Chapter 10: Secrets Beneath the Moonlight
1094 Words
The following evening, Clara stood on her porch, staring at the edge of the forest as the last rays of sunlight disappeared. A knot tightened in her stomach, but she couldn’t tell if it was fear or anticipation.
Jacob had promised to meet her at dusk, and although she trusted him, the tension from the previous night still clung to her like a second skin. Marcus’s sharp eyes and cryptic words haunted her thoughts.
She heard the familiar crunch of boots on gravel and turned to see Jacob approaching, his figure illuminated by the soft glow of the streetlamp. His face was tense, and his green eyes held a storm she couldn’t quite decipher.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asked when he reached her.
Clara nodded, her resolve steady. “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”
Jacob gave her a small, approving smile before gesturing toward the forest. “Then let’s go.”
---
The woods were alive with sound, the rustle of leaves and the distant calls of night birds weaving an eerie symphony. Clara walked beside Jacob, her senses heightened by the darkness.
“Where are we going?” she asked after a while.
“There’s something I need to show you,” Jacob said. “Something that might help you understand what we’re up against.”
Clara frowned but didn’t press further. She trusted Jacob, even if she didn’t always understand him.
As they walked deeper into the forest, the air grew colder, and the trees seemed to close in around them. Clara shivered, pulling her jacket tighter around her.
Jacob noticed. “We’re almost there,” he said, his voice soft but reassuring.
---
They reached a clearing bathed in moonlight, the silvery glow illuminating a circle of ancient stones arranged in a pattern Clara didn’t recognize. The air was thick with an almost tangible energy, and Clara felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
“What is this place?” she whispered.
“It’s called the Lunar Circle,” Jacob said, his voice reverent. “It’s one of the oldest and most sacred places in the forest.”
Clara stepped closer to the stones, her eyes tracing the intricate carvings that adorned their surfaces. Symbols she couldn’t decipher seemed to pulse faintly in the moonlight.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, her voice barely audible.
Jacob nodded. “It’s more than that. This place is a connection to our history, our ancestors. It’s where the pack gathers during important times—like the full moon.”
Clara turned to him, her curiosity piqued. “What happens during the full moon?”
Jacob hesitated, his expression unreadable. “It’s when our bond with the forest is strongest. When we’re at our most powerful—and our most vulnerable.”
---
Clara’s mind swirled with questions, but before she could ask any, a sudden movement caught her attention. She turned to see a shadow darting between the trees at the edge of the clearing.
“Did you see that?” she asked, her voice tight.
Jacob tensed, his eyes scanning the darkness. “Stay here,” he said, his voice firm.
“What? No! I’m not staying here alone!” Clara protested.
Jacob turned to her, his gaze intense. “Clara, please. If something’s out there, I need to know you’re safe.”
Clara swallowed hard, the fear in his voice cutting through her defiance. “Okay,” she said reluctantly.
Jacob nodded, then stepped into the shadows, his movements almost unnaturally quiet.
---
Clara stood in the clearing, her heart pounding as she strained to hear any sound. The forest seemed to hold its breath, the usual rustle of leaves and chirp of crickets eerily absent.
She glanced at the stones, their faint glow a small comfort in the oppressive darkness. She reached out to touch one, her fingers brushing the cool surface.
The instant she made contact, a wave of energy surged through her, sending a shiver down her spine. Images flashed through her mind—wolves running through the forest, their howls echoing in the night; fires burning in the distance; and a pair of glowing green eyes staring back at her.
She pulled her hand away, her breath coming in shallow gasps.
“What was that?” she whispered to herself.
Before she could dwell on it further, Jacob reappeared, his expression grim.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Someone’s been here recently,” he said. “I found tracks, but they disappeared near the edge of the clearing.”
Clara frowned. “Do you think it was Marcus?”
“Could be,” Jacob said. “But I can’t be sure.”
---
Jacob led her back to the center of the clearing, his gaze falling on the stones. “Did you touch one of them?” he asked suddenly.
Clara hesitated, then nodded. “I didn’t mean to—I was just curious.”
Jacob’s expression softened, but there was a flicker of concern in his eyes. “What did you feel?”
Clara swallowed, trying to find the right words. “It was… powerful. Like I could feel the history of this place. I saw things—wolves, fires, eyes…”
Jacob’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
“Jacob, what does it mean?” Clara pressed.
“It means the forest has accepted you,” he said quietly. “Not just as a visitor, but as someone who belongs here.”
Clara’s heart skipped a beat. “Is that… a good thing?”
Jacob gave her a small smile. “It is. But it also means you’re more connected to all of this than you realize. And that connection comes with risks.”
---
As they left the clearing, Clara couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted—not just in the forest, but in herself. She felt a pull toward the woods, a deep yearning she couldn’t explain.
Jacob walked beside her, his presence steady and reassuring.
“You’re not alone in this, Clara,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “No matter what happens, I’ll be here.”
Clara looked at him, her chest tightening at the sincerity in his voice. “I know,” she said softly.
For the first time, the danger didn’t seem so overwhelming. Together, they could face whatever was coming.
But deep down, Clara knew that the forest—and Jacob—still held secrets she had yet to uncover.
- Writer
