Uneasy Truce

Lyra's hand lingered in Atlas's for a moment longer than she intended. She pulled away quickly, masking her brief hesitation with a smirk. "Don't get too comfortable. Just because we have a truce doesn't mean I trust you completely."

Atlas leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable. "Noted. But let's focus on the bigger picture for now. The rogue's warning changes things."

Lyra nodded, her sharp gaze turning toward the forest. "If someone within the pack is working against us, we'll need to tread carefully. Trust is a dangerous game right now."

The wind shifted, carrying the earthy scent of the woods mixed with something faintly metallic, blood. Lyra stiffened, her instincts kicking in. Atlas caught it too, his eyes looking around trying to find it.

"You smell that?" she asked, already rising to her feet.

He nodded, his stance shifting as his wolf instincts awakened. "Let's find out where it's coming from."

INTO THE WOODS:

The pair moved in unison, their footsteps silent on the grass. The scent grew stronger as they ventured deeper into the woods, Lyra felt a something was extremely. She clenched her fists, Just in case if someone came from behind.

"Over there." Atlas whispered, nodding toward a clearing up ahead.

Lyra crouched low, her eyes scanning the area. In the clearing, they spotted a deer carcass, its body torn apart in a way that suggested it wasn't a natural predator's kill.

"What a petty." Lyra murmured as she stepped closer, examining it. "Wolves couldn't have done this.. But definitely something with claws."

"Sharp claws.." Atlas added "Great. Just what we need,more complications." Lyra hissed.

Atlas approached the carcass right along with lyra. His eyes searching the ground for tracks. "These marks... they're definitely too big for wolves. And the scent is off. This isn't normal."

Lyra stood up, her mind racing. "Could it be tied to the rogue's warning? Maybe this is part of whatever plan they were talking about..?"

Before Atlas could respond, a low growl echoed through the trees. Both of them froze, their senses on high alert.

A PREDATOR IN THE SHADOWS:

The growl grew louder, more guttural, and Lyra's instincts screamed at her to shift. She glanced at Atlas, who was already shedding his calm demeanor for a more predatory stance.

"Ready?" he asked, looking at her.

Lyra chuckled, her pink eyes glowing faintly. "Why even ask?"

The creature burst out of the shadows, a blur of fur and fangs. It was larger than a wolf, its body twisted and grotesque. Lyra barely had time to dodge as it lunged at her, its claws slicing through the air where she had been standing.

Atlas was on it in an instant, shifting mid-leap. His wolf form was massive, his dark fur blending with the shadows as he tackled the creature to the ground.

Lyra shifted as well, her pink fur gleaming under the moonlight. She joined the fray, her sharp teeth sinking into the creature's flank as it howled in rage.

The fight was brutal, a blur of snarls, claws, and blood. The creature fought with unnatural strength, but Lyra and Atlas moved as a seamless unit, their combined efforts overpowering it.

Finally, with a powerful bite to its throat, Atlas ended the fight. The creature collapsed, its body going limp.

QUESTIONS AND TENSIONS:

Lyra shifted back into her human form, wiping blood off her lip as she crouched beside the creature. Its body was already beginning to disintegrate, the unnatural energy that sustained it fading.

"This isn't normal." she said, her voice low. "I've never seen anything like this."

Atlas also transformed back, nodding his head with agreement. "Whatever it was, it's not from around here. And it's not acting alone."

Lyra glanced at him. "You think this is connected to the rogue's warning?"

"I'd bet on it." he replied. "And if these things are roaming the woods, we're going to need to find out where they're coming from, and fast."

Lyra sighed, running a hand through her hair. "This just keeps getting better and better."

Atlas's lips twitched into a faint smile. "You love it. Admit it."

She sideyed him, but there was no real heat behind it. "No, that's embarrassing. She sighed. "please be serious and focus. We're running out of time so let's head back and report what just happened.

He nodded, his expression serious once more. "Agreed. But Lyra... we need to be ready. Whatever's coming, it's bigger than anything we've faced before."

She stood up once more. "well.. then we fight! No matter what it takes."

As they turned to head back to the pack, the faint sound of howling echoed in the distance. Lyra felt a chill run down her spine. Whatever lay ahead, it wasn't going to be easy.