Chapter Three: Whispers in the Dark

The moon was full tonight, its silver light slipping through the cracks in the subway tunnels, casting eerie shadows along the stone walls. Alex leaned against a cold steel pillar in the den, his arms crossed as he watched the pack. They were restless. He could feel it in their movements, in the way their eyes darted toward one another like they were waiting for something anything to break the silence.

Kara approached him, her boots crunching softly on the dirt floor. She tossed him a bottle of water and leaned beside him, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd.

“They’re scared,” she said, her voice low enough that only Alex could hear.

“I know,” Alex replied, uncapping the bottle but not drinking. “Lucas’s speech didn’t help. He thinks he can just bark orders and make everyone fall in line, but it’s not working anymore.”

Kara snorted softly. “You think? Half the pack doesn’t trust him to lead us through a fight, let alone a war.” She paused, her gaze drifting toward a group of younger wolves huddled near the corner. “They trust you, though.”

Alex frowned, his stomach twisting. “I don’t want to undermine him.”

“You don’t have to. He’s doing a fine job of that himself.”

Before Alex could respond, a sharp whistle cut through the air. The sound came from Ethan, one of the younger wolves. He stood near the entrance to the den, his face pale and his chest heaving like he’d run a marathon.

“Something’s wrong,” Ethan said, his voice trembling. “I just came back from the east perimeter. There’s blood, fresh blood.”

The room went silent.

Alex’s body went rigid, his mind immediately shifting into high gear. “How far from the border?” he asked, already heading toward Ethan.

“Not far,” Ethan said. “A quarter mile, maybe less. It smells like… like one of ours.”

Kara was at Alex’s side in an instant. “We need to check it out. Now.”

Alex nodded. “Ethan, grab two others and cover the den. Nobody leaves until we’re back.”

Ethan hesitated, glancing nervously at the door to Lucas’s quarters. “Shouldn’t we tell”

“No time,” Alex interrupted. His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

Ethan nodded and hurried off, while Alex and Kara grabbed their gear. Within moments, they were slipping out of the den and into the maze of tunnels that led to the surface.

The city was quieter than usual, the streets bathed in an unnatural stillness that made Alex’s skin crawl. He and Kara moved quickly but cautiously, sticking to the shadows as they made their way toward the eastern edge of their territory.

The industrial district loomed ahead, its crumbling factories and rusted pipes creating a labyrinth of danger. Alex’s nose twitched as he caught the faint scent of blood.

“Smell that?” Kara asked, her voice tense.

“Yeah,” Alex said, his claws flexing at his sides. “Stay close.”

They moved deeper into the district, following the metallic tang of blood until they found it a dark smear across the concrete, leading toward an alley. Alex crouched beside it, his sharp eyes scanning the ground.

“It’s fresh,” he said. “Less than an hour old.”

Kara glanced around, her hand tightening on the crossbow strapped to her shoulder. “This feels like a trap.”

Alex nodded. “Probably is.” He stood, his body tense. “But we don’t have a choice. Let’s”

A low growl cut him off.

Alex and Kara spun around, their eyes locking onto a figure emerging from the shadows. It was a wolf, its body hunched and trembling, blood matting its fur. For a moment, Alex’s heart leaped until he realized the wolf’s scent was wrong.

It wasn’t one of theirs.

The rogue wolf bared its teeth, blood dripping from its muzzle. Alex’s heart pounded as he caught the faint scent of death lingering on its fur.

“It’s injured,” Kara whispered.

“Doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous,” Alex replied.

The rogue lunged without warning, its movements erratic and wild. Alex sidestepped the attack, slashing with his claws and catching the wolf across the side. It yelped but didn’t stop, spinning back toward him with a snarl.

Kara fired her crossbow, the bolt embedding itself in the rogue’s shoulder. The wolf staggered, its growls turning to whimpers as it collapsed to the ground.

Alex approached cautiously, his claws still extended. The rogue’s breathing was shallow, its eyes glassy.

“Something’s not right,” Kara said, crouching beside him.

Alex nodded, his nose wrinkling at the scent wafting off the rogue. It was rancid, almost sickly.

Before he could examine it further, the rogue let out a low, wheezing laugh. “You think… you’re safe?” it rasped, blood bubbling on its lips.

Alex’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

The rogue coughed, its body convulsing. “You’ll… all… burn.”

Its eyes rolled back, and it went still.

For a moment, the only sound was the faint hum of the city in the distance.

“What the hell was that?” Kara muttered, standing.

Alex didn’t answer. His mind was racing, piecing together the rogue’s words with the growing tension in the pack. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.

“Come on,” he said, his voice tight. “We need to get back to the den.”

Kara hesitated, glancing at the rogue’s lifeless body. “You don’t think this is”

“It is,” Alex interrupted. “A warning. And we need to figure out what’s coming before it’s too late.”