Chapter 2 The Woods Know Her Name
538 Words
Watching her.
Waiting.
And for the first time in her life...
Nyx wanted to go toward it instead of run.
The feeling hit her like a pulse beneath her skin.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
Recognition.
The shadows between the trees shifted again, too large to be an animal, too still to be human. A pair of silver eyes flickered through the darkness before vanishing completely.
Her breath caught.
"Nyx." Eve's voice sharpened slightly. "Now."
The moment broke.
Nyx stepped back from the balcony railing and followed her mother inside, though every instinct clawed at her to stay. The hallway outside her room glowed with dim amber chandeliers, their light barely touching the black stone walls of the estate. Portraits of dead alphas watched from their frames as she walked past them.
Every single one had the same cold eyes.
Except hers.
The dining hall roared with noise when she entered. Her brothers sat around the massive oak table stained with years of blood, wine, and pack feasts. Kael leaned back in his chair with a smirk while Lucas cleaned a hunting knife beside him. Nox laughed at something Hector Jr. said, their voices echoing off the high ceilings.
Then the room quieted when Lila entered.
The Alpha of the Black Cat Pack carried silence like a weapon.
Her long dark braid hung over one shoulder, silver streaks cutting through black hair like moonlight through shadows. Scars lined her hands — old reminders of wars nobody spoke about anymore.
Nyx straightened automatically.
Lila's gaze landed on her last.
Always last.
"You're late," Lila said.
"Sorry."
Kael snorted under his breath. "Maybe she got distracted talking to ghosts again."
Lucas laughed.
Nyx clenched her jaw.
Eve moved beside her quickly. "Enough."
But Lila never defended her.
Never once.
"Tomorrow night," Lila said, taking her seat at the head of the table, "the Blood Moon gathering begins."
The room shifted instantly.
Even her brothers stopped joking.
The Blood Moon gathering.
Every five years, the oldest packs gathered beneath the mountains to renew alliances, settle territory disputes, and present heirs strong enough to carry their bloodlines forward.
Strong enough to rule.
Nyx already knew what came next.
Kael would represent the Black Cat Pack in the trials.
Maybe Lucas too.
Never her.
"The Crescent Pack is attending this year," Hector Jr. said carefully.
"And the Ashborne wolves," Nox added.
Kael grinned. "Good. Maybe this time they'll finally admit we're stronger."
Lila ignored them.
"There will also be vampires present under truce," she said. "You will control yourselves accordingly."
Lucas muttered something under his breath about bloodsuckers.
Nyx barely heard any of it.
Because outside—
Beyond the tall dining hall windows—
Something moved again.
Closer this time.
A tall figure stood at the edge of the woods where moonlight barely touched the snow.
Watching her.
Silver eyes.
The same ones from before.
Nyx froze.
The figure lifted its head slowly, almost like it could smell her from this distance.
Then every candle in the room went out.
Darkness swallowed the hall.
Someone cursed.
Chairs scraped violently across the floor.
A growl ripped through the room as wolves reacted on instinct.
And from somewhere deep in the forest—
Something howled back.
- Writer
