chapter 1

"Master, they've taken the flower and burnt the forest where we buried our loved ones. " Lucas said.

"They did what?" he barked. Who did this? " biting his lower lips.

"It's.. the humans. Those ravaging beasts. They have started haunting werewolves. " Lucas said.

"This calls for war! They've trespassed into our property, stolen our flowers and burnt our forest." he laughed mischievously." Run along lucas. Tell the council, we have a meeting tonight." he waved his hands.

As the moon set in the night sky, its rays illuminated the dense forest below.

Crickets chirped in the darkness, their song pierced only by the occasional howl of the werewolves. The night was still, as if the whole world was holding its breath, waiting for what was to come. The moon's final rays faded into the horizon, leaving only the dim light of the stars to guide the way.

Amidst the stillness of the night, the sound of footsteps could be heard, crunching through the leaves and twigs on the forest floor. A low growl echoed through the trees, followed by a chorus of howls. The footsteps grew louder, and the growls more ferocious.

The pack of werewolves came to a halt just outside the entrance to the cave, their eyes glowing in the darkness. They remained still, their ears perked, awaiting the instructions of their leader. Inside the cave, the Alpha sat with the elders in council, their voices low and urgent as they debated their next move.

"Brother, you are blind to the truth," Ethan snarled, his eyes flashing with anger. "The humans have always wanted to control our forest, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. Your good heart has only led us to disgrace, and we are treated like common dogs."

Daciana's voice was calm and steady as she spoke. "Ethan, please do not be so hasty. The humans have not done this before. Perhaps there is more to the situation than we know." She looked at the Alpha, hoping to reach him with her words.

As Daciana spoke, the Alpha held up his hands, signaling for her to be silent. Her face flushed with anger, but she stopped speaking. She sat back down, her eyes narrowed, her body tense.

The Alpha cleared his throat.

"We are at a crossroads," he said. "We can choose the path of peace, or we can choose the path of war. I know that many of you are filled with anger and fear, but we must decide carefully. The future of our kind hangs in the balance."

He looked around the room, waiting for someone to speak.

As the Alpha looked around the room, a voice rang out from the entrance of the cave. "I have decided that there will be war!" Jack exclaimed, his voice echoing off the stone walls.

The other wolves turned to face him, their eyes wide. Jack's fur was bristling, his claws unsheathed. "We will feast on their flesh, and we will be victorious," he snarled.

The wolves let out a chorus of howls, their voices rising in excitement. They crouched low, muscles tensed, ready to pounce.

The alpha wolf bared his fangs, his eyes glowing red in the moonlight. "Get away from here!" he growled, his voice reverberating through the forest.

"Father, something must be done," Jack said, his voice spoke rage. "The humans have crossed the line. We can't let them get away with this."

The forest fell silent. The alpha broke the silence. "We must proceed with caution," he said. "But we cannot allow this to go unpunished. We must send a scout, to discover the truth of what happened."

"I'll go," Jack said, stepping forward.

"I can't let you go," the alpha said, his voice firm. "I can't lose you."

"But that's not fair," Jack protested. "You expect others to risk their lives, but you won't even let me do the same? That's not leadership. That's selfishness."

The other wolves began to murmur amongst themselves, their voices a low buzz. Some nodded in agreement with Jack, while others shook their heads, clearly on the alpha's side.

The alpha raised his voice, cutting off the murmurings of the crowd. "Enough!" he bellowed. "We'll do this my way. Jack, you may go, but you will not go alone. Adolf will go with you. He is a loyal and capable disciple. You will leave tonight, and you will take great care. Now, everyone, return to your dens and rest. We will reconvene tomorrow."

The wolves dispersed, returning to their burrows in silence.

Kimberly's POV

"Hurry!" Benjamin shouted, his voice edged with urgency. He thrust the cup into the baby's hands, the flower's nectar sloshing over the sides.

The baby's hands trembled as she lifted the cup to her lips, the liquid running down her chin. Her wounds began to close, but the process was slow, too slow.

"It's not working!" Maddox cried, panic rising in his voice.

"It's working," Benjamin said, trying to keep his voice steady. "It just takes time. Don't rush it."

But every second felt like an eternity. The baby's wounds began to close, but not fast enough. Kimberely moaned in pain, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

"Hang on," Maddox said, his voice cracking.

At last, the wounds began to close, leaving unblemished skin in their wake. Maddox's wife reached out and scooped up the baby, tears streaming down her cheeks as she held her child close.

Then, Benjamin's phone began to ring.

"I'm sorry, I have to get this," he said, racing from the room.

A few minutes later, Maddox decided to check on his friend and express his gratitude for the cure.

As he approached where he was, he over heard him speaking to someone on the phone. "Yes, the baby is well. The herbs worked. You can send your squad. I'll keep them here until you arrive." The voice belonged to Benjamin.

Maddox froze. Something was wrong. He turned and ran back in to the house,signaling for his wife and child to escape through the back door and into the forest. Which they did.

Benjamin hung up the phone and walked into the house, only to find Maddox sitting alone in the kitchen.

"Where's everyone else?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"They went to pick some mushrooms in the forest for dinner," Maddox said, a smile plastered along his face.

"What?" Benjamin shouted, his voice rising in panic. "Why would you let them go out there? It's not safe!"

Maddox's smile faded, his expression serious. "I don't understand what you're so upset about. They're just getting food for dinner. It's no big deal."

Benjamin stared at him, his jaw clenched.

Benjamin took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.

"We'll wait for them to come back," he said, his voice still shaking.

They sat in silence for an hour.

Then, a car pulled up outside, and several masked men with weapons got out.

"Who are they?" Maddox whispered, as he peered through the window.

The men burst through the front door, and the leader spoke. "Where's the girl?"

"She went out to gather some mushrooms," Benjamin said, his voice shaking. "She'll be back soon."

"How long has she been gone?" the leader asked, his eyes narrowed.

"I'm not sure," Benjamin stammered. "Maybe an hour?"

Just then, the leader's wristwatch beeped. He glanced at it, then held it up to his mouth. "Ranger, come in."

"What have you got?" the leader asked, his voice tense.

"We have visual on two figures, a woman and a girl, moving through the eastern sector of the forest," the voice replied. "Their clothing appears to be in tatters, and they're moving quickly.

The leader's face paled as he listened to the report. "Damn! We've been tricked." He raised his pistol and aimed it at Maddox's head. "No more games, now."

He pulled the trigger, and Maddox's body crumpled to the floor. "It's a shame," the leader said, a cold smile on his lips. "Your friend was too trusting for his own good."

"You're a monster!" Benjamin shouted, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

"I'm just doing my job," the leader replied, his eyes as cold as stone.

"It's for the best," Benjamin said, a wide smile on his face. His voice was unnaturally calm, and his eyes had a distant, faraway look.

He climbed into the car, ignoring the dead body lying on the floor. The engine roared to life, and the car sped away, leaving a trail of dust in its wake.

"Ranger, come in." The leader's voice was grim.

"We've got an update, sir," the voice on the other end replied. "The woman is in danger. She's being chased by coyotes."

"Coyotes?" the leader asked, his brow furrowed. " I pray they keep them company."

The journey to the woman's location seemed to take forever, but finally they arrived. The woman and her child were standing in front of them, the fear in their eyes evident even from a distance.

"You're not getting away," the leader said, his voice cold and hard. "The bears are on their way. Run, and you'll only be giving them an easy meal."

Just then, gunshots rang out from the forest, and the woman slowly dropped to the ground.