Sacred Grounds
272 Words
The journey into the mountains took two days.
The deeper they traveled, the wilder the land became. The forest grew thicker, the trees older and twisted with age. Mist curled along the ground in pale ribbons, and the air felt colder with every step upward.
Aria walked beside Kael along a narrow mountain trail carved into the side of a steep ridge.
Behind them followed the wolves of Lyra, Torren, and Darius’s packs. Some moved in human form, others padded silently through the forest in their wolf shapes.
No one spoke much.
Everyone was watching the shadows.
After what Vargan had revealed, none of them doubted he would return.
But for now, the forest remained quiet.
Torren stretched his arms as they reached the top of a rocky rise.
“Remind me again,” he muttered, “why the MoonBorn’s temple had to be built halfway to the sky?”
Lyra walked past him without slowing.
“Because it was meant to be hidden.”
Torren glanced up at the towering cliffs ahead.
“Mission accomplished.”
Aria stepped beside Kael as the trees began to thin.
“What exactly is this place?” she asked.
Kael looked toward the mountain peak ahead.
“Sacred ground.”
Darius, walking nearby, added calmly,
“The temple was built centuries ago by the first werewolf packs. Long before the Alpha territories were established.”
“For the MoonBorn?” Aria asked.
“Yes,” Lyra said.
Aria frowned.
“So someone knew this would happen eventually.”
Darius nodded.
“The MoonBorn always returns when balance in the werewolf world begins to collapse.”
- Writer
