Wolves of Silverbrook

The Edge of normal

The café buzzed with its usual evening rhythm as Kira Daniels balanced a tray of steaming mugs in one hand and a plate of pie in the other. She moved with practiced ease, sidestepping chairs and weaving through the tables in the dim, cozy space. Her face wore a polite smile, but her mind was elsewhere, lost in the endless cycle of her days.

Silverbrook wasn't the kind of town where things happened. Tucked away at the edge of a sprawling forest, it had a population barely big enough to sustain the single high school, one grocery store, and this café-The Hollow Bean. Tourists passed through sometimes, lured by the promise of hiking trails and the occasional sighting of black bears or deer. But for people like Kira, born and raised here, it was a place where dreams went to die.

She sighed as she approached the regulars by the window, a group of retired lumberjacks who swapped stories about the "good old days" every evening. Setting the tray down, she nodded at Hank, the group's self-appointed leader.

"Evening, Hank. Apple pie and coffee for everyone, as usual?"

Hank grinned. "You know it, kid. Tell me, when are you going to let me set you up with my grandson?

Good-looking boy, steady job-he's not much for conversation, but he's reliable."

Kira forced a launh

shakind her head "Thyou going to let me set you up with my grandson?

Good-looking boy, steady job-he's not much for conversation, but he's reliable."

Kira forced a laugh shakind her head "Thanks but I think I'll pass".

Hank chuckled as his friends launched into teasing remarks about Kira being too good for the likes of his grandson. She tuned them out, her eyes drifting to the darkened street outside. The storm clouds that had been building all day were finally breaking, rain pelting against the glass in rhythmic bursts.

Something about the storm felt different tonight.

The wind howled in sharp, guttural bursts, rattling the windows, and the trees in the distance bent under its force.

"Dreaming of escape again?"

Kira turned to see Jess, her best friend and co-worker, leaning against the counter with a smirk.

Jess was a force of nature, her bright red hair and bold personality a stark contrast to Kira's quiet, subdued demeanor.

"Maybe," Kira admitted.

Jess rolled her eyes. "You've been talking about getting out of this town since we were fifteen.

What's stopping you?"

Kira hesitated, searching for an answer. The truth was, she didn't know. Fear, maybe. Or the nagging sense that leaving wouldn't fix the restlessness inside her.

"Anyway," Jess continued, interrupting Kira's thoughts. "I'm off for the night. You okay closing by yourself?"

"Yeah, l've got it," Kira said.

"Good. Try not to brood too much, okay? It's creepy when you do that." With a wink, Jess grabbed her bag and disappeared into the rain.

+

The café emptied out quickly after that. By 7:30, the last customer had left, leaving Kira alone with the hum of the fridge and the occasional crackle of thunder. She wiped down the counters, her mind wandering as she worked. She thought about Jess's words, about the life she wanted but didn't know how to reach.

As she moved to lock the door, the storm seemed to grow louder, the wind a living thing clawing at the edges of the building. A sudden bang made her jump, her heart hammering in her chest. It was just the back door swinging in the wind, she told herself, but her hands shook as she locked it.

She was halfway through the motion when the front door swung open.

The man who stepped inside was unlike anyone

Kira had ever seen.

He was tall, his wet hair plastered to his forehead droplets of rain running down his sharp cheekbones and dripping onto his leather jacket.

His gray eyes seemed to pierce through the dim light of the cafe, landing on her with an intensity that made her skin prickle.

"Sorry, we're closed," Kira said, her voice faltering "I won't be long," he replied. His voice was smooth, low, and carried an accent she couldn't place. He stepped closer, his movements fluid, almost predatory.

Kira's instincts screamed at her to back away, but she couldn't move. There was something magnetic about him, something that made it impossible to look away.

"You should lock the doors," he said, his tone calm but urgent. "And stay inside tonight."

"What?" Kira blinked, confused.

"Lock the doors. Don't open them for anyone." His gray eyes flicked to the windows, scanning the street outside. For a moment, Kira thought she saw something flicker in his gaze-something wild and feral.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but-"

A sound outside cut her off.

It wasn't the wind.

It was a low, guttural growl, deep and reasonant like a warning of a predator about to strike

The man stiffened, his head snapping toward the door. His body language shifted, his shoulders tensing as if he were Ready to to spring into action.

Kira's pulse raced. "What was that?"

"You don't want to know," he said.

And then he was gone, slipping out the door and into the storm before she could stop him.

Kira stood frozen, the growl still echoing in her ears. She moved to the window, peering into the rain-soaked street. Shadows danced in the lamplight, twisting and shifting in ways that didn't seem natural.

She thought she saw movement—a blur of something too large to be a dog but too fast to be human.

Her hand went to the lock, twisting it until the bolt slid into place with a heavy click.

For the rest of the night, she stayed in the back room, jumping at every creak of the building and every rumble of thunder.

When morning came, she found scratches on the café door. Deep, jagged marks that could only have been made by claws.

Kira couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

The night after the stranger's cryptic warning, the rain hadn't stopped. It poured relentlessly, soaking the streets and the leaves of the trees just outside Silverbrook's town center. The storm had a kind of ferocity to it, as though nature itself was trying to tell her something. She tried to brush it off, but as the hours passed, the unease gnawed at her insides.

The next morning, Kira found herself walking to work earlier than usual. She needed to get the thoughts out of her head. The café was usually busy at this hour-old-timers coming in for coffee and the scent of freshly baked pastries filling the air-but this morning felt different. The streets were quieter than normal. The usual hum of life in Silverbrook was missing.

As she approached the café, the door swung open with a soft jingle, and Kira stepped inside. The air was warm, familiar, and comforting. Jess was already behind the counter, humming to herself as she arranged mugs and wiped down the counters.

Kira forced a smile, determined to shake the odd feelings she had.

"Morning," Kira greeted, though the word felt strange on her tongue.

"Hey, you look like you've seen a ghost," Jess teased, her eyes bright with amusement.

"Nightmares about that creepy stranger?"

Kira hesitated, then laughed softly, brushing off her unease. "Not quite."

But the truth was, she couldn't stop thinking about him. The man who had warned her about something lurking in the shadows of Silverbrook.

The man who seemed... different. His eyes-those gray eyes—had burned into her memory all night.

She had never seen anyone so intense, so otherworldly.

She tried to distract herself by focusing on the morning rush, filling orders, and chatting with the customers, but her thoughts kept drifting back to him. To what he had said.

Around midday, just as the skies outside began to darken again, the café door swung open. The bell above it jingled, and the familiar flood of cold air rushed in with the new customer. Kira didn't even need to look up to know who it was.

He stepped inside, as silent and imposing as the night before. The same man. His features were even sharper in the daylight-more defined, like a figure carved from stone. He was wearing a thick black leather jacket, but his damp hair still clung to his forehead. The same gray eyes found hers immediately, and the chill Kira had felt last night returned, gnawing at her gut.

For a moment, the room felt still, as if time itself had stopped. Kira stood frozen behind the counter, a mug of coffee poised in her hand but forgotten. His gaze was magnetic, pulling her in like gravity. He wasn't just another man—he was something else. Something... dangerous.

"I thought I told you to lock the doors," he said, his voice low and smooth, but there was an undeniable edge to it.

Kira blinked, confused. "What?"

His eyes flicked to the door behind him, scanning the street outside before returning to her. "There's a reason I came back."

She swallowed, her throat dry. "I didn't open the door for anyone else."

"Good," he said, his tone almost approving.

She tried to steady her breath, feeling the air grow colder with his presence. "Why are you here again?"

The man hesitated, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"You're in danger."

Kira frowned, her pulse quickening. "Danger from who?

"The wolves," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

At his words, a rush of goosebumps broke out over her skin, and she unconsciously took a step back. Jess, who had been busy arranging pastries at the counter, turned to look at them.

"Are you talking about wolves again? I swear, if you guys are going to start with the ghost stories-" Jess cut herself off, noticing the tension in the air.

Her eyes moved from Kira to the stranger, a sharp look of recognition crossing her face.

"You."

The stranger's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. He didn't acknowledge Jess's comment but turned his attention back to Kira.

"You've seen them," he said, his voice low. "You felt the eyes on you last night. The growls."

Kira didn't respond, unsure of what to say. Her mind was racing, flashes of the previous night replaying in her head. The claw marks on the café door. The unsettling shadows outside. The growl she had heard.

"Do you know what you're dealing with?" he asked, his voice quiet but urgent.

Kira nodded slowly. "I-well, no. Not really. But I don't think you're talking about regular wolves."The man leaned closer, his presence overwhelming. "You're right," he said, his tone darkening. "These aren't ordinary wolves. They're werewolves, and they've been hunting this town for centuries."

"Werewolves?" Kira whispered, disbelief flooding her.

Jess snorted from behind the counter, though it was clear from the tension in her voice that she wasn't dismissing him entirely. "What, you mean like in those old legends?"

The man's gaze flicked to Jess. "Exactly like the legends."

Kira's mind was reeling. Her pulse was thundering in her ears. "You're serious?"

His lips curled into a small, grim smile. "I never joke about things like this."

Before Kira could respond, the bell above the door rang again, signaling the entrance of another customer. The man stepped back, his expression shifting to something colder, more detached

"Think about what I said," he added, glancing once more toward the street. "You're part of this now, Kira. You need to know what you're dealing with.

Trust me."

And just like that, disappeared out

Kira stood frozen, her hands trembling. What had just happened? Was he telling the truth? Was this some kind of sick joke?

Jess came up to her, eyes wide with concern.

"What the hell was that about? Werewolves?"

Kira didn't know how to answer. All she knew was that something about the man-something about his eyes—had felt real. Too real to ignore.

The Day After

The rest of the day passed in a blur, with Kira unable to shake the strange events from her mind.

She kept glancing out the window, half-expecting to see the stranger standing there, watching her.

By the time her shift ended, the storm had cleared, and the sun was beginning to set, casting a pinkish hue over the sky. Kira locked up and stepped outside into the cool evening air, the events of the day weighing heavily on her chest.

As she walked down the familiar streets of Silverbrook, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was different. That her life was about to change. She couldn't go back to the way things were before.

And as she passed by the edge of the forest, she felt the faintest ripple in the air, like a presence watching from the shadow But when she turned, there was nothing.But when she turned, there was nothing.

The Forest's Whisper

The night after the stranger's visit was quieter than the days before. No growls echoed in the distance, no shadows crept along the edges of Silverbrook's streets. Kira told herself that she had imagined it all—the warnings, the growls, the man's cryptic message. She was just tired, her mind playing tricks on her. But deep down, she knew it wasn't that simple.

Her steps were heavier as she walked home through the winding streets of Silverbrook. The scent of pine hung thick in the air, the trees standing like silent sentinels at the edge of the town. Despite the relative calm, there was something unsettling about the quiet tonight. The storm had passed, but the wind still carried an eerie energy, brushing against her skin like a whisper.Kira quickened her pace. She couldn't shake the nagging sense that someone—or something—was watching her.When she reached her small, cottage-style house at the edge of town, she locked the door behind her and drew the curtains tight. The familiar comfort of home did little to ease the tension that had settled in her chest. She didn't even bother to eat dinner. Instead, Kira curled up on the couch, staring out the window, lost in thought. Her mind replayed every word the stranger had said. "The wolves. You're in danger." Had he been warning her about something more than just the creatures that prowled Silverbrook's forest? Or had she stumbled upon something that had been hidden from her all her life?

Her gaze shifted to the forest in the distance. The tall trees stretched like dark fingers reaching into the sky, their silhouette sharp against the dimming light. She had always been told stories about the forest—about how the woods were full of strange creatures and whispered secrets—but no one had ever explained what lay beyond the surface Until now.

Kira awoke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest. The room was dark, save for the faint light of the moon filtering through the curtains. Her mind was still foggy with sleep, but something was different. There was a presence in the air.

She sat up, listening.

Outside, the wind had picked up again, though it wasn't as strong as it had been the night before. But it wasn't the wind that unsettled her. It was the sound—soft, distant, but unmistakable. The sound of growling.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she rose from the couch, moving toward the window. She didn't know what she expected to see—maybe just a dog, or the remnants of the storm's fury. But what she saw made her freeze in place.A figure stood at the edge of the forest, shrouded in shadow. Its form was hulking, broad-shouldered, and covered in something that shimmered under the pale light. For a moment, Kira thought it was a trick of the moonlight, her eyes playing games with her. But then the figure moved, its shape rippling as if it were an animal stretching its limbs after a long slumber.

The growl came again—louder this time, deeper, vibrating through her bones.

Kira's pulse quickened. The figure—whatever it was—stayed motionless, as if it knew she was watching. The tension in the air was palpable, and her instincts screamed at her to turn away, to run.But she couldn't. She was rooted to the spot, her eyes fixed on the figure that seemed to pulse with raw, primal energy. There was something… other about it. Something that made her stomach churn with a sense of inevitability.

It took a step toward the house. The movement was slow but deliberate. Its head tilted, almost as if it was studying her.

Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the figure turned and disappeared back into the trees, swallowed by the shadows.

Kira stood frozen by the window, her breath shallow and quick. Her thoughts raced, trying to make sense of what she had just witnessed. Was it a wolf? Or something else entirely? The growls had been too deep, too… intelligent.

She couldn't ignore it any longer. The stranger's warning—the growls, the eyes in the forest—everything was pointing to one thing. The wolves were real. And somehow, she was caught in the middle of it.

The next morning, the town seemed as normal as ever. The sun rose over Silverbrook, painting the sky in hues of orange and gold, casting a peaceful glow over the sleepy streets. Kira tried to push the events of the night aside as she made her way to the café. She had a shift to work, and the mundane routine of the day would surely take her mind off the bizarre encounter in the woods. But as soon as she stepped into The Hollow Bean, she knew something was off. Jess was behind the counter, but her face was tight with concern, her eyes darting to the window every few seconds.

"You okay?" Kira asked, her voice laced with unease.

Jess didn't answer immediately. She wiped her hands on her apron before speaking in a low tone. "I heard something last night. I didn't want to say anything until I knew you were okay, but…" She trailed off, glancing at the door again.

"What do you mean? What did you hear?" Kira asked, her heart skipping a beat.

Jess took a deep breath, clearly struggling with what to say. "It wasn't the wind, Kira. There were growls. Deep ones, just like the ones you've been hearing. But they weren't just from one animal. It was like… a pack."

Kira's stomach tightened. She was about to say something when the café door jingled, and the stranger walked in, his gaze

The Pack's Shadow

The door to The Hollow Bean swung open, the familiar jingle of the bell echoing through the small café. Kira's stomach twisted as the stranger stepped inside, his presence as commanding as ever. The air seemed to grow thicker around him, like the very atmosphere was reacting to his arrival.He didn't look at Kira immediately, instead scanning the room with a quick, calculating gaze. Jess had gone quiet, her eyes narrowing as she moved toward the counter, as if trying to put some distance between herself and the stranger. It wasn't fear that Kira sensed from her friend—Jess wasn't the type to show fear—but something else. Something… guarded. The stranger's gaze finally settled on Kira. His eyes, dark and cold like storm clouds, were as intense as ever, and for a moment, Kira couldn't breathe. His presence was suffocating, but at the same time, there was a strange magnetism to him, something that made her heart race."You're still here," he said, his voice low but not unfriendly. "I thought you might have run by now."

Kira swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I don't scare easily."

He chuckled, a sound that was more rueful than amused. "No, you don't, do you?"

"Why are you here?" Kira asked, trying to steady the tremor in her voice. "What do you want?"

His eyes flicked toward Jess, who was still standing silently behind the counter, watching them both with a tense expression. "I need to talk to you," he said, his tone unwavering.

Kira looked at Jess for a moment, but her friend simply gave her a subtle nod, as if to say it was okay. Jess, for all her sharp wit and skepticism, seemed to understand that this was something bigger than either of them. Kira wasn't sure if she believed in werewolves, but the warning from the stranger—and the growls she'd heard—were enough to make her hesitate.

Kira nodded, then turned to grab a coffee mug. She had to do something to break the silence, to mask the wild beat of her heart in her chest. She busied herself with making coffee, though her thoughts were far from the task at hand. She couldn't stop thinking about the way he looked at her, like he could see through her, like he knew something she didn't.

"Is this about last night?" she finally asked, turning to face him again, mug in hand. "The growls. The shadows in the woods?"

His expression hardened, his jaw clenching. He didn't answer immediately, as if he were weighing his words carefully. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and steady.

"I told you before. You're in danger. The wolves aren't just a myth. And you've drawn their attention."

Kira set the mug down with a little more force than intended. "What do you mean, 'their attention'?"

He stepped closer, his eyes scanning the street outside, then the darkened corners of the café. "I'm not the only one who's been watching you," he said. "You've crossed paths with the pack."

The words hit Kira like a punch to the stomach. She took a step back, suddenly feeling the weight of everything the stranger had said. The growls from the night before, the strange presence in the woods… it was all starting to make sense. She hadn't imagined it.

"You said they've been hunting Silverbrook for centuries," she whispered, trying to steady her breathing. "But why me?"

The stranger's eyes softened, just a touch, but the intensity remained. "Because you're not just anyone, Kira. You're tied to this town's history in a way you don't understand. Your blood is tied to the wolves. And now that they know you're here, they won't stop until they have you."

Kira shook her head in disbelief. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a barista. I don't have some hidden connection to werewolves. This is crazy."

The stranger sighed, his gaze flickering to the door once more, as if expecting someone to walk in. "I'm not crazy, Kira. But I'm running out of time to explain everything. If you don't listen to me, you might not make it through the next full moon."

A shiver ran down Kira's spine at the mention of the full moon. The timing felt ominous, though she wasn't sure why. "Why the full moon?"

"That's when they're at their strongest," he said quietly. "When they can sense the blood of their kin. And you're tied to them. Whether you know it or not, you're part of their pack. A legacy, if you will."

Kira's mind reeled. She took a step back, hands trembling. She wanted to run. She wanted to dismiss the stranger, to tell him to leave her alone and go back to his weird wolf tales. But something inside her wouldn't let her.

"What do you mean, 'part of their pack'? What is it about me?"

The stranger looked at her, and for a long moment, there was a strange, almost unreadable expression in his eyes. "You'll understand soon enough. Your lineage… it's more complicated than you think. But the wolves, they don't care about your history. They care about what you can give them."

Kira's heart hammered in her chest, a cold knot forming in her stomach. "What I can give them?"

The stranger stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Your blood. It holds power. It's what they've been hunting for."

Kira took another step back, feeling her knees go weak. "I don't—what do you want me to do? How do I stop them?"

His gaze softened slightly, as though he had been expecting this question. "You can't stop them alone, Kira. You'll need help. But first, you have to trust me."

She met his gaze, her mind a swirling mess of confusion and fear. How could she trust him? But the strange, undeniable pull she felt whenever he was near—the pull that told her that everything he was saying was far more than just a story—made her hesitate. She couldn't ignore it.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you helping me?"

The stranger's expression remained unreadable. "I'm someone who has been fighting the pack for years. I'm not your enemy, Kira. I'm your only chance."

Kira stood there, caught between disbelief and an overwhelming sense of urgency. The stranger was right. She couldn't ignore what was happening, and as much as she wanted to walk away, something deep inside her told her that this was just the beginning.

The wolves were real. And now, they were after her.