Caitlyn's POV
The rustling in the grass didn't register with me as all my attention was focused on the pursuers behind me.
Upon realizing he had been tricked, Naafiri pursued us with extreme indignation.
The sound of his growling echoed through the forest, causing many frightened prey around him to scurry away. This action drew curses from the other werewolves.
"Who caused such a commotion?"
A young werewolf, who had been aiming at his prey for half a day, was about to release his bow when Naafiri's growling sound disturbed him. His hand shook, causing the arrow to miss and disappear into the surrounding grass. The prey quickly ducked aside in shock and vanished.
"Better not let me catch you, or else..."
The werewolf muttered in a low voice. In the next second, his face filled with horror, and his whole body cowered.
"Or else what?"
Naafiri suddenly appeared in front of the werewolf like a ghost, a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes.
"No..."
Before the poor werewolf could finish his sentence, Naafiri delivered a heavy punch to his chest. With a muffled grunt, the werewolf violently flew backward, crashing into the trunk of a nearby tree. The entire person shriveled up and lay on the ground, uncertain of life or death.
The scene happened in a flash, but someone soon recognized the ferocious Naafiri.
"It's Naafiri, that bloodthirsty rogue!"
"How did he get here?"
"Look at there..."
The werewolves around turned pale, evidently unclear about the recent events.
Others followed the speaker's gaze, their eyes converging on me, who had fled in a hurry.
Kaisa, lying on my back, appeared a bit weak after the recent run. Her voice gradually grew feeble.
"Don't you dare fall asleep; I don't want to win our match so easily. Talon would not accept such a victory either," I shouted angrily at Kaisa.
Logically, I shouldn't risk my life to save her. However, seeing Kaisa isolated and helpless in the midst of a group of people, reason told me that if I chose to do nothing, I would never forgive myself.
Perhaps hearing Talon's name revitalized Kaisa's spirits.
"Look out!"
Before I could heave a sigh of relief, I suddenly heard Kaisa shout.
Instinctively, I dodged to the side, feeling a fishy wind coming from behind me. A black shadow suddenly crashed right where I had stood moments ago. If it weren't for Kaisa's reminder, the consequences could have been unimaginable.
I couldn't help but suck in a breath of cool air before realizing that the black shadow was none other than Naafiri, who had once again transformed into a giant wolf.
"You can't get away with this." Naafiri stopped in place, a playful smile flashing in his eyes as he stuck out his tongue, licking his fur while observing our movements.
"You've caused such a commotion; someone must have already alerted the king. You’ll die if you dare to hurt us."
Carefully setting Kaisa aside, I shouted towards Naafiri with an indignant face.
"Ridiculous! When you saw me in the hunting competition, you should have known the risks I took to come here. Don't think about stalling; you don't stand a chance."
Naafiri shook his head gently before letting out a low whimper and gradually moving closer to us.
"Naafiri, don't forget what you promised me in the beginning."
Just as I was about to rush out through the gap behind me with Kaisa, an extremely grim voice suddenly came from behind.
I slowly twisted my head around and realized that a werewolf with long hair stood behind me. Judging from the tattoos on his body, it seemed he was in league with Naafiri. Faced with this unexpected turn of events, my heart sank.
"Shit."
My heart echoed the sentiment; evidently, Naafiri's plan had been meticulously prepared for a long time. If not for my sudden appearance as a variable, Kaisa might have died long ago.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize I would involve you," Kaisa said, leaning against a large tree with an apologetic smile on her face.
"It's too early to say that."
As soon as I spoke, I felt power surging through my body, tearing at my limbs. The pain compelled me to let out an agonized groan. Simultaneously, the wolf inside me emitted a shocking roar, stunning the other wolves present.
"What is going on here? Isn't she human?" Naafiri and the other werewolves exchanged incredulous glances.
"Whatever, it's definitely troublesome if we keep dragging it out," Naafiri muttered, clenching his teeth. Then, he gasped and lunged straight at me.
The pain made it difficult to maintain my standing position, and my whole body slumped to the ground. A sudden rush of bloodlust overwhelmed my senses as if something was trying to burst out of my body.
Naafiri's attack reached me, and I could even smell the fishy odor emanating from his body. He wore an exaggerated grin, anticipating my impending demise. However, his expression froze instantly as I transformed into a giant white wolf with purple eyes.
"Go to hell!"
The panic on Naafiri's face vanished, replaced by a sense of crisis. The hairs on his body stood up, his eyes widened, and his sharp claws stabbed viciously toward me.
Unafraid, my body radiated a faint purple glow, and I met Naafiri's attack head-on. To everyone's surprise, Naafiri's entire body crashed into the ground like a kite with broken strings. I maintained my proud posture, coldly surveying the surroundings from top to bottom.
The scene shocked everyone into a strange silence. Unnoticed by me, the werewolf who had allied with Naafiri earlier quietly approached from behind.