Moonrise part 3
486 Words
In that moment, Lara felt exposed—seen in a way that went beyond sight, as though the creature could reach into her thoughts, strip away every layer of doubt and denial.
She couldn’t move.
Couldn’t breathe.
Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared—
It was gone.
The shadows swallowed it whole.
The forest fell silent once more.
Lara collapsed to her knees, dragging in a sharp breath as her lungs burned. Her entire body shook, adrenaline crashing through her veins.
“What… was that?” she gasped.
Her phone buzzed violently in her pocket, making her flinch.
With trembling hands, she pulled it out.
A message from Mara flashed across the screen:
Lara, weird stuff. Check your email.
Still dazed, Lara opened her inbox.
A single message waited.
No subject line.
No sender name—just two initials.
E.V.
Her heart skipped.
She opened it.
“Need to talk. The Vance house. Now.”
The Vance house stood at the edge of Silvercrest like a relic frozen in time.
The old Victorian mansion loomed against the night sky, its silhouette jagged and imposing, windows glowing faintly from within. Lara hesitated at the gate, unease settling deep in her bones.
Then she pushed it open.
The door creaked as she stepped inside.
Dr. Elara Vance greeted her almost immediately, as if she had been waiting.
Her sharp eyes locked onto Lara’s, intense and knowing.
“You saw it,” Elara said.
Not a question.
A statement.
Lara swallowed hard. “I did.”
Elara stepped closer, lowering her voice. “The blue-eyed one.”
A chill ran through Lara. “What is it?”
Elara’s expression darkened. “A curse. One that has haunted this town for generations.”
Before Lara could respond, another voice cut through the tension.
“Elara’s right.”
Lara turned sharply.
A man stood in the doorway—tall, composed, his gaze steady.
“Elian,” Elara said quietly.
He stepped forward. “You’re not safe, Lara. Not anymore.”
Her head spun. “What are you talking about?”
“Kadir’s pack won’t like this,” Elara added, her voice tight with concern.
“Kadir?” Lara echoed.
“The alpha,” Elian said. “And he’s hunting the one you saw.”
A distant howl echoed through the night—closer than before.
Lara’s pulse quickened.
“I need answers,” she said firmly.
Elara studied her for a long moment, then nodded slowly.
“I’ll show you,” she said. “But understand this—some secrets aren’t meant to be uncovered.”
As they stepped back into the night, the forest seemed to shift around them.
Watching.
Waiting.
And hidden among the shadows, another figure lingered.
Riley.
Young. Silent. Torn.
A member of Kadir’s pack.
Curiosity burned in their chest as they watched Lara disappear into the darkness.
After a moment’s hesitation—
Riley followed.
- Writer
