Chapter 17: Blood Baptism.
Elias stepped through the barrier as it rippled slightly around him.
Without any hesitation, he charged forward. His feet pounded the ground with a force that even surprised him. The sudden burst of speed nearly threw him off balance—his body tilted forward too much, and his right foot almost missed its step.
"Shit—!"
He had badly underestimated how fast he was. Gritting his teeth, he quickly began to adjust, leaning into the momentum, arms pumping in rhythm as he tried to regain control. Thankfully, he didn’t fall flat on his face. The adrenaline rushing through his veins burned away the panic. He steadied himself and let out a hard breath.
At that moment, all the Dire Wolves were focused on Vael. Their fury burned bright, aimed completely at the human who had killed their alpha. Their hate was so intense, they didn’t even notice the new threat racing toward them.
But that changed quickly.
As Elias got closer, the Dire Wolf nearest to the dome suddenly stopped growling at Vael and snapped its head toward him.
It saw him.
Its dark yellow eyes widened, and a deep, angry growl rumbled from its throat.
Then—it roared and lunged forward.
Elias caught the movement. His heart leapt to his throat, and a flash of fear gripped his chest as the beast charged straight at him.