REJECTED BY THE ALPHA, CHOSEN BY THE MOON🌙

Episode 5: The Hunt Begins

The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a silver glow over the dense forest. Festus moved swiftly between the towering trees, his sharp senses on high alert. Mesh followed closely behind, his breathing steady and controlled. The night was alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and distant howls, but Festus knew better than to be distracted.

Their mission was clear: track down the rogue wolves that had been terrorizing nearby villages. The Alpha had given Festus the responsibility of leading this hunt, a test of his skills and leadership.

“We should split up,” Mesh suggested, his voice barely above a whisper. “We’ll cover more ground that way.”

Festus shook his head. “No, we stay together. These rogues are unpredictable. If they ambush one of us alone, it could be fatal.”

Mesh nodded, accepting the decision without argument. He trusted Festus with his life, just as Festus trusted him.

They moved deeper into the forest, their footsteps light on the damp earth. Festus crouched suddenly, signaling Mesh to stop. He pointed at a set of tracks—fresh, leading toward the rocky hills ahead.

“They’re close,” Festus murmured.

Mesh studied the tracks. “Looks like three of them. One is heavier than the others.”

Festus’ eyes darkened. “The Alpha’s intel said there were only two rogues. If there’s a third, we might be walking into a trap.”

They exchanged a glance before continuing, their movements more cautious now.

As they reached the edge of the hill, a growl echoed through the night. Festus barely had time to react before a massive wolf lunged at him from the shadows. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding its snapping jaws. Mesh sprang into action, slashing at the rogue’s flank with his claws.

Another wolf emerged, going straight for Mesh. Festus roared, shifting into his wolf form in an instant. His massive black wolf towered over the rogue, and with one swift move, he clamped his jaws around its neck, forcing it to submit.

Mesh wasn’t as lucky. The second rogue had pinned him to the ground, its teeth bared dangerously close to his throat. Festus wasted no time—he launched himself at the attacker, knocking it off Mesh with a powerful swipe of his claws.

The rogue scrambled to its feet, growling in defiance. But Festus didn’t hesitate. He lunged again, his fangs sinking deep into its shoulder. The rogue let out a pained yelp before collapsing, its body limp.

The remaining rogue, seeing its companion defeated, turned and fled into the darkness. Festus growled but didn’t give chase. Their mission was to eliminate the immediate threat, and they had done that.

Mesh groaned, pushing himself up. “That was close.”

Festus shifted back into his human form, breathing heavily. “Too close.” He looked at the fallen rogue, then at the trail of blood left by the one that escaped. “We need to report back to the Alpha. But this isn’t over.”

Mesh wiped the blood from his face and nodded. “No, it’s not.”

As they turned to leave, Festus felt a chill run down his spine. Something about this attack didn’t sit right with him. The third rogue, the one that got away—he had a feeling they’d be seeing it again.

And next time, it wouldn’t be running.