Alex swung open the door, curiosity tugging at him. To his surprise, a familiar trio stood on the doorstep."Yo, Ms. Laurel! Max, Abby, what's good?" Ray poked his head out, grinning as he stepped inside. Alex, meanwhile, slipped upstairs to grab his bag.
The group returned Ray's greeting, but he squirmed under the piercing stare of Ms. Laurel, Alex's aunt and their high school principal. She was kind at heart, but her strict side? Terrifying. Ray never knew which version he'd get: the warm aunt or the iron-fisted disciplinarian. Today, her gaze felt like it could bore through steel, and his shoulders tensed instinctively. Then his eyes landed on the table in front of Max.
A plate of scrambled eggs, sprinkled with diced tomatoes and onions, sat beside perfectly toasted milk bread. Ray's mouth watered; it was his kryptonite. His unease vanished, replaced by a spark of mischief.
"Max, my man, you mind?" Ray asked, already reaching for the plate. Max shrugged, but before Ray could grab a bite, Alex reappeared, snagging his wrist and steering him toward the door. "Got my stuff. Let's roll," Alex said, his tone leaving no room for argument. Ray's heart sank as the heavenly aroma faded behind him. He threw a pleading glance at the food, then at Alex, whose raised eyebrow shut down any hope.
"Fine," Ray muttered, clutching his chest dramatically as if the loss of breakfast was a mortal wound. "Let's go. "As they reached the door, Ms. Laurel's voice cut through the air like a whip. "Raymond." Ray froze, his neck shrinking. "Have a good day." Her tone softened, but it didn't stop his heart from racing. He nodded, mumbled a reply, and dragged Alex outside.
"Man, your aunt's stare could make a grizzly run," Ray whispered, shaking off the nerves. Vroom! Vroom! Two sleek power bikes roared into the parking lot of Star Field High School, one jet-black, the other a deep, matte blue with black accents. Alex dismounted his black bike with a smug grin, tossing his helmet aside. Ray, climbing off his blue one, rolled his eyes.
"Guess I'm just better," Alex teased, leaning against his bike. "What's your excuse this time? "Ray smirked, undeterred. "The universe felt bad for you, man. Had to let you win one." Their daily race from Alex's house to school was Ray's real reason for showing up that morning, and losing stung just a little.
The duo strolled toward the school, weaving through the flood of students pouring into Star Field High, a sprawling campus that could house every teen in the city. They climbed the steps, scanning for friends and ignoring the stares that followed them. As the school's resident troublemakers, Alex and Ray were used to the attention—detentions and wild stories had made them legends. "Fame's growing, Ray," Alex said, smirking as heads turned.
"All thanks to the free PR from detention," Ray quipped, mimicking a teacher's scolding tone. They laughed, but the sound faded as they pushed through the front doors, met with a wave of curious and wary glances. At their lockers, they grabbed books for first period. Ray slammed his shut and turned to Alex, his tone shifting.
"Yo, about last night… how's your hand? Did you see what bit you? "Alex paused, his fingers brushing the bandage hidden under his leather jacket sleeve. His mind flickered back to the previous night.
It was a blur a deafening roar, the ground trembling, and then searing pain as something sank its teeth into his arm. He and Ray had been out in the woods, probably somewhere they shouldn't have been, when it happened.
They'd bolted, but the next thing Alex knew, he was on the ground, out cold. The creature? Gone before he could see it clearly. His eyes sharpened as a realization hit.
"I think… it was a wolf," he said, voice low. "But not a normal one."
Ray's brow furrowed. "You're sure?"
Alex opened his mouth, but stopped.
A sharp static pressure bloomed behind his eyes. Like last time.
❖ [System Alert]
❖ [Instinct Spike Detected]
❖ [Host In Conflict]
❖ [Monitoring… Mutation: 4%]
The words flared into view—black text burned into red static—then vanished just as fast.
He staggered slightly.
Ray caught his arm. "You good?"
Alex blinked. "Yeah. Just… dizzy. Didn't eat much."
He forced a grin, brushing it off, but inside?
He wasn't sure what was worse: the bite, or the thing inside him watching it.
The bell rang, cutting the moment short.
-------------
12 Hours Earlier.
Star Field City gleamed with modern skyscrapers, but beyond its edges lay dense forests, thick with secrets. These woods were a haven for hunters and a reserve for exotic game, drawing thrill-seekers from far and wide. But tonight, something far darker stirred. In the heart of the forest, shadows darted between trees, moving with unnatural speed. The wind howled, twigs snapped, and the ground quivered under the weight of their passage. A pack of werewolves—fifteen strong, fierce, and merciless—sprinted through the dusk.
The Calamity Blood Wolf Pack had arrived in Star Field, driven by a single, ruthless goal: to claim the Wolf's Legacy, a source of ancient power, by slaying the Primordial Alpha Wolf. Unlike other packs, the Calamity Blood Pack had no betas, weakness wasn't tolerated.
Each member was an alpha, hardened by years of hunting their own kind to amass power. They'd bided their time, letting other packs and hunters weaken the Primordial Alpha through relentless attacks. Now, with their target battered and vulnerable, they were ready to strike at sunset and seize the Legacy's strength for themselves.
Meanwhile, in Star Field City, the Shadow Moon Pack's leader received urgent news. "The Calamity Blood Pack is here?" he growled, pacing in his dimly lit den. His beta nodded grimly. The leader's fists clenched, a chill crawling down his spine. He'd hoped the Calamity Blood Pack would stay away, deterred by the risks. He was wrong. They'd waited, letting others bleed and die to soften the Primordial Alpha.
Now, they were swooping in for the kill. The Shadow Moon leader's mind raced. The Wolf's Legacy rumoured to grant unmatched strength and dominance was too tempting to abandon. His pack wasn't as fierce as the Calamity Blood Pack, but he had allies, and he wasn't backing down. His eyes glowed red as he turned to his beta.
"Call an emergency meeting with the other pack leaders. We move tonight. No one takes the Legacy from us.
"The beta hesitated, then nodded and vanished to carry out the order. "I've sacrificed too much to lose now," the leader murmured, staring into the shadows. The hunt was on, and Star Field was about to become a battleground.