The stories started as whispers—rumors passed between packs like secrets carried on the wind. Over the past two weeks, entire packs had vanished, leaving behind only silent, desolate lands. Nobody knew where they had gone. Attempts to approach the missing packs’ territories were futile; it was as though an invisible force kept intruders away.
Some claimed they’d angered the Moon Goddess and faced her wrath—a punishment so severe their lands were cursed. Others whispered darker theories: the packs had turned on one another, tearing themselves apart in some brutal battle. But the most intriguing rumor was the one that gave me hope. They said the vanished wolves hadn’t been destroyed but had united, becoming something new. According to the legend, these wolves now worked for the Moon Goddess herself, rescuing those abandoned, abused, or alone.
I clung to that story like a lifeline, and so did she. My sister—though not by blood—walked beside me as we left the only home we’d ever known. The night was cold, the forest damp, but we pressed on. The pack we’d fled was cruel, a place of pain and terror. It wasn’t home—it was a cage, and we had barely escaped with our lives.
“Do you think they’ll help us?” Her voice broke the heavy silence, soft but edged with uncertainty.
I glanced at her, catching the way her fingers nervously fidgeted with the hem of her jacket. “They have to,” I said, though the words were as much for me as for her. “If the rumors are true, they’ll take us in. They’ll protect us.”
Her dark eyes searched mine, looking for reassurance I wasn’t sure I could give. “And if the rumors aren’t true?”
The question lingered in the air, unspoken fears hanging between us. I shook my head, forcing myself to stay steady. “They are true,” I said firmly. “They have to be. There’s nothing else for us.”
We walked in silence after that, the crunch of leaves underfoot the only sound as the forest seemed to close in around us. My legs ached, but I didn’t dare stop. Every step away from our old pack felt like a step closer to safety—or at least the chance of it.
I could feel her growing more nervous as we neared the edge of what used to be the pack’s territory. The Moon Touched—or whatever they were—had taken over this area, if the stories were true. The air seemed thicker here, heavy with something I couldn’t quite name.
“Do you feel that?” she whispered, stopping short.
I nodded, my heart racing. The energy in the air was palpable like the forest itself was alive and watching. “Stay close,” I murmured, reaching for her hand.
We didn’t have a plan, only hope. If they were truly working to help those in need, they wouldn’t turn us away. But the idea of facing them—the possibility of rejection—sent my stomach twisting into knots.
As we stepped further into the unknown, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched. The sensation grew stronger with each step, the hairs on the back of my neck rising.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the shadows. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”
I froze, my breath catching in my throat, as the voice cut through the stillness like a blade. My sister’s grip on my hand tightened, her nails digging into my skin as if to anchor herself. Together, we turned toward the source of the sound, and my heart pounded like a war drum in my chest.
From the shadows of the trees, a figure emerged, moving with a quiet, predatory grace. He was tall, his presence commanding and impossible to ignore. His piercing eyes locked onto us, glowing faintly in the dim light, like twin embers in the darkness. His gaze was sharp, as though it could strip away lies and secrets with a single glance.
His aura was overwhelming—an intense, electric energy that made the air feel heavy and alive. I knew, without a doubt, that he was one of the missing packs. But something about him was... different.
He was larger than any werewolf I’d ever seen, his frame built like a fortress—broad shoulders, thickly muscled arms, and legs that looked like they could crush boulders. His presence was both terrifying and mesmerizing, a strange combination of raw power and restrained control. The moonlight filtering through the canopy highlighted every defined contour of his physique, casting shadows that made him seem even more otherworldly.
This wasn’t just a werewolf; he was something more. Something I didn’t fully understand but could feel in the marrow of my bones.
The weight of his gaze fell on me, pinning me in place like prey caught in the sights of a predator. “Who are you, and why have you come here?” he asked, his voice low and resonant, each word carrying the weight of authority.
I swallowed hard, forcing my trembling legs to hold steady. “We—” My voice faltered for a moment, and I steadied myself with a deep breath. “We’ve come seeking sanctuary.”
His eyes narrowed; his expression unreadable. “Sanctuary?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “We escaped from a pack that… hurt us. We heard the stories about you, about what you’re doing—helping those who have no one. We have nowhere else to go.”
For a moment, he said nothing, his gaze flicking to my sister and back to me. The silence stretched, each passing second making my heart beat faster. Finally, he took a step closer, the sheer force of his presence making me feel small and vulnerable.
“Desperation makes people do reckless things,” he said, his tone a mix of suspicion and curiosity. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
I looked him in the eye, even though it took all my courage to hold his gaze. “Because we have nothing left to lose,” I said, my voice steady despite the tears threatening to spill. “We’re not a threat. We’re just… broken. We need help.”
His expression slightly softened—a flicker of something I couldn’t quite name crossing his face. Then he straightened, the power radiating from him becoming almost suffocating again.
“Follow me,” he said finally. “But know this—if you’ve lied to me, you’ll wish you hadn’t.”
I nodded quickly, relief and fear warring within me. “We understand. Thank you.”
As he turned and led us deeper into the forest, I couldn’t help but glance at my sister. Her wide eyes mirrored my own. A mixture of hope and trepidation. We had found them—or they had found us. Either way, there was no turning back now.