A Walk In The Woods Novels & Stories

The forest between Moonrise and Dawn Veil was a place of its own, neither owned nor claimed by anyone, but shared by all. It was a wild place, where ancient oaks arched overhead and moonlight pooled in silvered hollows. Tonight, as Aria Hartfield walked alone through the woods, the world around her was still, save for the soft sounds of rain-damp earth and the whisper of wind through the leaves. She had set out at dusk, restlessness gnawing at her—something deep inside pushing her into the quiet wilderness, away from the noise of the pack and the rumors that clung to her every step.

While my brain was telling me to be rational and return to my room, my heart and my soul needed the walk. So I ignored the warnings and walked out. I followed Laura's advice and stayed close, keeping the main pack house in sight as I slowly walked to the nearest woods. I just need a little breath. That was all. But the moment I arrived in front of the woods, I hesitated. The woods we were in for the mating ceremony were on the other side of the pack. The one I was standing in front of was new to me. It didn't make it any less dangerous, though.

When no one questioned footsteps in the dark because they were too tired to care. I dressed quickly, throwing on boots and a worn jacket, slipping my blade into the side of my boot. I didn’t know what I was walking into, but instincts demanded I not walk in bare. The woods beyond the main trail were thick with fog. The moon cut through in silver shards, giving me just enough light to see the edges of the path. I didn’t shift. I didn’t run. I walked, steady and quiet, letting the mark guide me like it had a mind of its own.

From a close up distance, Luke pointed out the Walker's house to me. It was the only building on that lane and the most outstanding. The Walker's house sat prettily on a lonely lane called oakwood. From here, I could see the roofing sheet, shoot high and proud. The tall trees standing flamboyantly and proudly, seemed to shrink as we got closer. The entire floor was made of marble and the walls that held up the gate were made of mahogany wood.

I would admit delay, misjudgment, political caution—anything but intention. She loved me too deeply to sever eternity over pride. That was what I told myself. I ordered the grounds rebuilt overnight. Not merely restored, but transformed. I wanted an entire courtyard of moon-roses, not just a single garden. I summoned master night-botanists to replant them in consecrated soil harvested from the Veiled Forest and reinforced the estate wards so that no trace of ash remained. When the final instructions were carried out and the torches along the perimeter flared back to life, I finally drew a steady breath.

I wanted to go too, but since I needed to take the holiday to get furniture and set up the new place, I declined with some regret. That evening, while organizing things, I turned on the TV and let the New Year’s parade play in the background. Outside the window, fireworks went off. It felt both lively and lonely, yet I felt no discomfort at all. So this was what the New Year was like. Even when Lucy and I lived together, she would either return home for the holidays or leave me behind to go out with friends. Once, she even went to the movies with Zack, and I caught them.

In the pitch-dark house, a thin strip of light leaked out from beneath one door. My father went back to his room to pack his things. I walked toward that door. Inside, I heard my mother and Julian talking. "Samantha, it's hard for me to sit in the vice president's seat like this," Julian said. "There'll be dissent, after all—we don't have any official status. I wanted to talk to you… maybe we should just get our marriage certificate."

When Ethan Lane came back from his business trip, he pulled two dolls out of his suitcase. One was pink, the other blue. His daughter, Nina Lane's eyes lit up for a second when she saw the pink one. But instead of reaching for it, she glanced over at Crystal Shaw, Vivian Shaw's daughter. That five-year-old girl had already stretched out her hand for the pink doll. So Nina pulled her hand back and said quietly, "I'll take the blue one." I froze. Nina's loved pink ever since she was little. Her backpack is pink, her water bottle is pink, even her hair clips are always pink. But the moment Crystal was in the picture, she stepped aside. Later, when Ethan drove Vivian and Crystal home, I ask

The whisper came again, curling around him like smoke. “Come…” Something tugged at his chest—something pulling. Without thinking, Elias moved toward the back door. The morning was cool and damp, mist curling along the ground like ghostly fingers. The woods loomed, black and endless. The whispers grew louder. “Come to me…” Barefoot and trembling, Elias stepped off the porch and into the trees. The mist swallowed him whole. He didn’t know how long he walked. Minutes. Hours. Time didn’t feel real.

Birds called warnings to each other, but other than that, the woods were silent. It was still early enough that a chill hung in the air and dewdrops clung to the pine needles. I rubbed my arms with my hands to get some warmth. The deeper I walked into the woods, the cooler and darker it got. I wasn’t sure I was going in the right direction, but I had to find Alec. This couldn’t wait. There were far too many questions circling my mind.