True Luna by Tessa Lilly

Chapter 214: Chapter 214 – The Howling Woods

Mason’s POV

I was sitting on a tree stump and staring up at the trees above me. I was focused on the canopy of leaves and the tree trunks that were reaching up toward the sky. The sunlight filtering through the leaves was creating a serene atmosphere. It was the direct opposite of my soul which was anything but serene. My soul felt torn apart. There was a storm inside it and I saw no signs of quieting down.

I was terrified.

Sophie was my cousin and my best friend. We grew up together and I couldn’t imagine my life without her. She was my pranking partner and the only person who could make me laugh when I was in a terrible mood.

Sophie and I always did stupid shit together. We tried to include Alex as well, but he was always too serious. He would be the one to scold us alongside our parents and he would talk my ear off if Sophie was in any kind of danger because of some dare she did. The problem was that Alex’s definition of danger and my definition of danger weren’t always the same. He thought that everything Sophie and I did was dangerous. I disagreed. We did some stupid stuff, but most of it was harmless.

One time Sophie decided to prank me by running off into the woods while we were playing outside. She hid behind the tree and watched as I panicked. She started giggling just as I was about to cry. I was so angry at her, but so fucking relieved that she was okay.

When Alex told me that she had disappeared, a part of me was hoping that she was pranking us again. I was hoping that I would hear her giggle and run toward us. I was hoping that she was hiding behind that same tree.

But she wasn’t pranking us.

She wasn’t hiding.

I didn’t hear her giggle.

“I don’t care if it’s dangerous,” Alex said angrily, making me look away from the canopy of leaves. “We need to focus on that part of the territory.”

Alex and Jake were still fighting about how deep into

knew that it was pointless to search for other packs again. Our warriors already did that and they found nothing. She had

can’t help her if we get ourselves killed,

glanced at Hunter. I could tell that he was on

were on didn’t make

I would bring you back alive,” Jake mumbled, making

will be fine, Jake,” Alex sighed. “We

the map, making Jake sigh worriedly for what felt like a hundredth

on the parchment as if the ink had pooled and thickened in

The Howling Woods.

territory came from the haunting howls that could be heard echoing through the trees at

I knew that the forest in that area was dense, with trees that stretched up toward the sky like towering spires. The canopy was so thick that barely any sunlight broke through, leaving the forest floor in darkness. The trees were ancient and gnarled and their branches were twisted and tangled. The forest floor was littered with dead leaves and fallen branches, making it difficult to move

area was heavily inhabited by rogues. They roamed the woods, their razor-sharp claws and

entered the rogue area, you would never come out of it. The forest was a maze of twisting paths and hidden clearings, with dangers lurking around every corner. Even the

she afraid? Was she hurt? The mere thought of Sophia being trapped in that place, surrounded by the most dangerous rogues in the land, filled me with a seething rage. The idea of her being held captive by rogues

his voice quiet and raspy. “We have to go there, Jake. She

Alex mumbled, keeping his eyes on the map. “It makes

It was the