Chapter 4 Blood Under the Full Moon
976 Words
The first rogue wolf burst from the tree line with a savage roar.
Then another.
And another.
Within seconds, hundreds of rogue wolves poured out of the forest like a dark tide, their snarls echoing through the valley.
Panic swept through the Ashthorne Pack.
"Protect the children!"
"Get everyone inside!"
"Warriors, form a line!"
Alpha Cedric drew his sword, his voice booming across the village.
"No one retreats!"
The Ashthorne warriors rushed to the gates, but fear was written across many of their faces. They had fought rogues before—never in numbers like this.
I stood frozen.
The sight before me felt unreal.
King Kael remained perfectly still.
His golden eyes swept over the charging rogues, calculating every movement.
General Ronan stepped beside him.
"Your Majesty?"
Kael didn't take his eyes off the battlefield.
"They're not here to conquer."
Ronan frowned.
"They're hunting."
A chill ran down my spine.
Hunting...
Who?
The first clash shook the earth.
Steel rang against claws.
Warriors cried out as the rogues crashed into the village gates.
The wooden barricades splintered under the force of the attack.
One rogue leaped toward a frightened child.
Before anyone could react—
A silver blur flashed through the air.
Kael.
His sword sliced through the rogue in a single strike.
The beast collapsed before it could even scream.
The village fell silent for the briefest moment.
I'd heard stories about the Lycan King.
None of them had prepared me for what I was seeing.
He moved like the wind itself.
Every swing of his blade was precise.
Every step effortless.
Within moments, half a dozen rogues lay motionless at his feet.
The Lycan warriors charged behind their king.
The battle erupted in full force.
"Luna!"
Father grabbed my arm.
"We have to get you somewhere safe."
"I can't leave everyone."
"You can and you will."
Before he could pull me away, a deafening growl echoed behind us.
A massive rogue wolf landed in the center of the square.
Its scarred muzzle dripped with saliva.
Its eyes locked onto me.
Not on Father.
Not on Ethan.
Me.
The beast snarled.
"There she is."
I froze.
It...
It spoke.
Every story I'd heard claimed rogue wolves had lost their minds.
This one hadn't.
Its lips curled into a twisted grin.
"The King found you before we did."
Father stepped in front of me.
"Run!"
The rogue lunged.
Everything happened at once.
Father raised his sword.
The rogue knocked him aside as though he weighed nothing.
"Father!"
I rushed toward him.
The rogue turned back to me.
Its claws lifted.
Time slowed.
I couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
Then a powerful arm wrapped around my waist.
The world spun.
An instant later, I was standing several yards away.
King Kael had moved so quickly I hadn't even seen him.
He gently set me behind him.
"Stay there."
His voice was calm.
Controlled.
Deadly.
The rogue laughed.
"So protective already."
Kael drew his sword.
"You've made one mistake."
"Oh?"
"You touched my mate."
The air around him seemed to darken.
A fierce growl rumbled deep within his chest.
His golden eyes blazed brighter than before.
For a heartbeat, I caught a glimpse of something beneath his skin.
Something ancient.
Something terrifying.
The Lycan.
The rogue charged.
Kael met it head-on.
The impact shook the ground.
The beast slashed with both claws.
Kael twisted aside effortlessly.
His sword flashed once.
Then twice.
The rogue stumbled backward.
A deep wound stretched across its chest.
Instead of collapsing...
It laughed.
"You still don't understand."
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"What?"
"The prophecy."
The rogue's smile widened.
"She doesn't belong to you."
My heart skipped.
"What are you talking about?" I whispered.
The rogue looked directly at me.
"You were never meant to be raised among wolves."
Kael attacked again before the creature could continue.
This time, his blade pierced the rogue's heart.
The beast let out one final howl before collapsing into dust.
Dust...
Not a body.
Just ash carried away by the wind.
General Ronan stared at the remains.
"Magic."
Kael's jaw tightened.
"Witches."
The remaining rogues retreated almost immediately.
Their howls faded into the forest.
Silence returned to the village.
Smoke drifted through the air.
Broken carts littered the streets.
Several homes had been damaged.
Warriors tended to the wounded.
Father slowly stood, leaning on Ethan for support.
"I'm all right," he insisted.
I threw my arms around him anyway.
"I thought I'd lost you."
He smiled weakly.
"So did I."
As the healers worked, Kael approached Alpha Cedric.
"This attack wasn't random."
Cedric nodded grimly.
"They came for the girl."
Kael glanced at me.
"They knew who she was."
The Alpha's expression darkened.
"How?"
No one answered.
Because no one knew.
As the sun began to set, Kael walked toward me.
Every conversation in the village stopped.
He stood only a few feet away.
"You cannot remain here."
I looked at him.
"This is my home."
"It won't be for much longer."
His voice wasn't cruel.
It was certain.
"The enemies hunting you won't stop."
"I don't even know why they're after me."
"Neither do I."
He paused.
"But I intend to find out."
He extended his hand.
"Come with me to the Lycan Kingdom."
I stared at his outstretched hand.
Leaving meant saying goodbye to the only life I'd ever known.
Staying could put everyone I loved in danger.
Before I could answer, Elder Osric stepped forward, clutching an ancient scroll.
His weathered face had turned pale.
"I know why they came."
Every eye turned toward him.
His trembling hands slowly unrolled the scroll.
At the top was a symbol I had seen before...
The same glowing mark that had appeared beneath my feet in the ancient stone circle.
The elder looked directly at me, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Child..."
"...you are not an ordinary wolf.....
- Writer
