Steven’s POV
A sudden knock at the door instinctively made me step back, and I immediately released Luna. I turned towards the entrance as Liam walked in, his expression serious yet composed.
“Everyone is ready, Alpha,” he briefed me solemnly. “The whole pack is waiting right in front of the mansion.” He stood tall, with a sense of resolve.
“I’ll be there,” I said with a nod, and without another word, he was gone.
I took a deep breath, willing the weight in my chest to lighten. The Hunt was a big night for all of us, much more than a simple tradition. It was one way to reconnect with our wolves-to remind ourselves what we were made of. But with the Demon Wolf lurking around, this wasn’t about tradition anymore; this was about survival.
“Shall we go?” I asked Luna, looking at her.
She nodded without the slightest hesitation, her eyes brimming with silent determination.
We came out the mansion shoulder-to-shoulder, stepping outside down the hall and into the night where the entire pack was already before the mansion. They were standing shoulder to shoulder, waiting in silence-their eyes glowing with anticipation under the pale, full moon glow. Liam stood in the front of the army with my sisters-both standing proud tall, both faces unreadable.
I took a step forward and let my voice ring out over the expectant crowd.
“We’ve all had a pretty rough month,” I started, my eyes scanning across the faces of my packmates. “I got mated, and the Demon Wolf emerged, leaving destruction in its wake. Our people-our fellow wolves-were slaughtered. We lost too much.” I let my words settle for a moment, the weight heavy in the air.
“But tonight,” I continued, my voice rising, “tonight is a new beginning. Tonight is the full moon night, and it is the night of *The Hunt!*”
In a split second, the wolves launched into cheers, their voices rumbling across the night sky as if to battle.
“Tonight, we return to our wolves. Tonight, we become who we are, really. We are stronger! Sharper instincts! We remember what it is to be a pack! And now, we’ll go into the woods, transform into our wolves, and surrender to our base instincts!”
The deafening cheers went through another wave, the energy electric, excitement pulsating across the crowd.
“But,” I added, raising a hand for their attention once more, “let me remind you all-do not get too caught up in the excitement of the moment. We have an enemy still lurking in the shadows, and we cannot afford to be careless. Keep your wits about you. Watch your six. If you feel danger, if something feels wrong, if you’re in trouble-make a distress howl, and I *will* find you.”
My words again were followed by silence, but this time, it was not because of fear; it was understanding. All were now tied with one goal in that moment.
“Yes, we are against an enemy of an unknown kind,” I said, my voice steady. “We do *not*, however, cower in fear. We are wolves! And when wolves are presented against a foe, they do not back down. *We fight!*
The pack exploded into a return roar, their howls filling the night, even the ground beneath our feet shook.
“So go on!” I commanded, raising my arms. “Be the wolves you are meant to be! Give in to your instincts! *Hunt!*
With that, the air around us stirred with the breaking of bodies and bones, snapping fur sprouting; one by one, the pack turned into powerful, unchained wolves to charge deep in the woods and let their roars echo long into the wood.
After the dust has settled, I turned to look at my sisters and Liam that remained behind on the spot where Luna was;.
“Freya, Freja-you both stay here with Luna,” I ordered firmly.
Liam nodded slightly; he knew what was to come.
“Liam, take Roy and Williams with you. Walk the perimeter of the woods, keep watch, and make sure everything remains as it should. If you see anything unusual, do *not* hesitate to alert me.”
They all nodded, their faces serious.
“What about you?” came softly from Luna’s voice right behind me, but the underlying concern was still there, although she tried not to show it.
I slowly exhaled and then looked up to her eyes. “I will also be in the woods, to ensure everything will be okay,” I replied.
I moved to leave but felt Luna grab my hand almost suddenly.
“Let me come with you,” she begged, her fingers clenching around mine.
I turned toward her fully now, shaking my head. “No, I need you to stay here,” I said gently, my tone firm but not cruel. “Here, with my sisters. Where it’s safe.”
She hesitated, her grasp lingering a moment longer before releasing.
“I’ll be okay,” I told her, giving her the tiniest smile.
Hitherto silent, Freya and Freja finally piped up.
“Stay safe, brother,” they chorused in unison, both their voices softer than I’d ever heard them.
I nodded once before turning on my heel to disappear into the darkness of the forest. Every step I felt took me deeper into the morass of discomfort, my heartbeat racing out of fear and not at all from the exercise. Freya and Freja stood close to me, speechless, while their worry cascaded from them in silent waterfalls. It meant nothing for my state-they were doing all they could to be steadfast, but all for naught. I couldn’t shake this gnawing inside.
“Why are you so worried, Luna?” Freja’s voice was soft, though a note of concern managed to break through. “It’s just a Hunt. They’ve done this every full moon, so they’ll be fine.”
I stalled, my breath catching in my throat. “We all know it’s different this time,” I said, barely above a whisper, my voice tight. It wasn’t any Hunt. The Demon Wolf was out there, somewhere, waiting for the next strike. I couldn’t explain this gnawing feeling in my gut. Something wasn’t right about tonight, and I couldn’t ignore it. “We have no idea when he’ll strike again. He could be out there already, waiting for them. I just… I just hope it’s not tonight.”
Freya’s eyes softened, but I knew better than anyone that a storm was raging behind her composed facade. “Luna, you’re strong. You have to have faith in the others. They know what they’re doing. Steven, most of all. He’s in full control.”
“I just can’t stay here,” my voice broke with the weight of my fear. “I need to find Steven. I need to know he’s alright.”
“No,” Freja said strictly, easing a step closer. Her fingers touched my arm, holding me in place. “Steven asked you to stay here. It’s safe for you here. We will be able to do a lot more from the Mansion than you will out in the woods.
Those words didn’t help at all. “What if it’s not safe for him out there?” my voice betrayed me, shaking as I said so. “What if, in the woods, something happens to him, and I won’t be there to save his life?” The panic was building up inside of me, compressing my chest. What if tonight was going to be the night when the Demon Wolf finally ruined everything dear to us?
Freya stepped closer to me, a serious look on her face. “Luna, Steven can take care of himself. He always does. He’s been through worse. He’s strong. He’s survived this long for a reason.” Her voice was warm, but I just couldn’t really believe her. Not tonight.
“Isn’t that what you’ve always said?!” I yelled, frustration and fear finally mingling in a bitter cocktail that burned my throat. “You all thought he would be alright since he hides his weakness. He is always acting so strong, yet none of you ever ask how he’s really doing, how he’s holding up. You just took it for granted that because he’s strong on the outside, everything would be okay. But none of you have seen the truth that was hidden behind his mask. None of you have cared to ask! You all thought he’d be fine, but what of him? What if he is in danger, and we here do nothing? What if this is the gravest mistake of our lives-just sitting here, pretending that everything is well?
My chest heaved with every word, and I could feel the tears threatening to spill, but I held them back. I couldn’t let myself break down-not now. “I’m sorry,” I said softly, my voice shaking with the weight of my words. “I didn’t mean to say all of that. I just… I’m just really scared for him. I can’t help it.”
Freya’s face softened. I could see the guilt in a flash across her face, and it further depressed me. “You are right,” she said low, her voice low with regret. “If that were any one of us out there, Steven wouldn’t have stayed behind. He’d be right here with us, no matter what. He’d fight to the last to protect us. But we’ve taken him for granted, thinking that he’s always fine. We’ve neglected him too much, assuming that he’s invincible. I should have realized this long before it got to this.
“We’re going after him,” Freja said resolutely. “Because he’s our brother. And if the Demon Wolf is out there, we need to make sure Steven is safe.”
I felt the weight of their words settle into my chest, and I nodded. It wasn’t just a Hunt anymore. This was something far worse. And if Steven was out there, we needed to find him-together. “Let’s go then,” I said, my voice firm. We moved in unison, our steps quick and purposeful, though I can still feel the fear still humming beneath my skin.
We walked further and deeper into the darkness, and the woods started to get creepily quiet. The tall, silent trees seemed to stare at us, the shadows cast like grasping fingers reaching towards us. Every snap of a twig underfoot sent a jolt of panic through me. But still, we moved further, the silence somehow wrong, as if even the world was holding its breath.
Then, the howl came-a long, mournful cry that echoed through the night and sent a shiver down my spine.
“That’s a howl of distress,” Freja said, her voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly would make the nightmare more real.
“Someone’s been attacked!” Freya’s voice was sharp, panic edging her words.
My heart was racing in my throat as I turned toward them. “I need to find Steven,” I croaked. “We need to make sure he’s okay.”
“If he’s in the woods, he’ll go in the direction of that howl,” Freja said, peering into the darkness ahead. “We have to go after it too.”
I nodded, and fear poured into my veins. We walked more quickly now, as fast and silent as we could, but with every step, the feeling of dread grew. The woods seemed to close in around us, the shadows twisting at the corner of my vision.
Then, there was a whoosh of movement, and we froze, our breaths catching in our throats.
“Someone’s coming,” Freya muttered, her hand instinctively reaching for a weapon she wasn’t holding.
Before we could react, Freja spun around, fists raised to defend us. But in a blur of motion, Steven caught her punch mid-air and his grip was firm.
“Nice punch, Freya,” Steven said; his voice was calm, but something in his eyes told me he wasn’t that relaxed after all.
“Steven! You’re all right!” I said, flinging myself towards him, this building in a climax of emotions that was released instantly.
“Obviously I’m alright,” Steven snarled; his deep voice low, his tone bordering on the bitter. “I’m beginning to doubt what will happen with the three of you, out in the middle of nowhere! Can’t you heed my direct request to say behind in the mansion?”
“We were just wanting to make sure that you’re alright,” Freya explained more tenderly.
“What was that howl? Did someone get hurt?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, anxiety creeping in.
“I was on my way to find out when I ran into you three,” Steven said, his gaze scanning the woods around us. He was tense; I could see it in the way his shoulders were set, but he was trying to keep it together.
“Then let’s go find out,” Freja said, her voice firm with determination. “Someone might need our help.”
“No,” Steven’s voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. “I’ll go find out. You three need to go back to the Mansion where it’s safe.”
“We aren’t leaving you here alone, Steven,” I said, my voice rising in defiance.
“Stop this madness, Luna!” Steven snapped, wheeling on me, his eyes blazing with frustration. “This isn’t a game. You need to stay behind where it’s safe.”
“We’re with her, brother,” Freya spoke up, her voice steady, unwavering. “We’re sticking with you. You don’t get to make us go back.”
Steven’s face contorted in a disbelieving grimace, his jaw clenching. “What?!” he yelled. “You’re going back to the Mansion. Now.”
Freya crossed her arms over her chest, unrelenting. “You know, Steven, we could stand out here all night and argue about this with you, or we could go try to find the wolf that howled and do what we can to help. It’s up to you, but every second we waste places that wolf and us in even more danger.
Steven’s eyes flickered between us, a clear frustration in them but a flicker of understanding too. Finally, he gritted his teeth and growled under his breath, “Fine. Stay behind me.”
We moved forward, but this time the air felt heavier. Every step was heard in the silence of the forest-the weight of the moment upon us.
Then Steven froze, his body tense, senses alert. Immediately, we stood still, breaths held.
“What?” I asked, barely audible, in case the mere sound of my voice would rupture the fragile silence.
“I can smell blood,” Steven said, his voice somber. “Wolf’s blood. Someone has been killed, or seriously injured.”
A chill went down my spine. We trudged on, heavy step after heavy step, until finally we came upon two bodies that were lying on the woods floor. Unnaturally stiff and still, the atmosphere in their direct environs seemed to vibrate with a sickening buzzing.
Steven approached them, his face setting harder with each step. “They’re dead,” he said flatly, his eyes scanning with grim determination over the wolves’ bodies.
“Do you smell that?” Freya whispered, her voice shaking as she drew closer.
“Wolf’s bane,” Steven whispered, kneeling beside the wolves. His fingers brushed against their bloodstained fur. “It’s coming from them. Their necks were slashed with a sword coated in wolf’s bane. which means.
“This was done by the Demon Wolf,” Freja finished, her voice a mere breath of realization.
Steven’s head snapped up, his eyes scanned the woods as his body tensed. “Someone’s coming. Stay behind me!”
I felt my pulse quicken, and my body become highly alert. I had no idea what to expect, but there was this feeling that nothing would prepare us for what was about to go down.
“Your hearing is still perfect, Steven,” Maya’s voice finally cut through the silence, with sarcasm dripping from every word as she came out from behind the shades of trees.
“Pity you never heard the Demon Wolf when he rescued me,” she added, smirking, her smirk now forming into a smile as she came fully into his view.
“Demon Wolf.” Steven exclaimed furiously, already out of patience.
“Patience,” Maya said, her smile broadening. “You’ll meet him tonight. But I hope you took my advice to heart. You know, when I told you to take care of your heart? I meant it. It won’t be there for long.”
I felt a cold shiver run down my spine at her words, but before I could react, a figure stepped out from behind Maya.
“James?!” Freja exclaimed, her voice pure with incredulity.
“What the hell are you doing here, Freja?!” James’s voice was tight, shock and anger in his eyes darting between Steven and her.
“You know her?” Steven said, his brow furrowing and his gaze switched from James to Freja.
“So. you. you are the Demon Wolf?” Freya stuttered in a wide, shocked gaze.
“Oh no,” Maya laughed, a cruel, twisted sound. “He’s not the Demon Wolf. He’s my brother.”
Freja looked like she’d been slapped, her mouth hanging open in confusion. “What?!”
Steven’s eyes darkened, his jaw clenching. “Then where is the Demon Wolf?”
Maya’s smile was almost predatory. “Right behind you.”
We all turned at once. And there, standing in the shadows, a man holding a blood-soaked sword stepped into the dim light.
My breath caught in my throat, and a cold chill spread through me.
“Liam??!!!”