18. Beneath the Red Moon

Garret’s promise should fill me with hope, but all I feel is the growing weight of uncertainty. As we move deeper into the forest, now led by this imposing lycan, I can’t ignore the looks the others throw my way. There’s a mix of curiosity and distrust in their eyes, and each glance pierces my skin like invisible thorns.

“Is it always like this?” I whisper to Shadow as we walk behind the group.

“Like what?”

“Like they want to rip my throat out.”

He lets out a short laugh, but there’s no humor in it.

“To them, you’re a problem they don’t know how to handle.”

“Comforting.”

Shadow pauses, turning to face me.

“Eve, you need to understand something. To them, you’re the reason all of this is happening. Caleb has made you the symbol of his rebellion.”

“And what about you?” I challenge, keeping my voice low but firm. “If I’m the symbol of his rebellion, what does that make you?”

“The traitor.”

The word hangs between us, heavy and sharp. Neither of us says anything more. Shadow resumes walking, and I follow, though it feels more and more like I’m marching into something I won’t be able to escape.

Garret leads us to a clearing deeper in the woods, surrounded by towering, dense trees. The moon barely filters through the branches, casting long, twisted shadows that seem to move with a life of their own.

“This is it,” Garret says, coming to a stop.

The other two lycans—whose voices I’ve yet to hear—begin setting up a makeshift camp. Shadow approaches Garret, and the two step aside to speak privately.

Meanwhile, I remain where I am, feeling more out of place than ever. The woman in the group, a lycan with cropped hair and eyes dark as midnight, watches me from across the clearing.

“You’re braver than you look,” she says at last, breaking the silence.

“What?”

“Coming here. You’re surrounded by predators. You know that, right?”

Her tone is neutral, but there’s something in her gaze that puts me on edge.

“And you? Do you want to rip my throat out too?” I ask, trying to sound more confident than I feel.

She smiles, but it’s not a friendly smile.

“No. But I’m not so sure about the others.”

I swallow hard, the knot in my stomach tightening even more.

Shadow and Garret’s conversation stretches on, and eventually I move toward them, unable to bear the wary glances any longer.

“What are you planning?” I ask, arms crossed.

“Strategy,” Shadow replies, but he offers nothing more.

“If you expect me to stay here while you play war games, I at least deserve to know what’s going on.”

Garret raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised by my boldness.

“She’s got fire,” he says, as if assessing me.

“She’s right,” Shadow says, ignoring Garret’s comment. “You need to know. Caleb has more allies than we thought. This won’t be a simple confrontation—it’s going to be a war.”

“And what are you hoping to accomplish? Overthrow him?”

“If we must, yes,” Garret answers this time, his voice grim. “But we can’t face him directly without more support. That’s why we’re here—to plan our next move.”

“And to decide who’s an acceptable sacrifice, right?” I snap, more bitter than I meant to be.

The silence that follows is thick, but Shadow steps forward, gently taking my face in his hands.

“Eve, I won’t let anything happen to you. Do you hear me?”

“That’s not just up to you, Shadow.”

His eyes burn with an intensity that weakens my resolve. And though I don’t say it out loud, a part of me wants to believe him—even knowing he’s promising the impossible.

The night deepens, and the camp hums with whispers. The lycans murmur tactics and possibilities while I remain at the edge, watching from a distance. Shadow is absorbed in planning, his face taut, his attention divided between the maps and Garret’s words.

At last, I can’t take it anymore. I rise and slip away from the group. I need space, air—something to help me think clearly.

The forest is dark and cold, but I feel oddly at ease among the trees. Still, my solitude doesn’t last.

“Did you really think you could escape us?”

The voice freezes me in place. I turn slowly—and there he is. Caleb, emerging from the shadows like a ghost. Mara stands beside him, her eyes gleaming with a malice that churns my stomach.

“What are you doing here?” I manage to ask, though my voice is barely a whisper.

“I came for you, Eve,” Caleb says, smiling in a way that’s anything but human. “You know you can’t hide from me forever.”

I try to back away, but my spine hits a tree. I’m trapped, and they know it.

“Shadow will protect you, won’t he?” Mara taunts, stepping closer. “But how far do you really think he’ll go for you?”

“You don’t have to do this…” I begin, but Caleb cuts me off.

“Oh, we absolutely do. You’re the key, Eve. And I won’t let Shadow steal what rightfully belongs to us.”

Before I can react, Mara lunges, her hands reaching for me with supernatural speed.

Then a roar splits the air—and in the blink of an eye, Shadow is there, standing between us.

“If you touch her, I’ll tear you apart,” he growls, his voice more beast than man.

Caleb smiles, but there’s something in his expression that chills me to the bone.

“This isn’t over, Shadow.”

And with those words, they vanish into the dark, leaving us alone in the clearing.

Shadow turns to me, breathing hard, his eyes still glowing with a feral red light.

“Are you all right?” he asks, his voice taut.

“Yes…” I reply, though I’m not sure it’s true.

As Shadow guides me back to camp, one thing is certain: this is just the beginning—and the danger is more real than ever.