Sand Through Fingers
Elbon moved silently through the dim camp, the smell of damp earth and moss clinging to the edges of his cloak. He entered his tent, and without looking around, gave a sharp, low whistle — a sound barely audible to most, but in it carried a command. From the shadows of a darkened corner, a figure emerged, shape flickering like smoke.
The shadow technique of the Blood Trace Pack.
The form never truly solidified but its head bowed in acknowledgment and to signify he, or she, was listening.
"Make contact with your Blood Trace brethren," Elbon said without turning. "Tell our Alpha that Star Fire Pack just saw Silver Moon wolves fighting at the border of the Lost Swamp. Alpha Amber will find out when we reach Star Fire."
The shadow bowed again, a near-perfect imitation of submission, then dissolved back into the dark like mist evaporating at sunrise. Elbon shivered slightly — it was unnerving how easily they erased all trace of themselves. Coordination, precision, and silence. Silver Moon was not just a pack; it was a machine, and he was a cog within it.
But he did not feel like just a cog. He felt like an integral part that would cause catastrophic failure if it were removed. He took pried in his part and he took pride in his Alpha, whether he answered to Marco or Stefan, he was the strongest werewolf he had ever known.
He sat in a dark corner of his tent thinking about his next part in the border patrols. Both he and Adonis had wolves on night watch but neither would sleep tonight. They prepared for war and, it would seem, that it was quite near their own borders already.
---
The next day, Adonis and Elbon rode steadily toward the village of Fire Spark. A small unit accompanied them, composed of wolves loyal to Amber and Stefan, there numbers equal for equal representation of the two pack leaders. The village sat at the edge of the swamp, with narrow paths winding through reeds and low trees. Smoke curled from chimneys, thin and tentative, suggesting a people barely surviving.
The villagers emerged as the wolves approached, eyes wary and tense. When they realized they were seeing brethren they all visibly relaxed. A man stepped forward and spoke, a slight tremble in his voice. "We sent word, "but no one came. They took our people…" He trailed off.
A woman was next. Her voice a bit shrill but calmer. "They took men, women and children. Just grabbed the first they saw. We fought, but we were no match for them… Omegas…" Her words dropped to a whisper as she shook her head, seemingly haunted by the experience.
Adonis's jaw tightened. "They may yet be alive. Show us what remains — anything. The smallest thing can help us pick up a scent."
Several torn scraps of clothing were gathered: a sleeve, a tattered cloak, and a small piece of leather, all reeking faintly of the Omegas who had raided them. Adonis sniffed, letting his senses layer the scents with those of his own pack. Two faint trails emerged from the village, diverging into the swamp's reeds.
Elbon did the same. His eyes darting in the two directions the scent trails laid in and then to Adonis.
"They split," Adonis said, eyes scanning. "We'll follow the larger one. Elbon, take the smaller. Keep in contact."
Elbon nodded, a flicker of his usual grin appearing. "Let's see how these Omegas fare against Steel and Shadow."
---
The swamp was thick and cloying, each step a small battle against reeds, mud, and the stench of decay. Adonis moved like a shadow, silent and precise, closing in on his prey. The first Omega spotted him, hissing, claws out, but Adonis was faster.
The fight was brutal and brief. He tore through the three leaders of this group of Omegas almost instantly, each one larger and more desperate than the last. Their throats torn and their eyes now vacant. He let one escape, severely injured and limping, ensuring the pack's reach would be remembered. His movements were calculated — strike, parry, strike again — until only silence remained, broken only by his own steady breathing. He stood still his focus narrowed. Blood dripped from his claws, fangs, and fur and his heart raced. He raised his muzzle to the sky and let out a Howl that caused the wolves with him to cower and lower their heads. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, allowing his blood to cool and his mind to clear.
Meanwhile, Elbon found his group. They were led by two larger Omegas. He struck at them first. They were tangled in a futile struggle near a shallow pool. Their snarl was sharp, anger mixed with fear. Elbon, already transformed, advanced, claws gleaming, fangs dripping saliva, a wide cruel snarl marring his face. The fight was sharp, precise, and in the end, only the water echoed the last breath of the defeated.
Elbom left none alive. His fur covered in blood and gone. He stood his full height reigning over a scene of visceral savagery. Blood slowly filled the pool and the dead bowed to his might, broken and un redeemable. He did not Howl but he shook violently, through all the viscera into the swamp around him. He slowly turned and made his way back to the villiage.
---
They both returned to Fire Spark cautiously. Adonis and Elbon kept vigilant, scanning for signs of missing wolves, potential traps, or any other interference. The village was left in the hands of loyal men, who would rebuild and help them recover, or at least try.
When they reached the Star Fire capital, White Haven, Amber awaited them. Calm, poised, and clearly unshaken by the news.
"So Marco lives?" she asked simply.
Adonis frowned. "Not necessarily. He does have a sibling. Jess could be holding Silver Moon together, or at least trying to. Survival does not always mean he lives unscathed."
Amber shook her head, eyes never leaving the two returning Betas. "Only a strategist like him could survive what Dark Howl did."
The room remained quiet for a moment, the weight of her words pressing on them like the swamp itself.
Her eyes then tasted up dangerously. "Rouges and vampires encroaching as if I were nothing. They fear neither me nor Stefan it would seem." As she spoke both her eyes and her voice made promises of danger, told stories of power untold. The wolves before her, with the exception of Adonis and Elbon shivered and lowered themselves. And even the Betas felt the effects of their Alpha's dominance manifest.
"It would seem we need to remind others exactly who Star Fire Pack is."
---
Meanwhile, miles away in the Silver Moon Stronghold, Marco received the reports sent through the network. Every detail, every observation, and every skirmish filtered into his mind. Moas stirred, a low rumble echoing from within his consciousness.
"It all unravels," Moas said, voice silky and dangerous, "and begins to slip through your fingers. How will you continue to hold this sand so tight?"
Marco's jaw tightened. The game was changing. Shadows and alliances shifted in ways no one outside Silver Moon could predict. He could feel the currents tugging at his carefully laid strategies, but a spark of amusement — or was it hunger? — lit in his chest.
The pieces were moving, and so was he. He never feared change, he adapted to it.