Chapter 5: Questions in the Dark
831 Words
The journey was grueling.
For days and nights, Luna and Riven traveled through dense forests, winding mountain paths, and shadowed valleys, pushing away exhaustion with fierce determination. Their destination lay far beyond the borders of Kaelen’s kingdom—a distant land where Luna could vanish from the pack’s reach and start anew.
The forest around them was alive with hidden dangers. Rogue werewolves—feral and ruthless—prowled the shadows, their hatred for all packs driving them to kill without mercy.
Luna moved cautiously, every rustle in the underbrush setting her heart pounding. Though Riven’s presence was a steady shield beside her, exhaustion sometimes claimed her senses, and she
would fall into restless sleep beneath the open sky.
Unbeknownst to her, Riven never left her side. Each night, as she drifted into uneasy slumber, he remained vigilant—watching the darkness, muscles tense, senses sharp, ready to leap to her defense at a moment’s notice.
The moon cast silver light through the dense canopy, but Luna’s sharp eyes missed nothing. She scanned the shadows, alert to every faint sound—the rustle of leaves, the snap of twigs—and felt the weight of exhaustion pressing against her. Years of survival had honed her senses; she was no longer just a prisoner but a survivor, cautious and watchful.
Riven sat nearby, his body tense, every muscle ready to spring. His eyes constantly flicked between Luna and the darkness around them.
“Stay close,” he whispered. “Rogue werewolves are near. They kill without mercy.”
Luna nodded, voice steady despite the tension. “I’m watching.”
She noticed a subtle shift—a shadow moving against the wind—and whispered, “There. Someone’s there.”
Riven’s eyes locked onto the spot just as a snarling figure lunged from the darkness.
Riven reacted instantly, claws flashing. With a brutal swipe, he tore into the attacker, silencing it quickly.
Luna let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.
But the relief was short-lived.
From deeper in the shadows, more shapes emerged—rogue werewolves surrounding them in snarling packs, eyes glowing with savage hunger.
Riven growled low, his muscles rippling with restrained power. “We’re outnumbered. We have to run.”
Luna’s heart pounded as they broke into a desperate sprint, branches whipping at their faces, the snarls and howls closing in.
Suddenly, a rogue broke free from the pack and lunged at Luna, claws aimed to rip.
Before she could react, Riven snarled fiercely and leapt in front of her—his form rippling and changing in a fierce, terrifying transformation.
Fur erupted across his skin; his eyes glowed amber like molten gold.
Luna gasped, frozen in awe and fear.
The man she thought she knew was an Alpha—a beast more powerful than she ever imagined.
Riven’s growl echoed through the forest as he blocked the attack, teeth bared and claws ready.
“Run,” he commanded, voice rough with urgency.
Luna didn’t hesitate.
The forest blurred around Luna as she ran, feet pounding against the earth, breath sharp in her throat. Branches clawed at her clothes, the cold wind biting against her skin—but the only sound that filled her mind was the blood rushing in her ears and the relentless growls of the rogue wolves behind them.
Behind her, Riven tore through the underbrush like a force of nature—his massive Alpha form radiating power, fur bristling, golden eyes burning with fury. He didn’t speak, didn’t falter. He fought like a beast possessed, claws slashing, fangs bared, guarding Luna’s back with brutal precision.
Luna glanced over her shoulder, heart hammering.
He wasn’t just strong.
He was an Alpha.
The realization twisted inside her like a knot. Why would an Alpha be risking everything to help her—a disgraced Luna with a stolen name and no scent to call her own?
She stumbled over a root but caught herself quickly, panting as she ducked under a low branch.
Why is he here?
Why is he protecting me?
What does he want?
The questions spiraled as she dodged trees and leapt over fallen logs, the sound of snapping jaws and claws tearing at the earth growing louder behind them.
He could have left her in that dungeon. He could have walked away.
But he hadn’t.
And now he fought for her life like it was his own.
A sudden snarl came too close—Luna turned, eyes wide as one of the rogues lunged from the side.
Riven was faster.
He slammed into the attacker mid-air, throwing it into a tree with bone-shattering force. He stood protectively between Luna and the rogues, blood streaked across his fur, growling deep and low.
“Keep running!” he barked, voice rough, deep, and Alpha-commanding.
And she did.
But even as her feet carried her forward, her mind reeled.
What kind of Alpha hides his power?
And why would he use it for me?
- Writer
