The Beast in the Dark
1240 Words
My lungs burned as I ran.
Branches clawed at my arms and face, leaving thin scratches across my skin. The heavy bag bounced painfully against my shoulder, but I didn't dare slow down.
The growls were getting closer.
Much closer.
Behind me, something large crashed through the undergrowth.
My heart nearly stopped.
They were fast.
Too fast.
A normal wolf should not have been able to keep up with me this easily.
Especially not through dense forest.
Another howl echoed through the night.
This one sounded different.
Not just hungry.
Excited.
Like a hunter closing in on its prey.
Me.
Fear flooded my veins.
I pushed myself harder.
The moonlight filtered through the trees above, creating strange shadows that danced across the forest floor.
Everything around me felt wrong.
The Forbidden Forest was dangerous enough during daylight.
At night, it became a nightmare.
Every child in the region grew up hearing stories about this place.
Stories about monsters.
Rogues.
Creatures that disappeared travelers without leaving a trace.
I had always assumed they were exaggerated.
Now I wasn't so sure.
A low growl sounded directly behind me.
Too close.
Way too close.
I risked a glance over my shoulder.
My blood froze.
Golden eyes.
Huge golden eyes.
Watching me from the darkness.
The creature burst from the trees.
It was enormous.
Far larger than any wolf I had ever seen.
Black fur covered its muscular body.
Its jaws looked powerful enough to crush bone.
And its eyes—
Those glowing golden eyes were fixed entirely on me.
"Oh Goddess..."
The words escaped before I could stop them.
The beast lunged.
I screamed and threw myself sideways.
Its claws missed my shoulder by inches.
The impact shattered a nearby tree.
Wood exploded in every direction.
I stared in horror.
A normal wolf could never do that.
Never.
The beast landed gracefully and turned toward me again.
Its lips peeled back.
Revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Another growl rumbled from its chest.
Then another answered from deeper within the forest.
And another.
My stomach dropped.
There were more.
A lot more.
The black wolf wasn't alone.
I scrambled to my feet and ran again.
The creature chased immediately.
The ground shook beneath its powerful strides.
It was playing with me.
Enjoying this.
The realization made me feel sick.
I wasn't escaping.
I was surviving because it allowed me to.
For now.
A sharp pain shot through my ankle.
I stumbled.
A hidden root caught my foot.
The world spun.
Then I hit the ground hard.
Pain exploded through my body.
The bag flew from my hand.
"No!"
Panic surged.
I tried to stand.
My ankle screamed in protest.
The black wolf emerged from the darkness.
Slowly.
Patiently.
Like it knew the hunt was over.
The beast stopped several feet away.
Golden eyes glowing beneath the moonlight.
Watching.
Waiting.
My wolf whimpered inside me.
Terrified.
Defeated.
I backed away.
One painful step at a time.
The wolf advanced.
Another growl echoed from the trees.
Three more wolves appeared.
Then another.
And another.
They surrounded me.
Five gigantic wolves.
All larger than normal pack wolves.
All staring directly at me.
My pulse hammered in my ears.
This was it.
This was how I died.
Banished by my family.
Rejected by the man I loved.
Then torn apart by monsters in the forest.
A bitter laugh almost escaped me.
What a pathetic ending.
The lead wolf lowered its head.
Muscles coiled.
Preparing to attack.
I closed my eyes.
Unable to watch.
Unable to fight.
Unable to run.
The growling suddenly stopped.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Confused, I opened my eyes.
The wolves had frozen.
Every single one.
Their ears flattened.
Their tails lowered.
Fear appeared in their glowing eyes.
Fear.
Not aggression.
Not hunger.
Fear.
A powerful scent suddenly filled the air.
Wild.
Ancient.
Dangerous.
The wolves sensed it too.
The lead wolf whined softly.
Then stepped backward.
A massive shadow appeared between the trees.
My breath caught.
Something was approaching.
Something far larger than the wolves.
The forest itself seemed to react.
Birds exploded from the treetops.
Animals fled.
Even the wind felt different.
The black wolves immediately lowered themselves toward the ground.
Submitting.
My heartbeat quickened.
What kind of creature could terrify monsters like these?
Heavy footsteps echoed through the darkness.
Slow.
Controlled.
Confident.
Then he appeared.
A man stepped into the moonlight.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Powerful.
His dark hair fell slightly across his forehead.
A black coat hung from his frame.
Everything about him radiated authority.
Dangerous authority.
The wolves immediately lowered their heads further.
None of them dared look directly at him.
The stranger's silver eyes swept across the scene.
Cold.
Sharp.
Calculating.
His gaze landed on me.
And suddenly I couldn't breathe.
Those eyes were unlike anything I had ever seen.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Ancient.
As though they had witnessed centuries of war and bloodshed.
The stranger frowned slightly.
"An omega?"
His deep voice sent an unexpected shiver down my spine.
The black wolves growled softly.
The man didn't even look at them.
"Leave."
One word.
That's all he said.
The wolves instantly obeyed.
No hesitation.
No resistance.
They vanished into the forest within seconds.
I stared.
Speechless.
Who was this man?
The stranger finally approached.
Every instinct screamed at me to run.
Unfortunately, my injured ankle had other ideas.
He stopped in front of me.
Towering over me.
For several seconds, he simply studied my face.
Then his eyes narrowed.
A strange expression crossed his features.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Recognition.
Gone so quickly I almost thought I imagined it.
"Impossible."
My eyebrows furrowed.
"What?"
The stranger didn't answer.
His gaze shifted toward the silver necklace around my neck.
The necklace my mother had given me.
His expression darkened instantly.
"Where did you get that?"
His tone wasn't curious.
It sounded demanding.
Dangerously demanding.
I instinctively grabbed the necklace.
"It belonged to my mother."
Something flashed in his eyes.
Pain.
The emotion appeared for only a second before disappearing.
The stranger crouched slightly.
Bringing himself closer to eye level.
"What's your name?"
"Ava."
His jaw tightened.
The reaction confused me.
"Just Ava?"
"Ava Blackwood."
The moment the words left my mouth, the stranger went completely still.
The forest itself seemed to hold its breath.
His silver eyes widened slightly.
Then narrowed again.
As though he was trying to solve a puzzle.
"Ava Blackwood..."
He repeated my name quietly.
Almost to himself.
A strange silence followed.
Finally, he stood.
"Can you walk?"
I blinked.
"What?"
"Your ankle."
I glanced down.
The pain immediately reminded me.
"Not very well."
Without warning, the stranger bent down and lifted me into his arms.
I gasped.
"W-What are you doing?"
Ignoring my protest, he adjusted his grip.
As though carrying women through dangerous forests was a normal part of his day.
"Taking you somewhere safe."
I stared at him.
"Why?"
For the first time, genuine emotion appeared on his face.
Something dark.
Something troubled.
Something personal.
Then he answered with a sentence that made absolutely no sense.
"Because if they discover who you really are..."
His silver eyes locked onto mine.
"...they'll kill you."
My heart skipped a beat.
Who I really was?
What was that supposed to mean?
Before I could ask another question, a terrifying howl echoed somewhere deep within the forest.
The stranger's expression hardened instantly.
For the first time since meeting him—
He looked worried.
And that terrified me more than the wolves ever could.
- Writer
