Chapter Two: Night Falls

"Attention!" The sharp command from the Beta brought all training to a halt.

"Those on morning patrol will also be escorting the doctor. You can head out now." A group of men gathered and made their way toward the doctor's shelter.

"LIZ!" Luka, the Beta, called out. "You'll be joining the scouting guards for both morning and night patrol. Alpha's orders."

"Yes, sir," Liz responded before jogging toward the soldiers who had already begun their journey into the forest.

Silvermoon Forest

As they ventured deeper into the forest, Liz couldn't shake the feeling that this was a punishment. But seeing how the others moved effortlessly through the rough terrain, she decided to keep her complaints to herself.

Looking around, she realized she had never been this deep in the forest before. She had served in four different houses, each pack deeming her useless after a year or two. But she had somehow managed to stay in the Silvermoon Pack for eight years now.

"The plants are just up ahead. Due to time constraints, only the wolves will be able to climb this mountain. Liz, you'll have to wait for us down here," the doctor instructed. From the tone of his voice, it was clear he had resented her presence on this mission from the start.

"Yes, sir," Liz mumbled. Climbing that mountain was the last thing she wanted to do today anyway. Even looking up, she couldn't see the peak.

Thirty minutes later, the others had successfully reached the top, leaving Liz alone at the base. Feeling drowsy, she let sleep take her.

She was back in that nightmare.

"MAMA!!!" Luna's scream echoed as she watched the horrific scene before her. But this time, her father turned toward her, his eyes dark with bloodlust.

Zephyr wasn't beside her. And when her father reached for her, the world around her went black.

She awoke on a muddy ground, gasping for air.

"Zephyr!! HELP!! Please!" she screamed.

She heard his voice calling for her, his eyes scanning the darkness. "Luna! LUNA! Where are you?!"

She saw him run past her and desperately called out, but he didn't seem to hear. Again and again, she screamed for him until something cold slithered around her leg.

A snake.

"Hello, scaredy little fox."

The sudden shock jolted her awake. She let out a scream loud enough to send the birds fleeing from the trees.

"You'd think having the same nightmare every night would make you immune to it," she muttered to herself.

A twig snapped in the distance.

Her heart pounded as she frantically scanned her surroundings. A shadow flickered past her vision, so fast she barely caught a glimpse. The dense trees in that direction made it impossible to see clearly, so she moved toward a brighter clearing.

"Little fox."

A cold, eerie voice whispered, sending chills down her spine. It reminded her of the snake from her dreams.

A primal sense of danger took hold of her. Without a second thought, she ran.

But she didn't get far.

Something slithered around her leg and coiled up her waist, paralyzing her in place. Panic seized her. She lay frozen on the forest floor, her breathing ragged.

Flashes of that night played in her mind.

'It looks exactly like the snake from that night,' she thought in horror.

A surge of strength she didn't know she had coursed through her veins. With a desperate grip, she seized the creature and hurled it toward a tree.

Disoriented, she bolted through the forest. The snapping twigs, the howling wind—none of it mattered. She just needed to get away.

She didn't stop until she reached a lake. Gasping for air, she leaned against a tree, trying to steady her racing heart.

"LIZ!" The doctor's voice rang out.

She turned to find six wolves glaring at her in frustration.

"You've wasted precious time with your madness once again!" the doctor snarled. "I don't understand why the Alpha still keeps you around!"

Confused, Liz turned to look around. To her shock, she was still where they had left her. Had it all been in her head?

A chill crept down her spine. She felt a deep stare boring into her neck. Whipping around, she found… nothing.

The doctor growled, snapping her attention back to him. "Let's go. I'm reporting this to the Alpha immediately."

Panic gripped Liz's heart. If she were kicked out of Silvermoon Pack, she'd be cast into the human world. And though she felt human, she had a dark desire she could never shake—an urge to rip out and devour their hearts. The very thought made her sick. She would rather be a slave to the wolves than succumb to that monstrous craving.

The Moon Goddess was never fair.

Her mother, the kindest soul she had known, had been killed by the love of her life.

She had been born without a wolf, while her twin brother had shifted into a majestic silver cub at the age of five.

She had never been jealous of Zephyr. Their mother had always made her feel special in her own peculiar way. But things were different now.

"Doc! Please, I beg you!" Liz pleaded, dragging her tired body across the forest floor. "Anything but that! I'll clean your shelter, organize your herb pantry alphabetically—please!"

She bowed her head to his paw. The doctor, reveling in the sense of dominance, sneered. "Fine. But you'd better keep your word."

The other wolves remained silent throughout the exchange. Even on the way back, no one spoke.

Night Patrol

"Tonight, we're patrolling near the border. Understood?" the Beta commanded.

"Sir, yes sir!" the scouts responded in unison.

Throughout the day, Liz felt inexplicably uneasy, like unseen eyes were constantly watching her. But that wasn't possible… was it?

A Hidden Cottage Near Silvermoon Border

"You said you would get her this time," a cold, mysterious voice sneered.

"Oh, don't you worry," a slithering voice replied, eerily similar to the snake's. "When the night falls, the predator rises to it's full glory."