The full moon's light sliced through the canopy above, casting eerie shadows over the forest floor. Adrian Blackwood's breath came in sharp, shallow gasps as he moved through the dense undergrowth, his boots crunching on the dry leaves beneath him. The air was cool and damp, thick with the scent of moss and earth. It had been a night like any other, before everything changed.
But now, nothing was the same.
Adrian could still feel the tremors from the night of his first transformation, his body still aching from the savage way the wolf inside him had broken free. Every muscle in his body yearned to shift again, to let the beast rise up within him. It wasn't just a power—it was a hunger. And it had become a part of him, an undeniable part of his very soul.
Alina Ravenscroft walked beside him, her presence steady and comforting, though the tension was palpable between them. The silent understanding between them had always been there, but now it was more than that. Alina wasn't just his childhood friend anymore. She was something more, something crucial in the fight ahead. But Adrian hated that he couldn't protect her from this world of darkness that was closing in. The forest felt more oppressive tonight, the silence heavy with the sense of something watching them.
"You're sure we're going the right way?" Alina asked, her voice breaking the uneasy silence. She adjusted the strap of her bag and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Despite her outward calm, her eyes betrayed her nerves—her lips tight, her brow furrowed.
Adrian nodded, though he didn't have the same certainty. He'd been given a map by his grandfather—a map that seemed to shift and change every time he looked at it. The path was clear, in theory, but something about the woods made him feel like the very trees were shifting around them, guiding them in circles.
"I think so," he said, his voice strained. "The talisman is hidden in the ruins of the old church, deep in the heart of the forest. The map says it's just ahead."
Alina glanced at him. "You're not sure, are you?"
Adrian paused. His fingers brushed against the cool talisman that hung around his neck—an ancient medallion he had found only days before, buried beneath the rubble of the old church, the place where everything started. He could feel the faint pulse of power emanating from it, but the artifact was a mystery in itself. No one had known of its existence until now. And it was no accident that it had come into his possession.
"I don't think we have much of a choice," Adrian admitted. "The pack is already out there. And they're looking for us."
Alina stopped walking and turned to face him. Her eyes softened, filled with concern. "You're not alone in this, Adrian. You don't have to carry the weight of it all."
Adrian's heart clenched as he looked at her, torn between wanting to protect her and knowing that her involvement made her a target. She was right, though. She had been by his side since childhood, always steadfast, always loyal. But the danger was unlike anything they had ever faced.
"I know," he said quietly. "But you don't know what you're getting into. The pack isn't just a threat to me. They want everything—control over the curse, over the Blackwood bloodline. They won't hesitate to use you against me."
She stepped closer, her hand brushing his arm in a gesture of reassurance. "I don't care about that. We'll find the talisman together. You said it yourself—the only way to stop them is to keep it away from them. We can do this."
Adrian wanted to believe her. The conviction in her voice was enough to stir something deep inside him—something human, something he feared was slipping away. But even as the words left her lips, the forest seemed to change. The air grew heavier, thick with a sense of foreboding that made Adrian's pulse race. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and a low growl echoed from somewhere deeper in the woods.
Adrian's instincts flared to life. He grabbed Alina's arm, pulling her close. "Stay behind me."
Before she could react, the growl grew louder, closer. His eyes darted around, every shadow now seeming like a potential threat. His wolf instincts told him to shift, to embrace the power within him, but he fought it down, knowing that losing control would mean losing himself entirely. And he couldn't do that—not with Alina here.
"Adrian?" Alina's voice trembled, her fingers tightening around his arm. "What's out there?"
He didn't answer her immediately. His heightened senses were screaming at him, picking up on every detail of the forest around them. The way the wind shifted through the trees, the subtle rustle of branches that weren't caused by a passing animal. No, this was something different—something far more dangerous.
Then, the first figure appeared.
A man stepped out from behind a large oak tree, his silhouette cutting against the faint light of the moon. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with dark, unkempt hair that framed a face too sharp and cruel to be human. His eyes gleamed with a feral yellow glow, like a wolf's—bright, intense, predatory. And the way he moved—fluid, almost inhuman—told Adrian all he needed to know.
Another one of the pack.
Adrian's jaw tightened as the man took a slow step forward, his eyes locking onto Adrian. "So, the Blackwood heir finally shows himself," he said, his voice rough and predatory. "I was wondering when you'd come out of hiding."
Adrian's hand instinctively went to the medallion around his neck, his grip tightening around it. "What do you want?" he demanded, his voice steady despite the adrenaline flooding through his veins.
The man's lips curled into a smile that revealed sharp, animalistic teeth. "What we want is simple," he said. "The talisman. You're holding it, aren't you?"
Adrian's heart skipped a beat. He'd hoped to keep the talisman hidden, at least until they reached the church. But it seemed the pack was already onto them.
"I don't have it," Adrian lied, though he knew the man would see through it.
The man's smile widened, and he stepped closer, his eyes never leaving Adrian's. "Don't lie to me. We can smell it on you—our birthright, the power coursing through your blood."
Behind the man, more figures emerged from the shadows, circling them like wolves preparing to strike. Adrian counted four of them in total, each one taller, faster, and more dangerous than the last. These were no ordinary wolves—they were creatures of the night, cursed with immortality, driven by hunger, and with one goal: to take back what had been stolen from them.
"Get out of our way," Adrian growled, his voice barely a whisper, but it carried the weight of the wolf's presence. The beast inside him roared in answer, pushing harder against the barriers he had set in place.
Alina stepped forward, her eyes defiant as she squared her shoulders. "You're not taking anything from us," she said, her voice unwavering.
The man with the yellow eyes laughed, a cold, cruel sound. "And what are you going to do about it, girl? You think you can stop us? You're nothing but a human."
Adrian's hand shot out before he could stop it, pulling Alina behind him as his body tensed, ready to shift. But just as his mind screamed for him to let go, to release the wolf, the leader of the pack held up a hand.
"Not yet," he said, his voice dark and mocking. "The game's just begun, Blackwood. But believe me, we'll be taking what's ours."
And with that, the wolves vanished into the shadows, leaving only the unsettling feeling of their presence lingering in the air. Adrian stood still, his body tight with the need to fight, but he knew they had no chance against the pack—not yet.
Alina's hand tightened on his arm, her voice trembling as she whispered, "What are we going to do now?"
Adrian's gaze lingered on the dark path ahead. The pack was coming. They would stop at nothing to claim the talisman, to destroy him and everything he loved. And the only way to stop them was to find the talisman first.
With a deep breath, he turned to face her. "We keep moving. We find the talisman. And we end this."