Chapter 1
The night was dark and eerie, with the full moon shining bright in the sky. The forest was dark, except for the occasional rustling of the leaves. I never thought I’ll see him again. The moment I got a glimpse of him, I could feel my heart stop.
His scent hit me like a ton of bricks, making my wolf howl in recognition. But it couldn’t be him, could it? I thought he was gone forever.
As I followed the scent, my heart pounding in my chest, I saw him standing in the clearing. He looked just as I remembered him, tall and muscular with piercing blue eyes.
“Nae, we have to move,” my second-in-command, Asher, said, breaking me out of my thoughts.
I nodded and took a deep breath before shifting into my wolf form. We were in the middle of a hunt when we caught the scent of rogue werewolves in our territory. We needed to drive them out before they caused any more trouble.
I led the pack, the Crescent Moon Pack, deeper into the forest. We were getting closer to the rogue’s campsite when I caught a glimpse of him again.
It was him, my long-lost friend, Elias. He was standing at the edge of the rogue’s camp, watching us with a blank expression.
He looked directly at me, and I saw a mixture of emotions in his eyes. Relief, love, but also sadness and pain. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him during his absence.
“Elias?” I called out, shifting back into my human form.
My pack members looked at me with confusion, but I ignored them. Elias and I were close once, but he disappeared without a trace. I never thought I’d see him again.
“Nae” Elias said, his voice low and monotone. “It’s been a while.”
The man I thought I'd lost forever. I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I made my way towards him.
We hugged tightly, and I felt my heart swell with joy. I couldn't believe he was back in my life after all these years.
Still unsure of his intentions, I asked “What are you doing here, Elias?”
“I’m with the rogue pack,” he said, his eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite place. “We’re just passing through.”
I didn’t believe him. There was something off about him, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. “You need to leave our territory,” I said firmly.
Elias nodded and turned to leave, but before he did, he gave me a meaningful look. “Be careful, Nae . The world isn’t what it used to be.”
With that, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving me with more questions than answers.
I watched Elias disappear into the night, his words echoing in my mind.
The world wasn't what it used to be, he had said. What did he mean by that? What danger was lurking around the corner?
I tried to push the thoughts aside, reminding myself that they were just mere words.
But as I lay down in my makeshift bed, exhaustion taking over, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease.
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the night. I shot up, my heart racing as I realized it was coming from our own camp.
Without hesitation, I grabbed my weapons and ran towards the source of the sound. As I approached, I saw a figure looming over one of our pack members, ready to strike again.
I charged towards them, my instincts taking over. But as I got closer, I saw that the figure was not human nor wolf, but something else entirely.
And that's when I realized that Elias was right. The world wasn't what it used to be, and the danger we faced was far beyond anything we had ever known.
