The late afternoon sun hung low over the island, spilling warm orange light across the treetops as the day began its slow descent toward evening.
North of the castle grounds, past the old stables where the wooden fences had long since weathered into pale grey skeletons, the forest grew quieter. The noise of students preparing for the festival faded the farther one walked from the main grounds, replaced instead by the soft rustle of leaves and the distant murmur of wind moving through the branches.
Here, the island felt untouched.
Peaceful.
Hidden.
Luna rested along the thick branch of a leaning tree, one leg dangling lazily while the other remained hooked comfortably over the bark. Her back pressed against the trunk as she tilted her head slightly upward, watching patches of sunlight filter through the canopy above.
The sky beyond the leaves glowed in streaks of fading gold.
A few birds hopped between branches nearby, chirping softly as they fluttered from twig to twig. The gentle noise filled the quiet forest air in a way that made the place feel almost sleepy.
Luna exhaled slowly through her nose.
For once, the island felt calm.
No loud students.
No teachers.
No endless whispering about tonight's festivities.
Just the forest.
Just the quiet.
Her fingers idly traced along the bark behind her as she shifted slightly, letting the warmth of the branch settle beneath her back.
She liked places like this.
Away from everyone.
Away from the noise.
The birds continued their chatter for another few seconds.
Then suddenly—
Silence.
Every chirp stopped at once.
The forest went still.
Luna's eyes narrowed slightly.
…that's not good.
Her muscles tensed instinctively.
Before she could move—
A blur slammed into her.
The impact hit like a spear.
Abigail crashed into her from above, driving Luna off the branch as both of them tore through the leaves in a violent tangle of limbs and motion. Branches snapped around them as gravity took over, sending the pair crashing hard onto the forest floor below.
The ground rushed up fast.
They hit with a heavy thud.
Leaves exploded outward from the impact as Luna rolled once across the dirt before skidding to a stop. Her lungs emptied in a sharp breath as she pushed herself upright.
Across from her, Abigail had already flipped back onto her feet.
Balanced.
Controlled.
Not a trace of hesitation in her stance.
Luna rose slowly, brushing loose dirt from her sleeve as her eyes locked onto the girl standing several paces away.
"Well," Luna muttered, voice dry. "That was rude."
Abigail didn't respond.
The tension in the clearing thickened instantly.
Then Luna heard it.
Low.
Heavy.
A quiet growl rolling through the air behind her.
She glanced over her shoulder.
Two massive wolves stepped out from the trees.
Their presence filled the clearing in an instant.
The first was a towering grey beast, its coat thick and ash-colored as it moved silently across the dirt. Muscles rolled beneath its fur with every step, the creature easily the size of a small horse.
The second wolf followed closely behind.
This one carried darker coloring across its back, deep grey fading into brown along the spine before blending gradually into a lighter shade along its underside. Its eyes watched Luna with sharp, calculating focus as it circled slowly through the brush.
Luna studied them both for a moment.
Then she sighed.
"…right."
Her shoulders relaxed slightly.
Amber and Anissa.
The situation became clear almost instantly.
Abigail stood ahead of her.
Two dire wolves behind.
A perfect triangle.
Three against one.
Luna ran the numbers in her head.
Yeah, that's definitely a setup.
If she fought here, they'd overwhelm her eventually. Even if she managed to hurt one of them, the others would close in before she could finish the job.
And the fact that two of them were already in their wolf forms told her something important.
They were confident no one else was nearby.
Luna rolled her neck slowly, the tension draining from her posture as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket.
"So," she said casually, "what do you want?"
Abigail's eyes darkened slightly.
"If that's an offer," she replied coolly, "I wouldn't like anything more than for you to drop dead."
Luna's lips curled into a small smile.
"Wow."
She tilted her head slightly.
"I must've really pissed you off."
Abigail remained silent.
Luna's eyes flicked briefly toward the circling wolves before returning to Abigail.
She hummed thoughtfully.
"…let me guess."
A pause.
"Adam?"
The reaction was subtle.
But it was there.
Abigail's expression shifted just enough for Luna to see it.
That was all the confirmation she needed.
Luna chuckled quietly.
"Oh wow," she said under her breath. "It is about him."
Abigail stepped forward slightly.
"You're not seeing him tonight."
Luna blinked.
"…or else what?"
Abigail's voice dropped, cold and direct.
"Or we'll kill you."
For a moment the forest remained perfectly still.
Then Luna snorted softly.
"You'll try."
Her gaze drifted briefly toward the wolves again.
"I might not win this fight," she admitted calmly. "But that doesn't mean I can't run."
She tilted her head.
"And imagine how interesting that conversation would be if Adam found out you three were trying to kill me."
The wolves paused in their circling.
Abigail's jaw tightened.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Abigail asked quietly,
"What do you want with him?"
Her tone carried something sharper now.
Suspicion.
"Doesn't your mother want Adam dead?"
Luna shrugged lightly.
"My mother wants a lot of things."
Her eyes met Abigail's again.
"But what I want?" she added. "That's none of your business."
The dire wolves continued pacing slowly through the clearing, their massive bodies shifting between patches of fading sunlight.
Luna glanced between them thoughtfully.
"You know," she said casually, "this whole situation is kinda funny."
Abigail's gaze sharpened.
Luna gestured vaguely between the three sisters.
"I mean, first of all, I didn't even think you were into guys."
Amber's wolf ears twitched slightly.
"And second," Luna continued with a crooked grin, "I was pretty sure you three were racist."
Her eyes sparkled faintly with amusement.
"And yet here you are. Squabbling over the same guy."
Abigail's expression darkened.
Luna leaned forward slightly.
"But honestly?"
Her smile faded.
"I don't think this is about feelings."
Her gaze sharpened now.
"This is deeper than that."
The wolves stopped moving.
Luna studied Abigail carefully.
"You want something from him."
A pause.
Then Luna added quietly,
"You know about the blood, don't you?"
The reaction came instantly.
Small.
Controlled.
But unmistakable.
Abigail's silence told Luna everything she needed.
Luna chuckled under her breath.
"Wow," she muttered. "So that's it."
Her gaze drifted briefly toward the sky as the fading sun painted the treetops orange.
"I don't know how you thought this conversation was going to go," she said lightly. "But here's the deal."
Her eyes returned to Abigail.
"I honestly don't care what you try to do to Adam."
She shrugged.
"He's not a kid."
"He doesn't need babysitters."
The wolves shifted slightly.
"But tonight," Luna continued calmly, "I'm making sure he survives."
Her voice remained steady.
"Without his life getting any worse than it already is."
The air between them grew tight.
"And if you or your sisters try to interfere…"
Luna's eyes narrowed.
"…then I'll make sure Adam hears about whatever little plan you're cooking up."
She tilted her head slightly.
"I'll figure it out eventually."
The words hung in the clearing.
Then Luna straightened.
"So before that happens…"
She brushed a bit of dirt from her sleeve.
"…I suggest you three fuck off."
The silence that followed was razor thin.
Abigail's mind raced.
The situation had shifted.
She'd expected resistance.
She hadn't expected Luna to see through things so quickly.
Pushing further right now would be dangerous.
Too risky.
For a long moment neither of them moved.
Then Luna stepped forward.
She walked past Abigail without slowing.
As if the confrontation had already ended.
Halfway through the clearing she called back over her shoulder.
"Glad we could agree on a ceasefire."
A small pause.
"For now."
The sound of her footsteps faded into the trees.
Behind her, Abigail remained standing in the clearing.
Perfectly still.
From the outside, she looked calm.
Unbothered.
But inside her mind burned with furious images.
Violent.
Vivid.
Every possible way she could tear Luna apart.
Every brutal outcome she could imagine.
But none of it showed on her face.
Not yet.
The smart move was restraint.
For now.
The last light of the sun slipped lower behind the treetops.
Shadows stretched longer across the forest floor.
And slowly…
Night began to arrive.