Hunted

Serena's paws pounded against the earth as she raced through the dark forest. Her new wolf body was strange but powerful, carrying her faster than she'd ever  had never ventured this far from pack lands before. Each snap of a twig made her flinch, each shadow seemed to hide an enemy.

After running for what felt like hours, Serena collapsed beside a small stream. Her midnight fur was tangled with leaves and twigs, her purple eyes glowing in the reflection of the water. What was she now? The words echoed in her mind: Onyx wolf. Cursed. Monster.

A twig snapped nearby. Serena's head jerked up, her ears swiveling toward the sound. A familiar scent drifted on the night breeze.

Elias.

He stepped from the shadows alone, still in human form. His golden hair shone in the moonlight, but his blue eyes were cold and distant.

"I told you to leave our territory by dawn," he said, his voice flat. "Why are you still here?"

Serena tried to respond, but only a growl came out. Frustrated, she focused on shifting back to human form. The pain was searing but quicker this time. Within moments, she stood before him, wrapped only in the tattered remains of her white ceremonial dress.

"Elias, please," she begged, her voice hoarse. "I don't understand what's happening. This isn't my fault!"

"Isn't it?" He stepped closer, but kept a safe distance. "The Onyx wolf appears only when darkness taints the bloodline. What darkness have you hidden from us, Serena?"

"None! I've hidden nothing!" Tears streamed down her face. "We were supposed to be mates. You promised to stand by me always."

Something flickered in his eyes—doubt, perhaps even regret—but it vanished quickly.

"That was before I knew what you truly are." He shook his head. "The elders have searched the ancient texts. The Onyx wolf brings only death and destruction. Your presence threatens everyone."

"I would never hurt anyone," Serena whispered. "You know me, Elias."

"I thought I did." His jaw tightened. "The pack has made its decision. Your father agreed."

The mention of her father sent a fresh wave of pain through Serena's heart. "My own father wants me gone?"

"Alpha Caius called for the emergency council himself." Elias's voice softened slightly. "He said no daughter of his would bear the mark of the curse."

Serena felt something crack inside her. Not just her heart, but something deeper—like the foundation of her very self was splitting apart. The dark power she had felt during her transformation stirred again, responding to her pain.

"Elder Thorne found a prophecy," Elias continued, oblivious to the change happening within her. "Born beneath a crimson eclipse, the Onyx wolf will either save our kind or destroy it. No one wants to risk finding out which it will be."

"So you came to kill me?" Serena asked quietly.

Elias hesitated. "I came to warn you. The hunting party is coming—your father leads them. They won't show mercy, not even to you."

In the distance, multiple howls rose into the night sky, closer now.

"Why warn me at all if I'm such a monster?" Serena demanded.

Elias looked away. "Because I promised once to protect you. This warning is the last protection I can offer."

Before Serena could respond, a massive silver wolf burst from the trees—her father. His teeth were bared, his eyes wild with fury and something else—fear.

Behind him came more wolves: her uncles, cousins, pack members who had celebrated her birthdays and taught her to hunt.

Her father shifted to human form with lightning speed, his naked body gleaming with sweat in the moonlight.

"You!" he snarled at Serena. "My own blood, tainted with the curse!"

"Father, please—"

"I have no daughter!" he roared. "My daughter would have been a silver wolf, proud and pure. You are an abomination!"

Each word cut deeper than claws ever could. Serena stumbled back, feeling the strange power inside her surge in response to her pain.

"The council has spoken," her father continued. "Elder Thorne consulted the ancient scrolls. The Onyx wolf must be destroyed before the darkness spreads."

Elder Thorne stepped forward from among the gathered wolves, already in human form. The old man's face was grim beneath his white beard.

"The prophecy is clear," he announced. "An Onyx wolf born under a crimson moon brings the End of Days. The curse must be purged from our lands."

"I haven't done anything wrong!" Serena cried out.

"Your existence is wrong," Elder Thorne replied coldly. "Your mother hid this taint well, but blood will tell. Now we know why Isolde Vale disappeared all those years ago—she knew what darkness she carried."

"My mother died when I was a baby," Serena protested.

"Did she?" Elder Thorne's eyes narrowed. "Or did she run to hide her shame? Perhaps she knew what you would become."

Whispers rippled through the gathered wolves. Serena's head spun with confusion and hurt.

"Enough talk," her father growled. "The abomination dies tonight."

He began to shift back to wolf form, bones cracking as his body changed. The other pack members followed suit, their human forms melting away to reveal snarling wolves.

Elias still stood apart, his face troubled. "Caius, perhaps there's another way—"

"Stand aside or stand with her," Serena's father snapped before his words dissolved into a growl as his transformation completed.

Elias looked at Serena one last time, conflict clear in his eyes.

"Run," he whispered.

Then he too began to change, his body contorting as he shifted into his wolf form—not silver like her father, but a rich golden color that matched his human hair.

Serena didn't wait to see if he would join the hunt. She reached for her wolf, embracing the pain of transformation. This time, it happened faster, her body remembering the change. Within seconds, her black fur rippled in the moonlight, her purple eyes glowing with an inner fire.

The power that had been building inside her suddenly burst outward. Trees around her bent as if in a hurricane wind. The hunting wolves were thrown back, yelping in surprise.

Serena didn't understand what was happening, but she knew this was her only chance. She sprang away, her powerful legs carrying her deeper into unknown territory.

Behind her, the howls resumed—angrier now, with an edge of fear. Her display of power had frightened them, but also confirmed their worst suspicions. Now they would never stop hunting her.

As she ran, tears streamed from her wolf eyes. Everything she had ever known was gone. Her home. Her family. Her future with Elias. All vanished in a single night, replaced by fear and hatred.

The forest grew denser, the trees more ancient. Serena realized she was crossing into the forbidden lands—territory claimed by the feared Nightfang Pack. Any other time, she would have turned back rather than risk encountering these dangerous wolves.

Now she had no choice. Death chased her from behind, and unknown dangers waited ahead.

The howls of her former pack grew distant. Either they had fallen back or were being more cautious as they approached Nightfang territory. Either way, Serena had gained a small advantage.

Dawn was approaching. The crimson moon that had sealed her fate was sinking toward the horizon. Soon the sun would rise on her first day as an outcast.

Exhausted, Serena slowed her pace. She needed to rest, to hide, to figure out what to do next. The stories about Onyx wolves—were they true? Was she really cursed? And what was this strange power that had erupted from her?

A new scent hit her nose—unfamiliar wolves. Many of them. Nightfang.

Serena froze, caught between her pursuers and this new threat.

Too late, she realized she had run straight into a trap. Shadowy forms emerged from the trees around her, encircling her completely. Not silver wolves like her former pack, but darker ones—gray and brown and black, though none as purely black as she was.

A massive wolf stepped forward. Unlike the others, he showed no fear of her. His fur was dark gray, almost black, with a striking white mark across his chest. His amber eyes studied her with calculating interest rather than fear.

Serena backed away, a growl rising in her throat. But there was nowhere to run.

The large wolf shifted, his form changing to that of a man. Tall and imposing, with the same dark hair as his wolf and cold amber eyes. A jagged scar ran from his left temple to his jaw, giving his handsome face a dangerous edge.

"Well," he said, his voice deep and smooth as velvet, "what have we here? A lone Onyx wolf running from the Silver Ridge Clan." His smile was sharp as a blade. "How very interesting."

Serena snarled, trying to appear dangerous rather than terrified.

"My name is Lucian Draven, Alpha of the Nightfang Pack," he continued, seemingly unconcerned by her display. "And you, little cursed wolf, might be exactly what I've been waiting for."