The Lost Luna

Chapter Three

CHAPTER 3

Ravenna’s mind was absent, wandering infact. She had no way to ask if her Alpha was really around at the battle.

Her sudden shift already pushed some of the council to be wary of her.

Was she hallucinating seeing her Alpha at the battle? Her pack was blown to smithereens by that bastard rogue. The one who called himself the King of the Rogues.

Varek.

…

The dawn broke cold and grey, the sky smeared with bruised purples and blues. Ravenna rose from her cot before the first light crept through the narrow window. Her muscles ached, but determination burned hotter than any pain. Today was the Hunt—her first trial.

She slipped into the courtyard where pack members gathered. Alpha Darian stood by the northern wall; arms folded. Cassidy and Rilka flanked him like twin sentinels. Vale lingered in the shadows, watching her closely.

"You know the rules," Darian had said, voice low enough only Ravenna could hear. "Bring me the pelt of the Black Stalker before nightfall. Fail, and you forfeit any chance to stand by our side."

Ravenna swallowed. The Black Stalker was a legendary albino wolf that roamed the Ashenwood borders—fierce, fast, nearly invisible against the snow. To kill it was considered nearly impossible.

"Understood, Alpha," Ravenna whispered.

He nodded once, then turned away. Cassidy sneered. "Good luck, little pup. Try not to get yourself killed."

Ravenna held her breath, but Vale’s hand grazed her shoulder. "Trust your instincts," he murmured.

Soon, she stood at the forest edge. An escort of two Alpha guards accompanied her, weapons drawn but wary. The forest was quiet—too quiet. Every twig snapped beneath her boots made her heart stutter.

"We go east," growled one guard, Bran. "Stay close."

Ravenna nodded. They moved into the pines, the chill air prickling her skin. She glanced at her companions: strong, confident, wolves born for the hunt. She felt out of place, a fledgling thrown into a storm.

"We pick up the trail here," the other guard, Merek, said. He knelt, studying the ground. "Fresh prints."

Ravenna’s pulse quickened. She dropped to her knees and nudged a paw-sized footprint. It was large, but not as big as a fully grown Alpha’s. Slender. Delicate. She focused, recalling what Rolf had said: trust the wolf within.

A distant howl split the morning air—wild, haunting, echoing across the valley. The Black Stalker.

Bran’s eyes narrowed. "That’s close. Move!"

They followed the prints deeper into the forest, the guards’ confidence fading as the trees grew gnarled and the shadows darker. Ravenna’s senses sharpened. She smelled the acrid tang of fear. She heard the faint rustle of fur against snow.

Suddenly, Merek stiffened. "There!"

Two shapes dove from the underbrush—midnight-coated wolves with yellow eyes. Bandits. Rogue wolves, likely Varek’s scouts.

"Ambush!" Bran roared, raising his sword.

Ravenna froze for a moment—heart pounding—then instincts took over. She lunged forward, grabbing a fallen branch and swinging it at the first scout’s head. The second snarled, leaping at her; she rolled aside, gasping.

Bran and Merek joined the fray, moving with lethal precision. They struck down the scouts in seconds. When the last rogue fell, Ravenna’s chest heaved.

"Well done," Bran muttered, eyes grudgingly respectful. Merek nodded. "You have your wolf’s strength in you, girl."

Ravenna’s cheeks warmed. She stood, brushing snow from her coat. But there was no time to bask in praise. The Black Stalker’s howl echoed again, closer.

They pressed on.

By midday, the forest thinned and the ground dipped into a frozen ravine. The prints ended at the lip of a cliff. Ravenna stared down into a chasm of ice and mist. Her heart lurched.

"She leaps to kill," Merek said softly. "We need to corner her."

Bran nodded. "Ravenna—stay here. This is alpha work."

Ravenna’s eyes flashed. "I’m not a pup. Let me fight."

Bran hesitated—then heard Darian’s voice in his head: Trials can forge true strength. He turned. "Fine. Stay close."

They edged along the narrow ledge until Merek spotted a flicker of white in the mist. Slowly, they descended the ravine’s slope.

Ravenna could feel the air shift—like electricity before a storm. She smelled the Stalker’s fear... or pride.

Then they saw her: the albino wolf, eyes like opals, perched on a fallen tree. She stared at them, unblinking.

Ravenna’s breath caught. The sun glinted on her pure white fur, making her seem ethereal.

The Stalker leaped—fast as a shooting star—directly toward Ravenna.

Ravenna stumbled but held her ground, sword raised. The wolf landed, claws slicing the air. Ravenna blocked with her blade, steel screeching. The impact rocked her arms.

The Stalker snarled—then backed, circling. Ravenna’s mind raced. The guards crouched, ready to strike.

And then the albino’s eyes locked on Ravenna’s. She froze. The wolf tilted her head—acknowledgment?

In that heartbeat of hesitation, Merek lunged—and the wolf vanished.

Not into the trees, but through them. Like smoke. Impossible.

Bran hissed. "She’s gone."

Merek glared at Ravenna. "Your fault—it was a trick."

"No," Ravenna said, voice steady despite the blood pounding in her ears. "She wanted to test me."

Bran shook his head. "This was to kill her, not be toyed with. We should head back." He nodded to Merek. "We report."

Ravenna’s stomach twisted. If she returned without the pelt, she would fail—and likely be cast out.

"Wait," she said, stepping forward. "I can’t leave it to chance."

Bran turned. "And what do you plan to do?"

Ravenna drew a sharp breath. "I’ll do it alone."

Silence fell.

Merek laughed, low and mocking. "Let her try."

Bran’s eyes flicked to Merek. "Stop."

For a moment, neither wolf spoke.

Then Ravenna turned to the ravine. Below, mist swirled—like the Stalker beckoned her.

Her pulse raced. She knew the risk: a fall, a savage kill, the cold embrace of the abyss.

But she also felt the moon’s pull—her wolf’s heartbeat echoing in her bones.

"I’m going," she said.

Bran’s voice was tight. "You’ll die." He sheathed his sword.

"Or I’ll prove I’m worth it." Ravenna replied.

Before they could stop her, she stepped off the ledge.

Her heart dropped.

Ravenna plummeted into the freezing mist, snow whirling. The howl of the Black Stalker rose around her as white fur and silver eyes materialized in the haze—closing in.

Her scream echoed against the cliff as everything went black.