Alpha'sShadow

The distant hum of the city was a comforting buzz for Iris Caldwell. Raven shade had always been alive, bustling with energy no matter the hour. Tonight, however, something felt different. The air was heavy, charged with an unusual stillness that made her uneasy. Iris pulled her coat tighter around her, the chill seeping through as she walked along the cobblestone street leading to her apartment.

She'd just finished a long day at The Sentinel, the online publication where she freelanced. Reporting wasn't her dream, but it paid the bills and kept her mind occupied. Still, there were days she couldn't shake the nagging thought that she was chasing dead ends. Her latest assignment a fluff piece about local legends in Raven shade was a glaring reminder of how far she'd fallen from the investigative journalist she once aspired to be.

As she neared the corner where the forest met the city, a faint sound reached her ears. A low, guttural growl carried through the crisp night air. Iris froze mid-step, her breath catching in her throat. Her eyes darted toward the darkened treeline, her mind racing. Ravenshade's forests were notorious for their eerie reputation countless disappearances, strange sightings, and superstitious whispers.

"Just the wind," she muttered, shaking her head and forcing herself to keep walking. But as her boots clicked against the pavement, the sound came again, closer this time.

Against her better judgment, Iris turned toward the forest. The streetlights ended abruptly where the trees began, leaving an ominous void of darkness. Her journalist instincts flared to life, pulling her forward. She had always been the type to dig where others wouldn't, her curiosity often outweighing her caution.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, jolting her back to reality. She fished it out, seeing a message from her editor, Vanessa: "Any updates on the piece? We need it by tomorrow."

Iris sighed, typing back a quick reply: "Still researching. I'll have it in the morning."

As she slid her phone back into her coat, she noticed movement at the edge of her vision. A shadow shifted among the trees, swift and deliberate. Her heart leapt into her throat.

"Hello?" she called out, immediately regretting it. Her voice echoed slightly, swallowed by the dense forest.

No answer.

"Great," she muttered, glancing over her shoulder to confirm she was alone. Her apartment was only a few blocks away, but the oppressive darkness of the forest felt closer now, as if it were reaching for her.

Then she heard it a bloodcurdling scream that tore through the night, sharp and guttural. It was unlike anything she'd ever heard, primal and full of agony. The sound sent a jolt of fear through her, rooting her to the spot.

Before she could think, her feet were moving. She stepped off the pavement and into the forest, drawn toward the source of the scream. The rational part of her brain screamed at her to turn back, to call the police, to do anything but walk into the darkness. But the pull was undeniable, an almost magnetic force that urged her forward.

The trees closed in around her, their gnarled branches forming skeletal shapes against the faint light of the crescent moon. Her breath came in short, sharp gasps as she maneuvered through the undergrowth, her phone flashlight barely cutting through the thick gloom.

The scream came again, closer this time. Iris's pulse quickened. She pushed forward, her boots crunching against fallen leaves and twigs. And then she saw it a clearing up ahead, bathed in an eerie silver glow.

She crouched behind a thick tree trunk, her heart hammering in her chest. Peering around the edge, she froze.

In the clearing stood two figures, their forms impossibly large and hunched. At first, Iris thought they were bears, but the way they moved calculated, almost human sent a chill down her spine. Their silhouettes shimmered, caught between shapes, as if they couldn't decide what they were supposed to be.

Wolves. Giant wolves.

Her mind rebelled against the sight, insisting it couldn't be real. But the growls and snarls that filled the air were undeniable. The two creatures lunged at each other, claws and teeth flashing in the moonlight. The clash was brutal, each strike sending shockwaves through the ground.

Iris clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. What was she seeing? This wasn't normal this wasn't possible.

As she watched, one of the wolves was thrown to the ground with a sickening thud. The victor let out a triumphant howl that echoed through the forest, sending a shiver down Iris's spine.

Her phone buzzed again in her pocket, the vibration loud in the stillness. She scrambled to silence it, but the damage was done. The victorious wolf's head snapped in her direction, its glowing amber eyes locking onto hers.

Panic surged through her. She pressed herself against the tree, her mind racing. It didn't see me. It didn't see me, she told herself, though she knew it was a lie.

The sound of footsteps no, pawsteps approached. Slow, deliberate, and terrifyingly close. She held her breath, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure the creature could hear it.

A low growl rumbled just behind the tree, the sound vibrating through her chest.

And then, without warning, a hand human, strong, and unyielding clamped over her mouth, yanking her backward into the shadows.

"Don't move," a deep voice hissed in her ear, low and commanding.

Her heart stopped. She twisted, trying to see who had grabbed her, but the stranger's grip was ironclad.

Before she could react, the wolf rounded the tree, its massive form towering over her. Its glowing eyes narrowed as it bared its teeth.

The man holding her stepped forward, placing himself between her and the beast.

"You shouldn't be here," he growled, his voice colder than the night air.

Iris opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat as the wolf lunged.