The Luna Shield

The night air crept softly through the leaves of Aetherwood, carrying the scent of damp earth, ancient moss, and secrets that had never been spoken aloud. Aria inhaled deeply, letting the forest's breath fill her lungs. This place was never truly silent, but tonight felt different. No cracking branches, no rustling underbrush. Even the wind refused to whisper.

Her footsteps were feather light along the hunter's path, the dirt familiar beneath her boots. But Aria wasn't a hunter. She carried no weapon, only a small leather pouch at her waist, filled with water and a few herbs she'd learned to identify from her late father's crumbling old books.

She didn't know why she kept coming back here. Ever since her eighteenth birthday, something inside her had shifted. A call wordless, ancient, and primal had started to pull at her, like invisible threads weaving her body to the forest itself.

She had tried to resist it. But tonight, the pull was too strong.

Moonlight pierced through the canopy, silver beams brushing against her skin. She glanced at her palm and there it was again. That soft glow radiating from her pores. Not hot. Not painful. Just strange.

"Am I even human?" she whispered to herself.

Her father Gerrard Moonvale had always avoided her questions about the past. All she knew was that he found her on his doorstep, wrapped in a soaked blanket with nothing but a crescent moon pendant. No note. No name. No answers.

She sighed and came to a stop by a small river. The water was clear, gliding between mossy stones. She'd been here before, many times, but tonight it felt unfamiliar. The air thrummed faintly, as if the forest itself were holding its breath. And that's when she saw him.

A tall figure stood across the river too still, too silent to be just a traveler. His hair was black as a starless sky, and his silver eyes reflected the moon above. His gaze locked on hers like a predator finding its mark.

Aria's breath caught. Her body froze not out of fear. Not entirely. There was something in her that knew him.

He didn't move. Just stared, as if trying to read her soul. Then, with a voice like thunder rolling through the hills, he spoke.

"Why are you in our territory?"

Aria parted her lips, but her voice cracked. "I... I didn't know this belonged to anyone. I was just walking."

Before she could finish, he vanished and reappeared inches from her face. So close, she could feel the heat of his body, smell the wild forest clinging to his skin.

His eyes glowed brighter. His jaw clenched. His breathing deepened. Aria took a step back but stopped. There was no point in running. Not from him.

His hand rose. His nails lengthened into claws. Aria's heart pounded like a war drum. For a moment, she was sure he would strike.

But he stopped. Frozen, nostrils flaring as he inhaled her scent. His entire body stiffened.

"This scent... the moon," he murmured.

In an instant, the claws retracted. His eyes still sharp, but something had shifted no longer anger, but shock. Or maybe recognition.

"You're not just human," he said, voice low.

Aria couldn't answer. Her heart still thundered in her chest, but the fear that gripped her was fading replaced by something else. A strange warmth blooming deep in her core. A longing she didn't yet understand.

"Who are you?" she breathed.

He stared for a moment before replying, "Kael Thorne. Alpha of the Aetherfang pack."

Alpha. The word echoed in her mind. She'd read the legends of werewolves, of hidden clans living among humans. But she'd never imagined meeting one face to face.

"Aria," she replied. "Aria Moonvale."

Kael said nothing. His gaze lingered on her, as if searching for something still hidden. Then, without a sound, he stepped back and vanished into the darkness.

She stood alone by the river. Her body trembled. Her breath came shallow. But her heart her heart burned.

After the encounter, Aria returned home once again, alone. Her adoptive father was never around at night, always off on some vague business he refused to explain. Every time she asked, his answer was always the same.

"I'm hunting in the woods."

But she had never seen the spoils of any hunt. No meat. No skins. Only the lingering smell of soil and blood on his clothes.

The next morning, as if nothing had happened, he brewed his usual tea, read the old newspaper, and asked her how her day was going. The sky hung low and heavy over the village, thick clouds threatening rain.

Aria had no choice but to return to the forest this time for firewood. She didn't like being out when the weather turned, but the supply was nearly gone, and the nights were getting colder.

She took her usual route, deeper into the woods, eyes scanning for dry branches. But this time, something felt off. She wasn't alone.

There were other footsteps. Heavy. Multiple. And then a strange scent. From behind a thick patch of shrubs, she spotted them a group of men dressed like hunters, rough faces and hungry eyes that locked onto her the moment they noticed her presence.

"Well, would you look at that. Pretty little thing," one of them muttered, loud enough for her to hear.

The others chuckled darkly. "And alone."

Aria swallowed hard, her muscles tensing. She stepped back slowly, but a branch snapped beneath her boot.

"She heard us! Get her!"

She turned and ran heart pounding, lungs burning. Trees blurred past. Rain began to fall, turning the ground slick. She slipped more than once but didn't stop. She couldn't stop. And then, someone stepped through the mist and shadows.

A young man, lean and wild eyed, with tousled dark brown hair and eyes that burned like embers. Without a word, he lunged straight toward the pursuers.

Fists and kicks landed with brutal speed. The men dropped one after another. Those still standing fled, dragging their battered companions with them.

The young man turned to her, mud and blood clinging to his coat. He offered a crooked, boyish smile.

"Hey, are you okay? I'm Rowan, by the way."

Aria stared at him, breathless, before giving a faint nod. "Thank you..." she murmured, then turned and walked away without another word.

Rowan watched her retreating figure, brows furrowed in thought. Before long, another figure emerged from the trees calm, cold, commanding. Silver eyes glowing under the shadow of his hood.

"What are you doing here, Beta Rowan?" Kael's voice was sharp.

Rowan flinched. "A-Alpha Kael... I was just... enjoying the scenery."

Kael stepped closer, his gaze piercing. "Don't waste your time. Finish your patrol and return home."

He turned and disappeared into the darkness without another glance. Rowan lowered his head and let out a long sigh before continuing his route.

Aria returned home soaked and exhausted. Mud clung to her boots. Her arms were empty no firewood. Her body ached, and her mind was still spinning with thoughts of Kael and Rowan.

Her house was quiet. Her father was gone again. No message. No sign. Just silence. She headed for the bath, ready to wash away the chaos of the day. But before she could even change clothes.

BANG!

The front door crashed open. Aria jumped, instincts kicking in. She grabbed the silver dagger hidden behind the kitchen shelf the only weapon her father had ever given her.

"Use it only when your life is truly in danger," he had warned.

Several burly men stormed inside, clad in dark clothes, eyes wild and glassy. Aria ducked behind the wall, breath held. She waited for the right moment.

When one of them stepped into the main room, she pounced, driving the blade into his shoulder.

He howled but another grabbed her from behind. She kicked, bit, thrashed but they were too strong. She was overpowered, dragged out into the stormy night.

The forest swallowed them whole. Thunder rolled in the sky above, and Aria knew whatever life she had known was over. Her real story was only just beginning.