The Thing Beneath the Trees
475 Words
The howl did not sound like a wolf.
It sounded older.
Deeper.
Wrong.
The dining hall fell into chaos the second the sound tore through the mountains. Chairs slammed backward as Kael and Lucas shifted partially on instinct, claws flashing from their fingertips. Hector Jr. was already on his feet beside Lila while the younger wolves near the walls lowered their heads nervously.
Only Nyx stayed frozen.
Because she could still feel those silver eyes on her.
Even in the dark.
"Lights," Lila ordered sharply.
Candles reignited one by one along the walls, flames flickering violently as if the estate itself breathed unevenly. Shadows stretched across the room unnaturally long before finally settling.
But the figure outside was gone.
Nyx's stomach twisted.
"Seal the southern entrance," Lila said. "Nobody leaves the estate tonight."
Murmurs spread instantly.
"That came from the Hollow," one wolf whispered.
"No," another muttered nervously. "It couldn't have."
The Hollow.
Nyx had heard the stories her entire life.
A dead section of forest beyond the cliffs where wolves disappeared, where witches were supposedly burned centuries ago, where even vampires refused to hunt after dark. The elders claimed the woods there were cursed long before the Black Cat Pack existed.
Lila never allowed anyone near it.
Ever.
Kael cracked his knuckles. "If something crossed into our territory, we should kill it before the Blood Moon gathering."
"Spoken like someone desperate to prove himself," Lucas said dryly.
"At least I don't hide behind books all day."
The brothers glared at each other.
Nyx barely noticed.
Her ears rang.
Because beneath the noise—
Beneath the arguing—
Something whispered her name again.
Nyx.
Soft.
Breathless.
Right behind her.
She spun around violently.
Nothing.
Only darkness stretching down the long hallway outside the dining hall.
Her pulse thundered.
Eve noticed immediately. "Nyx?"
"I'm fine," she said too quickly.
Lila's eyes narrowed.
For one terrifying second, Nyx thought her mother somehow knew.
Knew about the voices.
Knew about the shadows.
Knew that sometimes Nyx dreamed of standing in the center of the Hollow while something ancient waited beneath the frozen ground.
But Lila looked away first.
"The Blood Moon changes things," Lila said coldly to the room. "The veil weakens during the gathering. Stay alert. Stay inside the borders."
Nox frowned. "You think this is supernatural?"
Lila did not answer immediately.
And that silence scared everyone more than the howl had.
Finally, she spoke.
"I think," Lila said carefully, "something has awakened."
The room went still.
A cold draft swept through the estate.
And somewhere upstairs—
A door slammed shut on its own.
Nyx's breath caught.
Because her bedroom was the only room on the third floor.
Slowly, very slowly, she looked toward the staircase.
Toward the darkness above.
Then she heard it again.
Not from the woods this time.
From inside the house.
"Nyx..."
- Writer
