Shadows of Betrayal

Chapter 1.2: Moonlit Hunt

It was the forest overwatching the love burgeoning between them. Suddenly, the forest became alive, ancient, and impartial. It was not some beneficent eye watching them. It did not care for or control them. It was only familiar with one historic cycle: to hunt, to feed, to rest, and to repeat. But Selena was not made for repeating this cycle. She was more than this. Even Darian was not made for simplicity.

Their paws were sinking into the mossy earth when they decided to go back to the campsite. Night was in its full bloom. The twinkling stars felt heavenly over their heads. Their appetite was satisfied. They were now finding a shelter where they could rest for some time. They were grateful to Mother Nature for keeping the balance between their human and wolf forms. The mist was growing thicker. They were paddling towards their destiny at a slow pace. It was the pace that someone acquires after a long venture. No sound other than the rhythmic padding of their steps was being heard.

Selena sensed Darian’s yearning gaze on her from time to time. She uttered no word, nor did she ask him what he was up to. The silence between them was louder than any words. Selena sighed in relief when she anticipated the orange glow of the flickering campfire. The shift of Darian and Selena into human form naturally unfolded. The bones restructured, the fur receded, and the wild instinct just peeled off like the snake’s skin.

Selena was gasping slowly as her knees were brushing against the dewy grass. Her bare shoulders, her beauty bones, and her tall stature were all visible to Darian. She shrugged as the deep connection that came with the wolf form was gone. It always felt like losing oneself bit by bit.

The transformation of Darian took a minute. The campfire contoured his features a bit more, and he looked strikingly debonair—he could grasp the attention of any girl on earth, let alone Salena, who could be thought of as mildly in love with Darian. His hair was damp, and his eyes radiated a golden glow, hinting about the beast beneath his skin.

He flung a blanket towards Selena from the pile of camp accessories. He made a pout with his mouth and asked her in a slightly mocking way, as if he already knew, “Running cold?” Selena was slightly embarrassed as Darian guessed right. She hurriedly wrapped the blanket around her and said, “Not really, I am just... adjusting to the weather.” Their gaze met, and they started looking away from each other. She crouched near the fire and fed it with another log. The fire suddenly flared up, and it gave certain warmth to Selena. Darian came closer to the fire. The fire was blazing, and his hair was glowing in its light. “You were unstoppable there" he said. His tone was plain but the edge beneath it was felt by Selena. “You are always admiring me this way; I don’t find it flattering anymore. Besides we always get the kill” She cut him abruptly as if remarks of Darian offended her. “That’s not the point of it,” he said softly. “Then what’s the point in saying all this?” She wanted to inquire about Darian’s undertone.

He locked his eyes on Selena. The air between them almost thickened. The fire crackling, the wind whispering—nothing was audible to them now. It all faded in the background. Her heart started beating fast. His tone was soft, but she was able to detect the reprimand hidden under his tone. His eyes were betraying him, telling all the hidden stories. “My point is,” he muttered slowly, “that one day, if you keep running like this, I might not be able to catch you when you fall.” He sounded very cautious. He was somehow warning her about the imminent turmoil that might hit them. “Then I will just make sure that I never fall,” she chuckled a little, but her heart was worried. He did not smile at all. Selena paid attention. "It seems as if you don't need me anymore," Darian said, lowering his head in a melancholy tone. “I think you do more than you realize.” For a second she could not breathe. These words were a pure warning. She could not mistake them as a boast or show-off.

Selena found it better to look away. The firelight was painting over her face. She said in a grave tone as if she was choked with the tears, “It’s you whom the pack needs, not me.” Darian leaned back on his hand, a bit astonished, and said, "That's not what I meant.” Selena leaned forward and said, "I know."

The mist outside their circle was thickening. It was crawling like the long fingers around the edges of the firelight. A little far from here, the wolf was howling. Selena involuntarily looked towards the forest canopy and asked Darian a sensual question; her tone was quite soft.

"Do you ever get the impression that the moon is watching us?” Darian furrowed his brow and asked, "Us from the horizon?" She faltered and then said, "Yes, I mean she’s always here perched on the horizon, watching us hunt, kill, eat, and rest. She never judges, never gives us her opinion, and is forever unchanging.” She tilted her head towards the moon while uncoiling her legs and putting them in a straight manner before the fire. “You sound like you are blaming the moon.” He said in a lower tone, “Maybe you are a little jealous of her.” Her eyes met his eyes, sharp as a knife. “Why would I be jealous of her?” He asked. A smile spread all over his face, and he said, "Because she never has to choose." She could not move for a second. She looked straight into his eyes. She could feel the pain of all the wars she fought alone, the perils of always being in command. The discipline of putting duty before desire and alpha before man. She looked down into the flames. She did not want him to realize how close he was to the truth. The truth shaped his personality. That damn truth was unveiling before their eyes. “You talk too much for a wolf.” She shrugged her shoulders in an uncaring way. He chuckled in a soft and intimate manner, "And you care too much for one.” Saying this, Darian was successful in drawing a meek smile on her face. They were drawing closer to each other. Darian’s hand touched Selena’s, and she felt a jolt surging through her body. The heat between their bodies was irresistible. Selena did not pull away her hand, nor did she acknowledge the fact that her body was leaning into him. Darian was not shying off today. He was bridging the distance between their bodies. As he leaned on her, his chest pounded, and he bent passionately towards his lover.

But then footsteps approached...

The spell around them broke. Their heads snapped towards the sound. It was coming from the east. From the shadow emerged a young packmate, panting and bewildered to his core. “You need to see this, Alpha. His voice trembled as he spoke. Darian rose quickly from the ground. He asked the packmate readily, "What happened?” The boy swallowed, “The night petrol has found some blood over the eastern ridges and some scent markers which are not ours.” Darian’s expressions got stiffed. Selena spoke in a terrified tone, “Intruders? In our territory? Almost impossible” she was in an awe of disbelief. Darian was silent. His easy-going demeanour was replaced by cold authority and he said, “Show me what you are talking about.”

They were on the eastern edges now. The moon had ascended a little higher. There was a blood streak on the ground, a sharp, metallic red. Selena crouched to the ground just to brush off her fingers against this blood trail. “They did it on purpose, they were not looking for the hunt, they were marking their territory.” Darian spoke with gravity. “Challenging us? Are they inviting us to fight them?” Selena was under the spell of danger and thrill now. As she asked, her eyes turned red. Darian did not reply as he was in deep thought. Selena went again, “What do we do now?” She was worried about what was coming next. “We hunt again,” Darian said, but this time, there was no playfulness in his voice.