Chapter 3 Shadows in the Hall

The morning air felt heavy, like it had been holding its breath all night. Selene woke before the sun. Sleep had been thin, restless. She lay on her back, staring at the wooden beams of the ceiling. The silence pressed in.

Somewhere far off, a wolf howled. The sound made her skin prickle. Not the usual pack call. This one was... off. Shorter. Sharper.

She sat up, pulling the blanket tighter around her. Her room was dim, lit only by the faint silver glow slipping through the small window. She could smell the damp earth outside, the faint scent of pine.

Her mind kept replaying the night before. Dorian's voice, deep and quiet. The way his eyes seemed to read her thoughts. That moment when she almost asked him what he wasn't telling her. But she didn't. She was too afraid of the answer.

The floor felt cold under her bare feet. She crossed to the window, pulling the curtain back. The village looked still. Too still. Not even smoke from chimneys yet.

She saw a shape move near the edge of the trees. Her breath caught. It wasn't a wolf. Too tall. The figure stood there for a moment, almost blending with the shadows. Then it was gone.

A knock at her door made her jump.

"Selene?" It was Lyra, her closest friend. Her voice was tight. "You awake?"

"Yes. Come in."

Lyra stepped inside, her hair in a loose braid, cheeks pale. She shut the door fast, like she didn't want anyone seeing her here.

"They're saying someone went missing," Lyra whispered. "Karien, the blacksmith's boy. His mother woke up and he was gone."

Selene's stomach sank. "Gone? Where?"

"They don't know. No tracks. No sign of a struggle." Lyra's hands twisted the edge of her shawl. "But I heard my uncle say... there were claw marks on the fence."

Selene swallowed hard. "Wolf?"

Lyra shook her head. "Too big."

They stood there in silence. Outside, the sky was starting to turn pale, the first streaks of gold cutting the clouds.

Selene felt that same unease she'd felt last night when she saw the figure in the trees.

"We should tell Dorian," Lyra said, glancing at the door.

Selene hesitated. "He already knows. I'm sure of it."

Lyra frowned. "Then why hasn't he done anything yet?"

Selene didn't have an answer.

---

By midday, the village was buzzing. Men moved in small groups, armed with spears and bows. Women stayed close to their doors, eyes darting to the forest. Children were kept inside.

Selene walked toward the well, a bucket swinging from her hand. She could feel the weight of every glance. People didn't trust her here. Not fully. She'd come to this place less than a year ago, and though she'd worked hard, helped where she could, she still felt like an outsider.

When she reached the well, Dorian was there. He looked different in the daylight-less shadow, more presence. His broad shoulders caught the light, his dark hair wind-tossed. His eyes met hers, and for a second, the rest of the world faded.

"You've heard," he said.

"Yes." She lowered her voice. "Lyra told me."

He studied her for a moment. "You saw something last night, didn't you?"

Her chest tightened. "A shape. Near the trees. It wasn't a wolf."

Dorian's jaw flexed. "You should've told me."

"I wasn't sure what I saw."

He stepped closer, his voice low. "Next time, tell me anyway."

The air between them felt charged. She could smell the faint scent of leather and pine from his coat. Her pulse quickened. She wanted to ask if he thought the same thing she did-that whatever was out there wasn't from their pack.

But then someone called his name.

It was Garrick, one of the older hunters. "Dorian! We found something!"

Dorian turned, already moving. Selene followed without thinking.

They reached the edge of the forest where a small group had gathered. The air smelled of crushed leaves and something faintly metallic.

On the ground was a deep gouge in the soil, like something heavy had been dragged. Beside it, a single footprint. Not human. Not wolf. Larger.

"Tracks go deeper into the woods," Garrick said.

Dorian crouched, studying the print. "No one goes in alone," he said, his voice firm. "We move as one."

Selene shivered. Something in his tone told her this wasn't just a hunt. This was a warning.

---

The search party formed quickly. Selene knew she shouldn't follow. She wasn't trained for this. But her feet carried her after them, staying just far enough back to avoid notice.

The forest swallowed them. The trees grew close, branches weaving overhead, shutting out most of the light. The air was damp, carrying the smell of moss and something faintly rotten.

Every step felt slower. The tracks were harder to see now, but Dorian seemed to follow them without effort. He moved like he knew this place better than anyone.

A crow called overhead, its cry harsh and lonely. Selene's skin prickled. She kept her eyes on Dorian's back, his broad frame a steady point in the shifting shadows.

Then, the tracks stopped.

Everyone looked around. The ground here was firm, covered in roots and stones. No marks. No sign.

"This doesn't make sense," Garrick muttered.

Dorian's eyes swept the trees. "It makes sense," he said quietly. "If you know what you're dealing with."

Before anyone could ask, a sound broke the stillness. Low. Deep. A growl that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

Selene froze. Her heart hammered. The air felt thick, like it was pressing against her chest.

The growl grew louder. Then a shadow moved between the trees.

It was fast. Too fast to see clearly.

Someone cursed. Garrick raised his spear.

"Hold," Dorian said sharply. "Don't strike unless I say."

The shadow stopped.

Selene saw it then-a pair of eyes in the dark. Pale yellow, fixed on them. They didn't blink.

Dorian stepped forward, his voice low but steady. "We don't want a fight."

The thing in the shadows didn't move.

Then, in one heartbeat, it was gone.

The forest fell silent again.

Dorian's jaw was tight. He turned to the group. "We're going back."

Garrick frowned. "But-"

"No." His voice left no room for argument.

As they turned, Selene caught his arm. "What was that?"

He met her gaze, and for the first time, she saw something in his eyes she hadn't before. Fear.

"You don't want to know," he said.

---

Back in the village, the sky had turned overcast. The air felt heavy again, like the day hadn't moved forward at all. People gathered in small clusters, whispering.

Selene went home, but she couldn't shake the image of those eyes. The way they had locked on the group. On Dorian. On her.

As night fell, the howling started again. Louder this time. Closer.

She stood at her window, staring toward the dark line of the trees.

A figure moved there.

It stepped forward, just enough for her to see the pale glint of its eyes.

And then-

The howl cut through the night, sharp and long.

But this time, it wasn't alone.

Another howl answered it, from somewhere inside the village.