Silenced By The Moon.

The moon hung low over Blackwood Territory, bathing the forest in silver light. It should have been a peaceful night. Instead, it became the bloodiest night in the history of the Ashwood Pack. "Luna!" Five-year-old Luna Ashwood laughed as she chased glowing fireflies through the tall grass outside her family's cottage. Her bare feet barely made a sound against the earth while the breeze carried the scent of pine and wildflowers. Her dark curls bounced with every step. She stretched her hands toward the tiny lights dancing through the air. "Got you!" The firefly escaped. Luna giggled and spun around, only to find her mother smiling from the porch. "You're getting faster every day," her mother signed with graceful movements of her hands. Luna copied the signs back with childish excitement. Really? Her mother nodded. Really. But it's almost bedtime. Luna puffed out her cheeks. Five more minutes? Before her mother could answer, the distant howl of a wolf echoed through the valley. It wasn't the usual call that welcomed the moon. It was an alarm. Birds burst from the trees. The forest suddenly felt...wrong. Luna frowned. Another howl answered. Then another. Within seconds, dozens of desperate howls ripped through the night. Her mother's smile disappeared. "Inside. Now." The command came so sharply that Luna froze. Her father burst out of the cottage carrying a sword forged from silver steel. His face had gone pale. "They're here." Her mother's eyes widened. "So soon?" "We don't have time." Another deafening howl echoed much closer this time. The ground trembled beneath their feet. Pack warriors sprinted between the houses, shouting orders. "The Blood Fang Pack breached the eastern border!" "Protect the children!" "Get everyone underground!" Women grabbed frightened pups. Men shifted into wolves without hesitation. The village transformed into chaos. Luna looked around in confusion. She had never seen grown wolves afraid before. Her father knelt in front of her. His hands gently held her tiny shoulders. "Luna." His voice was calm despite the fear in his eyes. "No matter what happens, stay with your mother." She nodded. He kissed her forehead. "I love you." "I love you too, Daddy." He smiled sadly before standing. Without another word, he shifted. Bones cracked. Muscles stretched. Dark fur burst across his body until a massive black wolf stood where her father had been. He threw back his head and howled before racing toward the battlefield with other warriors. Luna watched him disappear into the trees. She had never been prouder. Or more frightened. Her mother scooped her into her arms. "We have to go." They hurried toward the underground shelters hidden beneath the Alpha's mansion. Families crowded together, crying and praying. A little boy clutched his stuffed wolf so tightly his knuckles turned white. An elderly woman whispered blessings to the Moon Goddess. Luna buried her face against her mother's shoulder. "Mommy..." "It's going to be okay." But even as she signed the comforting words, her hands trembled. A thunderous explosion shook the ground. Dust rained from the trees. Screams filled the air. The battle had reached the village. More explosions followed. Flames climbed into the night sky. Luna turned just in time to see one of the cottages collapse in a shower of burning wood. The smell of smoke spread everywhere. Another warrior ran toward them. "The shelters aren't safe anymore!" "What?" "They broke through! Run west!" Fear flashed across her mother's face. She turned without hesitation and sprinted toward the forest. Behind them, wolves clashed beneath the moon. Growls. Roars. Silver blades. Magic exploded in brilliant flashes of blue and crimson. Luna had never imagined the world could look so terrifying. Her mother held her tighter. "It's okay," she whispered. "We're almost there." They weren't. A monstrous gray wolf crashed through the trees. Its amber eyes glowed with murderous intent. Its body was covered in old scars. The wolf snarled. Luna's mother immediately shifted. Within seconds, a sleek white she-wolf stood protectively between Luna and the stranger. The gray wolf attacked. Their bodies collided with incredible force. They rolled across the ground, snapping jaws and flashing claws. Luna stumbled backward. "Mom!" Her eyes flashed silver for a second. She had never seen her mother fight before. The white wolf fought bravely, but the gray wolf was larger, stronger. It slashed across her mother's shoulder. Blood sprayed across the grass. The white wolf cried out in pain. "No!" Tiny tears filled Luna's eyes. She searched desperately for help. "Daddy!" No one came. The battle had scattered everyone. Another enemy wolf appeared. Then another. Three against one. Her mother's chances vanished. Suddenly, a familiar black wolf burst from the darkness. Her father. He slammed into one of the attackers with enough force to send it crashing into a tree. Hope filled Luna's chest. "Daddy!" Her parents fought side by side beneath the moonlight. For a moment... It looked like they might win. Then the air changed. A strange silence settled over the battlefield. Even the enemy wolves hesitated. A figure stepped out from the shadows. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Wearing black armor. His crimson eyes glowed like burning embers. Every wolf—friend and enemy alike—lowered their heads. Luna's father's ears flattened. "No..." Her mother's wolf whimpered. The stranger slowly raised one hand. Dark energy gathered in his palm. The air itself seemed to scream. Luna didn't understand what was happening. But her parents did. Her father looked at her with horror. Then he shifted back into human form just long enough to shout the only order that mattered. "Run, Luna!" She took one frightened step backward. The man smiled. Then he released the spell. A blinding wave of silver light exploded across the forest, racing straight toward the little girl. Luna couldn't move. She could only watch as the light swallowed everything. The blast struck with the force of a raging storm. "Luna!" Her father's desperate cry reached her just before the wave of silver light engulfed the clearing. A searing pain exploded inside her head. She felt herself lifted off the ground as if she weighed nothing. The world spun wildly. Trees blurred together. The stars overhead disappeared behind a wall of blinding white. Then she crashed into something hard. A boulder. The impact knocked the air from her lungs. For several seconds, she couldn't breathe. Her vision blurred as she struggled to push herself upright. Blood trickled from a cut above her eyebrow, dripping onto the forest floor. Her hands trembled uncontrollably. She blinked. The light was fading. Smoke drifted through the trees, turning the moonlight into a ghostly haze. She looked around for her parents. Their mouths moved. She could see them. Her father was shouting something while battling the armored stranger. Her mother was calling her name, desperately reaching toward her. But... Nothing. Not a single sound reached her ears. Luna frowned. She rubbed one ear, then the other. Still nothing. Confused, she slapped her tiny hands against the sides of her head. Silence. Complete silence. She opened her mouth. "M-Mommy?" She could feel herself speaking. She could feel the vibration in her throat. But she couldn't hear her own voice. Fear flooded her. She screamed as loudly as she could. Nothing. The world had vanished into silence. Panic took over. Tears streamed down her face as she stumbled toward her parents, unaware of the danger closing in behind her. The armored man smiled coldly. He pointed toward the frightened child. Two enemy wolves lunged. Before they could reach her, Luna's father threw himself between them. His claws ripped through one wolf's chest. The second wolf sank its teeth into his shoulder. Blood splattered across the grass. Her mother joined the fight, knocking the attacker away before it could tear deeper into his flesh. Although Luna couldn't hear the battle, she could see every movement. The snarls twisting the wolves' faces. The frantic commands exchanged between warriors. The clash of silver weapons. The terror in everyone's eyes. It was like watching a nightmare through a pane of glass. She tried to run to them. Arms wrapped around her waist. She struggled violently until she saw who it was. Uncle Rowan. Her father's younger brother. His face was streaked with soot and blood. His lips moved quickly. She stared blankly. He noticed the confusion in her eyes. His expression changed. "Luna..." She couldn't hear him. He waved a hand in front of her face. Nothing. Realization washed over him. His eyes widened with horror. "No..." He looked toward her parents. Their eyes met across the battlefield. Her father immediately understood. The color drained from his face. The spell... It hadn't killed his daughter. It had taken something else. Something far crueler. He looked at Luna one final time before signing three simple words. I love you. Luna instantly signed them back through her tears. I love you too. Her father smiled. It was a sad, broken smile. Then he turned toward the armored man. His wolf burst free once more. He charged with every ounce of strength he had left. Other warriors followed. They knew they couldn't win. They only hoped to buy enough time for the survivors to escape. Uncle Rowan lifted Luna into his arms. She reached desperately toward her parents. She screamed. She cried. She begged them not to leave. But no sound existed anymore. Only endless silence. As Rowan raced through the burning forest, Luna looked back over his shoulder. The village she had grown up in was disappearing beneath flames. Homes collapsed. Ancient trees burned. Warriors fell one after another. The full moon watched silently from above. Luna saw her father leap toward the armored stranger. A burst of silver light erupted. She lost sight of him. Then she saw her mother. The white she-wolf fought like a creature possessed, refusing to retreat. Three wolves surrounded her. Four. Five. The smoke swallowed them all. Luna stretched out her tiny hand. Her lips formed one final word. "Mom..." The forest disappeared behind them. Hours later, dawn broke over the mountains. The survivors gathered in a hidden cave deep inside neutral territory. Children cried in their mothers' arms. Healers rushed from one wounded warrior to another. The air smelled of herbs, blood, and ash. Uncle Rowan gently set Luna on a blanket near the cave wall. She immediately searched the crowd. Her parents weren't there. She waited. More survivors arrived. Still no sign of them. She stood. Every few minutes she checked the cave entrance. Each time someone appeared, hope filled her heart. Each time it wasn't them, that hope faded. Finally, Rowan knelt in front of her. His eyes were red. He took a shaky breath before raising his hands. He signed slowly so she could understand every word. Your parents... He stopped. His hands trembled. Tears rolled down his cheeks. They died protecting you. Luna stared at him. She didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't cry. She simply looked into his grief-stricken eyes, unable to accept what he was telling her. He pulled two objects from his pocket. Her father's crescent-moon pendant. Her mother's silver bracelet. Luna recognized them instantly. She took them with trembling hands. Her fingers closed tightly around them. Only then did the truth sink in. Her parents weren't coming back. Ever. A silent sob shook her body. No cries escaped her lips. No broken screams echoed through the cave. The only thing louder than the silence surrounding her... ...was the silence now living inside her. From the shadows at the back of the cave, the elderly pack seer watched the little girl with sorrowful eyes. She turned toward Rowan and signed quietly, "The Moon Goddess spared her for a reason." Rowan looked down at the broken child. "What reason could ever justify this?" The seer gazed toward the sky. "One day, the child who was silenced by the moon will determine the fate of wolves... and humans alike." Luna clutched her parents' keepsakes against her heart, unaware that her story had begun.