CHAPTER 45
Lyria's POV
The forest no longer felt like a place.
It felt like a trap that had already closed.
Lyria stood behind Kael, her hand gripping his sleeve so tightly her fingers ached. The silence that had once warned them was now gone—replaced by something far worse.
Noise.
Movement.
And blood.
The first clash happened so fast she almost missed it.
A guard stepped forward, raising his weapon, but before the strike could land properly, a werewolf moved in a blur of speed. There was a sharp impact, a broken sound of bone and metal, and then the guard was thrown backward into the trees.
Lyria's breath caught. "No…"
Kael did not move yet. His eyes tracked everything at once.
"Stay behind me," he said.
"I am already behind you," she whispered, though her voice was shaking.
Then the real battle began.
---
The vampires moved next.
Not in panic—but in formation.
They were trained.
They were strong.
But the werewolves were faster.
A vampire guard lunged forward, striking one of the creatures across the shoulder. The impact made the werewolf stagger—but only for a moment.
Then it turned.
And struck back.
A bite landed on the guard's arm.
Lyria saw it clearly.
The moment the teeth sank in, something changed.
The guard tried to heal immediately—she saw the faint glow of vampire regeneration beginning to activate.
But it stopped halfway.
Just… stopped.
"…Why isn't he healing?" she whispered in horror.
Kael's voice was low beside her. "Their bite interferes with regeneration."
"That is not normal," she said quickly.
"It is not meant to be."
The guard stumbled backward, clutching his arm. The wound was not closing. Instead, it was darkening—spreading in a way that made Lyria's stomach tighten.
"No… heal… heal properly," the guard muttered desperately.
But nothing happened.
Then another werewolf attacked him.
And he fell.
---
The forest became chaos after that.
Vampires fought back fiercely, their strength clear in every strike, every movement, every attempt to hold the line. But the werewolves did not fight like soldiers.
They fought like hunters.
Fast.
Relentless.
Unpredictable.
Another vampire guard swung his blade, managing to cut one of the creatures across the chest. The werewolf howled—but instead of retreating, it became more aggressive.
It moved faster.
And bit down on the guard's shoulder.
Lyria flinched. "Kael… they are not just attacking, they are… breaking them."
Kael's gaze narrowed slightly. "Yes."
She watched as the guard tried again to heal, pressing his hand over the wound desperately.
Nothing.
No regeneration.
No recovery.
Only blood.
"This is impossible…" she whispered. "Vampires are supposed to heal."
"They still do," Kael said quietly, "just not from their bite."
Another scream echoed through the forest.
Then another.
Vampires began to fall back.
Not because they were weak.
But because they understood.
They could not win this.
A guard ran past them, bleeding heavily from his side. "Retreat! Fall back to the kingdom!"
But the forest was too deep.
Too wide.
Too unfamiliar.
Some tried to escape.
A few succeeded.
Most did not.
Lyria grabbed Kael's arm. "We need to leave too!"
"No," Kael replied immediately.
Her eyes widened. "No?! Kael, people are dying!"
"I am aware."
"That is not an answer!"
"It is the only one that keeps you alive."
That silenced her for a moment.
Because even in chaos—he was still focused only on her.
---
Another wave of movement surged through the trees.
Larger this time.
More coordinated.
The werewolves were not random anymore.
They were surrounding them.
Lyria's voice dropped. "Kael… they are closing in."
"I know," he said.
A vampire guard stumbled toward them, blood pouring from his shoulder. "Your Highness… we cannot hold them… we need—"
He did not finish.
A werewolf hit him from the side.
Silence followed immediately after.
Lyria stepped back slightly, her breathing uneven. "This is not a battle… this is a massacre…"
Kael finally moved.
He stepped forward.
And in that instant, everything around him shifted.
The air felt heavier.
The guards nearby reacted instinctively, adjusting their positions around him.
He was still calm.
But now it was a different kind of calm.
Dangerous.
Controlled.
A werewolf lunged toward them.
Kael moved.
So fast Lyria almost didn't see it.
He struck the creature mid-air and sent it crashing back into the forest.
But even then—
It got back up.
Slowly.
Still alive.
Lyria froze. "They survived that?"
"Yes," Kael said quietly.
"That should not be possible…"
"It is."
Another guard nearby tried to attack, but two werewolves surrounded him instantly. One struck his legs, the other bit into his arm.
The guard screamed—
And then his regeneration failed again.
Lyria covered her mouth. "They are breaking everything…"
"Yes," Kael said.
Now his voice was lower.
Sharper.
Not afraid.
But calculating.
The remaining vampires were retreating now in small groups.
Some deeper into the forest.
Some back toward the kingdom.
Only a few stayed.
And fewer still survived.
Lyria watched as another guard fell, unable to heal his wound, and she finally understood the truth of this battlefield.
It was not about strength.
It was about survival mechanics.
And the werewolves had an advantage no one expected.
Kael turned slightly toward her.
"Stay close," he said.
"I am trying," she whispered.
Another howl echoed.
Closer than before.
Lyria's hand tightened on him. "Kael… we are losing them…"
"I know."
"And you're hurt too," she added quickly, noticing the blood on his arm.
"I said I am fine."
"You are not fine!"
But he did not respond.
Because another wave of attackers was already coming.
And this time—
The forest was no longer holding back.
It was finishing the hunt.