Chapter 4

         An hour passed before a sharp intake of breath broke the silence. The girl began to stir.

         A soft groan came from the back seat. Anaya’s eyes snapped open, wide with panic. She sat upright, chest heaving.

        “No… please don’t take me back!” she cried out and grabbed the door handle, trying to jump out of the car.  The sudden movement startled the woman. She slammed on the brakes, the tires squealing against the road, and the car fishtailed wildly, narrowly avoiding the hillside guardrail before she wrestled it to a stop. She turned, her dark eyes flashing. “Hey! Stop......” The woman quickly eased off the gas, one hand steady on the wheel. “It’s okay. You're not going back anywhere.”

         The girl was breathing hard, trapped between instinct and exhaustion.  “I’m just taking you to a hospital,” she said calmly, keeping her voice even. The girl flinched at the word hospital.

         “Please calm down!” she said gently. Anaya was shaking, gasping, half out the door. “You’re safe,” the woman continued softly. “I found you on the road. I’m taking you to someone who can help. He’s a doctor.” Anaya’s entire body tensed. Panic flashed across her face. “A human doctor? No she couldn’t risk that. She couldn’t drag this innocent woman into the chaos that followed her, not when danger still clung to her scent like blood”, she thought.

         “I can’t go to a hospital,” Anaya whispered, her voice raw. “Please… just drop me off near the old cliffs past the eastern pine stretch. I’ll be safe there.” The woman hesitated, narrowing her eyes as if piecing together a puzzle.

        “The cliffs?” she asked, brows rising. “Isn’t that near the Fire Warrior Pack’s border? You want to go to there?”

          Anaya’s eyes widened slightly, shocked. “You… you know about......” Before Anaya could finish her sentence the woman gave a slight nod, a faint smirk curved the woman’s lips, calm and unreadable.

        “Yes,” she said simply, shifting gears. “I know enough.”

         Without another word, the car turned down the winding path toward the Fire Warrior Pack, a name whispered with equal parts fear and awe.

         Anaya leaned back into the seat, exhaustion still clinging to her bones, but her sharp gaze locked onto the woman driving. Questions flooded her aching mind like a dam broken:”Who is she? How does she know about Lycans? Is she a hunter? A spy?”

         Panic flickered through her again, her breath catching. The woman, sensing the tension through the rear view mirror, met her eyes calmly. “Don’t worry,” she said her voice steady but warm. “I work for the Court of Justice. I’m Rudhra; you don't need to worry about getting hurt by me.” The name hit like a thunderclap. Rudhra.

         Anaya blinked, stunned, her thoughts spinning. Her eyes got the glimpse of shining gold ring on Rudhra’s left hand resting casually on the wheel and there it was. The ring.

         A magnificent gold band, coiled into the form of two dragons locked in an eternal embrace, guarding a deep violet stone in the center, a diamond shaped like a dragon’s egg. The detail was breathtaking: the dragons' wings curled protectively around the gem, their eyes tiny glints of fire-forged craftsmanship. The ring shimmered subtly, as though alive, thrumming with old power.

        Anaya’s jaw dropped. “You’re Rudhra,” she breathed. “The Rudhra, from the Great War. Oh my god....”

        She sat forward despite her exhaustion, pointing at the ring. “You fought against the Evil Mother five years ago! The Dragon King gave you his heirloom, this ring when the war ended! I read about it in the archives. I’ve seen your face in the newspapers.”

         Rudhra’s lips tugged into the faintest smile. “And here I thought no one read newspapers anymore.” Anaya’s eyes sparkled now, her voice trembling with admiration. “You’re a hero. You were my role model. I wanted to be just like you, strong, fearless, fighting for justice. I....I can’t believe this is happening.”

          Rudhra chuckled softly, her tone dry but not unkind. “You’re quite the energy pocket, you know that?” she teased. Anaya blushed slightly, grinning despite herself. “Thank you… for saving me.”

         “Don’t mention it, bunny girl. I did what I should”

           That earned a quiet laugh from both of them. For a moment, the weight on Anaya’s chest lifted. She leaned her head back, sighing as if waking from a long nightmare and finally stepping into a dream.

          “You okay?” Rudhra asked, eyes still on the road.

           Anaya nodded slowly. “Just… I used to imagine meeting you. I thought maybe someday I’d fight beside you. I wanted to be strong, prove myself. Be someone everyone proud of. Now… maybe the Fire Warrior Pack will give me that chance. I’ll train. Work hard. Become a warrior. Like you.”

           Rudhra’s fingers tightened slightly on the wheel. “You already are a warrior,” she said, her voice lower, more serious. “Look at yourself. You fought to survive. And you made it this far. That takes more strength than most will ever know.”

           Anaya looked down at her hands, which were scarred, and shaking, her dress torn. Her lips pressed together. Though Rudhra’s words were a balm, the reality of her powerlessness was heavy. She signed heavily with a deep sigh. Maybe Rudhra was right.

           “I’m Anaya; by the way”, she said looking out the window.

            “Good to know”, Rudhra nodded gently.

            Anaya exhaled deeply. Neither of them spoke after that. The road ahead stretched like a ribbon of shadows and moonlight, leading toward the distant, silent borders of the Fire Warrior Pack.

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