Chapter Three — The Hunt And The Warning
594 Words
The night was no longer silent. It roared with the sound of paws striking the earth and the chorus of howls echoing through the Black Moon territory. Damian led the charge, his massive black wolf tearing through the forest like a shadow come alive.
His senses were sharpened to the extreme — scent, sound, heartbeat. Every fiber of his being was locked on one thing: Aria.
He had tracked her scent to the edge of the forest, where it abruptly vanished into thin air. No signs of struggle, no blood. Just her bridal scent cut off like it had been erased.
Magic, his wolf snarled. They used magic.
Behind him, his Beta Marcus kept pace. “Alpha! There’s nothing here. No tracks, no trails. Whoever took her knew what they were doing.”
Damian shifted back into human form, unbothered by the cold night air against his skin. His eyes glowed silver in the darkness. “Then we go deeper. If they think they can hide her from me, they’ve underestimated the wrong wolf.”
He tilted his head back and released a thunderous howl, sending orders through the pack link. Fan out. Check the old ruins, the river caves, and the eastern border. She’s still alive—I can feel her.
The bond mark on his neck pulsed faintly. Pain. Fear. But also… defiance.
Aria was fighting.
Damian’s jaw tightened. Whoever had taken her would learn what it meant to challenge an Alpha.
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Aria’s POV
Somewhere deep underground, Aria’s chains rattled again as she struggled against them. Her wrists burned, her wolf still muffled by the strange barrier. The cloaked figure had disappeared hours ago, leaving her alone in the dark with only the distant sound of dripping water.
Her thoughts kept drifting back to Damian — his eyes, his touch, the way his wolf’s presence always surrounded her like a protective storm. Could he feel her now? Did he know where to find her?
Suddenly, a faint sound reached her ears. A howl.
Her heart lurched. It was distant, but unmistakable. Damian.
She squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on the sound, willing it to reach her wolf. A spark flickered inside her — weak, but there. She tried again, pushing against the invisible wall in her mind.
Then, a whisper filled the chamber.
“You think he’ll find you,” a new voice said. This one was soft, almost sorrowful. A second figure stepped out of the shadows, this one hoodless — a young woman with pale blue eyes and long white hair that glowed faintly in the darkness.
Aria froze. “Who are you?”
“I’m a messenger,” the woman said quietly. “And I came to give you a warning.”
“What warning?” Aria demanded.
The woman glanced nervously toward the tunnel. “You must remember who you are before the next full moon. If you don’t… the Alpha will die trying to save you.”
Before Aria could ask another question, the woman vanished like mist, leaving only the echo of her words.
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Damian’s POV
The forest grew colder the deeper he went. His wolf senses picked up something faint — not scent, but a pulse. A magical residue that didn’t belong in his territory.
Marcus caught up, panting. “Alpha… do you feel that?”
“Yes,” Damian growled. “And I’m not stopping until I find her.”
The bond mark burned hotter. Somewhere out there, Aria was alive. And now, he had a direction.
The hunt had truly begun.
- Writer
