a winter lake.

"And who is this one you seek?" I repeated, curious despite myself.

"His name is Julian," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper.