Chapter 3 – Into the Night
805 Words
Part 1
The forest was silent.
Too silent.
Lyla walked along the narrow dirt path leading away from the Bloodmoon Pack territory, her small bag slung over her shoulder. The cold night air brushed against her skin, carrying the scent of pine trees and damp earth.
Behind her, the lights of the pack grounds were slowly disappearing into the distance.
That had been her home.
Now it was just another place she wasn’t allowed to return to.
Her chest tightened painfully at the thought.
She stopped walking and glanced back one last time. The faint glow of the bonfire flickered between the trees.
For a moment, memories flooded her mind.
Working in the kitchens with the other omegas.
Laughing with Maya.
Watching the warriors train in the mornings.
And… seeing Damon from afar.
Lyla quickly shook the thought away.
He rejected you.
The truth was still sharp and fresh, cutting through her heart.
Her wolf stirred weakly inside her.
He was supposed to be ours.
“I know,” Lyla whispered softly.
Tears threatened to fall again, but she forced them back.
Crying wouldn’t change anything.
The bond between her and Damon was broken.
And now she was alone.
Completely alone.
The forest stretched endlessly ahead of her, dark and unfamiliar.
Most wolves would never travel outside pack territory at night. Rogues and dangerous creatures roamed these lands.
But Lyla had no choice.
She had until sunrise to leave.
So she kept walking.
Step after step.
The deeper she went into the forest, the colder the air became.
A strange feeling crawled along her spine.
Like someone was watching her.
Lyla stopped.
Her wolf suddenly growled softly.
We’re not alone.
The sound of a branch snapping echoed through the darkness.
Lyla’s heart jumped into her throat.
“Hello?” she called nervously.
No answer.
Only silence.
Her breathing quickened.
Another sound came from behind her.
This time it was closer.
Slow footsteps.
Heavy ones.
Lyla’s pulse raced.
“Who’s there?” she asked, her voice shaking.
A low, menacing growl answered her.
Her blood ran cold.
Rogues.
Part 2
Three dark figures stepped out from the shadows between the trees.
Their eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight.
Rogue wolves.
Lyla’s stomach dropped.
Rogues were wolves without a pack—dangerous, violent, and unpredictable.
The one in the center was tall and heavily built, his scarred face twisted with a cruel smile.
“Well, well,” he sneered. “Look what wandered into our forest.”
Lyla slowly stepped backward.
“I don’t want trouble,” she said quietly.
The rogue laughed.
“That’s funny.”
The other two wolves began circling her like predators stalking prey.
Fear gripped Lyla’s chest.
She had never fought before. She wasn’t a warrior.
She barely even knew how to shift properly.
“Please,” she said, trying to stay calm. “I’ll leave your territory.”
“Oh, you will,” the leader replied.
“But not before we have a little fun.”
The way he said it made Lyla’s stomach twist with dread.
Her wolf growled weakly.
We have to run.
Lyla turned suddenly and sprinted down the path.
Branches scratched against her arms as she ran deeper into the forest.
Behind her, the rogues burst into laughter.
Then the sound of pounding footsteps followed.
They were chasing her.
And they were faster.
Lyla’s lungs burned as she ran, her heart hammering wildly in her chest.
The rogues were gaining on her.
She could hear their snarls getting closer.
Suddenly, her foot caught on a tree root.
She stumbled forward and crashed hard onto the ground.
Pain shot through her knee.
Before she could stand, one of the rogues grabbed her arm and yanked her back.
“Got you,” he growled.
Panic surged through her body.
“No! Let me go!” Lyla struggled desperately.
The rogue tightened his grip.
“You should’ve stayed with your pack, little wolf.”
The leader approached slowly, his eyes glowing dangerously.
“Don’t worry,” he said with a cruel grin.
“This won’t take long.”
Lyla’s heart pounded wildly.
She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself.
But suddenly—
A powerful roar exploded through the forest.
The ground seemed to shake beneath their feet.
The rogues froze instantly.
A deep, terrifying growl echoed from the darkness.
Not just any wolf.
An Alpha.
The rogues exchanged nervous glances.
Then two massive golden eyes appeared in the shadows between the trees.
Watching them.
Watching her.
The leader stepped back slowly.
“Oh no…” he muttered.
The massive wolf stepped into the moonlight.
Larger than any wolf Lyla had ever seen.
His fur was dark as midnight.
His golden eyes burned with pure fury.
The Alpha’s gaze locked onto Lyla.
And her wolf suddenly gasped inside her mind.
Mate.
- Writer
