Bound By The Blood Moon

Prologue – The Blood Moon’s Curse The moon bled red that night. It hung above the forest like an open wound, spilling its glow over the ancient trees of Blackwood. The air was thick, almost alive filled with the hum of unseen creatures watching from the shadows. Elias Ward ran through the undergrowth, his breath ragged, his heart pounding like war drums in his chest. Every branch that whipped against his face reminded him of what he’d done what he was running from. He stumbled, nearly falling into the cold stream that cut through the forest, its surface glinting with crimson light. Behind him, shouts echoed, men’s voices angry, desperate, hunting. Gunfire cracked in the distance. He was bleeding from his shoulder, each drop of blood leaving a dark trail for death to follow. He didn’t know where he was anymore. Only that he had to keep moving. His wife, Mara, was waiting for him he could almost see her face, pale and round with child, her eyes full of fear and love. Just hold on, Mara. I’m coming back. Then he saw her. A small figure among the trees. A child. She stood barefoot on the moss, silver hair glowing faintly in the moonlight. Her eyes golden and bright as molten sun watched him without fear. Elias froze. “Hey, sweetheart… what are you doing out here? It’s not safe.” The little girl tilted her head. “You’re hurt.” Her voice was soft, almost musical. There was something unreal about her, something wild. She took a small step closer, and he noticed the faint shimmer of light that seemed to follow her. Elias forced a shaky smile. “Yeah, I… had an accident. I need to find a way out of this forest.” The girl frowned, glancing toward the darkness behind him. “You shouldn’t be here. Father doesn’t like strangers.” “Father?” he echoed, uneasy. “Is your father nearby?” Before she could answer, a gunshot tore through the night. Elias flinched, instinctively reaching out but too late. The girl gasped, her eyes wide, her small body jerking as blood bloomed on her chest. She crumpled soundlessly to the ground. For a moment, the world stopped. Elias fell to his knees beside her, his trembling hands pressing against the wound. “No, no, no don’t close your eyes! You’re going to be okay!” But the blood kept coming. And her little hand slipped from his grasp. The forest went deathly still. Then a sound rose from the shadows a low, guttural snarl that made every hair on his body stand on end. Elias turned. Out from the darkness stepped a massive figure half man, half beast, eyes blazing gold, fur streaked with silver. The Alpha of the Silverfang pack. His presence alone made the ground seem to tremble. Behind him, wolves emerged one by one, their forms towering, their eyes glowing in the red light. And at his side stood a boy young, furious, his fists clenched, his gaze fixed on the lifeless body of his sister. The Alpha’s voice broke the silence, deep and cold as stone. “What have you done?” Elias couldn’t breathe. “I—it wasn’t me! I swear! I didn’t—” “Liar.” The Alpha’s growl rumbled through the trees. “Her blood stains your hands.” “I tried to help her!” Elias’s voice cracked. “Please....you have to believe me!” But there was no mercy in those golden eyes. Only grief. And rage. The wolves began to close in, snarling, teeth bared. The young boy Aiden stepped forward, his voice trembling with fury. “Father, kill him. He took her from us.” Elias backed away, shaking his head. “No—please—I have a wife! She’s about to give birth! Please, don’t—” Draven, the Alpha, stared down at him, his chest heaving. For a moment, it looked as though he might rip Elias apart where he knelt. But instead, he spoke in a low, broken voice. “Death would be too kind.” He raised his clawed hand, and the moonlight flared red. The air thickened, humming with old, dark power. “I curse you, human. The blood you’ve spilled will not be forgotten. Your bloodline will carry the weight of this sin.” Elias gasped as burning light seared across his chest, branding him with a mark shaped like a crescent moon dripping blood. “When your daughter draws her first breath,” Draven continued, “her fate will be bound to my son. On her eighteenth year, she will belong to him body and soul. She will bear the mark of our vengeance, and your line will serve the wolves forever.” The power of the curse burst from Draven’s hand, striking Elias to the ground. The scent of smoke and iron filled the air as the human screamed. Draven turned away, his voice breaking. “Take my daughter home,” he ordered the pack. “And bury her beneath the Blood Moon.” The wolves obeyed. As they carried the small, lifeless body through the trees, Aiden stopped to glare at the trembling human, hatred burning bright in his young eyes. “Remember this night,” he whispered. “Because when your blood comes of age… I’ll be waiting.” Then they vanished into the forest. Elias lay there for hours, half-dead, the echo of the curse still burning into his soul. The blood moon dimmed, clouds swallowing its light. And in the distance, the cries of a newborn child pierced the night. The cursed bloodline had begun.