CHAPTER 2 - THE BEAST IN THE FOREST
1376 Words
Nyra couldn't move.
The silver eyes were still fixed on her from the darkness beyond the trees, glowing with an eerie intensity that made her skin prickle. Every instinct screamed at her to run, yet her legs refused to cooperate.
The forest had become quiet as though nothing happened .
No insects.
No birds.
No wind.
Nothing.
Only the pounding of her heart was heard.
The silver mark beneath her collarbone throbbed painfully.
The creature took a step forward.
Branches cracked beneath its weight.
Nyra forced herself to swallow her saliva.
There it is, a mighty figure was visible enough in the dark.
At first , it looked like a wolf.
But when it stepped fully into the moonlight.
Nyra understood that it was something far more terrifying.
The creature was nearly eight feet tall with silver-black fur covering its body. Sharp claws which digs into the earth as it walks.
“This wasn't a wolf,” Nyra whispered.
“It isn't a werewolf either.”
“This is a Lycan.”
The Lycans are considered to be the oldest and most feared predators in existence.
Stories about Lycans were used to frighten children into obeying instructions.
Most wolves believed they no longer exist.
Perhaps, they were wrong all along.
Fear took control of her chest and also her breathing pattern.
The Lycan tilted its head slightly.
As if it was studying her.
Nyra at the same time, slowly backed away.
The beast remained motionless and made another step
This time the Lycan suddenly growled.
The deep sound shook the ground like an earthquake.
Nyra froze in fear, awaiting her death.
Every muscle ceased to function.
Her breathing became shallow.
The creature's gaze was directed to her chest where the silver mark burned beneath her dress.
An expression appeared in its eyes.
That of recognition.
“Impossible,how could a monster possibly recognize me in such a place?,” Nyra tried to understand the situation.
The mark pulsed again with its silver light appearing.
The Lycan's growling stopped immediately.
Then the unexpected happened.
The beast lowered its head,not aggressively but in a respectful manner.
Nyra is still standing in disbelief.
"What are you?"
The question slipped from her even before she could control herself.
The Lycan blinked its eyes.
The silver mist on his body was moving quickly in different directions.
His bones cracked
And his muscles shifted.
The transformation happened so quickly that Nyra didn't have time to comprehend what she was seeing.
Within a short while, the beast disappeared.
And now a man stood in its place.
Looking dangerous with his broad-shoulders.
The moonlight illuminated his features and the dark hair that curled backwards. His silver eyes remained exactly the same from the beginning.
He was putting on black clothes that looked expensive despite the forest dirt clinging to it.
Everything about him and his appearance pointed out to one thing which was power and authority and perhaps danger.
On Nyra's side, fear sent her pulse racing.
She had never seen anyone like him.
The stranger watched her quietly and finally uttered his first word.
"You shouldn't be here."
His voice was deep and smooth.
The kind of voice that commanded attention without much effort
Nyra frowned his face as those words fell through.
"I could say the same thing," she responded.
With one dark eyebrow lifted, she could see him clear enough.
To her surprise, amusement flickered for some across his face.
"Most people don't argue with me," the commanding voice echoed.
"Most people also aren't being stalked by giant wolves."
That response made the man smile but it vanished immediately.
The man's expression became serious as before.
"What is your name?"
Yet Nyra hesitated before replying.
Something about him felt dangerous.
Yet familiar that she didn't understand why it was so.
As if she'd seen him somewhere before.
"I'm not telling you,” those words fell off her lips with confidence.
"Wise,this is the confidence of a queen."
The answer surprised her.
She expected anger and not approval.
The stranger glanced toward the silver mark hidden beneath her collarbone.
"You need to leave."
"Right now," he instructed.
The sudden urgency in his voice startled her.
Before she could ask why, a distant howl echoed from inside the forest.
The man's expression darkened instantly as if he knew the danger.
Several more howls followed shortly.
But closer this time..
The sound alone made Nyra uneasy.
"What is it?"
Now his gaze shifted from Nyra towards the darkness.
"Hunters,” this word sent a chill through her.
"Pack hunters?,”she tried to confirm.
"No."
"Worse than them.”
A few moments later, movement burst violently through the trees.
Several figures emerged from the darkness.
All were armed and masked.
Nyra's fear returned.
The newcomers surrounded them.
Six attackers each carried silver weapons.
Their attention was focused mainly on her.
The realization of the event now made her blood run cold.
They weren't here for the stranger.
They were here for her.
One of the masked figures stepped forward in her direction , looking at her, he said.
"There she is."
Nyra almost died on the spot,how can a so-called powerless omega be recognized here?
How did they know who she was?
Their leader pointed a silver blade directly toward her.
"Kill the girl."
“Then you have to pass through me,”the stranger replied back at the command.
Nyra felt a sense of concern at least for once in her life, someone stood for her.
Everything happened at once.
The stranger moved like lightning.
One second he stood beside her.
Next, he was among the attackers.
Chaos erupted as he was moving.
The sound of breaking bones was heard through the forest as one attacker flew through the air before crashing into a tree.
Another one screamed and this happened almost to them all.
The stranger wasn't just strong as Nyra once thought but was also terrifying.
The attackers quickly understood that one too.
Their confidence disappeared immediately.
But they weren't done yet.
One of them broke away from the fight and charged towards Nyra.
With his silver dagger raised with the intention of ending the life of Nyra.
Nyra herself turned to run but it was too late.
The blade descended towards her heart region.
Suddenly the silver mark bursted with heat.
A blinding flash broke out from her body.
The forest lit up like it was daytime.
Power surged through her veins.
The attacker never succeeded in his attack when a wave of silver energy blasted outward.
The masked figure screamed before disappearing
As if the light itself had made it so.
Silence was felt again in the forest.
Nyra looked at her trembling hands.
"What… just happened,” she tried to understand the situation.
Her voice couldn't utter something audible enough.
The remaining attackers stood shocked and still,fear replaced their determination.
One whispered something into his colleagues' ears.
Their leader's eyes widened as he couldn't control himself.
"The Moonborn…"
Those words were like a warning
message.
His members heard the shout and ran away.
Leaving only Nyra and the stranger behind.
Her knees were trembling.
The surge of power she just experienced has disappeared.
Exhaustion crashed into her, her legs couldn't carry her weight anymore.
The stranger rushed her before she fell.
His left arm caught her waist while his right hand cared for the face of the woman before him.
For reasons Nyra couldn't explain, the contact calmed her racing heart.
"Impossible,” the stranger said when he saw the mark.
Nyra struggled to focus.
"What happened?" Nyra still forced herself to say something.
The stranger didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked lost at the mark beneath her collarbone.
His expression looked almost stunned.
As if he had witnessed something he never was expected to see.
"You have no idea who you are, do you?"
The question barely assimilated.
She tried to stand on her own to understand what he meant but the strength was gone and she fell back into the arms of he who was waiting for her.
But before unconsciousness claimed her completely, she heard him speak one final time.
His voice sounded strangely different.
Softer and protective.
"After all these centuries..."
"...we finally found you."
- Writer
