Alisha's POV
Under the veil of night, I stealthily trailed behind Joey, leaving the garden behind. He skillfully avoided the crowd, coming to a quiet clearing that faced a dark and terrifying forest. Although I was unfamiliar with this place, the eerie and dreadful atmosphere emanating from the forest confirmed its sinister reputation as the legendary Dark Forest.
I felt terrible scared to stay close to this ominous forest, and the air itself seemed to thicken with an overwhelming darkness. As I gazed at the foreboding forest from afar, it felt as if a heavy boulder pressed against my chest, making it difficult to breathe. My head pounded, and a dissonant ringing filled my ears. Clutching my wedding ring tightly, I sought strength from it, almost like a talisman. Surprisingly, my blurred vision began to clear, and the screams in my mind subsided, as if the ring itself held some mysterious power.
Joey hesitated in front of the Dark Forest, his eyes scanning the inky expanse of trees before him. He seemed torn between the allure of whatever lay within and the danger that lurked in the shadows. His demeanor wavered with uncertainty, before he finally stepped into its ominous depths. I couldn't believe my eyes. The Dark Forest was notorious for harboring the most terrifying and vicious rogues, so how could Joey dare venture in alone? What was his purpose in going there?
My curiosity battled with caution as I was watching him. I waited anxiously for Joey's return, but time stretched on, and there was no sign of him. Cold sweat started to trickle down my body, and a growing sense of unease gnawed at my soul. I knew I couldn't stay here any longer. My phone was left in the main hall, leaving me unable to contact Suzy and the others. I had to leave, but as I turned to depart, a foul-smelling gust of wind suddenly enveloped me.
My heart pounded in my chest as I raised my head, and there, at the edge of the shadowy forest, a pair of sinister eyes gleamed under the moonlight.
A shiver ran down my spine as I locked eyes with the mysterious figure. Fear coursed through my veins, and I felt the weight of danger closing in around me. Panic threatened to overwhelm my senses, but I clung to the flicker of strength that my wedding ring seemed to provide.
As the seconds stretched into eternity, the figure emerged from the darkness, revealing a hulking, man form. It was a rogue werewolf, marked by the cursed taint of the Dark Forest. His wild, unkempt fur stood on end, and his feral eyes bore into my soul, sending a chill down my spine.
I knew that encountering a rogue in the territory of Blood Dawn was a perilous situation.
My heart raced, and a shiver ran down my spine as I found myself locked in a chilling stare with those menacing eyes. Panic surged through me, and I took a step back, my mind racing with fear and uncertainty.
The rogue's presence sent waves of malevolence through the air, and I could feel an invisible force pulling at me, trying to lure me deeper into the dreaded forest. My instincts screamed at me to flee, but my body seemed frozen in place, trapped in the grip of terror.
"Today seems like a lucky day for me. Look what I have found, a cute lamb!" The almost half-naked rogue said with a disgusting grin. "Your intoxicating and captivating scent is stirring desires within me!" As the rogue licked his lips with his tongue, his words filled me with fear and dread.
Summoning the last ounce of strength within me, I turned and fled, my heart pounding in my chest. The rogue merely chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. "You think you can resist me, little lamb?" the rogue taunted, its voice dripping with malice.
Soon, a roar erupted from behind me. I glanced back and saw the rogue shifting into a gray wolf, leaping out of the forest with its cold teeth gleaming under the moonlight.
Before the moment that the savage wolf pounced on me, Archie's face flashed before my eyes. Archie, where are you?
Archie's POV
"Archie, hurry up! You're running late for the ceremony. It's not good to keep them waiting," my wolf urged me, excited and talkative after the intense battle.
I brushed off its nagging, "I'll be there soon. Just give me a moment."
But my wolf wouldn't relent. "Come on, move! Alisha and the others must have arrived. You should go and join them."
I grumbled, partly blaming my wolf for getting carried away during the fight. "It's all because you couldn't resist playing around, wasting time. Otherwise, we would have reached the venue by now."
"It's those weak rogues' fault; I haven't played with them for a long time. Hehe."
As we finally stepped into The Blood Dawn's grand banquet hall, the coronation ceremony was drawing to a close. My eyes darted around, searching for Alisha and the pack, but they were nowhere in sight. Worry began to creep into my heart.
Erma noticed my arrival and hurried over with concern, "Archie, are you alright? Did you get hurt? You should have let me stay with you. I..."
I impatiently cut her off, my mind preoccupied with thoughts of Alisha. "Have you seen Alisha?"
Erma's face briefly flashed with unease, then she replied, "No, I haven't seen her since I arrived."
A knot formed in my stomach. During the battle, I had blocked all mindlinks to prevent our enemies from distraction, but now I regretted my decision. Something didn't feel right. I immediately contacted Brad and Suzy through the mindlink. "Alpha, I'm sorry, but Luna is missing." Brad's words struck me like a punch to the gut. I crushed the glass in my hand.
Suzy tried to explain something, but I couldn't hear a word. The Dark Forest was dangerously close, and Alisha was too weak to seek help through the mindlink. Panic and guilt consumed me. What if something happened to her? Why did I bring her here without considering the dangers?
My wolf's urgent voice snapped me back to reality. "Hey, bro, your wedding ring!"
Of course! I had infused my power into the ring to protect Alisha from the Dark Forest's influence. It might help me find her now.
Closing my eyes, I focused on the bond with the ring, trying to sense Alisha's location through the ring. In the darkness, a delicate shade of pink caught my mind's eye—it was to the west of the Dark Forest! My heart raced, knowing it was a treacherous place. What would Alisha do there? I was ready to rush to her side.
Just then, several warriors barged in, their faces tense. "Alpha, the patrolling members spotted rogue activity to the west of the Dark Forest. They seem to have attacked other werewolves."
My blood turned cold. The realization hit me like a wave of ice.