LUNAR LOCKED

Nova, a young lady, walked through the outskirts of Lockwood. At noon, where the sunlight was at its peak casting a warm golden glow on the landscape. The sky was a brilliant teal and a single cloud to disturb its perfection.

For a moment, She closed her eyes to take in the feel of the breeze against her skin. The air was overcome with the sweet scent of wildflowers and the smell of damp soil.

Her gaze fixed forward on the horizon as she walked. The hills of the dense forest loomed in the distance. She had been hunting in these woods for years and knew them like the back of her palm, every inch, including the hills and valleys. She had always loved this time of day but today, something felt off.

The forest seemed more quiet than usual, the birds chirped less, the trees stood still with their motionless branches. There wasn't any prey in sight. Nova's gut told her that something was watching her, but she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Nothing to worry about! she shrugged, telling herself that she was just being paranoid. After all, she was an expert huntress to a certain extent and knew how to take care of herself.

Besides, her trusty bow and bag of arrows were slung over her shoulder.

What could go wrong?!

As Soon as she crossed a small hill. she caught sight of her home in the distance. It was a small, old cabin rooted amongst the trees, with smoke drifting lazily from the chimney. Immediately, Her heart swelled with a deep sense of longing.

Throughout her life, Nova and her sister, Aria had lived together. They were each other's support system after their father died mysteriously and their mother died of heartbreak.

First, Nova paused when she heard leaves rustling nearby. Soon after, branches began to break, and the sound drew closer. Next, a deer leaped out, followed by a group of others. She felt a surge of relief as she watched them bound away, but then she noticed fear in one of the deer's eyes.

The deer leaped into the nearby bushes. Moments later, the forest became quiet again, the only sound heard was the distant snapping of twigs. Nova knew that a predator was nearby, but she wasn't about to find out what it.

She continued walking but instinctively quickened her pace, taking long strides. She couldn't shake the feeling that something closely followed her.Which sent cold shivers running down her spine. She paused to scan her surroundings, her senses heightened

Standing there, she froze in anticipation of what was to come.

Immediately, a low growl echoed through the forest. Nova's heart began to race as she recognized the sound. It was one she had heard before, one that sent chills down her spine.

A wolf, Nova thought, her mind began to race. She knew it was not just any wolf. This one was bigger, stronger, and more powerful than her. It was a werewolf!

Though Nova herself was a wolf, she was a lone wolf, meaning she wasn't part of any pack. A pack meant protection, security, and family. She was vulnerable to any sort of wolf attack. This was a matter of life and death.

She began to race with hands gripping the dagger sheathed at her waist. She knew she had to move fast. The wolf could catch up and attack at any moment.

She was being hunted!

She ran without stopping, her feet carried her effortlessly through the grass. She tripped on a rock hidden in the grass, then violently, fell to the ground.

she got back on her feet quickly, darting her head around with her hands still on the dagger at her waist. She realized she was close to her home. There was no wolf or predator in sight.

She let out a hard sigh and still needed to get away to feel safe.

Quickly,Taking long strides, she approached her cabin but noticed the door was slightly ajar. She frowned.

She wondered if she had forgotten to close it before she left for her hunt.

What a day! she thought as she pushed open the door, calling out to see if anyone was home. But there was no response. Quickly, she locked the door and took a deep breath.

"Aria! I'm home!" she called as she set her bow and arrows down. "You'll never guess what happened!" She giggled as she removed her coat.

No response.

"Ariaaaa!!"

She turned around the dimly lit cabin, everything was out of order. The tables were turned upside down, plates and pans littered the floor, knives were missing, and an inner door stood open. There was blood everywhere. Her heart skipped a beat.

Nova's instincts told her that something was wrong, her heart nearly jumped out of her throat when she saw something written in blood. It seemed to be a message. She thought it was poorly written or perhaps a code, and it read:

R∆k§

She couldn't understand the letters.Whoever had written this wasn't playing around. All she wanted was to make sure her sister was okay.

Frantically, she searched the cabin for her sister, her senses on high alert. Then she saw Aria, bloodied on the floor.

"ARIA!" she rushed toward her sister.

"ARIA, NO!" Tears streamed down her face as she knelt beside her sister. "Ariaaaa, no, please don't leave me!"

"Aria, please, please don't leave me," Nova's hands trembling as she reached out to check for a pulse.

There was a steady beat. It felt weak and slow. She felt a wave of relief spread over her.

Next, She gently turned her sister's head upward. Aria groaned in pain as she slowly opened her eyes. Then, she blinked "Nova?" she whispered.

"Yes, I'm here Aria," Nova spoke softly, almost in a whisper. "How are you feeling?"

"W..what... Water," Aria stuttered.

Nova sprang to her feet and rushed to the well nearby, after filling a jug with clear water. She returned to Aria's side and lifted her sister's head up gently and held the jug to her lips to take a sip.

Aria took a few sips with her eyes fluttering as the water calmed her thirsty throat. Nova held the jug steady, her gaze focused on Aria's face.

As Aria drank, Nova couldn't help but notice the extent of her wounds. She examined them closely. Aria's face was swollen and bruised, her lip was bleeding from different cuts. Her clothes were torn and dirty. Nova thought to herself that Aria had been attacked.

"What happened?" Nova could see the faint outline of a large bruise spread across Aria's ribcage."Who did this?"

"I think my rib is broken," said Aria, twisting her face in pain. "I was attacked."

"Who did this to you, Aria? And why?" Nova's fear and concern for her sister's safety intensified.

Aria ignored her.

"Aria, this is serious" Tears welled in Nova's eyes "You could have died"

"But I didn't," Aria argued as she gulped the water.

Nova gently lowered her sister's head back to the ground after Aria finished drinking from the jug. Aria slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Nova with a faint smile.

"Thank you, Nova," Aria whispered, her voice weak but filled with gratitude. "I'm alright."

Nova smiled back, her eyes filling with tears. "Anytime, Aria. I'm just glad you're alright." She scanned her sister's wounds.."

"Don't worry about me, Nova, I'll heal," She groaned in pain. "Help me up."

"Aria, what happened?" Nova asked again, her voice soft and gentle. "Who did this to you?"

Aria's lips moved, but no sound came out. Nova leaned in closer, her ear inches from Aria's mouth in a whisper so faint it was almost inaudible, Aria spoke a single word. "Ryker."

Nova's eyes widened in shock. "What?" The name Ryker was all too familiar to her. He was a ruthless Alpha, the leader of the rogue werewolves who had been terrorizing Lockwood for months. Nova had heard rumors that he was involved in dark magic and had a network of spies and informants throughout the land.

"I'm in serious trouble, Nova," Aria declares.

"Trouble? What exactly happened? What kind of trouble are we talking about?"

"Ryker... I owe him now."

"Was he the one who hurt you?"

"No, not him. He sent his goons after me," she sniffed. "I didn't know what to do, so I came home, and they followed me. But they are gone now."

"So, this was a warning?"

"Yes," Aria stated with conviction, locking eyes with Nova. "He explicitly threatened our lives if I didn't do what he wanted."

"Do what? Is that your blood on the wall?"

"Yeah, it is," Aria replied, her gaze fixed on her body. "It was intended as a message, but I won't let you get caught up in this."

"Involved?"

Nova exclaimed, "He hurt you! This just became personal!"

"Nova, I said you shouldn't worry about it"

Nova gently helped Aria get up and then stood up herself. Her eyes met the message written in blood.

"I think that idiot was trying to spell Ryker," Nova said, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of danger.

"There's absolutely nothing to worry about; I believe he has given me a second chance," Aria replied.

"I have told you countless times not to associate with the wrong crowd," Nova said, frowning. "They could be out there waiting to kill us in our sleep."

Nova became alert, looking around, She looked out the window. Something moved with speed.

"Whatever" Aria rolled her eyes

Nova realized that they were not alone.

"Shush...." she strained to listen. "Listen"

Aria's eyes opened "Something is coming"

Heavy footsteps were coming from the trees. The trees and the ground shook in its wake and it was getting closer.

"Aria, stay behind me." Fear gripped Nova as she flung into action swiftly positioning herself in front of Aria. They both quivered at the approaching footsteps. They were overwhelmed with fear.

Suddenly the door ripped open with brute force.