Beneath the silver moon

Uneasy Allies

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a pale glow over the forest as Angelo Lui watched Nyx vanish into the shadows. Her scent still lingered in the air, a strange blend of wild earth and rebellion that made his wolf restless. He should have chased her, should have confronted her about what she was doing on his pack’s land. But the truth was, he didn’t know what he’d say if he caught her.

Turning his gaze to the bodies of the rogues scattered across the forest floor, he growled low in his throat. They were filthy, emaciated creatures, their once-proud wolf forms now little more than skeletal shadows of what they should have been. Rogues were dangerous for more than just their savagery—they had no loyalty, no pack to hold them accountable. And yet, their presence here felt deliberate.

“This wasn’t random,” Angelo muttered, his voice carrying through the mind-link.

Mikey’s voice responded almost immediately, calm but tinged with concern. “What do you mean? Rogues don’t plan—they attack when they’re desperate.”

Angelo shook his head, his amber eyes narrowing. “No. This was coordinated. They were trying to draw us out, away from the pack. I’m not sure why yet, but I’ll find out.”

There was a pause before Mikey’s voice came again, quieter this time. “Did you... find the rogue woman?”

Angelo’s jaw tightened. “She’s gone for now. But she’s not our enemy. Not yet.”

Another pause, then Mikey chuckled softly. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say she got under your skin.”

Angelo growled. “Stay focused. We’ll talk when I get back.” He cut the connection, unwilling to entertain the thought any longer.

Meanwhile, deeper in the forest...

Nyx slipped through the trees like a shadow, her movements silent and precise. The fight had left her blood pounding, her senses sharper than ever. But it wasn’t the rogues that lingered in her mind—it was Angelo.

She hated him. She had to. He was everything she despised about pack wolves: rigid, self-righteous, and utterly convinced that their way was the only way. And yet...

There was something about him. The way he had fought alongside her, his movements fluid and powerful, his amber eyes burning with a fire that matched her own. She shook her head, frustrated with herself for even thinking about it.

Alicia was waiting for her when she reached their temporary camp, a small clearing hidden deep within the forest. The blonde rogue raised an eyebrow as Nyx approached, her icy blue eyes sharp with curiosity.

“Well?” Alicia asked, her voice clipped. “Did you find anything useful, or was this just another one of your impulsive adventures?”

Nyx rolled her eyes, dropping onto a fallen log. “I found rogues. Plenty of them. And Lui pack wolves.”

Alicia’s expression darkened. “Rogues and pack wolves on the same night? That’s not a coincidence. What happened?”

Nyx hesitated for a moment before answering. “I fought alongside one of them. Angelo Lui.”

Alicia’s eyes widened. “The future Alpha? Are you insane? If his pack finds out you were there—”

“They won’t,” Nyx interrupted sharply. “And I wasn’t going to let the rogues tear through this forest just because it’s his territory. Something’s going on, Alicia. The rogues weren’t acting like rogues—they were coordinated, like they were being controlled. And Lui knows it too.”

Alicia frowned, considering this. “Controlled by who? And why?”

“I don’t know,” Nyx admitted, her voice softening. “But I’m going to find out. I can feel it, Alicia. There’s more to this than we realize.”

Alicia sighed, running a hand through her platinum-blonde hair. “You always do this, Nyx. You get involved in things that don’t concern us, and then we’re the ones who pay the price. Just... be careful, okay? We can’t afford to draw attention to ourselves.”

Nyx nodded, though her mind was already racing. She wasn’t just doing this for herself—she was doing it for all the rogues who had been cast out, forgotten, left to fend for themselves. If someone was controlling the rogues, if there was a bigger threat looming, she needed to know.

The next morning...

Angelo stood at the edge of Crescent Hollow’s central clearing, his arms crossed as he surveyed his pack. The morning sun filtered through the trees, casting golden light over the wolves gathered before him.

Mikey stood at his side, his expression serious. “What’s the plan, Angelo? The rogues were a problem last night, but if they come back...”

“They will,” Angelo said firmly. “And when they do, we’ll be ready.”

Max, a tall, broad-shouldered wolf with a perpetually stern expression, stepped forward. “We should increase patrols along the western border. If the rogues are targeting us, we need to shut them down before they can regroup.”

“I agree,” Angelo said. “But we’re not just dealing with rogues. There’s something else at play here—something bigger. I need everyone to stay vigilant. Report anything unusual, no matter how small.”

The pack members nodded, their loyalty to Angelo evident in their unwavering gazes. They trusted him to lead them, to protect them. And he wouldn’t let them down.

As the meeting dispersed, Selina approached, her emerald eyes filled with concern. “Angelo, there’s something you’re not telling us. What really happened last night?”

Angelo hesitated, his gaze drifting toward the forest. “There was a rogue,” he admitted. “But she wasn’t like the others. She fought with us against the rogues, and she left without causing any trouble.”

Selina’s eyebrows shot up. “A rogue helping a pack wolf? That’s... unexpected. Do you trust her?”

“No,” Angelo said immediately. “But I don’t think she’s our enemy. Not yet.”

Selina frowned, her expression thoughtful. “Be careful, Angelo. Rogues are unpredictable. And if the pack finds out you’re dealing with one...”

“They won’t,” Angelo said firmly. “This stays between us. For now.”

Later that night...

Nyx sat on a rock overlooking a small stream, the sound of water flowing over stones soothing her restless mind. She had always found comfort in solitude, but tonight, the quiet felt oppressive.

Her thoughts kept drifting back to Angelo, to the way he had fought, the way he had looked at her with those piercing amber eyes. She hated him for making her feel anything at all, for stirring something in her that she didn’t want to name.

“Lost in thought?”

Nyx whipped around, her violet eyes narrowing as Angelo stepped out of the shadows. He was in human form, his dark hair tousled, his expression unreadable.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, her voice sharp.

“Following up,” he said simply, leaning casually against a tree. “You were there last night. You know something about the rogues. I want answers.”

Nyx scoffed. “And you think I’m just going to give them to you? You’re delusional, wolf-boy.”

Angelo’s eyes flashed with irritation, but he kept his voice calm. “Look, I don’t trust you, and you don’t trust me. But we both know there’s something bigger going on here. If we don’t figure out what it is, more people are going to die. Do you want that on your conscience?”

Nyx glared at him, her jaw tightening. He wasn’t wrong, and she hated him even more for it. “Fine,” she said reluctantly. “But this doesn’t mean I’m working with you.”

“Good,” Angelo said, his lips quirking into a half-smile. “I wouldn’t want you on my team anyway.”

For a moment, they simply stared at each other, the tension between them as thick as the forest around them. And then, without another word, Nyx turned and walked away, her heart pounding in her chest.

Angelo watched her go, his expression unreadable. He didn’t trust her, but there was something about her that he couldn’t ignore. Something that made him feel alive in a way he hadn’t felt in ye

ars.

The hunt had only just begun.