As dusk began settling over the world, The inhabitants of the small mountain town of Cragpeak were growing ever restless. With each degree of lessening light, more and more people would abandon the streets, fleeing into houses and buildings, locking and barring the doors. Wails of children were quickly hushed as they were taken from play. Men gathered bows or spears, Though most were too afraid to do more than shakily imagine defending their family from the insides of their own homes. Lamps flickered from windows, smoke curled from chimneys, oil lanterns glowed in the streets, but the village felt dark and empty.

In The surrounding woods, a wolf howled.

With a whisper of paws over fallen leaves, The soft brushing of fur against bark, a large figure moved into place at the side of a path leading through the forest. He was an impressive creature to behold, a lupine shape covered in thick russet fur offset with black on the end of his tail, along the backs of each of his legs, Encompassing each of his paws, And striped down the length of his back and up onto his neck and ears. Golden yellow eyes glowed faintly in the half light as the werewolf waited for his prey.

On the other side of the path, a gray wolf pulled back his lips from his fangs in a silent snarl at the red wolf, who automatically took a step back in response. Almost at once, Joshua regretted the display of weakness to the other werewolf, but there was nothing he could do to take it back. Fur prickling along his back and shoulders, he settled on curling his lip instead. The other werewolf, Hale, The Alpha of the pack, responded with an audible growl, taking a step forward through the undergrowth. But he seemed to catch himself at the last moment, hesitating before he broke cover, and instead stared directly at Joshua.

Five heartbeats. That was how long Joshua managed to meet the other‘s gaze in defiance before inevitably dropping his eyes in submission, his ears turning back with displeasure. With a soft snort, he did as his Alpha had silently commanded, taking another step back into better cover, crouching down low in preparation. Hale released one more soft growl in his direction before he too melted back into the undergrowth.

Joshua didn’t want to be here, But there wasn’t much he could do after his alpha had made up his mind. One of the other werewolves, Brandt, had come home with some interesting news earlier that day. He had been spying on the nearby town when he had watched as well as overheard the mayor making plans with a group of people he had invited to his home. The mayor had referred to them as hunters several times, interjecting his requests with words like werewolves and silver. Hale had interpreted the story the only way he could: the mayor had hired a Group of humans specialized in hunting down his kind to go into the woods and kill him and his family. He had immediately responded by making plans to ambush these hunters when they entered the woods that evening, his eyes turning yellow and hungry.

Now, Six werewolves waited in the woods, large pointed teeth ready to bite and rip, sharp claws prepared to slash and maim The unsuspecting humans. Well, five wolves were prepared to kill and feast, with one reluctant addition in their midst.