Chapter 1: Time to Hunt.

Blaze’s POV

“It’s time to hunt,” Alpha Agni declared. 

As the vibrant hues of the sun melted into the horizon, casting a golden glow, the luminous full moon emerged, illuminating the darkening sky. A primal energy surged within me, sensations tingling through my body, as the unmistakable transformation into a werewolf began. 

Keahi and I were out hunting in the countryside, where we encountered numerous rogues who proved to be easy targets for us to take down. 

“One down,” Keahi said after I ripped off a rogue head.

“Good job,” I commended him.

“There’s a lot in that area. Let’s go check it out!” he asserted, and swiftly made his way towards the woods. 

I trailed behind him as we hunted throughout the night, completely engrossed in the excitement and thrill of it all. Unbeknownst to us, the hours flew by, and before we knew it, the first rays of dawn were peeking over the horizon. 

Keahi excelled in hunting prey, often targeting rogues and leading them towards me, allowing me to launch surprise attacks. Our pack was not yet large enough to engage in direct battles with them. Instead, we focused on increasing our numbers through mating, striving to expand our tribe.

As we pressed on with our hunt, a member of the Whitelaw pack, our rival pack, let out a howl from a nearby location.

We arrived at the exact spot where Alpha Agni was engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy. I sprinted as fast as I could, sinking my teeth into every opponent I encountered.

My focus shifted to Alpha Agni, who was struggling to stay on his feet amidst the onslaught of adversaries. Keahi, too, found himself immobilized, as another Alpha soldier stood in his path, preventing him from reaching Agni. 

Alpha Agni was not just the Alpha of Blue Moon pack, he was also a parental figure to both me and Keahi, my best friend. Without his guidance, it was uncertain where we would find ourselves at this moment. Perhaps a slave, serving some arrogant Alphas?

“Keahi, I’ll cover for you. Go support Alpha Agni!” I mind-linked him and channeled all my strength into eliminating these damn wolves.

“Ah fuck!” Keahi groaned.

The air reeked of blood, mingling with the stench of fear. Echoes of desperate screams filled the space, drowning out any hope of survival. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, our small group of three battled against an entire pack. The odds were stacked against us, leaving no room for escape.

However…

I was abruptly halted as I witnessed Alpha Agni rising to his feet and sprinting off in a different direction.

“Ran!” he growled before he vanished from my sight.

That final image of him, etched in our minds, as we caught a glimpse of his fading silhouette, leaving a bittersweet taste of nostalgia.

It had been a year since Agni vanished without a trace. We made every effort to locate him, but our attempts only led to disappointment. Eventually, we reached the conclusion that he perished in that battle.

And today marked the day we should determine the next Alpha of the Blue Moon pack. We tried choosing who would be the next Alpha a year ago and I could still vividly remember our discussion regarding the matter.

“We need to choose the Next Alpha. We can’t simply stay here and grieve,” Keahi stated.

“Are you seriously thinking about that now, Keahi?” I sneered.

“Why? You know damn so well we can’t function without an Alpha,” he retorted.

“I understand your concerns, but it would be best to wait until after his burial before making any decisions. Additionally, we should hold an annual meeting with all pack members to ensure a fair decision on who will become the next Alpha.”

“No problem, but I could volunteer as the next Alpha given the fact that Alpha Agni treated me as his own son,” Keahi said, then he smirked.

I was unable to respond because I couldn’t determine whether it was a joke or a serious suggestion. What bothered me even more was the fact that I couldn’t agree with it, if it was indeed genuine. Keahi was undoubtedly strong, but he was not yet capable of making decisions for our pack. I feared he could potentially lead us to our downfall.

During our discussion, I suddenly caught sight of movement in the nearby woods. Filled with fear that we were being invaded, I immediately sprinted at top speed towards the location where I had seen the suspicious figure.

“Fenris, it’s your turn to take charge!” I told my wolf.

Fenris took control of my body, causing me to shift into the form of a wolf. Being in this wolf's form would greatly enhance my alertness, making it easier to detect any potential attacks against me. As a wolf, my reflexes were far more precise than in my human state.

Suddenly, I sensed the presence of someone behind me and caught a whiff of their human scent. Stealthily, I maneuvered myself and swiftly pushed that individual to the ground.

“Ahh! Please, don’t kill me!” she shouted as I was on top of her.

‘What the hell is a little girl doing in the forest?’ I talked to my wolf.

‘Why don’t you try asking her instead of guessing?’ he jeered.

‘How am I supposed to do that? You’re essentially taking control of my body!’

‘Use your brain, Blaze!’ he rebutted.

No longer desiring to argue, I dashed towards a colossal tree and reverted to my human form. I approached her with purpose, concealing any resemblance to the wolf she had encountered.

“Mister, help me!” she shouted, panic evident in her voice as she saw me. “A wolf attacked me!”

“A wolf?” I pretended.

“Yes, there was a wolf nearby,” she added with a trembling voice, expressing her fear. “We need to be extremely cautious.”

“Lady, I don’t see a wolf anywhere,” I stated, flashing a smile in her direction.

“But,” she insisted, “there was one.”

“Alright, imagine there’s a wolf. If it was going to attack us, it would have done so by now,” I reassured, trying to calm her down.

“But it was real,” she added, her voice filled with fear. “His face was so scary and ugly.” 

Ugly and scary? Me? How dare she?! I was the most exquisite werewolf here! What the fuck?!  

“What are you doing here, anyway?” I asked her, feeling so angry. I was so frustrated that I wished I could kick her ass. 

“We’re playing and I got lost here.”

“I see, your friends left you,” I replied as I guided him out, then I added, “Do you believe in werewolves?”

“Not really, but my dad mentioned that they’re attempting to discover them.”

Her parents were hunters? Wow! To discover that I had come face-to-face with the offspring of these fuckers who had been relentlessly chasing us for years. 

After walking for several minutes, I finally came to a halt and gazed towards the edge of the forest, where the outside world was revealed.

The little girl asked, “Are we here already?”

“Yeah, we’re out of the woods now.”

“Thank you… Mister—uhm?”

“Blaze,” I answered.

“Ok, bye! Blaze,” she said and ran.

My gaze involuntarily fell upon my finger, where a drop of blood resided. I made a scratch on the back of her neck, for I couldn’t explain the reason. Yet, unbeknownst to me, I yearned so that if fate were to reunite us, I would recognize her.

As I was about to go back, I jolted when a voice interrupted my thoughts.

“That girl was dangerous.”

“Fuck, Keahi! You were there all along?” I exclaimed. “You really scared the shit out of me.”

 “I followed you,” he nonchalantly responded.

“What do you mean by dangerous?” I asked with a brow furrowed.

“I don’t know, but I felt a sense of danger from her, so be careful,” he said, then quickly ran into the woods.

I carefully observed the little girl’s swift disappearance, my eyes tracing her every movement. The faint whispers of Keahi’s words reached my ears, but I deliberately chose to disregard them. Deep within, I had an unshakable intuition that this encounter was far from being our last.