The Pursuit Under the Moonlight

Lucian remained frozen where the spirit of his mother had vanished. Her last thing she said to him before she left him with his worst nightmare. Serena is the one to lifting the curse. His mother’s voice had troubled something deep inside of him—his skin had felt hot, hotter than the fire of his ancestors. He couldn’t allow the darkness to consume her. They wouldn’t let her destroy her. But he would do whatever it took to keep Serena safe from those who sought to prey on her.

His resolve hardened. Lucian gave a final breath of determination, turned around, and made his way back toward the house, a million thoughts racing through his mind. He had to reach her before it was too late.

As he neared the door of Serena’s room, he saw Mira pacing nervously, each step revealing the same sense of dread Lucian was harbouring. The instant she heard him step, her eyes flew to him.

"Where is Serena?" Lucian said, his voice urgent.

“I… I don’t know where she is,” Mira said, her face ashen. “I came back, and she wasn’t in her room.

Lucian’s frustration flared. “Are you sure you’ve looked all around the house? She couldn’t have gone far."

“I have looked everywhere — she’s not here,” Mira said, wringing her hands in distress.

Before Lucian could say more, Dorian walked into the room, his face dark. “Alpha, we have a problem,” he said, urgency creeping into his voice. “Serena is lost and the huntress is riding already.”

Fear flickered in Lucian’s eyes at the mention of the huntress. She was known as the huntress, an unrelenting huntress, a ruthless tracker without compare. No one escapes her pursuit.

“Get the guards at the entrance alerted. And keep watch,” Lucian said, a low voice but deadly calm. "I’m going after Serena. I’ll find her."

“I’ll go with you, Alpha,” Dorian said, stepping forward and keeping his face impassive.

Together, they ran. The scent of damp earth and decaying leaves filled the night air. Their paws beat against the earth, the forest around them becoming a blur. Lucian was all nerve and senses, lightning bolts of fear and anger flashing in his eyes as they darted from shadow to shadow, searching for Serena. His heart started to race and panic began to gnaw at him. Where could she have gone?

Serena, however, had no idea they were after her. Inside her, the darkness had consumed. The Onyx wolf began to awaken inside her, and she could feel the change coming in on her, giving her sharper senses and tighter muscles. She was trying to hold on, to fight, but there was no use. The wolf was too powerful for him. The shift was inevitable.

Her body gave in, and Serena’s human shape was being traded for the fearsome black wolf that taunted her sleep. Her eyes sparkled with an unholy glow, this strange purple color that made her gut tell her to RUN. But as she launched, she knew she wasn’t in control anymore.” The Onyx had fully taken over. Serena was trapped inside, unable to do anything as the wolf raced through the forest.

The forest grew denser every minute. The branches of the trees loomed overhead like menacing fingers, closing in on her. There was something else in the air—a palpable magic, ancient and powerful, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. Serena found herself being drawn toward something—an invisible hand tugging at her.

Suddenly she burst out of a thick tangle of trees into a broad clearing. At the center was a huge stone statue, 3 times the size of an average wolf. The statue’s eyes burned an ominous amber, glowing with an otherworldly light shot across the clearing. Serena froze, her lungs steading against her chest. She realized she had seen this statue before. But that was impossible. She had never been here. She hadn’t even known about this place.

The statue appeared to be looking right at her, its amber eyes shining bright in the moonlight. Serena attempted to back away, to flee, but her paws were leaden, as if tethered to the ground. She couldn’t move. Panic roared inside her, but the wolf’s presence within her only deepened.

Then the statue’s eyes flared to life, its amber glow growing brighter. Serena was hit with a wave of heat, her skin hot as if she had stood too close to a fire. She could feel the power of the statue, a primeval and potent force, start to press in on her.

Serena looked around to find herself in her human form again, a size zero girl, standing in the middle of the clearing. The statue’s eyes remained a sickly glow, its energy crackling in the air around her. “I —” She staggered back weak, reeling. Her legs buckled, and she went down to the ground.

However, the moment Serena fell, he euphemized him and there was an emptiness in Lucian's chest. It felt like a piece of himself had been torn out. He didn’t have to see her to know that she had fallen. His instincts told him that something was very wrong. He had to find her.

They continued, Lucian’s every step ridden with the growing anxiety clenching his chest. They called, calling out Serena's name, but there was only darkness and trees surrounding them. With each passing second, Lucian’s heart thundered. Where is she? He was consumed by the foreboding, unable to concentrate on anything else.

Then, like the forest itself was guiding him, Lucian caught a whiff of Serena. It was weak but unmistakable. His heart surged with hope. He wordlessly trailed the scent, Dorian just behind, his eyes adjusting to the terrain with fierce intensity.

Soon, they broke out into a clearing, and Lucian’s gaze fell on Serena’s unmoving body on the ground. His heart stopped. She was not conscious, eyes closed, her body immobile and lifeless.

“Serena,” Lucian hissed, sounding terrified and relieved all at once. He ran to her side, pulling her into his arms. Her skin was cool, and her breathing shallow. He shook her, softly, his voice a soothing plea. "Serena, wake up."

But slowly she rose to the senses, the lids of her eyes flickering, each fighting to register a return to wakefulness. Her eyes blinked open, weak and unfocused at first, but then, they fixed on him. Lucian sighed in relief and assisted her in sitting up.

“We have to get you back to the pack house,” Lucian said, helping her to her feet, voice firm but gentle.

Serena faltered, her knees buckling under her. “My legs hurt, Lucian,” she gasped, voice cracked and low.

Before she even thought to protest, Lucian swept her effortlessly into his arms, as if she weighed nothing. His mind was racing. They had to return, and quickly.

Then, a distant howl broke the silence — a foreign, chilling screech from a mouth Lucian had never heard. His ears pricked, an icy shiver running through his spine. It sent shivers down the back of his neck.

“It’s time to move, Alpha,” Dorian said, his tone low and urgent. “Midnight is coming, and we don’t want to be caught out in the open.”

Do you think you can be all things good to all people? Lucian nodded without a shred of sarcasm, scanning their surroundings as though he were being tested. The sense of being observed washed over him again, but this time more strongly. They weren’t alone. Someone — or something — was out there, lurking, following them.

"Check the area. Dorian, bring anyone lurking around," Lucian croaked as they crossed into Night Fang territory.

As they arrived at the pack house, Lucian wasted no time. He rushed Serena directly to his room, placing her tenderly on his bed. Her eyes flitted before closing, her body obviously spent as she grimaced in pain.

"Get the pack doctor!" Lucian snarled at one of the maids running into the room.

Serena’s breathing stabilized, but her face stayed white and tight. Lucian sat next to her, clasping her hand and murmuring comforting words. "You’re safe now, Serena. You’re safe."

At that moment, the door flew open, and Dorian walked in looking grave. “Alpha, I found someone,” he said, speaking in a hushed voice.

Lucian had left Serena with the pack doctor and had followed Dorian to see what the commotion was about.

The intruder quietly stood in the corner of the cage with their face hidden under a black shawl. They hadn’t spoken since being brought in, their presence disquieting, inscrutable.

Lucian narrowed his eyes as he approached. “Show yourself,” he growled low and commanding.

The figure gradually raised its head, and as its face came into view, Lucian's heart missed a beat. The known features, the sharp cheekbones and the piercing green eyes that sparkled in dim light.

"Isolde?" Lucian spat, the disbelief oozing from his voice.