Chapter 24 THE WARNING IN BLOOD

Chapter 24 THE WARNING IN BLOOD
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The forest floor had turned to mud beneath Anna’s boots as she followed Chris and Steve deeper between the trees, her heart pounding harder with every step. Around them, several Blood Moon warriors moved silently through the storm with grim expressions.

Nobody spoke to each other, the tension alone was enough to suffocate the air.

Anna’s Luna instincts screamed louder the farther they walked into the forest. She could feel death and fear lingering in the woods like smoke.

Her stomach twisted violently when the scent of rot and violence hit her.

Chris immediately reached back for her hand without turning around. “You don’t have to see this.”

“I do… I don't mind Chris,” Anna whispered bravely because she was Luna now and these wolves were her family too.

The patrol finally stopped near a clearing hidden between massive pine trees. Anna froze the moment she saw the body.

A young Blood Moon scout lay sprawled near the roots of an overturned tree, rainwater mixing with blood beneath him. His chest had been torn open brutally, claw marks carved deep into flesh like deliberate mutilation rather than battle wounds.

Anna pressed a trembling hand over her mouth. “Oh my God…”

The scout couldn’t have been older than twenty. One of the patrol wolves lowered his head quietly. “His name was Eli.”

Chris crouched beside the body slowly, every muscle in his frame rigid with restrained anger. Anna watched his jaw tighten as he examined the wounds carefully.

“This wasn’t a territorial attack,” Steve muttered darkly.

“No,” Chris agreed quietly. The realization settled coldly over the clearing. It had been a message. A clear warning to the Blood Moon pack to stay off.

Anna noticed movement carved into the muddy earth beside the body and stepped closer before Chris could even stop her.

Right near the body were symbols, deep claw marks etched into the ground.

Her breath caught instantly.

“What is that?” she whispered.

Steve’s face paled slightly. “Those are rogue markings.”

Chris stared at the symbols with visible hatred now. At the center of the carving sat one clear mark—a crescent moon split down the middle.

Anna felt a cold shiver spread through her veins. “He’s marking us,” she realized, her eyes widened in shock.

Steve nodded grimly. “Draven wants Blood Moon to be scared.”

“He wants attention…,” Chris corrected sharply.

But Anna could feel the truth beneath his calm tone. Draven had crossed into their territory which meant the nightmares were getting closer.

One of the younger warriors suddenly snarled behind them. “We should hunt the bastard down tonight.” Several others agreed and nodded immediately.

Tyler stepped forward from the back of the patrol, eyes blazing with anger. “This is exactly what I warned everyone about.”

Chris rose slowly to his feet. “Not here,” he said coldly glaring at Tyler.

“No, Alpha, here exactly.” Tyler gestured furiously toward Eli’s body. “One of ours is dead because we keep sitting around waiting… watching.”

“We are not charging blindly into unknown territory.”

“And what’s your plan then?” Tyler snapped. “Wait until Draven kills more of us?”

A dangerous silence fell over the clearing. The pack was beginning to fracture under the pressure of Draven's brutal attack.

Chris stepped toward Tyler slowly, rain dripping from his dark hair.

“My plan,” he said quietly, “is making sure there’s still a pack left when this ends.”

Tyler’s chest heaved with frustration, but this time he lowered his gaze first, still angry and unconvinced but submissive. For now.

Chris turned toward the warriors gathered around them. “Take Eli home.” The wolves immediately moved to obey. They pulled his body slowly up

Anna stayed rooted in place as Chris lingered behind near the carved symbol in the mud. Rainwater washed slowly across the claw marks but not fast enough to make it invisible.

“You know what bothers me most?” Chris said quietly once the others moved ahead.

Anna looked toward him.

“He got this close without us sensing him.” Steve cursed softly under his breath.

“That means one of two things,” Chris continued grimly. “Either Draven’s smarter than we thought…”

“...or he’s got help,” Steve finished with slight hesitation.

Anna’s stomach dropped. “You mean a spy?” she whispered.

None of the two answered immediately which terrified her more than if they had.

Back at the territory, grief spread quickly. Word of Eli’s death moved through the pack like wildfire, leaving fear in its wake. Wolves gathered in clusters whispering anxiously while warriors doubled patrols around the outer borders.

The once warm atmosphere of the territory had transformed completely. Nobody felt safe anymore.

Anna stood near the healer’s cabin watching Eli’s mother sob against her mate’s chest while pack members surrounded them in support.

Her own chest ached painfully. She barely knew Eli but through the Luna bond, she felt the grief of the entire pack pressing against her soul. It nearly brought her to her knees.

“You need to rest Anna.” Chris’s voice came gently behind her.

Anna shook her head immediately. “I can’t.”

“You haven’t slept properly in days.” his voice was apparently filled with despair.

“And neither have you.”

Chris fell silent.

She turned toward him slowly. The sight of him shattered her a little. He looked exhausted.

The weight of leadership sat visibly on his shoulders now, heavier than she’d ever seen before.

“You blame yourself,” Anna realized softly, walking closer to him.

Chris looked away. “That wolf died under my protection, my leadership.”

“You can’t protect everyone from everything.”

“But I’m supposed to.” The rawness in his voice hurt more than shouting ever could.

Anna stepped closer carefully. “Chris…”

“I keep thinking about what Tyler said.” His jaw tightened bitterly. “Maybe they need a stronger Alpha than me.”

Anna stared at him in disbelief. “You cannot seriously believe that.”

“I let Draven step into our territory unnoticed.”

“And you think slaughtering people would’ve prevented that?” Anna countered her eyebrows raising up slightly.

Chris dragged both hands through his hair roughly. “I don’t know anymore… I seriously can't think straight anymore Anna.” his voice shaky.

That frightened her deeply, uncertainty was dangerous in leaders. Especially Alpha wolves.

Anna reached for his face gently, forcing him to meet her eyes.

“Listen to me carefully,” she said firmly. “The reason this pack loves you is because you’re not cruel, or ruthless or a murderer”

Chris’s expression remained troubled. “You think Draven inspires loyalty?” she continued. “No. He inspires fear. And fear never lasts.”

“He’s still winning.”

“For now he is” The words slipped out before she fully understood why she believed them.

But somewhere deep inside her… Her Luna instincts rejected the idea of Draven winning completely.

Chris studied her quietly for a long moment. Then finally, some tension eased from his shoulders.

“You always sound so certain.” he said as he his forehead head leaned into hers.

Anna laughed weakly. “Trust me, I’m panicking internally.”

That earned the smallest smile from him and God, she missed seeing him smile.

Night fell heavily over Blood Moon territory. The rain finally stopped, leaving fog curling through the trees while patrol fires burned brighter than usual around the camp.

Anna lay awake beside Chris long after midnight, listening to his uneven breathing. He wasn’t asleep either.

“You keep reaching for me every five minutes,” she murmured softly into the darkness.

Chris’s arm tightened around her waist immediately. “Just making sure you’re still here.”

Her chest tightened painfully. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You don’t know that.” The quiet seriousness in his tone made her look up at him.

Moonlight filtered faintly across his face. His eyes looked haunted.

“Chris…”

“What if the dreams are warnings?” he asked quietly. “What if they’re showing you what’s coming?”

Anna swallowed hard, she’d been wondering the exact same thing.

Before she could answer, a scream suddenly ripped through the territory outside. Both of them bolted upright instantly.

Another scream followed sharply then snarling. Chaos exploded beyond the cabin walls.

Chris was off the bed in seconds, shifting partially as claws extended from his hands.

“Stay inside,” he ordered sharply.

Anna was already pulling on boots. “Absolutely not.”

“Anna…”

“We face this together.”

For one brief moment, their eyes locked then Chris nodded quickly.

The moment they burst outside, panic slammed into them from every direction. Wolves raced between cabins.

Children cried loudly at different angles of the cabins.

Warriors shouted orders and near the outer gates, a massive black wolf stood waitin
g beyond the firelight.

It stood still and was watching, its eyes glowed crimson beneath the darkness.

Anna’s breath caught violently. The wolf stared directly at her. Then slowly… it smiled