Moonbound Vows

Naomi

There was something wrong with the town of Black Hollow. Even before I drove past the battered welcome sign-Black Hollow: Where History Lives-I felt it. A sensation like icy fingers trailing down my spine, warning me to turn back. But I couldn't.

Not when Jonas's face haunted my every waking moment.

A month ago, my brother's mysterious phone conversation had been enough to send me into a tailspin of insomnia. "Don't come looking for me, Naomi," he had pleaded in a strained, frantic voice, "it's safer this way." Safer? Safer for who? The brother I'd practically raised after our parents died wouldn't vanish without reason. Furthermore, I knew Jonas too well to think he would abandon me unless he was compelled to do so by someone or something.

I had come onto this peculiar, foggy town nestled in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains as a result of my hunt. Black Hollow was remote and obscure, as though the world had forgotten it was there. And I couldn't help but wonder whether it was intentional as my car rumbled along the rutted, rain-slicked road that headed into town.

The stillness was the first thing I noticed. No crickets chirping, no leaves rustling, no distant traffic hum. The town square appeared to be stuck in a bygone period, with its cobblestone lanes and Victorian-style buildings. Shadows gathered in the alleys like ink, and a few straggling streetlamps provided weak light against the encroaching fog.

I parked outside the only establishment with signs of life: The Iron Fang. The inn's weathered façade loomed over the street, its windows glowing faintly like watchful eyes. With a deep breath, I stepped inside.

A woman in her late forties, with greying hair pulled back in a loose braid and hands worn from years of hard work, stood behind the counter, her sharp gaze piercing the dim light.

"You're not from around here," she said, her voice flat but wary.

"No, I'm not." I forced a smile in an attempt to reassure her. "I'm just passing through. Naomi Saylor."

The air was heavy with the smell of woodsmoke and something metallic that I couldn't place.

Her eyes flicked to the silver wolf pendant resting against my collarbone, and her expression tightened. "Room six," she said abruptly, sliding a rusted key across the counter. "Don't wander after dark."

"Why not?" I asked though the answer seemed obvious.

As though anticipating something-or someone-she paused, her eyes leaping to the window. "At night, the woods aren't safe."

She turned away before I could ask her for more information, so I had to go up the creaking stairs to my room.

The narrow walls did little to block out the occasional mumble from downstairs, and the bed was rough. But I wasn't awake because I wasn't comfortable. It was the burden of unresolved issues and the intensifying feeling that I was being observed.

Clutching the pendant Jonas had given me on my 21st birthday, I lay in the dark. He had done it to reassure me that we would always be there to defend one another. It now served more as a reminder of how miserably I had let him down.

Abruptly, there was a faint tapping sound, like nails on glass. As I sat up and strained to listen, my heart leapt. The tapping increased in volume and intensity.

I slipped over to the window and looked into the darkness below, my breath hazing the glass. I initially only observed the moving mist. Then there was motion-shadows creeping between the trees on the outskirts of town.

My pulse quickened. I grabbed my coat and slipped out of the room, careful to avoid the innkeeper's watchful eye.

Ahead, the forest towered, its trees acting as skeletal sentinels, protecting secrets that no one dared to reveal. The air became heavier and colder as I passed the tree line. My skin felt warm against the pendant around my neck, which seemed to be pushing me on.

"Jonas?" My voice could hardly be heard above my own breathing as I spoke.

The crunch of leaves beneath the feet was the only sound to break the eerie silence. Then there was a sound, too near, guttural, low.

I went cold.

Something moved behind the shadows with predatory grace, its steps soundless against the forest floor. A figure emerged, and my breath caught in my throat.

He was a man, or at least he appeared to be: his dark hair framed sharp, angular features and his amber eyes glowed with an unnatural light.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low and rough, like gravel over silk.

"I-" My words faltered under the weight of his piercing gaze. "I'm looking for my brother. He's missing.

His expression hardened. "You shouldn't have come."

"Why not?" I demanded, my fear giving way to anger.

"Because this place will destroy you."

Before I could respond, a harsh, primordial howl reverberated through the trees. The man altered his posture, his body coiling like a spring about to break, and his head snapped toward the sound.

"Run," he said, his voice sharp with urgency.

"What?"

"RUN!"

Before I could even react, a hideous figure with ember-like red eyes sprang from the darkness. The man shoved me aside, his body contorting in midair as he struck the beast.

My breath left my lungs as I struck the ground hard. I stumbled to my feet and looked back in time to see him change. He changed from being a man to a huge wolf, his dark fur glaring as he sank his teeth into the creature.

My feet wouldn't move, despite my instincts screaming at me to flee. A haze of claws and fangs, snarls and yelps, the battle was vicious. The fallen leaves were stained by the blood that splashed against the tree trunks.

A strangled cry ripped through the air as the larger wolf finally buried its teeth into the other's neck.

"Stop!" I screamed, with a harsh and desperate sound.

Both wolves froze, their glowing eyes locking onto me. The larger one released its hold, and the smaller wolf-my rescuer collapsed to the ground, his form shifting back to human.

Blood oozed from a gash on his shoulder, causing his chest to rise and fall in weak gasps. With a thumping heart, I tentatively stepped forward.

"Don't-" He hardly raised his voice above a whisper. "You're not supposed to be here."

Before I could respond, the other wolf snarled, its body coiling as it prepared to lunge.

I didn't think. I ran.

The sound of pursuit was close behind me as I ripped into the jungle, branches tearing at my arms and face. Even though my legs were shaking from tiredness and my lungs were burning, I continued till I crossed the tree line.

The mist curled around the buildings like a living creature, and the town was eerily quiet. Gasping for breath, I staggered to a stop.

The shadows moved behind me. The man-the wolf-came out, his face and torso streaked with blood. As he approached, his amber eyes blazed, his face displaying a mixture of rage and something much more sinister.

"You've witnessed too much," he stated in a stern and icy tone. I backed off a little unsteadily. "I-"

"Now," he interrupted, his gaze locking onto mine, "you're mine."

A sudden, blinding light erupts from the pendant around Naomi's neck as she takes in his terrifying words. As he reaches for it, the man's face changes from one of fury to one of disbelief, and she hears a single word that chills her:

"Impossible."