The Hunt
988 Words
The forest was too quiet.
Lyra Vale tightened her grip around the lantern as she walked deeper between the towering pine trees. Cold wind brushed against her cheeks, carrying the scent of damp earth and snow. Normally, the woods around Black Hollow were alive at night — insects humming, owls calling from the trees, distant rustling in the bushes.
Tonight, there was nothing.
Only silence.
Her stomach twisted uneasily.
She should have listened to Old Mara and waited until morning to gather moonroot, but the old healer needed the herb before sunrise, and Lyra needed the money even more. Winter had been cruel this year. Work in Black Hollow barely paid enough to survive, and she was already behind on rent again.
So here she was. Alone. In the forbidden part of the forest everyone avoided after dark.
“Smart choice, Lyra,” she muttered nervously.
The lantern flickered once.
Then went out completely and darkness swallowed her whole.
"s**t", Lyra cursed softly. She crouched quickly, fumbling through her satchel for matches. Her fingers trembled from the cold as she struck one against the box.
A low growl echoed behind her.
She froze instantly.
Slowly, she lifted her head.
Two golden eyes stared at her from the darkness.
Too high off the ground.
Too large.
Fear crept slowly up her spine.
Another growl sounded from her left.
Then another from somewhere ahead.
Her pulse quickened as shapes emerged between the trees one by one — massive wolves with matted fur, exposed fangs, and eyes glowing with something wild and wrong.
Rogues.
Lyra stumbled backward.
There were five of them.
One limped heavily while another had dried blood covering its mouth. Their bodies looked starved, half-mad from violence and isolation. Their eyes were red like pool of blood, a sign of their rougue status.
She had heard stories about rogue wolves her entire life.
They killed for sport. And humans rarely survived them.
The largest wolf stepped closer, lips curling back as saliva dripped from its jaws. Its eyes locked onto her throat.
"Run".
The thought slammed into her mind.
Lyra turned and sprinted. Branches tore against her skin as she ran blindly through the forest, panic pounding through her chest so hard it hurt. Heavy paws thundered behind her.
Closer.
Closer.
A vicious snarl exploded beside her.
Pain ripped across her shoulder as claws shredded through her jacket, sending her crashing violently onto the frozen ground and the lantern flew from her hand. Mud soaked her palms as she scrambled backward desperately.
The wolves surrounded her slowly. Their growls vibrated through the cold night air.
Lyra’s breathing became uneven as tears burned behind her eyes. This couldn’t be how her life ended, she thought.
Not here.
Not alone.
The largest rogue lowered its massive head toward her, hot breath brushing against her face.
Then, the forest shook with a deafening growl.
Every rougue wolf froze instantly.
The air itself changed. Power rolled through the trees so heavily that Lyra felt it in her chest.
A massive black wolf stepped from the darkness.
Lyra stopped breathing.
It was enormous — larger than any wolf she had ever imagined. Black fur blended into the shadows while silver eyes glowed beneath the moonlight with terrifying intensity.
The rogue wolves whimpered and started cowering away. One sprinted away immediately.
The black wolf then attacked ferociously without warning.
Chaos erupted.
Snarls exploded through the forest as the massive creature slammed into the rogues with brutal force. Blood sprayed across the snow-covered ground and bones cracked beneath powerful jaws.
Lyra pressed herself against a tree, trembling violently as she watched the black wolf destroy them one after another.
One rogue lunged toward its throat.
The black wolf caught it midair.
And tore it apart.
The remaining rogues fled into the darkness.
Silence returned suddenly.
Heavy breathing filled the forest.
Then the black wolf turned toward her.
Lyra’s pulse stopped.
Moonlight spilled across its bloodstained fur as it approached slowly. Carefully.
Not like a predator stalking prey.
Like something curious.
Its silver eyes locked onto hers, and for some reason, that terrified her more than the attack itself. There was intelligence in those eyes. Human intelligence.
The wolf stopped directly in front of her.
Close enough for her to feel heat radiating from its massive body.
Close enough to smell pine, earth, and blood clinging to its fur.
Lyra’s chest rose and fell unevenly.
Fear rooted her in place.
The wolf’s gaze dropped to the blood running down her shoulder where the rogue had clawed her.
A low growl rumbled from its chest.
Protective.
Not threatening.
The realization confused her.
The black wolf stepped closer and lowered its head toward her neck.
Lyra’s breath caught painfully.
The wolf inhaled deeply beside her skin.
Once.
Then again.
Its entire body suddenly stiffened.
Silver eyes widened.
Shock flashed across its face.
The growl that left its throat sounded almost pained.
“What are you…” Lyra whispered shakily.
The wolf moved before she could react.
Sharp teeth sank into the space between her neck and shoulder.
Lyra screamed.
A violent burning sensation exploded through her body instantly, far worse than the bite itself. It felt like fire spreading beneath her skin, racing through her veins.
The wolf released her immediately and stumbled backward.
Lyra collapsed onto her knees, clutching her neck as heat consumed her body.
A strange silver glow appeared beneath her fingers.
The skin below her collarbone began to change slowly, glowing lines forming beneath the surface like moonlight trapped under flesh.
The black wolf stared at her in horror.
Not anger.
Not hatred.
Horror.
As though it had made a terrible mistake.
Lyra looked down at the glowing mark forming on her skin, her breathing shaking violently.
Then she looked back at the massive wolf standing before her.
And for the first time in her life…
She watched a monster look terrified of her.
- Writer
