MOONLIT SECRET

CHAPTER 1: THE AWAKENING

The moon dipped slightly, painting the quiet village of Silver Hollow in a sea-silver. The village sat amid rolling hills and dense forests, a portrait of tranquillity, but she also kept secrets within dark corners. For eighteen years, grand dog of the heedless Marcus and Clara Hale but no less orphaned than Alexander Mathermead by birth, Alexandra's pull to these secrets-these ancient deceptions--that much stronger in all their time as close counterparts when the moon was its fullest.

Tonight was no different. The moonlight came streaming through the window and embraced Alexandra as she lay in her warm bed. There were whispers and shadows in her dreams, gliding on the outer edge of comprehension. She rolled beneath her blanket, the voices of shadows stretching around, which made increasingly soft threats.

"Alex, are you okay?" Clara's voice penetrating the haze of sleep, her face worried in front of him.

Alexandra let out a large yawn, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "I'm okay, Clara." "Just another weird dream."

Her eyes kind of squinted down to a sharp frown. For someone who's already had his fair share of them. Are you sure you're alright?"

Alexandra forced a nod and smile. Yeah, just a full moon, I guess. It always kind of messes with my dreams.

Closer thought, aligning here, it moved ever needed along the distance to approach their bed. Sergeant Clara sighed, lifted her head again, and waved a strand of hair out from Alexandra's eyebrows. Yes, but if it gets worse, let's go see the healer. Goodnight, sweetie."

Goodnight, Clara", Alexandra whispered as her foster mother went out. She collapsed, hyperactive brain just spinning away My dreams were becoming more vivid, more real. It was almost as though it were communicating with her, needing desperately to tell her something crucial.

The next day was lost in the haze of such errands & village blabber, FAST FORWARD to Post Dusk. Blood Moon Shine!!! She did her best to dissipate the anxiety left behind from those dreams, but they remained tacked on in an invisible form of darkness. As darkness filled the air, she was nose-to-nose with forest, moonly starlight beckoning her.

"Alex, where are you going?"” Marcus shouted from the porch, concern thick in his voice.

"Just for a walk, Father. Naw, I aint going too far," she waved him off. She had to go get some air, feel the cool night on her skin.

In the forest, a great many nocturnal creatures were abuzz in anticipation of dawn. As Alexandra walked further into the woods, she felt her senses tingle. The rustling of leaves and distant hoots from an owl were amplified. There was something heavy on the breeze, a hum trickling down out of her scalp.

There was a growl, just one that came from out in the woods. Rumbling there so low and awful-sounding. Alexandra gasped and held his breath. It took her a moment to turn around, slowly blinking as she searched the black. She gasped, and a pair of glowing eyes stared back at her.

Suddenly, out of the darkness, a huge wolf approached, with fur so dark that its eyes almost seemed to light up. It was a wolf unlike any she had ever witnessed. As she looked at the creature advancing on her, all that could be heard through the night was a growl and her gasp.

Dark-form wolf Grow wild in shadow. Players around it that aren't on the 9 o'clock position die. This was no wolf like any she had ever beheld. She shuddered as the creature slowly made its way towards her, a deep growl emanating from within.

“Do not come closer,” Alexandra said, her voice shaky. But the wolf did not relent; it dashed towards her and she yelled while flinging her arms in an ineffective shield.

Suddenly, one of the balloons exploded, and then Alexandra woke up without any pain. She blinked, looking to orient herself. The forest had disappeared and she was in a dark cave instead. There was a chill in the air, Alora could smell nothing but damp earth and old rot from moss. The woman tried to shift, but she felt strange and foreign.

A sudden sound of a deep voice caught her by surprise: "Welcome back." It was a towering figure that lurked at the mouth of the cave; she turned around hastily. He had silvery, glowing eyes and exuded strength.

"Who are you?" Alexandra demanded in a shaking voice. "Where am I?"

“Alpha Gideon,” the male voice joined in, composed confidently. "You are among my pack now. A feral werewolf found and killed you. You were not so fortunate to have escaped with your life. But you are reborn as one of us...

Alexandra's mind reeled. "Reborn? What are you talking about?"

Gideon moved closer to him, a serious face now adopted. No, you re probably not even human anymore, Alexandera. You are a werewolf. You have shown who you truly are and from now on, they will refer to that person as Lira.

"Lira?" What little was left escaped from the mouth of Alexandra, all but a whisper. "But how... why?"

Gideon sighed, and his eyes softened. You have always been special, Lira. The homes of the gods), Your dreams, how you connected to that moon... Was it a call straight from your soul?

Lira cast her gaze down in soapy concealment, shaking her head with a mix of horror and doubt. "This can't be happening. I just want to go home."

“Welcome home,” he said softly. " Just embrace it and grow into the person that causes those great corners of your smile. For ease of access and ensuring that you must trust us now, we will help, but do not forget it.

From there, Lira spent days wrestling in misery. She learned to master her abilities and to become another part of the pack. Evelyn, one of her fiercest and most loyal pack members for life, became like an appendix that seemed to be more of a guide than a friend.

" I understand that this is so exceptional, but.. " That evening, Evelyn looked over the fire at where they sat together. "But you are not alone, Lira. We are your family now."

Lira stared into the fire, her mind a tempest. I just… I do not know who the hell I am anymore.

“Lira, you are,” Evelyn stated. You are powerful for a purpose. We will get through this with love together.