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Chapter 6: The Call of the Forest

ผู้เขียน: Black Star
last update ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2024-12-19 23:11:19

The moon hung heavy in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the trees surrounding Cedar Grove. The world seemed to hold its breath, the kind of silence that only came when something monumental was about to unfold. I stood at the edge of the woods, my senses heightened, the air thick with anticipation. Somewhere deep in the forest, Isla was making her way toward me, clutching the journal that had set everything in motion.

It had been hours since I left her at the clinic, but the connection between us had only grown stronger. I could feel her hesitation, her wariness, but beneath it all, there was something else. A pull. A connection neither of us could escape, no matter how hard we tried. And it terrified me.

I paced back and forth, waiting for her arrival. The sounds of the night—crickets chirping, the wind rustling through the trees—felt like they were amplifying the tension that thrummed through me. I had no idea what she would say when she finally arrived, but I knew one thing for sure: she couldn’t walk away from this. Not anymore. Not after everything that had already happened.

The faint sound of footsteps reached my ears. I tensed, my eyes scanning the darkened path that wound through the trees. Isla emerged from the shadows, her silhouette barely visible against the darkened backdrop. Her long hair was loose, flowing behind her like a cloak of shadows, and her eyes—those eyes—seemed to glow in the dim light. It was almost as if they had changed since the last time I saw her. The faintest trace of gold flashed beneath the surface.

“Luca?” Her voice echoed through the trees, soft but steady. I stepped forward, closing the distance between us.

“Here.” I kept my voice low, but it was impossible to mask the edge of urgency in it. There was no going back now. “You made it.”

She nodded, her eyes flickering from me to the forest around us. “I wasn’t sure what to expect,” she admitted, her tone guarded. “But you’re right. I needed answers. I just—don’t know what to believe anymore.”

I could hear the uncertainty in her voice, and it made my chest tighten. She was scared. And for good reason. She had stumbled into a world she didn’t understand, and the more she learned, the deeper she would sink into it. I could already feel the weight of the prophecy settling over us like a storm cloud. The more she learned, the more she would be forced to make a choice.

“You’re not alone in this,” I told her, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me. I reached out, offering her a small, reassuring smile. “I’ll help you through it. But there’s more to this than just the journal. More to your father’s disappearance than anyone’s telling you.”

She hesitated, glancing at the journal in her hands before looking back at me. “What do you mean?”

I swallowed hard, the words I needed to say catching in my throat. “Your father’s disappearance wasn’t a random accident. It’s tied to the prophecy. To you.”

She shook her head, her brow furrowing in confusion. “I don’t understand. How can my father—how could he be part of all this?”

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to find the right words to explain. “He wasn’t just a vet. He was connected to the Crescent Moon pack. And he knew about the prophecy—knew about you. He tried to protect you from it. But there’s only so much you can do when fate’s already decided.”

Her eyes widened as the realization sank in. “Fate?” she whispered. “You mean... I was destined for this? To be part of this—whatever this is?”

“Yes,” I said softly, moving closer to her, my presence a silent comfort. “You were always a part of it, Isla. From the moment you were born.”

She took a deep breath, the weight of my words pressing down on her. “But how do I fit into this prophecy?” Her voice trembled slightly, a crack in her armor I hadn’t seen before. “What’s my role?”

I exhaled, trying to steady myself before I answered. “It’s called the Bound Alpha. The legend says there will be someone—someone who bridges the gap between humans and wolves. The Bound Alpha will unite the two sides, but it will come at a cost. It’s not something you can just ignore.”

Isla’s eyes searched mine, her lips parted, but no words came. The silence stretched between us, and I could feel the weight of the past pressing in. The prophecy had loomed over my family for generations, and now, it was staring her down. She was as much a part of this as I was.

“But why me?” she finally whispered, the question hanging in the air. “Why now?”

“Because your father knew,” I said, my voice thick with emotion I didn’t know I had. “He knew this day would come. And he tried to protect you from it. He didn’t want you to be involved in this world. But you are, Isla. Whether you want to be or not.”

She seemed to take a step back, her eyes narrowing as she processed everything. “You’re asking me to believe that I’m somehow... part werewolf?” Her voice was tinged with disbelief. “That I’m meant to lead both sides? That the fate of your pack, my family—everything—is tied to me?”

I stepped forward, closing the gap she’d created. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

She turned the journal over in her hands, the weight of it almost palpable. “And if I refuse? If I choose to walk away?”

I didn’t want to say it. I didn’t want to be the one to break the truth to her, but I knew I had to. “The prophecy won’t allow you to walk away, Isla. It’s not a choice. It’s your destiny. And that’s what you need to understand.”

Her breath caught, and for a moment, I thought she might collapse under the weight of it all. But she didn’t. She stood there, her posture straight, her eyes locked on mine, determination beginning to replace the fear in her expression.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with this,” she said, her voice quiet but fierce. “But I’m not running away.”

My heart surged at her words, a flicker of hope lighting the darkness inside me. “You don’t have to run. Not anymore. We’ll figure this out together.”

She looked at me then, her gaze steady and full of something I hadn’t seen before—trust. It was fragile, still new, but it was there. And for the first time, I felt like maybe, just maybe, we could face what was coming together.

But as I stood there, watching Isla face the unknown with more courage than I had ever seen, I knew one thing: no matter what came next, nothing could prepare us for the battle that was about to unfold.

And that battle would test everything we were.

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  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 7: Unraveling the Past 2

    The moon had already begun its descent when I arrived back at the clinic, the eerie stillness of the night settling in around me like a blanket. The events of the past few hours felt like a blur—fragments of conversations, whispered secrets, and the weight of my father’s disappearance pressing down on my chest. I had spent my whole life pushing away the idea that something extraordinary, something outside of the life I had known, was waiting for me. But now, with the journal in my hands and Luca’s words echoing in my mind, I couldn’t deny it any longer. I was part of something bigger.I pushed open the clinic door, the familiar scent of antiseptic and dried herbs greeting me. It should have been comforting, but the silence that hung over the place was unnerving. The clinic had always been full of life—dogs barking, cats meowing, and the chatter of patients’ owners filling the air. Now, it felt empty, almost hollow. My father had built this clinic with so much love, and now I was here,

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-12-19
  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 8: Shadows in the Moonlight

    The days blurred together after that night. I couldn’t shake the sense that something was unraveling beneath the surface, a story long buried that I was only just beginning to scratch the surface of. I spent hours at the clinic, trying to focus on routine matters, the things that used to fill my days. But no matter how many dogs I treated or cats I checked in for their annual vaccinations, my mind kept drifting back to the journal, to Luca’s words, to the prophecy.To the pack.To everything I thought I knew.The phone rang late one afternoon, and I nearly dropped the syringe I was holding when I saw the caller ID. It was Astra.“I was hoping I’d catch you,” her voice said when I answered, light and teasing, though I could hear the edge of urgency beneath it. “You’ve been quiet since our little meeting. I thought you might have gotten cold feet.”I wasn’t sure if I was angry or relieved to hear from her. She had appeared out of nowhere, dropping bombshells on me about my father’s life

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-12-23
  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 9: Ties That Bind

    The wind was picking up again, swirling around us in the clearing, tugging at the edges of my coat as if it, too, were impatient for the truth to be spoken. I stood between Luca and Astra, feeling smaller than I ever had before. The world seemed so much bigger than I had realized, and I had no idea if I was ready to face whatever lay ahead. But there was no going back now. Not after the things I had seen, the things I had learned.Luca’s eyes flicked over me, a quiet tension in his gaze, but he didn’t speak right away. Instead, he stepped forward, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the moonlight. His presence was heavy, like the weight of the entire forest was resting on his shoulders. Astra watched him closely, as if waiting for him to make the first move, but I could sense her own impatience, a quiet energy vibrating in the air around her.“You don’t have to do this, Luca,” Astra said, her voice unusually soft, though there was an underlying firmness to it. “You can walk away.

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-12-26
  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 10: The Breaking Point

    The world felt like it was spinning around me, like a storm I couldn’t escape. The realization that I was somehow tied to Luca and the Crescent Moon pack hit me harder than anything else had in years. The secrets, the shadows, the pull I had felt since I was a child—it was all starting to make sense in ways I never could’ve imagined. But the truth was more complicated, and darker, than I had ever anticipated.I walked back to my car in a daze, my thoughts tangled, my body on autopilot. The moon overhead was full and brilliant, its light casting an eerie glow on the trees around me. Everything about this night felt wrong, like we were standing on the edge of something we couldn’t control. And I was just standing there, waiting for the inevitable.Luca’s presence lingered in my mind, his words echoing in my head. "You’re a part of this now, Isla." His eyes had been so intense, so full of conviction. It felt like they were burning through me, pulling me into a future I wasn’t sure I was

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-12-26
  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 11: The Unraveling

    I woke up in darkness. My body felt heavy, weighted down by a presence I couldn’t explain. A low, aching throb pulsed through my head, the remnants of the force that had struck me still lingering in the air. My fingers twitched, and I tried to push myself upright, but the sensation of something wrapping around my wrist stopped me. I instinctively reached for it, my hand brushing against cool metal. Panic rose in my chest, but I forced myself to take slow, steady breaths.Where was I?The last thing I remembered was the sharp pain, the cold energy surging through me. The sense of being pulled apart from the inside. And then darkness.“Isla.”The sound of my name being spoken, low and urgent, broke through the fog in my mind. My heart skipped, and I blinked, trying to focus on the voice. It was Luca’s, but something was off. It wasn’t the warm, comforting tone I had come to associate with him. It was raw, jagged, filled with an intensity I couldn’t place.“Luca?” I croaked, my throat dr

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-12-31
  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 12: Unraveling Threads

    The night felt endless.I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so tangled, so stretched thin. Every thought, every breath seemed to lead back to the same conclusion: nothing made sense anymore. I was standing on the edge of something much bigger than myself. Something dangerous, something powerful. And Luca, despite his insistence that he was trying to protect me, couldn’t shelter me from the truth forever.I sat in the small room that had once been my father's office, the same familiar walls now feeling colder than I remembered. The journal rested on the desk in front of me, the mark on its cover—still sharp, still unsettling—burned into my mind.The whispers from my dreams had become louder, clearer. It wasn’t just a random string of words. It was a language, one that tugged at something deep inside me. The more I heard it, the more familiar it felt, as if it was a part of me. A part of my bloodline. But why? Why hadn’t I known about it until now?

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-01
  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 13: A Tipping Point

    The moon was full, its pale light spilling through the cracks in the blinds, casting long shadows across the room. I couldn’t sleep. The weight of the night, of everything I had just learned, was too much to ignore. I kept replaying Luca’s words in my mind, his voice low and steady as he had finally agreed to tell me the truth. Together.But there was so much more to it than I had anticipated.The journal, the prophecy, my father’s disappearance—all of it was tied to something larger, something I still didn’t fully understand. And yet, despite all the fear and confusion, something inside me burned with determination. I had to know what happened. I needed to know why my father had kept these secrets from me, why he had left me to stumble in the dark for so long.My fingers traced the edges of the journal on the desk beside me. The weight of it, the ancient leather cover, felt like it was holding all of the answers I had been searching for. I had already spe

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-04
  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 14: The Shifting Tide

    The day had passed in a blur of thoughts too heavy for a single person to carry. I had spent hours staring at the journal, trying to make sense of the fragmented pieces of my father’s life that I was only now uncovering. Every word seemed to lead to more questions, more puzzles that I wasn’t sure I could solve alone.And then, there was Luca.The weight of everything he had told me, everything I was beginning to realize, settled deep in my chest. We were connected. Not just by the prophecy, but by something more—something that had been woven into the fabric of our lives long before we ever met. And the worst part? I had no idea what it meant, what the cost would be, or how much of my life was about to be torn apart because of it.I sat at the desk in my small office at the clinic, the journal open in front of me. The pages were filled with my father’s notes, scribbled hastily in the margins, almost as if he had been afraid someone would see them. I wasn’t

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-01-04

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  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 43: The Weight of the Future

    Isla didn’t sleep that night. She couldn’t. The weight of the journal in her hands, the secrets it held, pressed against her ribs, like a thousand unspoken words clawing to get out. Her thoughts raced, colliding with one another in a chaos she couldn’t untangle. There was no escaping it anymore—the world she had known was slipping away, and what was replacing it felt unfamiliar, even dangerous.The cabin was quiet, save for the soft crackling of the fire, which seemed to mirror the restless stirrings inside her chest. Outside, the wind howled, making the trees sway like shadows dancing in the night. She wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them close to her chest, trying to ground herself, but the more she thought, the more she felt like she was being pulled in every direction.The voice on the phone earlier—Astra—had set everything into motion. The rogue, with her cryptic warnings and her unsettling knowledge of Isla’s family, had made it clear: the truth was coming, whether Is

  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 42: Unraveling the Threads

    The moon hung heavy in the sky, its silver light filtering through the canopy of trees that surrounded the cabin. Isla had never felt so small, so utterly insignificant, in comparison to the vastness of the world outside. It was as if everything she had known was nothing more than a thin thread unraveling before her, with each pull revealing something darker and deeper than she could have ever imagined. The truth of her heritage, the prophecy, Luca’s struggle—everything was spinning out of control.But at least she wasn’t alone.She could hear the faint crackle of the fire from the hearth behind her as Astra stepped into the clearing, her silhouette framed by the cabin’s door. Despite the shadows around her, Astra had an aura of confidence, of certainty, that Isla couldn’t shake. It was unsettling, the way the rogue seemed so comfortable with the danger that seemed to close in on them from all sides.Astra’s voice broke the silence, its usual teasing edge absent. “You’ve made your cho

  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 41: The Binding of Two Worlds

    The sky had shifted to a pale blue, dawn still far enough away to cast the woods in soft shadows. The silence of the clearing seemed to press in on Isla as she sat at the small wooden table in the cabin, the weight of everything that had been revealed settling on her shoulders. She felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, the ground slipping away beneath her feet, but she was unable to look down.Luca’s words hung in the air, an unspoken promise. "We prepare. Together. And we face what comes—no matter what the cost." But what did that truly mean? And more importantly, what was the cost?Her fingers idly traced the outline of the pendant on the table, the delicate curve of its crescent moon carving a strange heat into her skin. It felt alive now, as if it had been waiting for this moment—waiting for her. Isla glanced at the doorway, half-expecting to see Luca again, to feel his presence nearby. Instead, the cabin was eerily quiet, the stillness almost suffocating.Luca’s Reso

  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 40: The Council’s Judgment

    The night air was thick with tension as Isla sat alone in the small, dimly lit cabin at the edge of the woods, the flames of the fire casting jagged shadows across the walls. The pendant still rested in her palm, its weight a constant reminder of the promises made and the secrets she was tangled in. She had never anticipated being here, in this situation. A part of her still wished she could have stayed in Chicago, kept her life simple. But that was before her father’s disappearance—and before Luca.Her thoughts drifted back to him. To the way he had looked at her, the unspoken emotions that lingered between them like an electric charge. There was something undeniable in the way their worlds collided, something that made her think fate was involved. She wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse, but right now, it felt like both.The Crescent Moon Pack’s TerritoryOutside, the winds howled through the trees, the darkness of the night broken only by the flickering glow of torches lead

  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 39: Unveiling the Truth

    The journal sat between Isla and Luca on the heavy wooden table, its aged pages illuminated by the flickering glow of the fireplace. Isla stared at it, her fingers twitching slightly as if the weight of its secrets was something tangible pressing down on her.“We’re missing something,” she said finally, breaking the tense silence. Her voice was quiet but edged with frustration.Luca leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. “We’re missing a lot of things. The rogue’s warning, the connection to the prophecy, and why your father had this in the first place.” His golden eyes locked onto hers, searching for something unspoken. “What’s your gut telling you?”Isla hesitated. Her instincts had been both a blessing and a curse lately, leading her to truths she wasn’t sure she was ready to face. “That this journal is more than just a key to the prophecy. It’s a map—guiding us

  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 38: The Rogue’s Gambit

    The cold night air wrapped around Luca like a second skin as he stepped outside. His senses sharpened, his body tensing in anticipation. The faint echo of the rogue’s howl still lingered, a challenge and a warning carried on the wind.The pack’s perimeter was silent, but Luca knew better than to trust the stillness. His wolves would be stationed at their usual posts, patrolling the edges of their territory, but rogues were cunning. They knew how to slip past unnoticed, exploiting weaknesses like predators on a wounded animal.His thoughts wandered briefly to Isla, safe within the meeting hall. She was strong, sharper than anyone gave her credit for, but the thought of her in harm’s way still churned his stomach. He pushed the feeling aside, focusing on the task at hand.A Familiar ScentLuca moved toward the tree line, his footsteps silent on the damp earth. The forest stretched out before him, an endless maze of shadows

  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 37: The Secrets Within

    The journal sat on the table like a living thing, its worn leather cover emanating an aura of mystery that filled the room. The pack’s meeting hall was quiet now, save for the crackling of the fireplace and the occasional rustle of papers as Astra flipped through pages of notes she had scrawled.Isla leaned forward, her elbows on the table, staring at the book as though it might suddenly offer its secrets. “We’ve been turning pages for hours, and we’re no closer to answers.”Luca, standing behind her, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Sometimes the answers aren’t in plain sight. We need to look deeper.”Astra snorted, not bothering to look up. “Or maybe the answers are in plain sight, and we’re just too blind to see them.”Isla sighed and leaned back, her gaze shifting to the high windows where the moonlight spilled in, illuminating the room with an ethereal glow. The fight with th

  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 36: Wolves in the Shadows

    The forest was alive with the low hum of activity. Isla could feel it—an undercurrent of tension that made the air crackle like an impending storm. She stood at the edge of the pack’s perimeter, Luca by her side, their breaths fogging in the crisp night air.The plan was simple on paper: lure the rogues into a controlled area where the pack could gain the upper hand. But simplicity often bred complications, and Isla couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling that they were walking into something far more dangerous than they anticipated.“Stay close to me,” Luca murmured, his voice low but firm.“I’m not going to wander off,” Isla replied, her tone sharper than she intended. She immediately softened it with a glance at him. “I know what’s at stake.”Luca’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. She could see the worry in his eyes, though he tried to mask it with the stoicism befitting an alpha.Earlier that DayThe pack had gathere

  • Moonbound Legacy   Chapter 35: Lines in the Sand

    The morning broke with a haze over the packhouse, the usual routine overshadowed by the tension brewing among the pack. The rogues’ message had shaken even the most seasoned wolves, and the senior members were scrambling to prepare for what felt inevitable. Isla woke to the sound of muffled voices outside her window. The pack’s courtyard buzzed with activity—wolves running drills, Callan barking orders, and younger pack members watching with wide eyes. The sight filled her with equal parts determination and dread She stepped into the kitchen, her mind already turning over plans. Luca was there, leaning against the counter with a steaming mug of coffee. His expression was distant, but his eyes softened when he noticed her. “Morning,” he said, his voice rough from lack of sleep. “Did you get any rest?” Isla asked, already knowing the answer. “Not really.” He took a sip of his coffee, his gaze shifting to the window. “There’s too much to do.” She stepped closer, lowering her voice s

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