Ariana Bellamy always thought the quiet of the night was peaceful. It was the kind of stillness that let her escape the noise of her life—law books, deadlines, and the endless cycle of routine. But tonight, the stillness felt wrong, unnatural. The air was thick with an energy she couldn't explain, a sense of being watched that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

She paused on the dimly lit sidewalk, pulling her jacket tighter around her body as the wind picked up. The quiet streets of Ravenwood, her sleepy hometown, had never felt so unsettling. It wasn't just the cold that crept into her bones; it was something else, something that tugged at her instincts.

Glancing over her shoulder, Ariana saw nothing but the shadows stretching along the deserted street. The soft hum of a far-off streetlamp flickered, casting an eerie glow over the cobblestones. Her house wasn't far—just a few more blocks. She'd been to the small bookstore in town to pick up a few things her grandmother needed. 

Her grandmother. The thought of her made Ariana smile despite the creeping unease. The old woman was all she had left after her parents died when she was young. She had raised Ariana in this quiet town, far away from the life they once knew, and had always been a firm believer in old legends and folklore. Ariana had never paid much attention to them. Until tonight.

The feeling of being followed had started hours ago, just after she left the bookstore. She had brushed it off at first—probably just her imagination playing tricks on her. But now, as her footsteps echoed against the empty pavement, that prickling sensation was harder to ignore. Something wasn't right.

She quickened her pace, the distant rustling of trees the only sound breaking the silence. But just as she reached the corner of Cedar Street, the quiet was broken by something far more unsettling—a low growl, barely audible, but unmistakably there. Her blood turned to ice.

Ariana froze mid-step, her breath catching in her throat. Slowly, she turned her head, her eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. For a moment, there was nothing, just the wind and the distant hum of the streetlamp.

And then, she saw it.

A pair of glowing yellow eyes stared back at her from the darkened alley just ahead.

Her heart slammed against her chest as she stumbled back, her mind struggling to make sense of what she was seeing. Wolves. There shouldn't be wolves in this part of the country, not anywhere near a town like this.

But the eyes in the shadows belonged to no ordinary wolf. It was huge—too large to be a normal animal—and the way it moved, slow and predatory, sent chills down her spine. 

She backed away, her breath coming in shallow gasps, the primal urge to run screaming in her mind. But her legs refused to move, frozen in place as the creature stepped into the dim light.

Its fur was a deep, silvery gray, almost shimmering in the faint glow of the streetlamp. It stalked toward her, its eyes locked on hers, glowing with a strange intelligence that sent fear coursing through her veins. This wasn't just an animal. It was something more. Something darker.

Before Ariana could react, the wolf bared its teeth, its growl reverberating through the air like thunder. She stumbled back, her legs finally finding the strength to move, but it was too late. The creature lunged at her, closing the distance with terrifying speed.

Just as she braced herself for the impact, another growl—louder, more menacing—filled the air. A second wolf, even larger than the first, slammed into the gray wolf with bone-crushing force, sending it sprawling across the pavement. The two creatures collided in a frenzy of snarls and snapping jaws, their bodies a blur of fur and fangs.

Ariana's heart raced as she scrambled to her feet, her mind spinning. She had no idea what was happening, but she knew one thing: she needed to get out of there. Now.

She took off down the street, her feet pounding against the pavement as the sounds of the fight echoed behind her. She didn't dare look back. All she could think about was reaching her house, getting inside, and locking the door. 

Her mind was a whirlwind of fear and confusion, but beneath it all, there was something else. Something primal, something she couldn't explain. The second wolf—the one that had saved her—it hadn't felt like a random act of violence. There was something deliberate about it as if it had been protecting her. But why? 

Ariana didn't have time to process it. Her house came into view, and she practically threw herself up the porch steps, her hands trembling as she fumbled for her keys. The howls of the wolves rang out in the distance, the fight growing fainter as she shoved the key into the lock and pushed the door open.

She slammed it shut behind her, her chest heaving with ragged breaths as she leaned against the door. The safety of the house wrapped around her like a blanket, but her heart wouldn't stop racing.

What the hell had just happened?

Her grandmother's voice called from the living room, pulling her out of her panicked thoughts. "Ari? Is that you?"

Ariana swallowed hard, her voice shaky. "Yeah… I'm… I'm home."

"Did you get what I asked for?" Her grandmother's tone was light, oblivious to the chaos Ariana had just escaped from.

"Yeah," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper as she tried to catch her breath. "I got it."

She stood there for a moment, her back pressed against the door, trying to shake the feeling that something had changed. The quiet of the night had returned, but the unease that had followed her home still lingered, thick and heavy.

Ariana knew, deep down, that this was just the beginning. Whatever had happened tonight wasn't over. Not by a long shot.