Chapter 7 Chapter seven
The forest was darker than I remembered. The moon is give the night illumination.
The rustle of leaves, the distant cry of a night bird fill the night. My boots crunch against damp earth. The night breeze caresses my skin sending chill down my spine. I pulled my cloak tighter around her shoulders, but the cold seemed to seep into my bones anyway.
My mind was louder than the forest. Claus’s voice echoed in my head again the sharp edge of his accusations, the disbelief in his eyes, the way his words had shattered years of fragile trust.
I clenched my fists, trembling not from the cold but from anger and heartbreak. “Claus, you possible didn't have to say accused me” I whispered . "you know I won't do anything like that .”
But the silence that answered that came through was unsettling.
I then realize I have crossed the border, the air itself has changed. The forest of my pack’s territory was familiar, its paths well-trodden, its energy steady and alive. But here, beyond the border, everything felt… distorted. The trees leaned too close together, their branches gnarled like twisted fingers. The fog thickened until I could barely see my own feet.
Panic set in, I turned around, hoping to retrace my steps but the path behind me was gone. In its place stretched a corridor of shifting shadows, branches rearranging themselves as if the forest were breathing.
Fear fluttered in chest. “Mali, you're right. We are danger” I muttered. I take another step backwards, and the ground seemed to pulse beneath my boots.
"I told you before " Mali hissed "get us out of here before something terrible happen to us "
Not giving it a second thought, I bolted out of there, I run as fast as my leg could carry me.
I stop after a couple of mile, something was wrong it feel like I was running in a maze. I was going back and front without leaving that spot.
Then I heard something strange, a faint whispers floating through the mist. They weren’t the forest’s usual murmurs. These voices were clearer, sharper, and terrifyingly familiar.
"Mali, do you sense that," I whispered but got no reply. Not now for Mali to ignore me
“well, well, well, look who we have have here. Poor little Luna” one voice sang softly. “So far from home.”
“Carrying such precious life,” another hissed. “The child of the Alpha… or is it?”
I froze. My pulse quickened as I turned in a slow circle, searching for the source. The fog around me, then I saw the outlines of figures draped in dark cloaks.
One by one, they stepped from the mist, their eyes glowing faintly in hues of silver and crimson.
Witches. I'm in the mist of them.
My heart slammed against my ribs. I have heard folktale about them, rogue witches who thrived on forbidden magic, banished long ago. But I have never truly believed they existed.
Until now.
“Stay back,” I warned, my voice trembling despite my effort to sound firm. “I’m warning you.”
The tallest among them, a woman with long silver hair that shimmered like frost, tilted her head and smiled. “Oh, child, relax, we have no need to harm you… yet.”
The others laughed softly, a chilling, inhuman sound that echoed through the forest.
“What do you want?” I asked, stepping backward. My hand caresses my stomach, where the faintest swell of life was beginning to show.
The witch’s smile widened. “Exactly that.” She pointed a long, pale finger at my stomach “The life you carry. The seed of an alpha.”
My breath caught. “You can’t, never will I let you....”
“Oh, but we can.” The witch’s voice turned sweet, dangerous. “You see, the child of an alpha, especially one conceived under the moon goddess blessing is a vessel of great power. When combined with the proper rites… that power can be transferred.”
“Transferred?” I echoed, barely able to form the word.
“To us,” the witch said simply.
The forest seemed to close in, the mist thickening into almost tangible walls. I ran, searching for an escape route, but each direction led only deeper into the fog. The witches moved with eerie grace, their steps silent, their bodies half-gliding through the air.
“You can’t trap me here,” I said, my voice breaking. “My mate will come for me. Claus will...”
The silver-haired witch’s laughter cut me off. “The Alpha who accused you of betrayal?” Her voice was smooth, mocking. “when you run out of the courtroom crying, he never care to follow you”
My heart shattered. The ache in my chest was sharper than any physical wound.
The witches began to chant then a low, rhythmic hum that made the air tremble. Strange symbols began to glow on the forest floor, weaving around me in a circle of light. The mist above me twisted into faces, crying, laughing, screaming faces, illusions meant to confuse and weaken me mind.
I dropped to her knees, clutching my head as pain lanced through my temples. The voices around me multiplied, whispering lies, twisting memories, showing me visions of Claus turning away, of my pack rejecting me, of my unborn child crying in darkness.
“Stop!” I cried. “Please, stop!”
But the chanting grew louder. The witches raised their hands, threads of shadow connecting them to the glowing sigils.
The silver-haired witch leaned close, her eyes gleaming. “Your child will bring us strength, Luna. A new dawn for our kind… born from your sacrifice.”
My vision blurred. The air around me burned cold. I pressed my hand to my belly protectively, desperation flaring within me. “You’ll never touch my child,” I rasped.
The witch’s smile faded into a cruel sneer. “We’ll see.”
The last thing I see before the darkness consumed me was the forest itself moving, branches twisting like claws, the ground splitting open beneath her as the witches’ laughter echoed through the night.