The forest had always been Ariadne's sanctuary, a place where the whispers of the wind carried the secrets of the ancient trees and the soft rustle of leaves told tales of the woodland creatures that called it home. Tonight, however, the forest held a different secret—a secret that lurked in the shadows, waiting with bated breath.
Ariadne stepped out of the protective borders of Snowfang territory, her senses heightened as she shifted into her wolf form. The world around her changed, becoming a canvas of scents and sounds that only a wolf could truly appreciate. Fae, her wolf, was a majestic creature, her silver fur blending seamlessly with the moonlit landscape.
"Are you sure about this, Ariadne?" Fae's voice echoed in Ariadne's mind, a soft growl that spoke of her unease. "There's something off tonight. I can feel it."
"We'll be fine," Ariadne reassured her, her voice a gentle whisper in the depths of their shared consciousness. "We just need to talk to Harper and everything will go back to normal."
The familiar scents of pine and earth filled their senses as they bounded through the trees, the soft rustling of leaves under their paws the only sound breaking the silence of the night. But then, a strange scent hit them—foul and sharp, a mix of wolf and something darker. Fae snarled in warning, her hackles rising as she slowed her pace.
"Ambush," Fae growled, her instincts kicking in. "Rogues."
Before Ariadne could fully process her words, they were upon them. Wolves and rogue wolves alike emerged from the shadows like phantoms, their eyes gleaming with malice, their teeth bared in vicious snarls. Ariadne recognized none of them—these weren't from Snowfang or any neighboring pack.
"Fight!" Fae roared, and Ariadne didn't need to be told twice. They lunged at the nearest attacker, sinking their teeth into his shoulder. The rogue howled in pain, but before they could deal another blow, more of them closed in around them.
Ariadne fought with everything she had, drawing on both her vampire and werewolf strength. They clawed, bit, and kicked, refusing to go down easily. But there were too many of them—too many fangs, too many claws. Fae's snarls filled Ariadne's mind, a constant chorus of defiance, but even she knew they were outnumbered.
"There's too many! We can't take them all!" Fae's voice was tinged with desperation as they took down another rogue, only to be tackled by two more.
Ariadne tried to focus, to find a way out of this, but the wolves were relentless, attacking from all sides. One of them sank his teeth into their hind legs, dragging them down. Pain shot through them, and Fae's growl of fury was echoed by Ariadne's own.
"We need to run!" Ariadne urged, trying to twist out of the wolf's grip, but another rogue slammed into them, knocking the wind from their lungs.
They were everywhere—surrounding them, pinning them down. Ariadne struggled and fought with every ounce of strength she had left, but it was no use. They were stronger and more coordinated.
"Damn it!" Fae cursed, her voice a mix of frustration and rage. "We can't let them win!"
But even as she said it, Ariadne knew they were losing. Her strength was waning, and Fae's energy was depleting fast. Blood matted their fur, and their vision blurred as another rogue clamped down on their side.
"Hold on, Ariadne," Fae whispered, but her voice was faint now, more a whisper than the roar of defiance it had been moments ago.
A sharp pain at the base of their neck sent stars exploding across Ariadne's vision. The world tilted, and she felt Fae's presence begin to fade, their connection slipping as consciousness ebbed away.
"No…" Ariadne tried to hold on, tried to keep fighting, but the darkness was relentless, pulling her under.
The last thing she saw before everything went black was the glint of the moonlight on a silver ring as it slipped from her finger, falling to the ground where Snowfang's borders ended and the darkness of the forest began.