Read First Chapter of "Moonlit Awakening"
- emilesodyteauthor
- Sep 2
- 10 min read
Wondering if Moonlit Awakening is worth the read?
Read the first chapter and see if you get hooked.
To those who love to howl and stare at the dark blue sky.
May this world consume you, just as it consumed me.
So howl to the night, let your spirit ignite,
In the depths of desire, find your true mate.
Chapter One
THE SOUND OF footsteps echoed behind me as I sprinted through the dimly lit alleyway, my heart racing. Glancing over my shoulder, I caught a glimpse of the shadowy figure gaining on me.
With a surge of adrenaline, I dove into a narrow passage. The figure was closing in. Panic surged through me, but I forced myself to think quickly. I needed to find a way out, a place to hide. My eyes darted around the passageway, searching for an escape.
Just ahead, a door stood slightly ajar. I rushed toward it, pushing it open and slipping inside. The room, faintly lit, was teeming with old crates and broken furniture. I pressed my back against the door, trying to catch my breath as I listened for any signs of the ominous stranger.
I was enveloped in silence, yet I knew that he would eventually find me. I scanned the room for a place to hide and spotted an opening behind a stack of crates. Making my way there, I crouched down and held my breath, straining to hear any movement outside.
Minutes passed like hours, and every creak of the floorboards made my body shudder. I looked through a small crack between the crates and watched the door. All of a sudden, I felt a gentle tickle on my cheek, and when I turned to see, I noticed a brownish-gray rat crouching on my shoulder. I squeaked, pushing the animal away from me and shoving myself back against the wall, my legs kicking in panic, hoping the rodent would scurry off.
Realizing that my abrupt movement was far too noisy, I clamped my hands over my mouth and went back to my previous position, watching through the opening.
The door swung open, and someone stepped inside, his silhouette framed by the low light from the alley. I saw something metallic glinting in his hand. My breath caught in my throat as I stretched to make out his features.
He paused, scanning the room as if sensing my presence. My heart pounded in my chest, causing me to remain motionless.
The rat, now emboldened, darted away, skittering across the floor and drawing the man’s attention. With a swift move, he threw a dagger straight into the rodent, piercing it through and splattering blood across the dusty floor. A cold chill ran down my spine as I registered the ruthlessness of his action. He approached the dead animal, its smashed intestines strewn across the floor, grabbed his dagger, and wiped it on his pants. He made a sharp turn, his eyes narrowing as he stepped further into the room.
"I know you’re here, human," he said, his voice low and gruff.
I glanced around the space, searching for an escape route. The window was too high, and the door was now an unattainable exit.
"You can’t run away from me. You took what’s not yours."
And he was right. I had stolen gold from the chest near the border, akin to human-delivered taxes. It was an act of desperation, a way to survive in a world that had forgotten about people like me. Now, I must confront the repercussions. The weight of my choice pressed heavily in my chest.
The man took a step closer, his anger palpable.
"Do you think you can just steal from us and walk away?" His grip on the knife tightened, and I swallowed hard, my mind racing.
He spotted the crates, and he stared at them for what felt like a bit too long. I crouched lower, pulling the cape’s hood over my half-silver hair, hiding within it.
Every instinct was screaming for me to run away, but there was nowhere to run. The shadows of the room felt like a refuge, yet they also trapped me. I couldn’t see him anymore, so I tried to make myself smaller, hugging my knees and hiding like a mouse, tucking my face against my legs.
The silence stretched, thick and suffocating, and the weak sound of my heartbeat echoed in the stillness. My mind was filled with thoughts of escape, but every option felt pointless.
In an instant, a soft shuffle caught my attention, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. My breath hitched in my throat, but I remained frozen, hoping that the shadows would conceal me.
I peeked through the small gap between my knees, trying to catch a glimpse of him. He was moving around the room looking for me.
I sat on my knees to peek through the opening of the crates. I wanted to avoid detection by holding my breath and covering my mouth with my hand. Hoping not to be sensed.
But he did it anyway.
His kind could sense everything.
"I can smell your fear. It’s almost pathetic."
Thump. Thump. Thump. My heart pounded, and my hand shook against my lips.
A force pulled away the crates I had been hiding behind, splintering and scattering pieces of wood before me. I covered my face with my arms, trying to protect myself from the debris.
On all fours, I started backing up, my pulse racing as the cold wall stopped me. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to escape. Panic surged through my veins, electrifying my senses as I turned sharply, desperate to slip past him.
However, he was too quick. He lifted me effortlessly, treating me like a mere bundle of feathers. As he grabbed my clothing, the fabric tore from my weight.
"Let me go!" I gasped, struggling against his grip, but he only tightened his hold. His eyes bore into mine with so much hatred that it froze me for a moment.
I thrashed against him, feeling the fabric of my clothes straining and hearing the threads tearing. The man leaned closer, his breath hot and heavy against my skin. I saw the darkness swirling in his gaze.
"Got you, little thief," he said, almost spitting at me.
Fear coiled in my stomach.
"How fucking dare you steal from us?"
My heart raced, and the reality of my situation was sinking in.
"No! I swear, I didn’t. I was just..."
"You what?" He dropped me on the ground, and I once again started backing up toward the wall.
Terror gripped me as I searched for words. "Please, I was just curious. I didn’t know it belonged to you."
"Oh, please. You think I’m stupid?" he said, with a dark laugh. He loomed over me and once again lifted me up by my clothing."I thought it was abandoned."
And then he slapped me.
I could taste the iron in my blood as it started oozing from my lip.
"Abandoned? You’re in way over your head, little cunt," he spat, venom in his voice.
Without warning, he grabbed my legs and lifted me upside down, causing my world to flip over and panic to surge through me. The contents of my pockets shifted, and before I could understand what was happening, everything started to fall out, clattering to the ground. Coins spilled from my backpack, glinting as they scattered around.
"Look at this!" he growled, shaking me forcefully. "What else do you have?"
He dropped me on the ground and searched my pockets.
"What’s this?" he snapped. His eyes narrowed as he spotted something glinting under my sweater. The silver locket around my neck reflected the dim light.
"It’s mine!" I cried out, pushing his hands away and pressing a hand to my chest.
"Oh, no, it’s not," he growled. "It’s mine."
With a swift motion, he yanked the locket from my neck, the chain biting into my skin as he pulled it away.
"Please! You don’t understand. It’s all I have!" I pleaded, my voice cracking as I reached for the locket, but he held it high above my head.
"You think I care?" He laughed, twirling the locket between his fingers.
"Stop! Give it back!"
"Wait a second, what is this?" He pulled the locket closer to his face, eyes narrowing, turning it in different directions as if investigating it. After a short pause, his eyes widened. "Where the hell did you get that?"
In the moment of distraction, I darted my hand to grab the locket and then squatted to pull a dagger from my boot. I quickly tucked the jewelry into my pocket. With the blade poised to plunge into him, I felt a surge of adrenaline.
They hated us, but I hated them more.
He caught my wrist, twisting it painfully to the side, and I winced as the dagger slipped from my grasp.
"You dare to use that thing on me? Do you know the price you’ll pay?"
I stared into his eyes, and he stared into mine. He began investigating me. He clearly hated humans. All the Supremes hated our kind.
We were like vermin—dirty creatures to them.
"Oh, I’ve seen you here before. You’ve been lurking around the border, stealing our gold."
He laughed. "Your silver hair betrays you."
He folded my arm behind my back, and I winced from the pain.
"Your greed brought you here, and now you will pay the price," he sneered, a twisted smile curling on his lips.
A cold shiver slithered down my spine, and I felt the weight of his words bearing down on me.
"I didn’t do it out of greed, you fucking bastard! It’s for your so-called dominance celebration," I said through gritted teeth, my voice rising with defiance.
His expression faltered for a moment, surprise flickering across his face at my boldness. "You think I care? You’re nothing but a thief, a parasite in these lands."
"At least I’m not a killer," I shot back.
His eyes narrowed, the tension in the air thickened, and his laugh became menacing.
He really didn’t care.
He held my arms behind my back, and for a moment he paused, looking for something in his jacket.
And then I heard the words.
"By the authority to protect the border possessions vested in me, I hereby pronounce you guilty of your theft and sentence you to death."
My heart rate picked up as the weight of his words sank in.
"You think that killing me will solve anything?" I was defiant, but desperation crept into my voice.
He pulled me closer, and I felt his heavy breathing.
"Fear is a powerful tool, don’t you think? Your death will keep the rest of your kind in line. You should have thought about that before you decided to take what isn’t yours."
With those words, he didn’t hesitate. A dagger pierced my side, causing an abrupt, sharp pain that sent a sickening squelch down my spine. I stifled a loud gasp, my heart plummeting into despair. He dropped me on the ground, and I looked down to see dark, crimson blood spreading across my sweater, the warmth of it seeping through my fingers as I pressed against the wound.
He stood over me, his voice dripping with malice. "Look at you, bleeding on the ground like a scorned pest."
"Please." I raised my hand above my head, trying to block him.
He stepped closer and added, with a twisted smile, "I’ll make it quick."
He took another step toward me, darkness shrouding his face, and I sensed the satisfaction in his posture.
"You shouldn’t have run," he said, his voice cold and low, echoing in the cramped space. Panic surged through me. I needed to act to get out of this place.
Summoning every ounce of strength, I pushed myself off the ground, adrenaline masking the pain as I lunged for the door.
"Run, human. The blood dripping from you will lead me straight to you!" His words echoed at a distance, and his footsteps quickened behind me. I burst through the door, stumbling into the alleyway once again, brushing my shoulder against the wall, trying to keep my balance. The cool night air hit me like a shockwave.
I glanced around, desperately searching for a way to escape. My vision wavered, the world around me spinning as I fought to stay conscious. To my left, a set of stairs led up to a fire escape. With no other option, I dashed toward the stairs and started to ascend. The metal rungs felt cold beneath my hands, each step sending a fresh wave of pain coursing through my wounded side.
I heard the figure following, his footsteps echoing in the confined space of the alleyway. I reached the top and pulled myself onto the roof. Then I lost my balance and fell on the rooftop surface, desperate to get away, breathing heavily and silently wincing from the pain.
"Where are you?" he asked in a singing voice. "Here, Kitty, Kitty," he called out, laughing at the same time. "How petty of you to think you could just run away from your sentence."
I gathered myself, glancing at the view of Oakheart from the rooftop. Without any time nor strength to appreciate it, I crawled to the edge and looked down, weighing my options. It was too high to jump.
I heard the figure’s voice at a distance below, cursing as he searched for me. Before I could think of what to do next, I needed to find a safe place
to hide.
Before I knew it, a loud crash rattled from the alleyway, and I turned again to look down to see what was happening. A second figure materialized out of nowhere, the moonlight illuminating his face. His long, leather coat was floating around him.
The figure lifted his head to look at me, but I backed up and started to run from rooftop to rooftop as fast as I could, pressing the wound with my right hand.
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