Beneath the silver moon

Beneath thesilver moon

The night sky was awash with stars, the crescent moon hanging low on the horizon like a silent observer. Angelo stood at the western edge of Crescent Hollow’s territory, the cold wind ruffling his dark hair. His senses were on high alert, his wolf pacing beneath his skin. The rogue woman’s scent still lingered faintly in the air—a tantalizing blend of rebellion and something inexplicably alluring.

He hated that he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Nyx.

“You look like you’re about to burst a blood vessel.”

Angelo turned sharply, his amber eyes narrowing as Mikey approached, his tone laced with amusement. Mikey was one of the few people who could get away with teasing Angelo, but tonight wasn’t the night for jokes.

“What do you want?” Angelo growled, his voice low.

Mikey shrugged, leaning casually against a nearby tree. “You called me, remember? Said it was urgent. So, what’s up? More rogues? Or is this about her?”

Angelo stiffened but didn’t deny it. Mikey had always been perceptive, and there was no point in lying.

“She knows something,” Angelo said finally. “About the rogues, about what’s happening in the territory. I need to find her.”

“And you think she’s just going to tell you?” Mikey raised an eyebrow. “You’re not exactly the approachable type, Angelo.”

“She’ll tell me,” Angelo said firmly. “She doesn’t have a choice. Whatever’s going on, it’s bigger than her, bigger than us.”

Mikey studied him for a moment, his usual humor replaced by a rare seriousness. “You’re playing with fire, Angelo. Rogues aren’t like us. They don’t follow rules. If you’re not careful, she’ll burn you.”

Angelo’s jaw tightened. “I can handle it.”

Meanwhile, deep in the forest...

Nyx crouched by the edge of a small clearing, her sharp violet eyes scanning the area. She had been tracking the scent for hours, the trail faint but unmistakable. Whoever was behind the rogue attacks was careful, covering their tracks with a precision that suggested experience.

She had no pack, no allies to back her up. It had always been just her and her instincts. But tonight, as the forest pressed in around her, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t alone.

A sudden rustle of leaves made her spin around, her muscles coiled like a spring. A figure emerged from the shadows, tall and imposing, his amber eyes glowing in the moonlight.

“Damn it,” Nyx muttered under her breath. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

Angelo stepped closer, his movements deliberate, predatory. “You’ve been busy,” he said, his voice low. “Tracking someone, aren’t you? Who is it?”

Nyx straightened, crossing her arms over her chest. “What makes you think I’d tell you?”

“Because you know as well as I do that whoever’s behind this is a threat to both of us,” Angelo said, his gaze steady. “We’re stronger together, whether you like it or not.”

Nyx laughed, the sound sharp and bitter. “Together? That’s rich coming from a pack wolf. You don’t trust me, and I sure as hell don’t trust you.”

Angelo’s expression didn’t waver. “Trust has nothing to do with it. This is about survival. So, are you in or not?”

For a long moment, Nyx didn’t respond, her eyes locked with his. She hated the way he looked at her, like he could see right through her defenses. But he wasn’t wrong. Whoever was orchestrating the rogue attacks was dangerous, and she couldn’t take them down alone.

“Fine,” she said finally. “But this doesn’t mean I like you.”

Angelo smirked. “The feeling’s mutual.”

Hours later, deeper in the forest...

The scent grew stronger as they moved, the sharp, metallic tang of blood mingling with something darker, more sinister. Nyx’s wolf was restless, pacing beneath her skin, her instincts screaming that they were heading straight into danger.

Angelo walked beside her, his movements as silent as a shadow. Despite her irritation with him, she couldn’t deny that he was a skilled tracker. His presence was steady, grounding, even as the tension between them crackled like a live wire.

“Stop,” Angelo said suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Nyx froze, her senses sharpening as she scanned the area. The forest was unnaturally quiet, the usual sounds of nocturnal creatures conspicuously absent.

And then she saw it.

A circle of bodies lay in the clearing ahead, their forms twisted and broken. The scent of death was overwhelming, choking the air. Nyx’s stomach turned, but she forced herself to step closer, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene.

“These aren’t just rogues,” she said, her voice tight. “They’re pack wolves.”

Angelo’s jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. “Someone’s sending a message.”

Nyx knelt beside one of the bodies, her sharp eyes scanning the wounds. “These weren’t random kills. They were precise, deliberate. Whoever did this knew what they were doing.”

Angelo’s gaze darkened. “Which means they’ll do it again.”

Before Nyx could respond, a low growl echoed through the forest, sending a shiver down her spine. She rose to her feet, her body tensing as the sound grew louder, closer.

“They’re here,” Angelo said, his voice a growl.

The first rogue burst into the clearing, its eyes wild, its teeth bared. Nyx and Angelo moved as one, their bodies shifting seamlessly into their wolf forms.

The battle was brutal, a blur of teeth and claws, growls and snarls. Nyx fought with a ferocity born of years of survival, her movements swift and deadly. Beside her, Angelo was a force of nature, his powerful form cutting through the rogues with ease.

But for every rogue they took down, two more seemed to take its place. They were surrounded, the circle of bodies growing tighter with each passing second.

“Nyx!” Angelo’s voice rang out through the chaos, his tone sharp. “We can’t hold them off forever. We need to retreat!”

Nyx snarled, her wolf reluctant to back down, but she knew he was right. They couldn’t win this fight—not here, not now.

With a final swipe of her claws, she broke through the line of rogues, her body moving on instinct. Angelo was right behind her, his powerful form clearing a path as they fled into the trees.

They didn’t stop until they were miles away, the sounds of the battle fading into the distance. Nyx collapsed against a tree, her chest heaving as she shifted back into her human form.

Angelo leaned against a nearby rock, his amber eyes scanning the forest for any sign of pursuit. “That wasn’t random,” he said finally, his voice tight. “They were waiting for us.”

Nyx nodded, wiping blood from her face. “Someone knew we’d be there. They’re watching us.”

Angelo’s gaze hardened. “Then we’ll watch them right back. This isn’t over.”

Nyx met his eyes, the tension between them replaced by something else—something unspoken. For the first time, she felt a flicker of trust, however small, in the Alpha heir who had become her unlikely ally.

But trust wouldn’t be enough. Not with the storm that was coming.