The first light of dawn crept through the dense canopy of Moon Shadow Forest, painting the werewolf encampment in pale gold. Wisps of smoke curled from the extinguished central firepit, carrying the last remnants of last night''s oak and sage into the crisp morning air. As the pack emerged from their wooden lodges, stretching sleep from their limbs and preparing for the day''s work, an unspoken tension hung thick over the settlement—like the charged silence before a summer storm.


    Eris Moon Shadow sat alone beneath the gnarled roots of the Eldertree, its massive trunk scarred with generations of claw marks from coming-of-age rituals. The wound on his shoulder—neatly bandaged by Lia''s skilled hands—throbbed with each heartbeat, a constant reminder of last night''s horrors. His fingers absently traced the edge of the leather wrapping as his mind replayed the events: Gray Nightclaw''s sudden appearance, his body ravaged by wounds no normal beast could inflict, those unnatural green eyes flickering like swamp fire before going dark...


    *Who—or what—could have done that to Gray?* The question gnawed at Eris''s insides like a trapped rodent.


    A commotion near the firepit snapped him from his thoughts.


    Lia Silvershade stood toe-to-toe with Alpha Blackfang, her silver-tipped fur catching the sunlight like polished steel. Even from this distance, Eris could see the tension in her stance—the way her claws extended just slightly, the subtle bristling along her spine. Alpha loomed over her, his obsidian pelt making him seem more shadow than wolf, his filed fangs glinting as he smirked.


    "You''re wasting our resources," Alpha''s voice carried across the clearing, dripping with false reason. "Gray''s as good as dead. Even your precious herbs can''t fix whatever''s rotting him from the inside out."


    Lia''s snarl sent several nearby pups scrambling behind their mothers. "He''s fought for this pack since before you were whelped! We don''t abandon our own!"


    A murmur rippled through the gathered werewolves. Old Mother Brynn nodded approvingly while Hark and Jorn—Alpha''s ever-present shadows—snickered into their paws.


    Alpha''s grin turned venomous. "Careful, little Silvershade. That silver tongue of yours might get you in trouble one day." He leaned down until their muzzles nearly touched. "Or do you need another reminder of your place?"


    Eris''s claws dug into the earth. The scar along Lia''s jaw—a gift from Alpha during her first blooding ceremony—stood out starkly against her fur. His muscles coiled, ready to spring, but the memory of last night''s beating froze him in place.


    *Could he really make a difference? Or would he just get them both killed?*


    The decision was taken from him.


    "Enough!"


    The crowd parted as Elder Silas emerged, his grizzled muzzle frosted with age but his amber eyes sharp as ever. The ceremonial bones woven into his beard clacked softly with each measured step. Behind him, Beta Fenris carried a bundle of freshly gathered yarrow, its pungent scent doing little to mask the stench of infection coming from Gray''s hut.


    Alpha actually took a step back. "Elder, I was just—"


    "Poisoning the well, as usual," Silas finished dryly. He didn''t raise his voice—he didn''t need to. "Gray Nightclaw will receive every treatment our healers can provide. That is not up for debate."


    For a heartbeat, Eris thought Alpha might actually challenge the elder. Then the larger wolf''s shoulders slumped in mock submission. "As you wish." He shot Lia a look that promised retribution before stalking away, his cronies scrambling after him like obedient pups.


    Silas waited until Alpha was out of earshot before turning to his daughter. "You tread dangerous waters, little moon."


    Lia lifted her chin. "Someone has to."


    A ghost of a smile touched the elder''s lips before he noticed Eris hovering at the edge of the clearing. "Ah. Kane''s boy." He beckoned Eris closer with a gnarled claw. "Come, let me look at you."


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    Up close, Silas smelled of dried herbs and woodsmoke, with the faintest undercurrent of something metallic—blood or iron, Eris couldn''t tell. The elder''s nostrils flared as he examined Eris''s bandaged shoulder. "You and Lia did well last night. Few would have braved the Dead Maw after dark, even for Gray."


    Eris''s ears flattened. "We just did what anyone would—"


    "Don''t insult me with false modesty," Silas chided gently. He lowered his voice. "You have your father''s courage. And his stubbornness."


    The mention of Kane sent a fresh pang through Eris''s chest. "Elder... do you know what really happened to him?"


    Something unreadable flickered in Silas''s eyes. "The threads of fate are tangled, boy. Some knots aren''t meant to be undone yet." He placed a gnarled paw on Eris''s uninjured shoulder. "But this much is truth—your father didn''t die by chance. And whatever took him is stirring again."


    Before Eris could press further, a young scout came barreling into the clearing, his sides heaving. "Elder! Gray—he''s getting worse!"


    The smell hit them before they even reached the healer''s hut—a cloying, sickly-sweet stench of rotting flesh beneath the herbal poultices. Gray lay on the raised pallet, his massive frame now shockingly gaunt. The bandages around his torso were soaked through with yellowish pus, and his breathing came in wet, ragged gasps. Most disturbing were his eyes—though closed now, thin tendrils of greenish mist seeped from beneath the lids.


    Lia immediately began replacing the soiled dressings, her motions quick and efficient despite the way her claws trembled. "We need more yarrow. And boneknit. And—"


    "Moonbloom," Silas finished grimly. His gaze locked onto Eris. "There''s a patch deep in the Whispering Hollows."


    A collective inhale came from the gathered healers. Even Lia froze.


    "That''s forbidden land," she whispered.


    Silas nodded. "And the only place moonbloom grows."


    Eris''s mouth went dry. Every pup knew the stories—of wolves who ventured into the Hollows and returned... changed. Or didn''t return at all. But looking at Gray''s ravaged face, he found himself nodding.


    "I''ll go."


    Lia''s head snapped up. "Like hell you will! Not alone."


    "Someone needs to stay with Gray," Silas said gently. "And I''m too old for such journeys." He pressed a small bone charm into Eris''s palm—a wolf howling at a crescent moon. "Take this. It''ll guide you true."


    The journey into the deep woods took on a dreamlike quality. The trees grew taller here, their trunks wider than three wolves nose-to-tail, their roots forming natural archways that seemed almost... intentional. The air thickened with the scent of damp earth and something else—something ancient and watchful.


    Eris''s hackles never fully settled as he crept through the undergrowth, the bone charm warm against his palm. According to legend, moonbloom glowed faintly under moonlight, its petals the color of fresh blood with silver veins.


    A twig snapped to his left.


    Eris froze, every sense straining. The smell hit him first—wet fur and rotting meat, undercut by that same electric tang from last night. Slowly, ever so slowly, he turned his head.


    The creature stood not ten paces away, its patchy fur matted with substances Eris didn''t want to identify. Up close, he could see the way its ribs protruded unnaturally, as if something inside was trying to push its way out. Worst of all were its eyes—that same sickly green as Gray''s, but brighter. Hungrier.


    It hadn''t noticed him yet.


    Eris''s gaze darted to the cluster of flowers just beyond the beast—their petals unmistakably moonbloom. He could almost reach them...


    The creature''s head snapped up.


    For one frozen heartbeat, they stared at each other. Then the forest erupted in motion.


    Eris lunged for the flowers as the beast charged, its claws tearing through the space where he''d been standing. He hit the ground rolling, coming up with a fistful of moonbloom just as a searing pain scored across his back. The scent of his own blood filled his nostrils, metallic and sharp.


    The creature rounded for another attack, its breath coming in ragged, eager pants. Eris scrambled backward until his back hit a tree, the moonbloom clutched to his chest like a talisman.


    This was it. He was going to die here, in this cursed hollow, and Gray would—


    A silver blur shot from the underbrush, slamming into the creature''s side with enough force to send them both tumbling. Lia!


    "Run, you idiot!" she screamed, her claws raking across the beast''s muzzle. It howled—a sound that wasn''t quite animal or human—and swiped at her with terrifying speed.


    Eris didn''t think. He launched himself onto the creature''s back, sinking his fangs into its scruff while driving the bone charm deep into its shoulder. The reaction was immediate—the beast convulsed as greenish-black blood bubbled from the wound, its shrieks rising to an ear-splitting pitch.


    "Now!" Lia grabbed his arm, and they ran as though the very forest pursued them.


    Only when they reached the familiar trails near camp did they collapse, their sides heaving. Lia immediately began inspecting his wounds, her touch surprisingly gentle despite the anger in her voice.


    "You absolute moron. You were just going to waltz into the Whispering Hollows alone?"


    Eris held up the miraculously intact moonbloom. "Got what we needed, didn''t I?"


    Lia''s glare could have melted steel. Then, to his shock, she pulled him into a crushing embrace. "Don''t ever do that again."


    As they limped back toward camp, the setting sun painted their path in gold and crimson. For the first time since his father''s disappearance, Eris felt something kindle in his chest—not just fear or anger, but determination.


    Whatever darkness was stirring in Moon Shadow Forest, he wouldn''t face it alone.


    (Chapter End ）