Chapter 42
As dawn began to break, I slipped out of my room in silence. My hood cast shadows over my face, and I avoided every hallway where someone might spot me. I wasn’t supposed to be out here, much less heading into the woods to hunt down a banshee. But I was done with being hidden away and told to sit still while others did the real work. Jeremiah was in another endless meeting, strategizing and talking. Meanwhile, people were dying.
Slipping past the distracted guards by the front entrance was easier than I thought; they were all caught up in discussions about defenses, eyes glued to the outer walls. The village was a storm of activity—everyone making frantic preparations for the next attack—but very few actually ready to face it.
Finally, I reached the edge of the woods. Just past the last line of trees, a group of people stood gathered, their breath clouding in the cool dawn air. When Adam spotted me, he grinned, waving me over.
“You made it,” he said, his eyes gleaming with something between amusement and relief. “I wasn’t sure you’d be able to sneak out.”
I shrugged, lowering my voice. “Honestly, I didn’t know if I’d make it either.”
Adam gave a quick laugh. “Figured it out who you were, you know.”
I sighed, pulling my hood lower. “Yeah, I kind of figured. Guess my disguise wasn’t that great.”
“Not great at all,” he teased, nudging me lightly. “But it was entertaining to watch you try.” His tone softened. “So, why the disguise anyway?”
I hesitated before answering. “I… I like it when people are themselves around me. When they don’t hold back or tiptoe around my ‘rank,’ or my connection to Jeremiah.”
Adam nodded, understanding. “Makes sense. You want some freedom, even if it’s just a bit of pretend. Maybe that’s why you like climbing trees so much?”
I rolled my eyes, grinning. “Hey, it’s peaceful up there. And a tree has never judged me.”
He chuckled, the sound warm and comforting. “Fair enough. I promise, I’ll be open with you—tree climbing and all.”
It felt easy talking to him, like I didn’t have to wear any masks or hide my worries. But when he asked about Jeremiah, I quickly shifted the topic, offering only, “It’s… complicated. Maybe one day I’ll explain.” And he didn’t press.
Soon, Jacob and Trevor started giving directions, and the group set off deeper into the woods. Jacob took the lead, focused and sharp, while the rest of us followed closely, our footsteps crunching against the leaves.
"Do we even know where we’re headed?” someone muttered. “These banshees could be anywhere.”
“They’ll come to us,” Jacob replied confidently. “They always do.”
The journey through the woods was tense and silent, broken only by the occasional snapping of twigs. After a while, we stopped for a quick rest. I leaned against a tree, finally lowering my hood. The cool morning air felt good on my face, but I didn’t miss the sudden, sharp intake of breath from George, one of the men in our group.
“What the—Luna?” he stammered, looking horrified.
A hush fell over the group. Murmurs broke out, and then George stepped forward, his eyes blazing. “Ever since you showed up, bad things have happened to our pack. Now you’re here, and we’re all going to die. Either the banshees or the Alpha himself will get us!”
“George, enough!” Jacob snapped, placing a hand on George’s arm. “She’s here now, and there’s no use arguing about it. We’ll protect her as best we can and pray we survive.”
Beside him, Lydia rolled her eyes. “Great, so we have to babysit the Luna now?”
“Calm down, everyone,” Anna interjected, giving Lydia a stern look. “Let’s focus on what we came here to do.”
But before anyone could respond, a shrill, bloodcurdling scream tore through the woods. My blood ran cold. We all froze, and then a split second later, the banshee moved through us like a shadow—a dark blur, faster than anything I’d ever seen.
“Lydia!” Trevor shouted, but it was too late. The creature snatched Lydia right from our midst. One moment she was there, the next she was gone, her screams fading as she was dragged deeper into the trees.
“Move!” Jacob ordered, drawing his sword. We all followed the sound of Lydia’s screams, pushing through thick branches and underbrush. But as we reached a small clearing, horror gripped my chest. Lydia’s severed hand lay on the ground, blood pooling around it.
The sight made me gag, and a few others turned away in shock. But the banshee’s eerie scream echoed again, urging us forward. Lydia’s voice was weaker now, but still there, calling for help.
“This way!” Adam shouted, charging forward, steel-tipped arrows in hand, their tips coated in poison. Trevor pulled out a large steel net, preparing for what might be our only chance.
When we reached Lydia, she was gone, lifeless on the ground. Her body lay separated from her head, blood soaking the forest floor. Trevor’s face twisted in fury, but Jacob put a hand on his shoulder.
“Stay focused,” he growled. “We’re here for a reason. That reason hasn’t changed.”
But then, the banshee was on us, moving in a blur. Adam was thrown back, his body slamming into a tree with a sickening thud, his arrows scattering across the ground. Trevor raised his sword, but the creature’s claws slashed across his leg, sending him stumbling to his knees.
Before I could blink, the banshee whipped around and lunged at me. I barely had time to raise my arms before it struck, knocking me to the ground. I hit the earth hard, the air forced from my lungs. I coughed, struggling to breathe as the creature loomed over me, its eyes hollow and its mouth twisted in a scream that never ended.
Maybe we had made a mistake, I thought, panic flaring. Maybe this was a suicide mission. But then, a memory jolted through me—the time I had saved that boy by screaming back. Could it work again? Or was it foolish?
Without thinking, I staggered to my feet, channeling my wolf’s energy. I felt my eyes change, my nails elongating into deadly claws. The banshee hissed, its gaze fixed on me, and I braced myself, hoping this gamble would pay off.
It charged, a frenzied blur of darkness, and I screamed. My claws slashed out as it came close, connecting with its leg, slicing through muscle and bone. Black blood poured from the wound as its leg severed, but the creature didn’t fall—it writhed on the ground, its face twisted in agony.
“Now!” I yelled, feeling a surge of triumph.
Adam rushed in, tossing the steel net over the creature’s torso, trapping it in place. The banshee writhed, its twisted face opening as if to scream, but Anna was quicker, shoving an iron ball into its mouth, muffling the sound.
Trevor, despite his bleeding leg, let out a strained laugh. “We… we did it!” he gasped, clutching his side. “We actually did it!”
I was still panting, covered in the creature’s black blood, my heart racing. Adam stumbled over to me, his face streaked with dirt and sweat, but his smile was unmistakable.
“You did it, Luna,” he said, his voice low but full of pride.
Anna raised an eyebrow at me "whatever that was ,whatever you did you just saved our asses"
My heart pounded as I took in the sight of our captured enemy, finally subdued. We had lost people, and we were battered, but the mission had been a success.
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