The Warrior’s Broken Mate novel Chapter 116

The first light of dawn crept through the cracks in the hut, spilling across the floor in thin, jagged lines that seemed almost alive. Shadows stretched long and sharp, reaching out like fingers trying to pull me back into the darkness I’d barely escaped. The sun was climbing higher, beating down on the land and testing my patience with every passing minute.

I stayed in the doorway, tense, eyes glued to the horizon where the endless plains looked calm and perfect–but I knew better. The air was heavy and quiet, but my instincts screamed that the calm was fake. Danger was out there somewhere, waiting, watching, and I could feel it tracking my every move.

I glanced over at Elias who was still fast asleep and unaware of anything that I was feeling right now. He looked peaceful. I didn’t want to disturb that right now. Not by something that wasn’t even here. Although, he knew not to ignore what I was feeling. No matter how little it was. I still couldn’t bring myself to wake him up and have him deal with this shit along with me.

I started wondering why Arthur and the Ash Queen had never mentioned this sorcerer before. He’s obviously played a big part in everything that’s happened around here, shaping events from the shadows. Even if the Ash Queen claims that she did it, it didn’t feel right. He could be working with her, or maybe he has his own plans that none of us can see. I don’t know. I’ve already learned that there’s only one person in this realm I could truly trust, and he was asleep, only a few feet away from me, unaware of my growing unease.

Hours slipped by, though I wasn’t keeping count. My stomach growled again, louder this time, but I barely noticed. My hands itched to move–to extend my claws, grab an arrow–anything to protect us if the sorcerer’s shadow showed up earlier than expected. The quiet around me felt almost alive, like it was holding its breath.

Then, a flicker at the edge of the plains caught my eye, too deliberate to b a trick. My heart jumped, hammering in my chest as adrenaline surged through me. I froze, muscles tight, hand inching up to signal Elias without a sound. But he was still asleep.

The figure came into view, moving slow but like he knew exactly where he was going. Dust kicked up behind him, but his steps were careful, almost like he was gliding over the dirt. There was something about the way he moved that made my skin crawl. I knew instantly— this wasn’t just a normal person. Danger came in all sorts of forms, but this… this was different.

I slipped outside quietly, staying in the shadow of the doorway. “Who’s there?” I said, keeping my voice steady but low enough not to give myself away.

He stopped and tilted his head, staring at the hut. Didn’t say a word, but I could feel the chill of him, creeping around me like smoke. My claws itched, my heart was racing–but I didn’t move. One wrong step and it could be over.

Then, like it was nothing, he spoke. “I’ve been looking for you.”

A shiver ran through my bond with Elias, a silent warning that this was way closer than I thought. Even without looking back, I knew he was awake, ready to jump at a moment’s notice.

“You’ve been meddling in things far beyond your understanding,” the man continued, moving closer. Each step was precise. “And yet… here you are. So predictable.”

I clenched my fists, holding back a growl. “We’re not afraid of you.” My voice shook slightly, betraying the tension in my chest. He knew how to put fear into someone without touching them.

A smirk curved his lips. “Fear isn’t my tool. Patience is. Observation. And when the time comes…” His eyes flicked toward the horizon, where the remnants of the shadow storm lingered like a warning, “…everything you’ve built, everything you think you protect, will fall.”

I nodded, trying to push down the fear that stuck to me like the shadow that just disappeared in front of me. My quiver felt lighter–not because I had fewer arrows, but because of what was coming. This hunt wasn’t just about staying alive anymore. It was about getting even.

I took one last look across the plains, feeling the pull of something unknown. The sorcerer was out there. Watching. Waiting. And I had a promise to keep–not just to Elias, but to this whole world.

A flicker in the distance caught my eye–like the air itself was bending. Something moved, almost invisible but deliberate, like the plains themselves obeyed him. The wind shifted weirdly, carrying faint whispers of power I couldn’t fully understand, but strong enough to make my skin tingle.

And then, barely there, I felt it–a touch on the edge of my thoughts, a pull like a shadow stretching toward me. He was moving closer, testing boundaries, shaping what we would see and fear before the first blow. The hunt wasn’t just coming. It was already beginning.

I let the wolf inside me rise, coiled and ready. The world felt sharper now–the wind, a whisper of warning, the distant rustle of dirt and debris, a possible harbinger, every shadow a question yet to be answered. Somewhere beyond the horizon, the storm stirred again, slow and deliberate, and I knew the sorcerer’s next move was already in motion.

A flicker caught my eye–a shadow in the shadow, almost imperceptible–but it vanished before I could identify it. A faint whisper brushed against the edges of my thoughts, promising that this was only the first layer of what was to come.

And I smiled, sharp and feral, letting the thrill of the hunt and the danger mingle, knowing that the plains were no longer empty.