Chapter 21 Shadow in the Woods
POV: LUNA
Nova caught Luna's arm before she reached the exit.
"Wait. Think about this."
"I am thinking. Miguel needs help. I'm going."
"You don't know that for sure. The vision could mean anything. Dream-links aren't always literal."
"His face was bloody, Nova. He said 'help me.' That's pretty literal."
Ryder appeared from around the corner. Like he'd been waiting. "Going somewhere, Eclipse?"
"I need to check on someone. In the human world."
"Your human boyfriend?"
Luna's jaw tightened. "Yes."
"Can't you just call him?"
The suggestion was so obvious Luna felt stupid for not thinking of it first. She pulled out her phone. Dialed Miguel's number with shaking hands.
It rang. Once. Twice. Three times.
Voicemail.
Luna hung up. Tried again.
Same result.
"He's not answering."
"Maybe he's in class," Nova suggested. "Or his phone died. Or a dozen other normal reasons."
"Or maybe he's hurt. Or worse."
"Luna." Ryder's voice was firm but not unkind. "You can't run into the human world every time you have a bad feeling. You have responsibilities here. Training. Classes. And leaving campus without permission means expulsion."
"I don't care about—"
"Yes, you do. Because if you're expelled, you can't help anyone. Not Miguel. Not yourself. You'll be rogue. Hunted. Is that what you want?"
Luna wanted to scream. To shift. To force her way past both of them.
But they were right. Running off half-cocked would make everything worse.
"Fine. I'll stay. For now. But if I don't hear from him by tonight, I'm leaving. Permission or not."
"Fair enough," Ryder said. "In the meantime, you have training. Forest exercises in twenty minutes. I suggest you focus on that instead of spiraling."
He walked away. Nova squeezed Luna's shoulder.
"He'll be okay. Miguel's smart. Careful. Whatever you saw, I'm sure he's handling it."
Luna wanted to believe that. But the image of his bloodied face wouldn't fade.
She tried calling twice more before training. Both times, voicemail.
By the time she reached the forest, her nerves were shot. Every sound made her jump. Every shadow looked threatening.
"Eclipse, focus." Thorne's voice cut through her anxiety. "You're tracking today. Everyone else hunts. Ten-minute head start. Go."
Luna ran. Let her wolf rise enough to enhance speed and senses.
The forest felt different today. More hostile. Like it knew she was distracted. Vulnerable.
She found a hiding spot. Good coverage. Downwind position. Settled in to wait.
That's when she noticed them. Footprints. Fresh. Crossing directly through her path.
But that made no sense. All students started from the same point. Behind her. No one should have tracks ahead of her position.
Unless someone was already out here. Waiting.
Luna stood slowly. Scanned the area. Her mark pulsed. Warning.
There. Fifty yards northeast. A figure crouched behind a tree. Too still. Too deliberate.
Not a student doing exercises. Someone watching specifically.
Luna's phone buzzed in her pocket. She grabbed it fast. Miguel?
Unknown number. Text message.
Stop looking for me. I'm fine. Leave it alone.
Luna's blood went cold. That wasn't Miguel's number. And the phrasing felt wrong. Too short. Too dismissive.
She texted back. Prove it's you. Tell me something only you would know.
No response.
Luna shoved the phone away. Focused on the watcher. Whoever sent that text could wait.
She moved quietly. Circling. Using cover. Approaching from an unexpected angle.
The figure shifted. Maintaining concealment. Experienced. Professional.
Male. Luna could tell from the build. The movement patterns. But identity remained hidden.
Darius? He had motive. Had been escalating threats.
Or someone else? Connected to the creatures from the ancient glade. Or the shadow wolves. Or the politics she didn't fully understand yet.
Luna's wolf pushed closer to the surface. Ready for confrontation.
She crept within thirty yards. Close enough to see details. To identify—
A branch snapped. Behind her. Sharp. Loud.
Luna whirled. Nothing visible. Just trees and shadow.
But something was there. She felt it. Multiple presences. Surrounding her. Coordinating.
The figure she'd been tracking vanished. Moved while she was distracted. Professionals. All of them.
Luna's heart raced. She'd walked into a trap. Or a warning. Or surveillance.
Another sound. Left side. Closer.
She spun. Saw movement. Barely. Someone retreating through undergrowth.
The training whistle blew. Thorne ending the exercise.
The watchers scattered. Fast. Coordinated. Gone before Luna could pursue.
She stood alone. Heart hammering. Phone heavy in her pocket.
The text. The watchers. Miguel's silence.
Everything felt connected. Wrong. Dangerous.
Luna returned to the training grounds. Other students looking tired but normal. Like they'd just completed a regular exercise.
Ryder counted heads. "Everyone accounted for."
"Someone was out there," Luna said. "Before the exercise. Waiting for me."
"Could have been upperclassmen observing."
"This wasn't observation. Multiple people. Coordinated. Professional."
Ryder's expression shifted. "I'll report it. Stay alert. Don't go into the forest alone."
Luna nodded. But her mind was elsewhere. On Miguel. On the text from an unknown number. On watchers who knew exactly where she'd be.
She checked her phone again. No new messages. No calls from Miguel.
Just that single text. Stop looking for me. I'm fine.
But every instinct Luna had screamed otherwise.
Miguel wasn't fine. And someone didn't want her finding out why.