The Luna of the Hollow

THIS IS A SAMPLE ONLY!! READ MORE VIA SUBSCRIPTION ON I.N.K.I.T.T BANG! The gunshot echoed around the woodlands, causing all the local wildlife to scatter. Unfortunately, so did the target. Calleigh sighed, brushing back a strand of her blonde hair and reloaded her hunting rifle. It wasn't like her to miss. She must be off her game today. Taking her stance, she scanned the trees once again. The Monster was out there, she knew it. She could sense it, feel it in her bones. And she had to protect her pack. Pulling her jacket around her a little tighter, she shivered in the breeze. It was never warm in this part of the country. Some days it was downright miserable. But it was home, and Calleigh couldn't imagine living anywhere else. The trees whispered to each other the many secrets of the forest. A misty fog settled over the ground in every crevice, as if seeping from the earth itself. And the faded light that managed to squeeze into the area was almost begging you to run away! But there was no leaving the Hollow. The world outside contains many dangerous creatures, not to mention the virus, that causes mania and delusions. From a young age, the pack members were warned of the dangers that lurked outside the Hollow. And nothing changed as they grew up, and no one left. It wasn't just superstition either. No one ever came in from outside the border. And creatures lurked just beyond. A perimeter fence and watchtowers were set up all around the pack lands, manned 24/7 by armed guards. And Calleigh wasn't just their Luna, she was one of their best shots! Except today, she couldn't seem to hit anything! "Luna Calleigh Devine," A voice came from halfway up the wooden ladder. "Have you been out here all night?" "Uh huh," Calleigh responded, without taking her eyes off the horizon. "I volunteered, Evan was sick." The Pack's Beta, Dahlia emerged from the top of the ladder. She was carrying two take-out cups of coffee in one hand and using the other to climb. Her strength and athleticism were just one of the many reasons she beat out all the males for the role, four years ago. And since then, she has proved her worth over and over. No one in the pack could question she was the right person for the job. The petite brunette was stunning, with soft gray eyes and full lips. Her skin was once almost the shade of porcelain, but her many years outside running patrols and training sessions had given her a more tanned look. Even still, she looked like a delicate flower. Except she was anything but. Rough and ready were two of the words many pack members used to describe Dahlia. Some of the elder wolves even said it was due to her tomboy nature that she hadn't found her mate yet. Dahlia said it was because all the males in the pack were useless. Calleigh had found her mate at eighteen. A typical high school love story, she was mated and marked that night by the future Alpha - Ryder Devine. Every girl's fairy tale. Now, at the age of thirty-one, she was well established as the pack's Luna, although she hadn't yet provided an heir. Alpha Ryder didn't seem to mind, he put no pressure on her to conceive, and their marriage was, overall, a happy one. In fact, life in the pack was generally happy - there were hardly any disputes or concerns. Even though no one ever left the Hollow, no one ever wanted to. The pack was entirely self-sufficient, growing their own food, manufacturing their own electronics and weapons. They really did want for nothing. Yes, life in the Hidden Moon pack was perfect. Except for one thing. "We found another one last night," Dahlia said solemnly. That was the only thing that would make Calleigh tear her eyes away from hunting for the target. "You're kidding?" She hissed, "Where?" Dahlia jerked her head in the direction. "Over by the pond. Simon - you know, the Tailor's apprentice - laid out like the others, in a pool of his own blood." Dahlia shivered, remembering the sight she had witnessed that morning. A young boy, no older than sixteen, was brutally murdered. The fourth in the last six months, and they were still no closer to catching the killer. "Did you see anything?" Dahlia asked, handing Calleigh one of the take-away cups. "Last night, anything out of the ordinary or anyone skulking around?" Calleigh placed her rifle down, leaning it against the railing. She shook the cramps out of her hand and clutched the hot cup with both hands. Then she shook her head. "No, I didn't see anything on this side of the fence." Calleigh took a sip of her coffee. "But then again, I wasn't really looking at that side. There was a lot of activity out there last night." She gestured out over the wall. Even as the sun rose, the area was deep in shadow. There never seemed to be much light in the Hollow. Twisted and gnarled trees grew all around, blocking out a lot of the sky with their foliage. That's why having eyes on the wall is so important. Stop the monsters sneaking in the shadows. "All the other guards on the watchtowers said the same," Dahlia went on to say. "They didn't see anyone either." Calleigh sighed, set her cup down on the floor and picked up her rifle again. "We may have to start considering the possibility that the killer is someone in the pack," Dahlia grimaced. Her words caused Calleigh to spin around in shock. "You can't possibly think that one of our own is killing people?" Calleigh said, her face darkening. "There is no one in the pack who is capable of such atrocities. It has to be one of those monsters out there!" Her face had gained a pink tinge in her cheeks as she spoke. Dahlia knew that her Luna was angry at the suggestion, but something didn't sit well in the back of Dahlia's mind. The kills didn't look like they were from a monster. They were too clean, too swift. A single slice across the throats of the victims. No defensive wounds or other marks that you would expect if the victim had been fighting a monster. And they were all fully clothed as well. Had the pack members shifted into their wolf form, they would be naked after they died and returned to their human form. The bodies showed no signs of being redressed or moved. They died and they fell. This didn't scream monster to Dahlia. This was something else entirely. "We just need to figure out how they're getting in!" Calleigh sighed, her eyes back on the horizon. "How they are moving around unnoticed." Calleigh shivered again in the breeze and realized her Beta had gone silent. She turned her head and saw how downcast Dahlia looked. Dahlia was staring down at the cup in her hands, watching the steam rise up from the small opening. She looked sad and deep in thought. Calleigh was not the kind of Luna to dismiss anyone's ideas. And she had to concede that it was a possibility that it could have been someone in the pack. Her face softened to match her more gentle tone of voice. "If it is someone in the pack," She said, "We will catch them. They can't escape us for long." Dahlia's face softened. Her Luna really did care about her pack. Calleigh was fierce in her protection and Dahlia knew if anyone could find this killer, it was her Luna. She took a sip of her coffee and looked out across the pack lands. A single figure was walking towards them, carrying a rifle. They were clearly coming to switch places with Calleigh to allow her some rest. It was about time she took some, she had been here all night. "Looks like your about to be relieved from your post," Dahlia said, gesturing towards the figure. "Let's get you some food and then you definitely need to get some sleep." Calleigh scanned the horizon one more time. There was no movement. The monsters seemed to have disappeared. She sighed and put her rifle down, making sure the safety was on. "I just wish I knew where they were coming from," Calleigh said, running her hand through her hair. It definitely needed a wash! And her tummy was rumbling. Dahlia was right. As much as Calleigh wanted to stay there and protect her pack from the monsters, she had to rest and eat! "OK, show me the crime scene, and then we can head back to the pack house," Calleigh said, ignoring Dahlia's eye roll. Dahlia knew that was the best she was going to get. Frank appeared at the top of the ladder. "Hi Luna Calleigh, Beta Dahlia," he said respectfully, before pulling himself up onto the platform. "Any monsters sited last night?" Calleigh nodded, "one or two," She said. "But they disappeared before I managed to hit them." Frank looked surprised. Everyone knew that Calleigh was a dead shot. She could hit a moving target at 600 yards. It was very unusual for her to miss. He quickly changed his expression. "I'll keep my eye out, Luna," he said, before taking up his stance at the railing. Calleigh and Dahlia descended the ladder, and headed towards the pond. Dahlia felt sick to her stomach at having to return to the crime scene. Seeing it once was more than enough. But she knew she couldn't disobey her Luna. Besides, this killer had to be stopped. Whoever it was.