Moonlit Shadows
795 Words
The forest hummed with tension as the full moon drew near—silver glow gilding treetops, amplifying the pack’s wolfish restlessness. I slipped through underbrush, boots silent, iron dagger pressed to my thigh. Mara’s warning echoed: the council questioned my “triumph,” and Ella rallied pure-bloods to oust me.
But I wasn’t hiding. I was hunting—for evidence.
Ella’s cronies had snuck into the northern thicket, carrying vials of dark venom. I followed their scent to an ivy-masked cave. Inside, empty poison vials littered the ground—matches to the toxin that wounded Karen. And scrawled in wolf’s blood on the wall: the Blackwood rebels’ crest, traitors who’d tried overthrowing his father a decade ago.
Ella was colluding with enemies.
I snapped a twig to mark the trail for Mara, then turned—only to collide with a solid, warm chest.
Karen.
His obsidian eyes glinted in dim light, bandaged forearm pinning me to the cave wall. Pine and wolf scent flooded my senses, the fated bond thrumming so loud it drowned out the forest.
“Looking for something, half-breed?” His voice was low, dangerous—no malice, just sharp curiosity.
I stiffened, feigning fear. “Alpha! I heard a noise—thought it was a rogue.”
He leaned closer, lips inches from my ear. “Liar. You’ve been following Ella. Watching her.”
My heart raced. Had he tracked me? “I don’t know what you mean,” I whispered, squirming. But his grip tightened, thumb brushing the shallow cut on my hand—leftover from the boar tusks.
He hissed, wolf instincts flaring. “You’re hurt.” Before I could protest, he lifted my hand to his lips, tongue darting to lick the blood. A jolt of electricity shot through me, the bond screaming in pleasure and pain.
“What are you doing?” I snapped, yanking away. The gesture was intimate, possessive—unheard of for an Alpha with a half-breed.
He smiled, cold and knowing. “Testing you. You’re not the same—no more tears, no more begging for approval. What changed?”
Rage coiled hot. “I grew up. Half-breeds don’t get coddled—fight or die.”
His eyes darkened. “Is that what this is? A fight? You think you can outrun the bond?”
“I don’t believe in fate.” Not after he betrayed me.
For a split second, his mask slipped—grief flickered, raw and unguarded. “Neither did I. Once.”
A twig snapped outside. Ella’s shrill voice cut through: “Karen! The council’s voting to expel the half-breed!”
Karen loosened his grip, stepping back, expression hardening. “Go. And Lilian—” He grabbed my wrist, fingers digging in. “Be careful. Ella’s not the only one who wants you gone.”
He vanished into trees, leaving me breathless. Warning… or threat?
I slipped out, heading for the compound. Ella waited at the gates, arms crossed, sneering. “Where were you? The council’s been looking for you.”
“Walking.” My voice was flat. “Clearing my head.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re up to something. I smell fear— and guilt.”
I smiled, sweet and icy. “Guilt? No. But I smell traitor’s blood on you. The council will too.”
Her face paled. “You wouldn’t dare—”
“Try me.” I brushed past her, tusks clutched tight. “By the full moon, everyone will know what you’ve done.”
She grabbed my hair, yanking me back. “You’re dead! Pure-bloods will never accept you—”
A low growl cut her off. Karen stood at the compound entrance, wolf eyes glowing, aura intimidating enough to scatter pack members. “Let her go, Ella.”
Ella froze, dropping my hair. “She’s a threat!”
He didn’t look at her. His gaze locked on me, warm yet intense. “Go to your cabin. Stay there. I’ll handle the council.”
As I walked away, I heard his cold warning to Ella: “Touch her again, and I’ll rip your throat out. She’s mine.”
My blood ran cold. Mine— a possession, not a partner. Just like before.
But this time, I wasn’t his.
I locked my cabin door, pulling out the stolen poison vial. Evidence secured, Ella panicking, Karen growing obsessed.
Three nights until the full moon.
I twisted the cap, the scent of iron and wolf’s blood filling the air. Revenge tasted like hunger.
And I was starving.
- Writer
