The red light from the depths of the tree cave, Anna's eerie voice, and cryptic words leave Rory and Milo once again in a daze. After some deliberation, they don't venture deeper but instead feel their way through the narrow tree hole, trying to find another way out.
The strange sight in the tree cave, however, was filled with unspeakable visual impact; the roots of the lush and magnificent ancient trees were like dense and magnificent snakes entangled together, blocking most of the space, and it seemed that if they were not careful, they would be entangled in them and could not move. The air smelled of earth mixed with dampness and blood, making people feel like entering an ancient uncultivated prehistoric world.
Rory and Milo stopped in their tracks in unison, they seemed to appreciate each other's tacit understanding during these few short days of long and short escapades of shared suffering.
'Selene said...that the core of the shard would undo the spell.' Milo's voice echoed through the hole in the tree but with a hint of tightness. 'If we can find it, we might be able to stop this.'
As soon as Milo's words left his mouth, Rory reached out with his claws and tried to dig into the dirt and roots around him, but these ancient roots were unusually strong and there was no way to get to them. 'Kieran resorted to Anna...to awaken the existence under the ancient tree...' A sudden chill surged inside her. Kieran's madness was beyond her imagination.
Just at this moment, a faint buzzing sound came from a compact communicator Milo wore on his waist. He quickly took out the communicator and pressed the answer button.
A familiar and cold voice came from the communicator.
'Milo. You need to return to the team immediately.'
It was Ezra, Milo's lieutenant in the Auroras, his brother.
Milo's voice darkened, stubbornness laced in his tone. 'Ezra. I'm not going back.'
'You don't understand the situation,' Ezra's voice held a hint of urgency, 'There's been an unusual energy fluctuation in the Grey Mist Mountains, and we're monitoring the awakening of some... ancient existence. HQ believes it has something to do with the Wolf Clan, possibly something to do with that thing called the 'Heart of the Blood Moon'. Your powers...your chains...you need to come back and purify this.'
Rory listened beside him, his red pupils suddenly contracting. Purification...it was the most central doctrine of the Aurors, and the reason for her parents' deaths. Though Ezra's voice stayed calm, it revealed a deep-seated paranoia.
'I will not purify anyone.' Milo murmured, his tone firm. 'I am pursuing the truth. You sent assassins against me before, Ezra. Headquarters has lost its mind.'
'That was an exceptional circumstance, and HQ desperately needs your assistance!' Ezra's tone raised a few notches, mixed with a hint of confusion and anger, 'What's the point of keeping company with those beasts? HQ already has some key information about the shards and their presence under the ancient tree...this could be the perfect opportunity to eradicate the Wolves once and for all! You need to return, utilize your talents, and fight for us...for the future of humanity!'
'I fight for what I believe in.' Milo took on a firmer tone, 'I am not fighting to destroy either side, but to stop the curse, to find a way for man and wolf to coexist peacefully.'
Ezra was silent for a moment, then his voice became colder. 'Milo, you have changed. You have fallen under the spell of those beasts...under the spell of that wolf girl. Those shards belong to us, and the power under the ancient tree should be under our control, not left to the wolves to wreak havoc.' His voice revealed a dangerous sense of control, 'Return, Milo. Do not choose the wrong side. HQ needs your strength for the final purification.'
'Goodbye, Ezra.' Milo didn't hesitate for a second and simply cut off the communication.
Silence once again descended in the tree cave, leaving only the ancient trees whispering and the sound of their suppressed breathing.
Rory gazed at Milo, his amber eyes glittering with determination. Hunters, purification, eradication of the wolves - these words were deeply embedded in her genetic fear. However, Milo's unhesitating words and actions just now, his rejection of Ezra, upended her preconceived notions of a hunter.
She took a deep breath, and there was a faint hint of blood in the air in addition to the scent of smoke and pine - old wounds from Milo's time in the lair or on the slopes. And, of course, the smell of testosterone. It was just that the pain was so real, and the agony so deep.
Her mind drifted back to her father's once kind face. He had once been a powerful werewolf, but under the influence of the Blood Moon, he had become increasingly unstable, eventually spiraling out of control in a berserk rage. In order not to hurt his family, he chose to...kill himself. It was an unhealable wound in her heart, the fear of the Blood Moon's curse, and the sad realization of the fate of the wolf race.
She hesitated. Should she confess to Milo? Tell him about her father, about the horrors of the curse, about why she's so afraid of losing control, why she's so desperate for relief? It took a great deal of courage to show her deepest wounds and fears to a hunter, and a lot of trust in Milo. Though subconsciously she felt Milo might be someone she could rely on, the shadow of the fire and Kieran's betrayal made her swallow her inner secrets.
'Why...why did you reject him?' Rory didn't end up mentioning anything about her father, choosing instead to test the waters. She gazed at him with mixed emotions in her eyes.
Milo returned her gentle, firm gaze, a hint of helplessness and understanding in his eyes. 'I don't want to be like my grandfather. My mother's death taught me that bigotry and hatred only lead to destruction.' He paused briefly, his gaze hovering over her face. 'And...I don't want to leave you to face it alone.'
The words made Rory's heart race again. She turned her head to the side, trying to suppress the warmth in her cheeks. 'Hmph, don't flatter yourself.' She bit her lip and shot Milo an afterglow.
'You don't look like a beast either.' Milo laughed softly, not refuting her words.
Just then, the drone buzzed again from outside the tree hole, the sound coming closer, accompanied by the harsh sound of metal scraping against a tree trunk. The hunters were struggling to find a way into the tree hole, or trying to blast their way through the entrance with silver bullets.
'Damn, they're coming after us!' Milo cursed under his breath.
Rory also sensed the approaching danger, the tattoo on her back stinging as a reminder of her physical weakness and the threat of the curse. They had to find another way out soon.
Milo examined the wounds on his body, still not fully healed from some scratches and bumps he had suffered earlier in the lair and on the hillside. Rory looked at the bruises on his arms and a pang of pain shot through her, and she couldn't help but reach out her hand.
She gently touched the wound on his arm, her fingertips traveling over his hot skin. Milo's body stiffened slightly and he eyed her with a hint of surprise and tenderness.
Rory's fingertips carefully wiped the dirt and blood from around his wound, her movements carrying a gentleness she hadn't even noticed herself. In this crisis-ridden environment, this simple touch carried a strange intimacy and comfort.
'Don't slow me down.' She whispered, her tone icy, but the action of rubbing the wound revealed obvious concern.
'Don't you slow me down either.' Milo's low voice gelled with a gentle smile. He gently grabbed her hand and pressed her fingers to his wound.
Their eyes met, the air froze, and time stood still. Rory and Milo stared at each other for a long time, catching the signals of the quiet heartbeats that belonged to each other at the moment. The tension in the air, the blood in the ancient trees, the roar of the drones, and the complexity of the emotions that flowed between them all came together at the moment to form a unique tension between them.
They knew time was running out. The hole in the tree was not a place to stay for long. But right now, in this dark, small, ancient space, they were as close as they had ever been, and they were enjoying the joy and silence of trusting each other in a way that made the line that stretched between werewolf and hunter seem to blur.