Chapter 1 : The Betrayal

The full moon cast its glory down upon the night, sprinkling the clearing in the forest with shafts of silver. The air was brisk and reeked of pine. Amidst her pack, Sophia's heart raced with anticipation. They were training, honing their mind and body for such a phase when the moon watched over them, and she was set to impress them.

Then, in one swift moment, she was off, racing across the forest floor, and her black hair streaming out behind her like some sort of shadow. She leaped and bounded, her feet barely touching the ground. The other young werewolves cheered as the echoes went through the trees.

"Go, Sophia! Show them your stuff!" yelled Ash, one of her closest friends and also part of the pack, tall and powerful, his dark brown hair glinting in the moonlight.

"Look out! Here I come!" she giggled, tripping him into a gentle tumble, landing lightly on her feet.

"Good one!" Ash clapped, grinning from ear to ear.

Just then, her best friend, Daniel, joined the training circle. He had sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes that sparked mischievously. "See that? I can do it better, I bet!" he teased jollily.

Sophia smirked, "Oh really? I'd love to see you try, Mr. Show-off."

Daniel dove into the foray, and the two began sparring, dancing around each other and throwing friendly blows as others laughed and cheered at the friendly rivalry. It brought Sophia such a joyful rush, knowing she had her friends with her, her family.

They had stopped after a few minutes to catch their breath, panting and laughing. Everything was bathed in soft moonlight, and the world seemed so magical. Sophia turned to Daniel, still catching his breath.

"Do you think we will have a good turnout at the pack gathering next week?" she asked, leaning against a tree nearby.

"Of course, everyone is going to be there, and you are going to be the star," Daniel said, his eyes aglow with admiration. "They will all see just how amazing you are."

She smiled, feeling the warmth spread across her chest. "Thanks, Dan, but I'm sure they'll have lots of attention for you too. You're pretty good at this," she teased, nudging him.

Just then, a figure came out of the dark: Laura. Tall, with long chestnut hair and an air of confidence about her, she always made Sophia feel a little ill at ease. Charming but with her way of twisting words.

"Hey, you two! I just heard something interesting," Laura said mirth dancing in her eyes.

"What is it?" Daniel asked his curiosity piqued.

Not much, other than some of the Dark Moon pack are planning on doing something. I thought you'd want to know, being all brave and heroic," she replied with enough sarcasm lacing her voice.

Sophia felt a shiver run down her spine. "What do you mean?" she pressed, her voice steady despite her growing concern.

Oh, just rumors," Laura shrugged. "But you know how dangerous they can be. I wouldn't trust them if I were you."

Daniel shifted uncomfortably, looking from Sophia to Laura. "We can handle ourselves. We're strong," he tried to reassure the two.

Her brow furrowed in deep creases; her stomach felt knotty inside. She wanted to believe him, but something in Laura's tone didn't sit well in her stomach. At this moment, she drew herself a little aloof from them.

As it were, she heard the hushed tones of Daniel and Laura talking with one another. Curiosity got the better of her, and she leaned closer, trying to hear their words.

Are you sure this is going to work?" Daniel asked in a low tone.

"Trust me, just keep her distracted. We'll handle the rest," Laura replied with assurance in her voice.

Sophia felt a sick feeling in the pit of her heart. What was happening? Why did Daniel act like he did not believe that? A feeling that all was not right would not leave her mind.

"What are you two whispering about? It sounds serious," she called out, trying to sound casual.

Daniel looked shocked, his eyes wide. "Just some plans for the upcoming pack gathering. Nothing to concern yourself about," he said quickly, his smile returning, but not reaching his eyes.

Sophia narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't sound like nothing. Daniel, if you're keeping something from me, I need to know."

"I am not concealing anything!" he said a bit too loudly.

Laura smiled less. "Come on, Sophia. You're being paranoid. We're friends, right? Just trust us."

Sophia could feel the weight of their words. "Yeah, friends." She muttered, an edge of anger and hurt inside her.

In the turning, she caught Daniel's face contorted into an expression of unease-he wanted to say more, and couldn't. That split second of doubt coiled in her stomach and the weight of their friendship shifted.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked, catching onto the mood that had suddenly changed.

"Nothing," she lied, forcing a smile onto her lips. "Just a lot on my mind.

With a messed-up mind, Sophia turned her back and walked away. Why was Daniel being so concerned? Why was Laura being so secretive? She had given her heart to Daniel right from the very beginning, yet at this moment in time, doubt chewed at her confidence.

And further on, into the woods, the shadows danced about her, their outlines lengthening with malice; the moonlight was chill. The merry titter of the pack presently became remote behind her; and the deep silence took her in.

Perhaps I am overreacting, she muttered to herself; Daniel would never betray me. But deep in the pit of her stomach, something sinister brewed, a feeling she didn't know she could possess.

She stopped and turned back towards the clearing her friends were still training at. "I have to figure this out," she said to herself. "I need to know what is really going on.".

Just then, rustling in the bushes startled her. She turned quickly, her heart racing. "Who's there?" she called out; her voice rang out in the stillness.

No answer. The forest was silent, but her instincts screamed that she wasn't alone. A shadow flickered between the trees, and Sophia's breath caught in her throat.

"Show yourself!" she demanded, shifting into a defensive stance.

It shifted again, and the silhouette above me became Ash moving into the moonlight. "Hey, it's just me!" he said, raising his hands. "You scared me half to death!"

Sophia let out a sigh of relief but couldn't shake the feeling of unease. "I thought I was being followed. I'm just. I don't know, something feels off tonight."

Ash frowned, concern filling his eyes. "You mean with Daniel and Laura?

"Yeah. I overheard them talking, and it sounded serious. I have this feeling they're hiding something from me," she whispered.

Ash stepped a little farther into her space, speaking low, "You need to be careful. Laura's always had her own agenda. If she's getting close to Daniel, who knows what she's planning."

A shiver ran down Sophia's spine. "What if he's in it, too? What if they're in it together?"

"I really don't believe that Daniel would sell you out like this, Sophia," Ash tried to reassure her. "He does care about you."

"But what if he is being manipulated? What if he can't see what's really going on?" she returned, the frustration rising higher now.

Ash moved forward and laid a soothing hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure it out together. You don't have to go through this alone."

She stared into his gray eyes, drawing strength from his eyes. Still, even then, a semblance of doubt resided in her heart.

"Thanks, Ash. I just hope I'm wrong about all this," she said, her voice trailing off weakly.

As they turned to head back with the pack, howls of wolves echoed far off in the distance, and she felt a shiver go down her spine. The night was darkening further, and she couldn't rid herself of the feeling that danger lurked just out of sight.

"Stick close to me," Ash said low. "I have a bad feeling about tonight.

Sophia nodded, her heart racing with the howls. She had to be alert. What she didn't know at that moment was that this was only the beginning of night sleepers, secrets, and choices, with a betrayal right in the middle of it all.