CHAPTER 12
We quickly traveled through the woods. I could sense the worry coming from our pack, their eyes moving around fearfully as we got closer to Silver Creek’s land. Xander walked next to me, and his being there was a reassuring presence in the mess of my thoughts.
When we were close to the edge of Silver Creek, I had a strange feeling… something was not right. I couldn’t exactly explain it, but my gut was telling me that there was a problem. I looked at Xander, wondering if he had the same feeling.
“Xander,” I whispered, not wanting to alarm the others, “something’s not right here.”
He nodded, his jaw tight. “I feel it too. Stay alert.”
We crossed into Silver Creek territory, and the wrongness of the situation hit me like a physical blow. The forest was eerily quiet, devoid of the sounds of battle we’d expected. There were no signs of the reported rogue attack, no scents of fear or blood in the air.
Xander raised his hand, signaling the pack to halt. “Split up and search the area,” he commanded, speaking quietly but firmly. “Aurora, you stay with me.”
While the rest of our group spread out among the trees, Xander and I started our investigation. I remained very attentive, trying hard to notice any clue about what could have taken place here. That’s when I noticed them – unusual marks in the soft ground, different from anything I’d encountered before.
“Xander, check this out,” I whispered, bending down to study the marks more carefully.
Xander frowned as he examined the mark, “These don’t look like a wolf mark,” he whispered. “Let’s keep going.”
We walked quietly through the woods, tracking the strange marks. They brought us to a secret open space, and what we saw there made me shiver. The area was a mess, with ground up and trees smashed. It seemed like a huge fight had happened, but there were no remains, no blood-just chaos.
While I looked around, a sharp headache hit me out of nowhere. I cried out, losing my balance as pictures from my dream appeared in my mind-a figure with red eyes, a pack of twisted wolves. When the pain subsided, I found Xander holding me steady, concern etched on his face.
“Aurora? What happened?”
“I’m not sure.”
Before we could discuss it further, howls echoed through the trees – our pack, calling us back. We regrouped quickly, but no one had found any trace of the Silver Creek pack or the supposed rogues.
As darkness arrived, a tense silence surrounded us. The full moon rose into the sky, casting a soft, silver glow over the woods. When its light reached me, I felt a strange tingling, a mysterious pull to the shining moon.
Xander must have noticed my distraction. “Aurora,” he said softly, “perhaps we should join the full moon run. It might help clear our heads.”
I nodded, grateful for the suggestion. As our pack began to run, I felt a weird energy inside me get stronger. My feet barely touched the ground as we sped through the forest lit by the moon. I found myself going faster and faster, even leaving behind the strongest members of our group.
As I ran, everything around me turned into a haze. I felt an unknown force driving me forward. I could hear Xander telling me to slow down, but I kept running.
I’m not sure how long I ran. The next thing I know, I was standing on a cliff overlooking the valley beneath me. As I stood there, covered in moonlight, the weird energy inside me reached its peak. My skin felt electrified, my whole body buzzing with power I’d never felt before.
I heard Xander’s approach before I saw him. He burst into the clearing, his eyes wide with concern and something else – awe?
“Aurora,” he breathed, “your eyes…”
Before I could ask what he meant, everything around me tilted. The unusual energy inside me suddenly became too much for me to handle. I felt myself falling, but Xander quickly caught me in his strong arms.
My arm was burning, and I noticed a shiny mark on my skin. Then, I passed out.
When I woke up I was still held by Xander. His face showed both worry and confusion.
“Aurora? Can you hear me? Are you alright?”
I nodded weakly, trying to sit up. “I think so. What… what happened?”
Xander helped me to my feet, his touch gentle but firm. I was hoping you could tell me. You took off during the run, moving faster than I’ve ever seen anyone go. By the time I reached you, your eyes were shining with a silver light, and you seemed to have this… energy surrounding you. Then you fell to the ground.
I glanced at my arm, recalling the intense heat and the glowing mark. But now, my skin was clear, with no trace of what I had witnessed.
“There was a symbol,” I mentioned, touching the area where it had been. “Right here. It was glowing, like my eyes.”
Xander’s brow furrowed. I saw it too, but it disappeared as soon as you lost consciousness. “Aurora, what is happening?”
I shook my head, feeling confused and quite frightened. “I’m not sure. Since the moon appeared, I’ve felt… different. It’s as if there’s a surge of energy within me, eager to escape. And while I was running, it felt like the moon was actually pushing me to move faster.”
Xander was about to say something, but then multiple loud, worried howls. We both tensed, recognizing the sound of our pack signaling danger.
“We need to go,” Xander said, his Alpha authority slipping back into place. “Whatever’s happening to you, we’ll figure it out. But right now, our pack needs us.”
We ran swiftly, the urgency of our pack’s calls spurring us on. As we neared, the scents hit me – fear, aggression, and something else. Something… wrong. It reminded me of the strange tracks we’d found earlier, and a tendril of dread curled in my stomach.
We ran into the clearing and saw our pack growling at the trees. When I looked where they were staring, I felt a sudden tightness in my chest. From the shadows, wolves appeared, with bright red eyes that seemed full of hate.
“This can’t be happening,” I whispered, realizing who they were. “Xander, these are the same wolves I saw in my vision!”
Xander’s eyes widened, but he stayed quiet. The strange wolves jumped forward, and everything turned into chaos.
I moved to join, but Xander held me back. “Aurora, wait! We don’t know what these things are capable of, or what’s happening with your… abilities. Stay close to me.”
Part of me wanted to argue, to throw myself into the battle alongside our pack mates. But I knew Xander was right. Whatever was happening to me, whatever these creatures were, I couldn’t risk losing control.
As we fought side by side, deflecting attacks and protecting our pack, The big, round moon appeared to glow even more brightly, casting its light directly on our fight as if it were a powerful lamp.
All at once, a huge wolf, bigger than the rest and with eyes that burned like hot coals, came out from behind the trees. It stared right at me, and I felt a shiver go down my back. This was the leader, the red-eyed figure from my visions.
Time seemed to slow as the creature stalked towards me, its twisted pack parting to let it through. Xander moved to intercept it, but with a casual swipe of its massive paw, it sent him flying.
“Xander!” I cried out, fear, and anger warring inside me.
As the monstrous wolf approached, that strange energy inside me surged. I felt my eyes begin to glow, and saw the silver light emanating from my skin. The symbol on my arm reappeared, burning bright.
The creature hesitated, something like recognition and fear flickering in its hellish eyes. It opened its maw, and to my shock, words emerged in a guttural, inhuman voice:
“The White Wolf awakens. But you are too late, little goddess. The end has already begun.”
When those threatening words filled the air, the power inside me peaked. A burst of bright light spread out, covering the open space. The final thing I noticed before the light took over was the wolf’s red eyes, filled with fear.
After that, everything turned white, and I lost consciousness.