The Curse of the Blood Red Moon - Third place winner: paranormalnovelist

The Prophecy Challenge - Day 2 from Werewolf Week 2022

Lily McFray had heard stories about a pack of wolves that lost their lives in the battle for their territory, it was part of their history after all. But through hearing the story about a mysterious power killing off the wolf pack, she couldn't help but wish she could help them. As a young pup, she was one of those who were different from the rest of them. Despite her being the next Alpha she didn't quite fear the story as most wolves think she did. It was the Anniversary of the destruction of the Forest pack. So she wouldn't be surprised that their ancestors would come back to seek revenge. She sat in her family's library, covered in dust and webs reading through the prophecy yet again. Her red hair fell just over her green eyes and she pushed it out of the way.

A Full red moon, whispers in the forest, mysterious fogs? What else could happen? She thought. The doors to the library creaked open forcing her to look up from the book that was set in front of her. Standing at the door she saw the outline of a figure slightly taller than her and making its way toward her. Her breath caught expecting it to be some sort of ghost. The figure stepped into the light and she let go of the breath she held in.

"Conner! What in the world?!" Lily exclaims. "You scared me!"

"Lily? Are you looking at the prophecy again?" Conner asks.

"Now that you asked, yes, I am indeed." Lily responded. "What's it to you?"

"Whoa slow down there slugger." Conner laughed, his blue eyes sparkled with innocence. "I only came to check up on you, you've been going through all these books that it's not funny." Unlike most wolves Conner and Lily were inseparable, they had been close for a very long time it wouldn't have surprised her that they would become a couple at some point able to lead the pack as Alpha male and female. She loved his personality and how his dark brown almost black hair was so smooth even in his wolf form his hair couldn't have lost its spring. "I also came to see if you wanted to walk with me."

"Aren't you afraid that the stories would become a reality?" Lily questioned.

"Nah, that's what they are, stories, now come on before I change my mind." Conner turned and left the room giving Lily a chance to put her books away.

***

Conner and Lily began walking through the forest, but Lily couldn't help but feel something was going to happen. It became hard to explain considering she tried to ignore the feeling that seemed to want to claw its way through her throat. The wolf inside her was ready to pounce in case something happened.

"They're coming." A voice suddenly whispered through the gentle breeze. Lily paused and looked around her stomach dropped. "Don't let it happen again!"

"Did you hear that Conner?" Lily questioned her heart thumping in her chest.

"Hear what?" Conner asked.

"Don't trust him, don't trust anyone but yourself!" Lily screamed and jumped back which at the time was the wrong thing to show. As an upcoming alpha she couldn't show fear but that was hard to do especially when it came to situations like this. She narrowed her eyes toward her buddy but pushed the thought aside. No way was she thinking that her soon to be husband was behind everything. Pushing the thoughts aside, she and Conner continued on in their morning walk. However, the more she thought about the curse the more it started to become more prominent. Panic settled in and she had to choke back her fear, suddenly the fresh smell of death erupted in her super senses and she had a hard time focusing.

"What the heck is that smell?!" Lily exclaimed. "It smells like death!"

"That would most likely be the dead birds that are lying all over the forest." Conner responded. Sure enough crows were surrounding the forest ground, some that had been dead for a long time while others were twitching fiercely before going limp. "Tell me you aren't freaked out by the dead birds?" Lily glanced at Conner for a long while, his brows crinkled as if he were reading her and her movements.

"How are you not freaking out?" Lily questioned. "I mean dead birds Conner! I know we're supposed to be strong and brave like most wolves, but what if this is a curse? What if the prophecy is actually true?" Conner simply laughed like it was nothing. Even though she wanted to continue with her walk around the forest she couldn't help it. She needed to go warn her father and the rest of the pack. "I need to go warn them." Lily turned and started to get on all fours but Conner stopped her.

"What are you going to do?" Conner asked. "I mean come on Lily! They aren't going to believe everything you say! They'll think you're absolutely insane!"

"Even if I am, at least I warned my folks before something terrible happens." Lily got down on all fours and became a beautiful red wolf, she took off back toward her camp leaving Conner alone in the middle of the forest.

***

Conner Ellis watched as his beloved ran after their pack. A growl escaped from his throat, no matter what he did, she never acted happy. He cared about her and she never saw that. Rather than chasing after her, he turned tail and ran toward the human world. He wanted to bring her to the human world where the two of them wouldn't have to worry about running a pack or even fighting for compliance. Conner even wanted his kids to live in a world that they didn't have to worry about being the next alpha.

"Fine then," he said to himself. "If you don't want to come with me, then I'll make you." Conner took off out of the forest and entered into the human world where one of the humans stood by a dusty old jeep covered in mud and grime. The human was a bald man with a tough demeanor. Even a single look at the man always sent shivers down anyone's spine.

"What took you so long?" the man asked.

"Sorry sir, I had a situation with my mate." Conner responds. "But I'm here now and wanted to let you know that everything is going according to plan."

"And the dead crows?" the man questions. Conner simply nodded, giving him more of a chance to explain himself. With Lily knowing about the prophecy well, she was easy to fool.

"Yes, yes, the dead crows are all over the place, the spell you used worked, they're constantly falling in and around the camp." Conner answered. The man smirked, everything that was planned out had been falling into place. Especially for Conner, soon Lily's parents would deem her nuts and she would become more of an outcast than she already was.

"Good, make sure to have her ready in case we need her," the man said. "After all, we'll need to hunt as much of those monsters as we can," he continued. "Oh and if you screw up, let's say that you'll regret ever messing with a hunter, boy." Conner closed his mouth, remaining absolutely quiet before the hunter took off in his dusty red jeep.

***

Lily arrived just in time to find her pack worried and talking amongst themselves. She ran over and turned human. Out of breath and worried for her friends and family she walked over to her father and asked to speak to him. Stating that it was life and death, her father looked between the pack and her. Before urging her to follow him, the two walked into a large cabin overgrown with vines. They walked into the cabin and her father closed the door before turning to face Lily.

"Lily? What's wrong?" her father asked.

"Dad, something's happening, the prophecy I think it's coming true!" Lily yelled in panic as it settled in. Her father raised an eyebrow at his daughter as if to say that he didn't believe her. "Tell me you believe me."

"You've been reading that prophecy too much." He says.

"But." Lily pleaded but rather her father shook his head and walked out of the cabin. Lily chased after him but paused when she saw the fog rolling in. She ran out and stopped yelling out her fathers name for as long as she could, however the more she called the more lost she became. The fog grew thick and she glanced up at the sky only to notice the moon turned bloody. Her heart skipped and she raced through the forest until she could move no more and collapsed from exhaustion. Lily awoke to find Conner leaning over her, a smile appeared on his face.

"Lily, you're okay." Conner said.