Lunar Instincts

Chapter 3: Secrets In The Shadows

Chapter 3: Secrets in the Shadows

The world felt different after that night beneath the full moon. Everything Ember thought she knew about herself—her life, her family, her very identity—now seemed like a fragile facade, ready to crumble under the weight of what she had become.

She sat on the porch of her small, creaking house, staring at the forest. The early morning mist curled through the trees like ghostly fingers, casting an ethereal glow over the landscape. Sleep had evaded her since the encounter with that man, his wolfish form and haunting howl replaying in her mind like a broken record. Ember just knew that the wolf had to be him. Something in them was similar.

Her fingers traced the edges of a worn, leather-bound book in her lap. It was her father's journal, something she'd stumbled upon in the attic a few days earlier while searching for answers. The cover was worn and faded, the pages yellowed with age. Ember's heart ached as she opened the book, the scent of old paper and forgotten memories wafting up.

Her father, who had vanished when she was just a child, had left behind more than just memories—he'd left behind secrets. Flipping to a random page, Ember read the scrawled handwriting:

"The bloodline is cursed. Bound to the moon. The beast lies dormant, but it stirs in the young. Protect her at all costs."

Her heart pounded. Protect who? Was it her? She turned the page, desperate for more answers, but the next entry was torn, the words lost forever.

"Looking for something?" Ember's head snapped up. A figure leaned casually against a nearby tree, her eyes fixed intently on Ember.

The woman's sleek black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of night, her sharp green eyes gleaming with a knowing light. Her features were chiseled, her cheekbones high and angular, giving her an otherworldly beauty. She wore a black leather jacket, adorned with intricate silver thread, and combat boots that seemed to be molded to her legs. A collection of scars above her left eyebrow and on her chin spoke of a history marked by violence and survival.

"Wh- who are you?" Ember asked.

The stranger smiled, and her eyes seemed to gleam with amusement. "My name is Mara," she said, her voice low and husky. "And you are?"

Ember hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But there was something about Mara that made her feel like she could trust her.

"My name is Ember," she said, voice barely above a whisper.

Mara's eyes seemed to light up with interest.

"We're you following me?" Ember asked.

Mara smirked, "Anyone would. You're like a beacon in the darkness ember, you are radiating untapped energy, I'm surprised the whole forest had not come for you yet".Mara said amused.

Ember's stomach twisted. "What do you want?"

Mara stepped closer, her boots crunching against the gravel. "It's not about what I want, Ember. It's about what you are. Theodore felt it, and so did I. You're not just a fledgling wolf—you're something else entirely. Something more dangerous."

Wait, Theodore? That's actually his name? Ember thought.

Ember's heart pounded. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Mara crouched in front of her, her eyes burning with an inner intensity. "Oh, but you do," she said, her voice low and husky. "Your father kept secrets from you, didn't he? Secrets about why he really disappeared. He wasn't running away, Ember. He was running for you."

"Huh?..."

"You don't have to believe me" she added, "You'll find out soon enough, the full moon has awaken something inside you and Theodore won't be the only one hunting for it"

With that she left, disappearing into the woods, leaving Ember in a state of confusion.