The full moon hung heavy in the night sky, its silvery light spilling over the ancient trees that surrounded Silverclaw. The air was thick with anticipation, the kind that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I could feel it—the eyes of my pack on me, their unspoken expectations weighing down like a shackle around my soul. Tonight was supposed to be a celebration, a rite of passage, but all I could feel was a cold dread settling in my bones.
I stood in the heart of the clearing, surrounded by the towering oaks that had watched over Silverclaw for centuries. The sacred fire crackled before me, its flames licking the air as if desperate to consume the moonlight. I closed my eyes, trying to focus, to calm the racing of my heart. But the visions—those damned visions—kept flickering behind my eyelids, like ghosts refusing to be laid to rest.
“Seraphina.” The voice of the town elder, Morwenna, was low and steady, carrying the weight of authority and ancient knowledge. She was a figure of reverence, her long silver hair a testament to the years she had witnessed, and the secrets she guarded. I looked up at her, meeting her gaze—those sharp, knowing eyes that seemed to pierce through the layers of my soul.
“It’s time,” she said, her words cutting through the tension. “You must understand the prophecy, child. It is not just a story passed down through the ages. It is your destiny.”
I nodded, though my throat felt tight, the words I wanted to say caught somewhere deep within. Morwenna’s gaze softened, but only slightly. “The prophecy speaks of a Luna who will rise to either save or doom our kind. You are that Luna, Seraphina. The weight of our world rests on your shoulders.”
Her words were like lead, sinking into my chest. I had known about the prophecy all my life and had been told I was special, chosen. But now, standing here under the gaze of the full moon, it felt more like a curse than an honor.
The fire crackled louder, and I felt the warmth of it on my skin. I was aware of my younger sister, Ava, standing just behind me, her presence a comforting shadow. Ava was everything I wasn’t—calm, composed, always sure of herself. Yet tonight, even she seemed uneasy. I glanced back at her, and she gave me a small, worried smile. “Something feels wrong,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling fire.
I wanted to tell her she was imagining things, that everything would be fine, but the words died in my throat. I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was right. There was something dark on the horizon, something coming for us.
As if in response to my thoughts, the vision returned with a sudden, violent intensity. My surroundings blurred, the fire, the trees, the faces of my pack fading into darkness. All that remained was the moon, glowing with a harsh, unnatural light. And then the shadows began to creep in, twisting and curling around the edges of my vision. A figure emerged from the darkness, cloaked in shadows, their features obscured. I couldn’t see their face, but I could feel their eyes on me, boring into me with a malevolent intent.
“You are not ready,” the figure hissed, the voice echoing in my mind, a cruel whisper that sent shivers down my spine. “Betrayal is closer than you think. Beware, Seraphina. Beware…”
The vision shattered, and I was thrust back into the present, gasping for breath as if I had been drowning. I felt Ava’s hand on my arm, steadying me. “Seraphina, what’s wrong? What did you see?”
I wanted to tell her, to confide in her like I always did, but something held me back. The warning echoed in my mind, a sinister reminder that trust could be as dangerous as any weapon.
I turned to Morwenna, hoping she could offer some guidance, but her face was unreadable, her eyes shadowed. “The visions will come more frequently now,” she said quietly. “You must prepare yourself, child. The time is drawing near.”
I swallowed hard, nodding even as fear coiled in my gut. I was Seraphina Nightshade, heir to the Silverclaw pack, and destined to be the next Luna. But as I looked up at the full moon, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my destiny was far darker than anyone could have imagined.
The fire flared suddenly, casting wild, dancing shadows across the clearing. In the flickering light, I caught a glimpse of something—or someone—moving just beyond the circle of trees. My heart skipped a beat as the shadowy figures from my vision seemed to materialize in the real world, their form barely visible through the thickening mist. A warning whispered through my mind, the figure’s words lingering like a curse.
I stepped forward, compelled to follow, but before I could move, the figure vanished into the darkness, leaving only the echo of their warning and a chill that seeped deep into my bones.
The prophecy’s shadow had come to life, and with it, the first stirrings of the betrayal that would threaten to tear my world apart.
The figure's warning echoed in my mind as I stood rooted to the spot, the chill from the night air seeping into my bones. The clearing was quiet now, the flames of the sacred fire dwindling, leaving only the soft crackle of dying embers. Ava tugged at my arm, her voice full of concern, but I barely registered her words. My thoughts were miles away, lost in the shadows of the prophecy that had begun to unravel before my very eyes.But while I stood paralyzed by fear and uncertainty, across the forest, another mind was at work—one that thrived on the chaos and despair that I feared.Draven Thorn stood on the edge of the Blackwood pack’s territory, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon. The moonlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting a silvery glow over the landscape. He breathed in the cool night air, letting it fill his lungs as if drawing strength from the darkness itself. The forest around him was still, yet he could sense the energy coursing through it, a deep, ancient power
The echo of that tortured scream haunted me throughout the night, its sound weaving itself into the fabric of my dreams. When I woke, the cold morning light did nothing to chase away the lingering dread. Sleep had been fleeting and fitful, and my thoughts tangled in the remnants of my vision—of the shadowed figure and the warning it carried. Yet, there was no time to dwell on it. My duties as the heir to the Silverclaw pack demanded my full attention, no matter how unsteady I felt.I met Ethan Hale in the training grounds just as the sun began to peek over the treetops, casting long, golden shadows across the clearing. He was already there, his sword flashing in the morning light as he moved through a series of precise, lethal motions. Ethan had always been the embodiment of strength and discipline, qualities that made him both a fierce warrior and a trusted friend. But today, even his presence, usually so steadying, could not quiet the turmoil in my mind.“Morning, Sera,” he greeted
The symbol from the stranger’s parchment haunted me long after he had vanished into the shadows. It was the key to something—something that lay hidden in the depths of the forest, waiting for me to uncover. I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever awaited us in those dark woods would change everything. I knew I had to go. The truth, however terrifying, was the only way forward.The next morning, I gathered Ethan and Sophia Grey, one of our most skilled trackers, and we prepared to venture into the enchanted forest that bordered our territory. The forest had always been a place of mystery, its depths shrouded in legends and whispers of ancient magic. But now, it held a new kind of danger, one tied to the prophecy that had begun to unravel my life.As we approached the forest’s edge, the air grew thick with tension. The trees loomed above us like silent sentinels, their branches intertwining to form a canopy that blocked out much of the morning light. A sense of unease settled over me
We barely made it out of the forest alive. The memory of those glowing eyes haunted me, a reminder that the forest held more secrets than we could ever comprehend. But there was no time to dwell on the dangers we had narrowly escaped. The moment we returned to Silverclaw, the weight of responsibility settled back onto my shoulders like a familiar burden.As I walked through the gates of our territory, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. The air was thick with tension, an undercurrent of unease that I hadn’t noticed before. I glanced at Ethan and Sophia, but they were deep in conversation, their voices hushed. Whatever had been lurking in the forest wasn’t the only threat we faced.That night, I struggled to sleep. The events of the day replayed in my mind over and over, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make sense of it all. The altar, the stranger’s warning, the vision of the mysterious figure cloaked in shadows—it was all connected, but how? And why did I
The knock at the door echoed in my ears, reverberating with a sense of impending doom. I paused for a moment, my hand still gripping the hilt of the dagger hidden beneath my cloak. Every nerve in my body was on high alert, the weight of the intercepted message heavy in my thoughts. But when I finally opened the door, it was Ethan standing there, his eyes wide with urgency.“Seraphina, you need to come quickly,” he said, his voice low and urgent. “The borders… we’re under attack.”For a moment, the world seemed to tilt on its axis. The prophecy, the stranger, the spy among us—everything had led to this moment. Draven had made his move, and Silverclaw was caught off guard.I didn’t hesitate. I followed Ethan through the dimly lit corridors of our stronghold, my mind racing. How had Draven’s forces breached our defenses so easily? We had prepared for this, or so I thought. But as I reached the outer walls, the sight that greeted me was one of chaos and destruction.The air was thick with
The blood-red words carved into my mother’s tombstone haunted my every step as I made my way through the woods. The forest was eerily silent, the usual rustling of leaves and distant calls of wildlife absent, as if nature itself held its breath in anticipation of what was to come. The scent of the desecrated earth clung to me, a bitter reminder of Draven’s message and the stakes of the prophecy.I couldn’t shake the image from my mind—the earth torn apart, the grave violated. My mother’s final resting place had been defiled, and the message left behind was clear: Draven’s vendetta was more than just a power play; it was deeply personal. The desecration was an assault not just on me, but on my entire bloodline, on everything my mother had stood for.But why now? Why her grave?I arrived back at the pack’s stronghold, my thoughts still a whirlwind of questions and half-formed suspicions. Ethan met me at the entrance, his face a mask of concern. “Did you find anything?” he asked, his voi
The pages of my mother’s journal were old and brittle, each turn revealing more of the secrets she had taken to her grave. I sat by the hearth, the flickering firelight casting long shadows on the walls as I delved deeper into the life Lydia Nightshade had kept hidden from the world—even from me, her daughter.My hands trembled as I read about a love that defied the laws of our kind, a love that my mother had kept secret. She had spoken often of loyalty and duty, of the responsibilities that came with being part of the Silverclaw pack, but she had never mentioned this. My breath caught in my throat as I realized the man she had loved was not my father, but someone else—a name that had been scratched out in the journal, leaving only the dark stain of her grief.The words blurred on the page as tears welled in my eyes. Why hadn’t she told me? I could almost feel her presence in the room, a ghostly shadow of the woman who had raised me, who had fought to protect me from the dangers she h
The morning light barely filtered through the dense canopy of the ancient forest as we ventured deeper into its shadowed depths. The trees loomed tall, their gnarled branches twisting like skeletal fingers above us. Every step we took felt heavier, the air thick with the weight of history and the secrets it held. Ethan walked beside me, his eyes sharp, scanning the surroundings with the vigilance of a warrior. Sophia trailed behind, her normally confident demeanor now tinged with unease. The forest was unnervingly silent, the usual sounds of nature absent, as if the very earth was holding its breath.The path was almost nonexistent, overgrown with tangled roots and brambles that seemed determined to keep us out. I kept Lydia’s journal close, the old leather cover warm against my palm as if it were a living thing. My mother had been here before, guided by the same words I now followed. But unlike her, I wasn’t alone.“We’re close,” I whispered, my voice barely louder than the rustle o