LUNA 

Luna had spent her entire life hiding. It wasn't just a habit, it was survival.

The moment she was born, she was marked. Not by choice or fate but by something ancient and dangerous. A secret that had cost her mother her life. A secret that now puts a target on her back.

And tonight, they found her.

The sound of snapping branches echoed behind her, growing closer. Heavy paws pounded against the earth as they chased her through the dense forest. The cold night air burned her lungs, but she couldn't stop. If they caught her, there would be no mercy.

She pushed forward, her legs screaming in protest, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The towering trees blurred around her, shadows twisting in the moonlight. Her instincts screamed at her to shift, to let her wolf take over, but she knew the risk.

If she shifted, they would sense her true nature. And that was far more dangerous than being caught, a low snarl to her left. Another behind her they were closing in.

Luna forced herself to run faster, her feet barely touching the ground as she darted between the trees. The forest had always been her refuge, but it felt like a trap tonight. The night was alive with the scent of her pursuers raw, hungry, relentless.

Then, suddenly, a massive black wolf emerged from the trees ahead; it was unlike any wolf she had ever seen bigger, darker, and wrong. Its red eyes gleamed in the moonlight, its breath fogging in the cold night air. The shadows around it seemed to pulse and move as if drawn to its presence.

Luna skidded to a halt, her heart slamming against her ribs. She was surrounded.

The wolves behind her slowed their pace, their snarls turning into something almost… amused. They had her exactly where they wanted. Panic clawed at her throat, but she forced it down. Think, Luna. Think.

Then, from the darkness, he stepped forward, a tall figure dressed in black with silver eyes that gleamed like blades. His aura was powerful and commanding. Even the wolves seemed to shrink back as he moved. His presence sent a chill down her spine, but it wasn't fear; it was recognition; she had seen him before. In nightmares. In whispered stories of the Shadow Pack's ruthless leader.

"You can't run forever, Luna," he said smoothly, his voice deep and controlled. He studied her like she was a puzzle he had finally solved. "We both know you were never meant to be ordinary."

Luna clenched her fists, her body trembling from fear and something more profound. Something inside her. For years, she had buried it. Suppressed it. Pretending it didn't exist, it was waking up; her blood hummed, her skin prickling with an unfamiliar energy. The moon overhead seemed to call to her, whispering secrets she wasn't ready to hear.

Cade's silver eyes flickered as if he sensed it too. Don't fight it, he murmured. "You were born for this."

Luna's pulse thundered. She didn't know what scared her more, him… or the part of her that wanted to believe him.

But she might have to stop running and start fighting if she wanted to survive.

Luna's pulse pounded as she stood trapped between the wolves of the Shadow Pack and the man who haunted her nightmares.

His silver eyes gleamed under the moonlight, cold and calculating. He was taller than she remembered from the stories, broader, more dangerous. Everything about him radiated power dominance. He was a predator who had just cornered his prey.

But Luna wasn't prey.

Her instincts screamed at her to fight, to unleash the part of her she had spent years burying. But she didn't know how. The power stirring inside her was foreign, unfamiliar, and untamed. If she tried to wield it now, she could lose control.

Cade took a slow step toward her.

"You feel it, don't you?" His voice was like silk over steel, laced with something dark and knowing. "The power in your blood. You've been running from it all your life, but it won't stay hidden forever."

Luna clenched her fists. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He smirked, tilting his head as if amused. "Lying doesn't suit you, little wolf."

The other wolves circled closer, their growls low and menacing. They were waiting for Cade's command, ready to strike the moment he gave the order.

Luna forced herself to stay still, even as fear clawed at her insides. If she made the wrong move, she was dead.

Then, Cade did something unexpected. He dismissed his wolves with a flick of his fingers,. They hesitated, glancing at each other, but one sharp look from their Alpha sent them slinking back into the shadows. Only he remained, standing before her like a dark king surveying his kingdom.

"What do you want from me?" Luna demanded, trying to keep her voice steady.

Cade studied her for a long moment, his silver eyes unreadable. Then, he said, "A deal."

Luna narrowed her eyes. A deal?

He took another slow step forward. "I know what you are, Luna. And I know that soon, others will come for you. They won't give you a choice. They'll use you, or they'll kill you."

A chill ran down her spine, but she kept her expression neutral. "And you expect me to believe that you're any different?"

His smirk faded. "I expect you to be smart enough to know that with me, at least, you survive."

Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken meaning. Luna's mind raced. She didn't trust Cade, not for a second. But if what he said was true… if there were others out there who wanted to use her, who would kill her the moment they realized what she was…

Then she needed to be stronger.

She needed to learn how to fight.

She needed to survive.

She took a slow breath. "And if I say no?"

Cade's expression darkened. "Then you won't live long enough to regret it."

His words weren't a threat. They were a promise.

Luna swallowed hard. She was out of options. Out of time.

So, with every ounce of defiance she had left, she lifted her chin and looked him in the eye.

"Fine," she said. "I'll listen. But I don't trust you, and I don't belong to you."

Something flickered in Cade's gaze. Amusement? Respect? He leaned in just enough to make her heart slam against her ribs. "Not yet," he murmured. "But you will."

Luna hated that a shiver ran down her spine. She hated that part of her already feared he might be right. But one thing was sure,:her life would never be the same again.

Luna followed Cade deeper into the forest, her instincts screaming at her to turn back.

The air smelled of pine trees and wet ground, but there was something else as well. It was a strange power that she could not see, but it pressed against her like an invisible hand. She could feel that it was coming from Cade.

She looked at him. He moved quietly and confidently, his silver eyes searching the dark woods as if he knew something was watching them. And there was something out there.

Luna felt her stomach twist. Now, she could sense a strange, tingly feeling at the back of her neck. Something unnatural was hiding in the shadows, just out of sight. And it was following them. 

A branch snapped behind her. Luna turned quickly, her heart racing, but saw nothing. Just endless darkness between the trees. But the uneasy feeling stayed, a whisper tickling her senses.

Cade kept walking. "Keep moving," he said.

Her jaw tightened. "What is out there?"

He didn't answer right away. Finally, he spoke in a calm voice. "Something that doesn't need eyes to see you."

A chill ran through Luna. She pushed herself to keep walking, each step heavy with fear. The deeper they went, the more the air felt thick, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.

Then, she heard whispers. Soft and eerie, coming from nearby. Luna's breath caught in her throat. The voices were not human. They slid through the trees like a dark song, their words almost within reach until they weren't.

"She doesn't belong here."Luna stopped. The whisper came from right next to her. She jumped away but found nothing there, Her heart raced as she looked at Cade. 

"Did you hear that?" For the first time, Cade looked worried; his eyes darted to the trees. "They're watching."

They?

Before she could ask more, the whispers turned into cruel laughter. The shadows seemed to stretch and twist, reaching out for them like hungry hands.

Luna stepped back. The darkness moved. Then it attacked. Black tendrils shot from the trees, aiming for her quickly. She barely had time to react before Cade was in front of her, moving fast. In a flash, his claws tore through the tendrils. The shadows screamed and pulled back, but more came.

Too many. Luna gasped for breath. The air felt heavy. The shadows were everywhere, unrelenting and hungry.

A hand grabbed her wrist. His fingers were warm, helping her stay calm in the chaos. "Run," he urged.

Luna didn't hesitate. They ran through the trees, the darkness chasing them like a nightmare. The whispers turned into loud cries, sharp and inhuman. The ground shook beneath their feet.

Then light. They burst into a clearing lit by moonlight. The moment they stepped into it, the shadows stopped, and The cries fell silent.

Luna fell to her knees, breathing hard. Her whole body shook. Cade stood beside her, fists tight, looking back at the dark forest.

Luna swallowed. "What was that?" Cade took a moment before he answered. His voice was quiet.

"The things that serve Cade are not the only monsters in these woods." Luna felt a cold shiver run through her. "What does that mean?" He turned to her, his silver eyes darker than before.

"It means you just encountered the things that even the Shadow Pack fears."