LOST ALPHA

The night the Blood Moon rose, the forest fell silent. Deep beneath the towering silver pines, an old woman wrapped in a tattered black cloak hurried along a narrow path, clutching a newborn baby tightly against her chest. The infant did not cry. Instead, his tiny golden eyes shimmered in the moonlight. Behind her came the thunder of paws. "They're close!" she whispered, glancing over her shoulder. A chorus of savage howls split the silence. The Bloodclaw warriors had found her. "Search every inch of the forest!" a commanding voice roared. "The child must not escape!" The old woman stumbled over a tree root but refused to let go of the baby. "You must live," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "One day, you will become the Alpha this world has been waiting for." The baby reached out with his tiny hand and touched her cheek. Suddenly, a strange silver light burst from his body. The trees trembled. The ground shook violently. The pursuing wolves came to an abrupt halt. "What... what is that power?" one of them gasped. Far above the forest, the Blood Moon glowed brighter than ever before. From the sky came a voice that echoed like thunder. "The Lost Alpha shall return when love conquers hatred." The warriors froze in terror. "No!" their commander shouted. "Kill the child before the prophecy is fulfilled!" Just then, a massive shadow descended from the clouds. A gigantic silver wolf, larger than any living creature, landed between the old woman and the hunters. Its glowing blue eyes burned with ancient power. The beast let out a deafening roar. The shockwave hurled the Bloodclaw warriors backward, smashing them into trees. "Run!" the spirit wolf commanded. The old woman ran with every ounce of strength she had left. She reached the edge of a roaring river, where a weathered boat waited. Looking down at the child one last time, she kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry... I cannot go with you." She placed the baby gently into the boat, wrapped him in a blanket embroidered with the crest of the Moonfang Pack, and pushed the boat into the rushing current. The infant drifted away into the darkness. Behind her, the Bloodclaw warriors emerged once more. Their leader stepped forward, his crimson eyes blazing with fury. "You've doomed us all," he growled. The old woman smiled through her tears. "No... I've given the world hope." With a furious roar, the commander lunged. A flash of steel pierced the darkness. The old woman collapsed beside the riverbank. Her final gaze followed the tiny boat until it disappeared into the mist. Miles downstream, the boat struck a fallen tree. A young hunter named James, returning from a night hunt, heard the faint sound of a baby. He pushed through the reeds and froze. "A child?" he whispered in disbelief. As he lifted the infant into his arms, the baby's golden eyes slowly opened. At that exact moment, a glowing mark in the shape of a crescent moon appeared on the child's chest. James's face turned pale. "It can't be..." Before he could finish speaking, a terrifying howl echoed through the forest.