The Alpha who Rejected His Moon Queen

chapter 4

The Alpha Who Rejected His Moon Queen

By MALLO Royale

Chapter Four

The Hunt Begins

The forest was eerily silent.

Seraphina had been walking for hours.

The deeper she ventured into the Darkwood Forest, the colder the air became. Towering trees blocked out the morning sun, and the only sounds were the crunch of leaves beneath her feet and the distant cries of ravens.

Her stomach growled.

She hadn't eaten since the previous morning.

Exhausted, she sank onto a fallen log and reached into her satchel. There was only a small piece of stale bread left.

"So this is how my new life begins," she murmured with a bitter smile.

She tore the bread in half and was about to take a bite when a low growl echoed behind her.

Her body stiffened.

Another growl answered from the opposite direction.

Then another.

Slowly, Seraphina turned.

Three enormous rogue wolves emerged from the shadows, their yellow eyes fixed on her.

Their leader sniffed the air and grinned, exposing rows of sharp fangs.

"Interesting..."

"I can smell Alpha blood on her."

Another rogue laughed.

"And she has no wolf to protect her."

"She'll fetch a handsome price."

Seraphina took a step back, her heart pounding.

"I don't want any trouble."

The leader chuckled.

"You don't get to choose."

He lunged.

Seraphina screamed and stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding his claws.

She turned and ran.

Branches whipped against her face as she raced through the forest.

The rogues chased her relentlessly, their laughter echoing through the trees.

"You can't outrun us, little lamb!"

Her lungs burned.

Her legs felt like they would give out at any moment.

Suddenly, her foot caught on an exposed root.

She crashed to the ground.

The satchel flew from her hands, spilling its contents across the forest floor.

The silver pendant rolled away.

The rogue leader approached slowly, savoring her fear.

"Nowhere left to run."

He raised his claws.

Just as he struck—

A deafening roar shook the forest.

The ground trembled.

The rogue wolves froze.

"What... was that?"

A massive black wolf emerged from the mist.

Its fur shimmered like midnight, and its piercing crimson eyes glowed with terrifying power.

The rogues instinctively stepped back.

"No..."

"It can't be..."

"The Shadow Wolf!"

Before they could flee, the black wolf attacked.

In a blur of motion, it slammed into the first rogue, sending him crashing into a tree.

The second barely had time to scream before he was thrown aside.

The leader tried to fight, but one terrifying growl made him drop to his knees.

"Forgive us!" he pleaded.

The black wolf stared at him for a long moment.

Then it let out another roar.

The remaining rogues fled in blind panic, disappearing into the forest.

Silence returned.

Seraphina stared in disbelief.

The enormous wolf slowly turned toward her.

Its crimson eyes softened.

Instead of attacking, it lowered its head... almost as if bowing.

Then, before her eyes, the wolf was surrounded by black mist.

A tall man stepped out of the darkness.

His long black hair fell over his shoulders, and his crimson eyes held an ancient, unreadable sadness.

He wore a dark coat embroidered with silver symbols unlike anything Seraphina had ever seen.

She instinctively backed away.

"Who... who are you?"

The stranger looked at the glowing pendant around her neck.

His voice was calm, yet filled with certainty.

"I have searched for you for twenty years."

He took one slow step forward.

Then he bowed his head.

"Welcome home..."

"...Your Highness."