An enslaved pack ruled by a merciless dictator. A pack of assassins out for blood and revenge.
A lone wolf who can't find his place among any of it.
Through betrayal, binding pacts, and revolutionary acts, with more shadows looming between the tree...
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The lights of the town were bright in the main center, though the closer to the hiking trails and desolate neighborhoods, the fewer the lamps. The young journalist wandered from a crowded bar and wrote quick notes until her light ran out. Brit cursed the small town and balanced her phone precariously on the notebook to try to continue. She dropped one of the earbuds away from her ear as she moved further out of the main town and back towards the dingy motel across from the trailhead into the dense wood.
The woods were quiet and lonesome as she walked. The rising full moon offered only fractured light, enough to keep her from the darkness, though not nearly enough to light her way. There wasn't a single sound as a corner-of-your-eye presence came from behind and a hand landed on her shoulder.
Brit jumped and spun, one of her hands grabbing a wrist and twisting on instinct. Her notebook landed on the ground with a thud as her grip transferred.
"It's just me!" The man met her gaze with wide eyes, his free hand coming up in surrender. "I didn't mean to scare you, honest."
Brit released him and pulled the earbud out as she tucked her phone away. "Sorry, Aaron," she murmured. "You shouldn't sneak up on a woman at night." With a shake of her head she bent over for her notebook.
"I wasn't sneaking," he said in a murmur and bowed for her notebook, snatching it up first. When he stood straight, he held it out to her with a slanted smirk. "Apparently, you're completely capable of protecting yourself anyway."
Brit rolled her eyes and snatched it back with a short laugh. "You're lucky my pepper spray is in my bag," she said.
"Yes I am!" Aaron laughed warmly and tucked his hands into his sweater pockets. "So what are you working on? Is there something new and terrifying lurking in the woods at night?" He came around to her side and peered into the trees mockingly.
Brit watched after him and shook her head. She used her phone to light up her page again. "The same story as before," she said. "Don't tell anyone else, but I started looking into some missing persons as well. Bodies haven't turned up yet, but you never know."
Aaron looked over her paper, quickly scanning what she had. "Interesting," he said. "Sounds dangerous though. Should you be going at it alone?"
Brit lifted her shoulders and let it flip closed. "It's my first piece that isn't fluff." Her nose wrinkled at her words. "I even did an article on a bunny once. I was hoping for something less small town, but still."
"Well you definitely chose an interesting town to move to if you're looking for big stories," Aaron mused. "It sounds like this one could get some really good reads, though." He turned his gaze away and looked up to whatever fragments of the sky were visible. The moon was slowly making it's climb, a little more visible now.
"Well, the moment this story falls short, I'm going back to my flat in the city." Brit tucked her notebook into her bag and looked back to him. "Good to see you again, but I've an early start tomorrow." She took a step away with an easy smile.
