By the time the sun began to rise the next morning, the island of Grai was no longer in sight. Behind them was just a vast area of sea, covered in morning fog. They’ve been travelling for around ten hours now and everyone was exhausted. Thankfully, it wasn’t that long until another form of civilisation came into view.

Yongguk couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the outline of a small island ahead. After an hour or so, they could finally get out of this boat and get a proper rest. They had another long journey ahead of them and they needed all the energy to make it through the day.

Of course, things wouldn’t be so simple. As soon as the reached the shore, they were greeted by a group of bandits, demanding to take their boat and every of their belongings. Fortunately, they had Youngjae in their group. That guy was brilliant when it came to negotiating with people. After a long discussion and a few arguments, they’ve come into an agreement.

The bandits agreed not to let the pack go empty-handed, just as long as they got to take the boat and the new PlayStation 5. Youngjae easily said yes to the suggestion. The game console was just a prototype and wasn’t even functioning properly yet. It’s got a lot of kinks that needed to be fixed but the bandits didn’t have to know that. Besides, they didn’t really need the boat anymore, not now anyway. They could always get a new one when the time comes.

“Where’s the nearest town?” Youngjae asked one of the robbers as they rummaged through the boat like some uncivilised men.

“Nearest town?” a tall guy with uneven eyebrows snorted, “By feet, it’s going to take you at least a day to get there. And you have to go through the forest.”

“That wouldn’t be a problem at all, thank you.”

“Well, good luck with that because that, my friend, is no ordinary forest?”

“What do you mean?” it was Yongguk asking this time.

“That’s the Dark Forest, where many unknown creatures lingered. So far, nobody had come out of it alive.”

With that, the group of bandits started the engine of the boat and left with a hearty laugh. They seemed absolutely satisfied with their haul today. Well, let’s just say that their celebration wouldn’t last that very long. Not only they got a faulty gadget, but they might also need to refuel the boat if they wanted to reach wherever their destination was.

After a couple more minutes observing the group of fools on the boat, Yongguk turned around to face the others. Everyone’s eyes were on him, taking him aback slightly. He knew that he needed to make a decision fast. If the bandits were telling the truth, they needed to come up with a good plan. Staying at the shore wouldn’t be a good idea, especially when they’re lacking of resources.

Yongguk dragged Himchan, Daehyun and Youngjae aside, three other aspiring guards, to brainstorm ideas. None of them thought going through the forest was a good idea. The latter suggested they just walk along the shore but there wasn’t any guarantee that they would meet any civilisation either.

Everyone’s exhausted and famished, having stayed al night to guard with little time to sleep or fill their stomachs. They needed to find shelter as soon as possible but they’re running out of good ideas. This was a foreign land to all of them. Not knowing anything about the place was both scary and frustrating at the same time.

“Let’s just go to the forest,” the crown prince spoke up, interrupting their meeting.

And Himchan was quick to disagree, “No, your highness, it’s too dangerous. Didn’t you hear what they said? Who knew what kinds of creatures are lurking around in there? We can’t take the risk, we promised the king and queen that we’d protect you.”

“But wouldn’t it give us a higher chance to find the white wolf?” Junhong countered, earning thoughtful looks from the others, “Maybe it’s lurking somewhere in there, or maybe the other creatures could help us find it. Youngjae hyung, you’re a great negotiator, I’m sure you could work something out, right?”

“I- I suppose so,” Youngjae found himself nodding, unable to say no to his crown prince.

The atmosphere turned quiet again, everyone’s attention now back on Yongguk, the leader of the pack. Although Junhong possessed the highest rank among them, Yongguk was the alpha of the pack. He wasn’t just the oldest, but he was also the strongest and wisest. Despite that, however, he never let his superiority cloud his mind. An alpha or not, his job is to protect the crown prince and obey to every of his command, and that’s exactly what he’s going to do.

They’re going through the forest, whether they liked it or not. They had to. For now, that seemed to be the better option if they wanted to find shelter soon. Besides, he believed in his pack. They were strong, agile and smart. Together, they could beat anyone or anything even if they had to use all their energy. This was their job, what they were trained to do since they were kids – to fight and to protect. And they performed the best when they’re together, like today.

“Stay alert at all times, guys! We don’t know what’s in there,” he reminded the others, “Daehyun, you stay with me at the front. Himchan and Youngjae, you guys keep a lookout at the back, make sure nobody’s following or stalking us. And young master Jongup, stay by your cousin’s side, the crown prince should not be left alone no matter what. Stay inside the a pack at all times, understood?”

“Yes, sir!” they all chorused, pulling the straps of their bags tighter on their shoulders, ready for their new adventure.

From outside, it seemed like any other forests back in Grai, but once they stepped into the forest, they could immediately feel something was a bit off. The atmosphere wasn’t as serene and there’s just this heavy feeling floating in the air as they walked along. It almost felt like something was watching their every move and ready to attack them.

“Stay close!” the alpha warned them quietly, sensing danger nearby.

Fortunately for them, their journey was rather smooth so far, without any disruptions at all. But that’s what made everyone more nervous. It all seemed too good to be true, so they kept their guards up all the time. They knew deep down that they would get into trouble somehow. It’s just a matter of time.

Halfway through, Yongguk decided to take a short break. There was a stream nearby where there rested for a bit. Daehyun helped Youngjae refilled their bottles for their remaining journey, while Yongguk and Himchan sat by the big rock just a few feet away as they immersed themselves in a discussion. Jongup, on the other hand, stayed by his cousin’s side as per instructed.

“How are you feeling?” the crown prince asked his cousin.

“I- I’m feeling fine, your highness,” the older male replied with a stutter, caught slightly off-guard by the question.

“You and mother are close, I’m sure you were just as shocked as I was.”

“Of course, I was. She’s like a mother to me.”

“Do you think she’s going to be okay?”

A deep sigh escaped Jongup’s lips then. To be honest, he didn’t really know what to say to his cousin. So much had happened over the short period of time and the boy was already distressed enough. He was afraid that his words would only affect the boy even more. Besides, he, himself, wasn’t so sure if his aunt would be all right.

The queen’s wound was quite deep. And he could have sworn that he smelled silver on her. Even with their healing abilities, it would be quite difficult to fight the poison once it’s in the bloodstream. For his and Junhong’s sake, however, he chose to be optimistic. At times like this, they needed to be strong for each other. They’re family after all.

“Aren’t you forgetting something, your highness?” Jongup replied with a smile, elbowing the younger male slightly, “She’s a Moon. We’re one of the strongest wolves out there.”

The crown prince took in his words for a moment before shaking his head and chuckled, “You’re right. She’s a Moon, indeed. She’s a warrior!”

“Now that’s the spirit!”

For a brief moment, the two cousins managed to push all their problems aside and laughed to their hearts’ content. From a distance, Yongguk could not help but smile at the heartwarming sight. He was so worried about the two, they both had gone through a lot for the past twenty-four hours. But now he’s glad that they’re coping with it just fine. As the alpha, he vowed to keep those smiles on their faces.

After five minutes or so, they’re back on their feet again, resuming their journey. Youngjae joined the alpha leading the pack, while Daehyun took his spot at the back with Himchan. Junhong seemed to be more alive now that he has regained his confidence and helped Jongup study their surroundings as they went. And if it weren’t for his sharp eyes, Yongguk would’ve already been dead by now.

“Watch out!” he screamed.

The sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the forest at the same time Junhong jumped over and pushed the alpha to the ground. Thankfully, nobody’s hurt. Then came the rustling of leaves and from the bushes, appeared a group of men, strapped in various kinds of weapons – guns of different sizes, hand grenades, bows and arrows, and even garlic powders and crosses. Hunters. And from the looks of it, they’re not just hunting one but many creatures. The bandits were right after all.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here,” a man with an eye-patch chortled as he walked around the pack, studying them.

“We meant no harm. We’re just passing by, please let us through,” Yongguk tried to explain.

“Wow, I’m impressed,” the man replied with a mocking tone, “My first time encountering a werewolf and he’s very polite. Tell me, are all the werewolves a sissy like you? Or did all of them die because they’re too weak to fight?”

With that, the man and his minions burst into laughter, seemingly entertained by the lame joke. Youngjae, being rather hot-tempered, was about to step forward and punch the man in the face but Yongguk blocked him. Not that he wasn’t confident with the young wolf’s abilities though. In fact, that’s what he’s more concerned about.

Despite being one of the youngest, Youngjae’s very strong and definitely skilled. The guy could kill any living thing with a simple flick of his wrists, especially when he’s mad. In a way, Yongguk was doing the hunters a favour. But he also didn’t want to create a scene. Who knew how many others were roaming around? Sure, they could’ve taken them down easily but that would only create a bigger problem if the other hunters – if there’s more – came looking for them.

They had one purpose and one purpose only, and that was to find the white wolf, not to start a war with the hunters. The king already had so much on his shoulders at the moment, and Yongguk wouldn’t let another problem burden his king. That’s the least he could do to repay everything that the man had done for him after all these years.

“Seems like they’re not just weak but scaredy-cats too, boss,” another hunter snorted, provoking the fuming Youngjae even more.

Much to everyone’s surprise, it wasn’t the negotiator that made a move first. It was Junhong. The boy just couldn’t stand hearing those people insult his kind any longer and leaped forward to transform into his wolf. His aim was precise as his teeth sank into the hunter’s throat and tore his head off, killing the man immediately. A shocked gasp could be heard from the other hunters and all hell then broke loose.

Everything went by too fast and within a minute, dead bodies were all over the ground, bloods splattered everywhere, painting the woods red. Yongguk transformed back into his human form and commanded the others to do the same. The crown prince was the last one to change and he was panting heavily by then, still fuming in anger. Never in his entire life had he ever felt so angry before.

Yongguk was quite disappointed by the teenager’s careless action but he couldn’t really get mad at him. He wouldn’t dare to. Although he’s the alpha, Junhong was still the crown prince, their future king. Himchan thought otherwise, though. Because the next thing everyone knew, the crown prince was tackled to the ground, with the older male on top of him, yelling like there was no tomorrow.

“What the were you thinking?! You could’ve got us ing killed! What if there were more of them? What if they wanted to avenge their friend’s deaths? What if they killed us before we even get to find the white wolf?”

“Himchan hyung, calm down,” Youngjae said carefully, pulling the angry male off of the baffled boy, “He’s still the crown prince, you need to remember that.”

“Crown prince or not, that was a stupid move!”

Jongup ran towards his cousin and helped him to get up, rubbing his back slightly so as to comfort him. The boy must’ve been so shocked, nobody had ever lashed out at him like that before. Not even the king and queen. Rather than being angry, however, Junhong felt guilty. He knew he had acted so suddenly and rashly. Himchan was right, he could’ve got all of them killed.

“I’m so-”

The crown prince couldn’t even finish his sentence as he fell to the ground, face first. His vision became blurry and he could feel a numbing pain in his chest. He didn’t know what happened but from the panicked murmurs of the others, something must’ve hit him. It could be a bullet, or an arrow, he wasn’t sure. One thing for sure, there was silver, he could just feel it in his blood. Before he could dwell on the possibilities any further, his world suddenly turned pitch black.

Author's Note

Hello, new subbers! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! :D Feel free to leave your comments below. I welcome constructive criticism but please, be respectful when you do so. :)

Love, A.

Poster and Background by: ＣＨＩＮＧ Ａ ＬＩＮＧ