In The Woods Novels & Stories

I forced my legs to move faster, and with one final push, we ran out of the woods and stopped behind the wildfire. We stood there, breathing heavily. Cynthia was panting loudly, trying to catch her breath. But since we were wolves and used to fast running, we were not as tired as she was. “Okay, can someone tell me what the hell is happening in that woods?” Cynthia shouted in fear, staring at all of us. “What did I just see?” I walked slowly toward her and placed my hands gently on her shoulders. “Cynthia, tell me what you saw in the woods,” I said softly.

Like someone who’s seen the devil. And realized he’s not the worst thing in the woods.

I could feel the tension between us and it felt like Wesley was trying to fill the silence with words, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. And I guess, I wasn’t really making it that easy on him either. I was just looking out the window, not too interested in making conversation. When we finally got outside of the city, Wesley pulled up in a carpark and we went into the national forest. “Alright. There are usually other animals in these woods, like bears, and they don’t like us. We just need to be careful of them.” He said. “Are they werebears?” I asked. And he looked at me confused.

Maya’s POV The sedan drove for a long time thirty minutes, maybe more — before it finally slowed down and turned through tall black gates. The sound of metal grinding shut behind us sent a chill down my spine. The walls around the property were high, the kind meant to keep people out… or in. Security cameras blinked red from the corners, and I could see guards in dark uniforms standing near the trees. We weren’t anywhere near the city anymore. The streets had faded to dirt roads, and thick forest surrounded us on all sides. No cars. No lights. No one who could hear me scream.

Amid the crisp sound of glasses colliding, I took a sip of the cold beer. The chill slid down my throat, but somehow, it warmed my heart. The road ahead was long, yet there was no reason to look back. Somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, an open wilderness was still waiting for me.

Warden Sims finally answered. “Warden Sims,” he said. “Mike, this is Lindsay. We have a problem on the north side of the county,” she told him. “What kind of problem? I still haven’t even figured out what the Sycamore River problem is yet,” Warden Sims said. “Mike, we have at least three large creatures in the woods around an individual’s house. We have not seen them, but they are very loud and seem to be calling to each other. The man who reported it would not even open his door and talk to me. He talked to me through the door,” she said.

The forest greeted them like an old friend—dense, fragrant with pine and damp earth, and alive with the subtle hum of unseen creatures. Sunlight speared through the canopy in gold shafts, dust motes swirling lazily, as if the woods themselves were holding their breath. Cheyenne moved with a predator’s grace, feet barely brushing the fallen leaves. Gunner fell into step beside her, a quiet anchor of strength and focus. Serenya followed, her bare feet crunching lightly against the forest floor. Solana’s presence thrummed within her, steady and calm.

Warfare and anger have a way of spreading like wildfire. Cage watches them, smirking with amusement, and while I would normally enjoy the show, tonight I feel unease curling over my spine. My muscles stiffen at what's coming, and it has nothing to do with the Cursed girl, but where we're going. The Woods of Evil are synonymous with death. No one goes in and walks back out unscathed... and that's if they survive. One tale talks of a dozen Alphas wandering inside and only one of them making it out, barely clinging to life. He spoke of the others left behind as nothing more than piles of ash left by an unseen assailant.

I landed hard in a new place—a forest. But not just any forest. The sky was bruised with twilight, the trees silver-leafed and humming with power. I was in the Astral Woods—the hidden realm of the Moon Goddess, spoken of only in sacred scrolls. Except… it wasn’t peaceful. The woods were burning. Ash rained from the heavens. The trees wept sap like blood. Wolves—shimmering, translucent—howled as they were dragged beneath the earth by black, thorned vines.

She walked out of the room. On her way to the woods, Scarlett took a deep breath. "We shouldn't worry. No one knows what we are. Simon and Viggo aren't here either." She said to Raven. "I still don't feel so good about it." Scarlett kept walking. She could see dry trees as she commenced walking. The sun had gone from the sky and the weather seemed like it was about to rain. "This is going to be a long night. I can feel it." She left the foggy area and could see a house from a distance. Scarlett stopped for a bit. The house was still in sight. She didn't know people would be living in that part of the woods. Is it even allowed? It can be dangerous in a place like this. Even at night.