Prologue
1225 Words
The moon hung low over Silver Hollow, casting an eerie, silvery glow that washed over the town like a forgotten dream. Shadows draped the ancient forest, where whispers of old secrets rustled through the trees. Scarlett crouched low behind the thick trunk of a twisted oak, her heart pounding in sync with the forest’s dark pulse.
She was still fighting the aftermath of recent events in her life. She didn’t know why she was out here. Something had pulled her from her bed, a whisper in her mind that she couldn’t ignore, a shiver down her spine that had led her deep into the forbidden part of the woods—the part where she got her scar.
The Rogue’s Point, they called it. No wolf in Silver Hollow dared cross it. But tonight, something…or someone…had pushed her to not only cross it but stand in the middle of it.
She was breathless, her heart racing, but she couldn’t turn back now.
A chill slid down her neck as a howl pierced the silence. It was distant, but it didn’t belong to any wolf she recognized. A rogue. Scarlett’s instincts urged her to run, but something rooted her to the ground, forcing her to stay. She pressed her palm against the rough bark, feeling the ancient energy of the tree, the newfound energy in her channeling through her blood, trying to steady herself.
A soft sound caught her attention—a crunch of leaves underfoot, deliberate and menacing. She held her breath, sinking lower behind the tree. Then she saw him.
He stepped into the clearing, cloaked in darkness, his figure tall and foreboding. His black coat seemed to absorb the moonlight, his face hidden beneath the shadow of his hood. But as he moved closer, Scarlett saw his eyes. They were dark, empty pools, almost inhuman. Eyes that belonged to a monster.
Elijah.
The rogue king.
Scarlett’s blood ran cold. She’d only heard stories about him, tales of the rogue king who haunted the woods, an exile from her pack decades ago who commanded an army of wolves that cared for nothing but chaos and bloodshed. They said he was ruthless, with a soul as dark as the shadows he hid in.
Everyone only knew his story, but she and her family had suffered firsthand from his ruthlessness. And now, he was standing only feet away from her once again. Scarlett forced herself to stay silent, hoping the shadows would keep her hidden, but the rogue king’s head turned slowly as if he could sense her presence.
“I know you’re here,” he said, his voice like gravel, twisted with an unsettling calmness. “You can’t hide from me, Scarlett.”
She froze, terror clawing at her throat. What the hell was she doing here? She shouldn't be here.
“Come out, little wolf,” he murmured, his voice cold and amused, like a cat toying with a trapped bird. “Or should I call you… the prophecy?”
The word sent a shockwave through her, stirring something deep inside her that she didn’t understand. Prophecy? What prophecy?
Her mind raced as she tried to remember the warnings she’d heard, the half-whispered legends spoken by the elders. There was a prophecy about a wolf who would change the course of all the packs—one who held a power so great, that it could either save Silver Hollow or destroy it. But no one had ever said what that wolf would look like and her parents told her that this was all a myth.
No one had ever even remotely suggested… it might be her. Instead, everyone always made her feel below ordinary.
The rogue king stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as if he could see right through her. “I’ve waited a long time to meet you again, Scarlett. You remember me, right?”
Every muscle in her body screamed at her to run to forget her childhood's worst nightmare, but something else held her back—a burning curiosity, an undeniable urge to know more.
“What… do you want?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Elijah tilted his head, a twisted smile creeping onto his face. “Oh, Scarlett,” he said softly, with a hint of mockery. “You already know. You’ve felt it, haven’t you? The power stirring in you, the visions haunting your dreams.”
Her throat tightened. She had felt something lately, a strange sense of foreboding since that wretched night, images that flickered in her mind like shadows, warnings of something dark and unstoppable.
“You think your pack can protect you,” Elijah continued, his voice low and mocking. “This pack never looks after its own, let alone its weaklings. They are blind to what you truly are. They won’t accept you once they know, but I will Scarlet. And your mate…”
He paused, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. “Well, I think we both know Damien would rather die than claim someone like you, am I right?”
The words cut deep, but Scarlet fought to keep her face expressionless. She couldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how much his words stung. Damien’s betrayal was still fresh, a wound that hadn’t healed. But she wouldn’t let it break her. Not here. Not now.
Elijah took another step closer, closing the gap between them. She could see the scars on his face now, the hardened lines etched into his skin. He was close enough to reach out and touch her, but he didn’t. Instead, he leaned down, his voice a low whisper that only she could hear.
“Soon,” he murmured, “you’ll understand my reasons. The prophecy demands it but till then you are coming with me. Oh, how lucky am I, I am going to get my revenge on that good-for-nothing pack and get my powers all through one person. I am going to enjoy this.”
A cold shiver crept up her spine. She wanted to scream, to fight back, but she felt paralyzed under his gaze, trapped in a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. She knows his vendetta with the Alpha family of the pack but they don’t care about her enough to come and save her.
What is she going to do?
Just as she thought she’d lost all control, a sudden roar echoed through the woods. It was a sound she recognized instantly, one that sent a strange mix of relief and dread rushing through her.
Damien.
Out of nowhere, he appeared, charging through the trees with fury in his eyes, his wolf forms a blur of silver and black. He lunged at Elijah, his claws extended, teeth bared, but the rogue king moved faster than she could follow. In a heartbeat, Elijah sidestepped, dodging Damien’s attack with ease.
“Ah, the future Alpha,” Elijah sneered, his tone dripping with disdain. “How noble of you, defending the girl that rejected you… in front of everyone.”
Damien’s gaze flicked to Scarlett, something unspoken passing between them, undoubtedly the uneventful night passing through their mind and the words still clear in both their minds.
“I Scarlett Black, the omega of the MoonCrest Pack reject Damien Vanderwood, the crown Alpha of the Mooncrest Pack as my mate.”
- Writer
