SILENT HOWL: the tale of a bloody alpha in love

~~~ Snow fell endlessly from the dark sky, covering the mountains of Blackthorn Territory in cold silence. The forest was dangerous at night. Everyone knew that. Especially during a blood moon. The icy wind howled through the trees as Lyra Vale tightened her coat around herself, her shaky breaths disappearing into the freezing air. Fear clawed at her chest with every step she took deeper into the forest. She was lost. Completely lost. “Great job, Lyra,” she muttered bitterly. “Now you’re going to freeze to death before morning.” Her phone had died almost an hour ago, and the storm had erased every trail she tried to follow. The deeper she wandered, the stranger the forest became. Too quiet. Too still. Even the wind sounded wrong. Crunch. Lyra froze. Snow shifted behind her. Her heartbeat quickened. “Hello?” she called nervously. No answer. Only silence. Then— A growl echoed through the darkness. Low. Deep. Animal. Lyra stumbled backward, panic flooding through her veins. Between the trees, glowing silver eyes suddenly appeared. One pair. Then another. Then another. Wolves. Massive wolves. Far too large to be normal. “Oh my God…” The creatures stepped from the shadows slowly, surrounding her like hunters closing in on helpless prey. Their thick black fur blended with the darkness while their sharp teeth glimmered beneath the moonlight. Lyra’s legs trembled. This wasn’t normal. Nothing about this was normal. One wolf moved closer, growling viciously. Instinct screamed at her to run. So she did. Lyra turned and sprinted through the snow-covered forest, ignoring the sharp branches cutting against her skin. Her lungs burned painfully as heavy growls thundered behind her. The wolves were chasing her. Tears blurred her vision. She couldn’t die here. Not like this. Suddenly, her foot caught against a hidden root beneath the snow. Lyra crashed hard onto the frozen ground with a painful cry. The growling stopped. Silence filled the forest once again. Slowly, trembling violently, she lifted her head. A massive black wolf stood before her. Bigger than the others. Far bigger. Its silver eyes glowed unnaturally in the darkness, cold and terrifying enough to freeze her soul. Crimson streaks stained parts of its black fur like blood beneath moonlight. The other wolves lowered their heads instantly. Fear filled the air. Not fear of Lyra. Fear of him. The alpha. Lyra’s breathing became uneven as the giant wolf approached her slowly. One step. Then another. Death itself would probably look like this. The creature stopped directly in front of her. Its silver eyes locked onto hers. And suddenly— Everything changed. The wolf froze. Its sharp ears twitched. A strange sound rumbled from its chest. Not a growl. Something softer. Confused. The beast leaned closer toward her neck, inhaling her scent deeply. Then its glowing eyes widened. Mate. The word exploded through the alpha’s mind like thunder. Impossible. His wolf stirred violently inside him. After all these years… After all the blood on his hands… The Moon Goddess had given him a mate? A human? The large wolf stepped back suddenly, transforming before Lyra’s horrified eyes. Bones cracked violently. Dark fur disappeared. And within seconds, a man stood where the beast once had. Tall. Terrifying. Beautiful. A cold wind swept through the trees as snow fell against his bare scarred chest. His black hair was damp from the storm, and his silver-gray eyes burned intensely as they stared at her. Lyra couldn’t breathe. “What… what are you?” she whispered. The man ignored the question. Instead, his gaze darkened dangerously. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said coldly. His voice was deep enough to send chills down her spine. Lyra tried to move backward, but exhaustion held her still. The man noticed. His eyes narrowed. “You crossed into Blackthorn territory.” “I-I didn’t mean to—” “Humans don’t survive here.” Fear wrapped tightly around her chest. Everything about him screamed danger. Monster. Predator. Death. And yet— He hadn’t killed her. The wolves behind him waited silently for his command. One order, and she would die instantly. But instead, the stranger continued staring at her with an unreadable expression. Almost conflicted. Then one of the wolves suddenly stepped forward. “Alpha,” the wolf growled carefully, “she’s human. We should kill her before—” “Enough.” The single word silenced the entire forest. Even the wind seemed to stop. Lyra’s eyes widened slightly. Alpha? The man slowly turned back toward her. Snowflakes landed softly against his dark hair as his silver eyes studied her face. “You’re freezing,” he muttered quietly. Lyra blinked in confusion. What? Before she could react, the alpha removed his black coat and threw it over her shoulders. Warmth immediately surrounded her frozen body. The scent of pine, smoke, and winter clung to the fabric. The wolves behind him looked shocked. As if what he had just done was impossible. The alpha ignored them completely. Then he spoke words that changed Lyra’s life forever. “Take her to the pack house.”