Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted

LUCAS

Something isn't right.

Maybe it's the smooth run through the night. Maybe it's the peace in the air. I'm so used to something coming around every corner these days; for plans to move without a single hiccup, it's no wonder my paranoia is on the rise.

The flat landscape stretches before us, an endless expanse of winter-kissed grass and scattered snow patches. My paws eat up the distance with practiced ease, though my mind wanders to the watch secured in the pack strapped to my back. One quick shift and I could check on Ava.

No. I promised myself I wouldn't hover.

Aurum rumbles in agreement, but a whine escapes him anyway. The scent of honey and vanilla has long faded, but lingers in our mind.

Soon, I promise him. We'll be back before you know it.

My wolf's restlessness mirrors my own. The territory ahead shouldn't be so bare, and I should be able to sense something with my pack link. Yet we've encountered nothing but empty plains and unsettling silence.

There's not a single sign of Ryder's passing.

Vester appears by my side, keeping our steady pace easily. We should have crossed paths with at least three different patrols by now.

His thoughts echo my own. We're close enough to Jericho's safe haven that I should sense him, should be able to reach out through our bond. But there's nothing beyond our small group.

We knew this was a possibility. We'll know more when we get closer. Any word from Vanessa?

His mate's reach is farther than mine. I'm not certain of its exact limitations, but I know she's messaged him at long distances in the past.

Nothing since well before dawn.

The sun beats down from its highest point, marking noon's arrival. We're maybe two hours out from our destination, but each step feels wrong.

Aurum's hackles rise as we cross a familiar marker—an old oak split by lightning. I haven't seen it myself, but its impression lies deep in my memory, given by my scouts.

There are no birds. No small game. Just the whisper of wind over crusted snow.

Something isn't right.

Agreed, Alpha. But I scent nothing. Not even his vampire friends.

That's what bothers me most. No trace of friend or foe. Just... emptiness.

Someone must have been through here in recent days. But not even a rabbit?

Nature shouldn't be this clean of life's traces. It's unrealistic.

Just keep your senses open.

Understood, Alpha.

Unnerved, my thoughts circle back to Ava. It's hard to shake this sense of dread, and the urge to shift and check in through the watch grows stronger with every thud of my paws against the snow.

But, I tell myself, she's capable. She's grown so much, changed so much, in a short time. The flight risk that was my mate has become a capable Luna, despite the responsibilities I've heaped onto her shoulders.

Aurum huffs. Our mate is strong. These responsibilities will not break her.

Flat ground gives way to rolling hills. We're close. There should be sentries. Signs of life.

Instead, there's more silence.

My muscles coil with tension as we press forward.

A breeze cuts across the plains, carrying with it a scent that stops us dead in our tracks. Aurum's nose lifts to the air, testing each note with growing unease.

Magic. It's an itchy smell, not clean and pure like Ava's. Something darker, like I'd imagine corruption to smell—not that the taint in our region has any scent, but if it did, I'd expect this.

And underneath it all, the unmistakable stench of death.

West, Aurum confirms. Miles from where Jericho's camp should be.

The rest of our group fans out behind us, alert and waiting. No one needs to voice what we're all thinking—this doesn't bode well for what we might find at the camp.

Vester circles around to my right flank. This is not natural.

No. Aurum's teeth bare at the air. It's tainted.

His hackles bristle, his tail down. We should investigate.

It's not a question. The scent speaks of danger, and as Alpha, I can't ignore a threat this close to my people. But time works against us—every minute we spend tracking this magic is another minute something could be happening at the camp. Another minute we fall behind chasing the ghosts of our pack.

Aurum's golden eyes narrow against the horizon as I think it through. We split the group. Send scouts ahead to the camp while we check the source. It's the logical choice, even as my instincts rail against dividing our forces when we don't know what we're walking into.

Four with me, I decide. The rest of you continue to the camp. Stay alert and wait for our signal before approaching.

It only takes a minute. Six of my wolves, including Vester, then peel away, heading north toward the camp. I watch until they disappear over a ridge, then turn west.

The wind shifts, bringing another wave of that putrid magic. This time, there's something else with it.

Something strange and familiar.

* * *noveldrama

Snow whispers beneath our paws as we shimmy our way up the last rolling hill. My wolves fan out behind me, their movements precise and controlled despite the uneven terrain. That scent of dark magic and decay is strong enough to make a grown man puke.

Being in wolf form might seem like it would make it worse, but it's actually easier to handle this way.

The hilltop reveals nothing at first glance. Just more endless snow and winter-dead grass. But there—a subtle difference in the landscape's contours catches my eye. What I initially took for another snow drift...

Alpha, one of my wolves confirms. Structure ahead.

The wind shifts, and Aurum's nose twitches. The stench hits us full force now. My teeth bare involuntarily.

A sod house. I haven't seen many of those in my life. Earth and grass are packed together to form walls, now buried under winter's blanket. If I hadn't been looking for something out of place, I might have missed it entirely. Smart.

Despite the lack of any signs of life, I remain cautious in my approach.

Circle around, I order two of my wolves. Check for other entrances.

My remaining guards take position as I approach the crude doorway. No tracks mar the snow—not even animal prints. Like the plains we crossed, this place exists in unnatural isolation.

The door hangs crooked. Through the gap, absolute darkness waits. That putrid magic pulses from within, making my fur stand on end.

No other ways in or out, my scouts report. The walls are solid.

One entrance. One exit. A perfect trap, if that's what this is.

Hold position here, I command. Alert me to any movement.

I nose the door wider. The hinges creak, the sound sharp in the dead silence. Aurum's senses stretch to their limit, testing each breath for threats.

The corruption is overwhelming inside, but underneath it... something familiar teases at my memory. Something I should recognize.

That scent, Aurum growls. We know it.

But from where? Recent days blur together in an endless parade of crises.

I take another step inside. My eyes adjust to the gloom, revealing bare earthen walls and a dirt floor. No furniture. No signs of habitation.

Just a pile of bodies rotting in the center of the floor, surrounded by a sickly green circle.

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