Marked By The Moon

Chapter 1

The air around me was chilly. I tried to raise my blanket to cover me up, but what I met was my body. I tapped around to get it, maybe it fell off my body to the side, but instead of my soft blanket, I felt sand.

With a frown, I blinked my eyes open, and I saw fog dispense, showcasing the silver moon. The sleep in my eyes disappeared as I sat up. I was not on my bed but on the floor.

I was not in the room either, but... my eyes darted around as I stood up. I was in the forest and a cold shiver ran down my spine. “How… How did I get here?" I muttered to myself.

The last I remember, I was asleep on my bed. My eyes kept on looking around. This does not feel like the forest of the River Ash Pack.

While I looked around to know if there was a clue as to how I could go back, I heard a twig snap behind me. Instinctively, I turned around. “Wh-Who is there?” I asked, shivering, tilting my head to the side as my gaze tried to find anyone around through the bushes.

After a few minutes, I faced the other side, trying to see a path I could walk through. The entire forest was foggy leaving only the ground to be seen, but that was still difficult as the fog blocked the moon from giving light to the forest.

I followed my instinct and began to move ahead. My senses were alert as I moved. I was a half-breed in the territory of full breeds, and I had no idea if it was owned by River Ash or the enemy's pack, Blood Pearl.

I hoped the former was the case because if I was in the enemy's territory, then I was in trouble. Another twig snapped behind me, and I wondered if my hearing was becoming bad.

I turned around, darting my eyes up, down and sideways trying to see who or what was around me. My heartbeat accelerated and my hair stood. I felt hot. I did not know why I was feeling that way, but after some minutes, I turned around to continue my movements when I saw a pair of red eyes through the fog.

It seemed lower in height and I had no doubt it was a wolf. I noticed it was getting closer and closer to me with each blink, but as it did, I moved back until I spun around and dashed towards the direction I was coming from. I paused in my tracks for a few seconds as I saw more eyes.

Without much thought, I left the path and ran into the bush, not minding where I ran. In a zigzag manner, I ran, dodging the trees and jumping any log I could see in time.

I could hear bushes rustling behind me, indicating I was being chased. I knew running was futile as I could not form or at least run just as fast as a wolf would be in my human form.

I was practically a human with a little wolf blood inside me, making me a half-breed. As time passed, the noises behind me reduced, but I could still hear more than one of them coming after me.

I ran and at some point, I got tired. I was about to rest when I heard a wolf howl some distance behind me, so I forced myself to continue running. Some distance away, while turning back to see if I was still followed, I tripped on a log of wood and fell.

My ankle became twisted, but I took to my feet again and began moving. I would not die in this forest. I know countless times I had been told that I did not deserve to live. That I was a curse and that one day, I would be devoured like every other human who has ever come in contact with a wolf.

Numerous times I had been ignored and spat on, but I found peace eventually, and I knew in my heart all those words will never come to pass. I ran, mostly leaping. Some distance later, I was about to move forward when the fog dispersed, revealing a gorge.

I swallowed hard and snapped my head behind me. They were close. I could hear them. How was I going to cross without a bridge? I could not also turn to a wolf to make jumping to the other side a success.

With nothing else to do, I took several steps back but ensured I did not go too far off the cliff. When I was sure I was at a safe distance, I ran, stamping my feet on the ground with a single tear rolling down my right eye.

My ankle was hurting so bad, I thought I would lose it after this ordeal. After a minute of running, I leapt. “Mate!”

I snapped my head behind me and saw the wolf that I first met, but this time not just his eyes but the lower part of his face. When I turned back to watch where I was landing, I saw myself missing the end point, falling into the gorge.

I grabbed a branch that stuck out, swinging on it. Instinctively, I looked behind me and found his lips curved up. Was he smiling while watching me dangle? He must not be the one that said that then.

Without bothering about his smile any more I concentrated on getting up to the other side and just on cue, the branch snapped. My heart skipped a beat. I turned to face the wolf behind me again, he still had a smile on his face.

I faced my predicament again and tried to give my luck a try. I pulled on the branch to take my body up, but the branch snapped. Before my body could go down, a hand held my arm.

My eyes traced the hand to the face. It was a man, and he was glaring at the wolf on the other side, then he turned to me. “Come up sis."