Moonrise: A Close Escape (Book 1)

Prologue

          Dark clouds shrouded the sunlight, blackening the forest below. The air felt wet and damp. A storm was coming. Leaf gathered her last few herbs, counting each one, making sure she had not lost any. The brown she-wolf wrapped them in a bundle using some loose tree root. Summoning all the strength she had left, Leaf bounded into her den. A single drop of water plummeted onto the tip of her nose. The pack had retreated into the caves, leaving dust flying through the camp. Leaf nestled into some the soaked moss, wincing as a long thorn impaled her skin. But she did not care. She could heal it in the morning. Exhausted, she fell into a deep sleep.

        Something prodded her awake. Leaf grumbled in annoyance, ignoring whatever was jabbing her. "Leave me alone, Nightfall!" Leaf growled. She was jabbed again. This time, Leaf leaped into the air eyes still closed, snapping at whatever was there. But her jaws caught on nothing, and Leaf fell the the ground with a thump. The old brown she-wolf hissed, and opened her eyes at last. Bright rays of light entered her skull. She turned her head away, blinking several times to ease the pain, but it only worsened.

          There was also something, standing mid-air, which Leaf had to strain her eyes to see. A wolf. His eyes were glowing purple, with gray spiky fur. The wolf's face had scars, two running down from his left brow down to his neck. Leaf shrunk back in fear, her fur standing on the end. Her paws were trembling, long rusty claws extended.

"Wh-who are you?"

            The wolf was silent. His eyes were absorbing her into an endless tornado. His pelt was drifting with the strong winds. His pelt stuck out like pine needles. Suddenly, freezing water bit her face. Waves crashed ahead. She could taste the salt in her tongue. And as soft as a whisper, yet as loud as an echo in the canyons, he spoke;

"When the stars fade away, drowned by the creeks. The moon must find the truth, or the night will not be saved"