The full moon shone overhead. The beams of light filtered through the forest canopy and littered the grassy floor with spots of white. The leaves around her danced and swayed in the soft breeze that tickled her skin. The air was warm, a kind of soft blanket settling over the area, insulating the region from the cold depths of reality.

Darcy didn’t notice any of that. She held her breath, listening, trying to hear more than the thunderous sound of her heartbeat. She was an idiot, sending her home address to someone she had never met in person. She thought she could trust him after five years; she was wrong.

The full moon was a spotlight upon her. The beams of light tripwires that gave her away. The shifting leaves hid shapes; creatures of the night that lurked just out of view, impossible to distinguish from the shadows. Every gust of wind felt as if something was breathing down the back of her neck, but a sharp turn revealed nothing. The air was too hot; cloying, and restricting. Her clothing wrapped around her like bindings, restricting her movement further.

She crept backwards, turning to keep to the shadows, doing her best to escape her pursuers. She couldn’t tell how many there were; too many to count in her desperate sprint for the cover of the forest she knew by heart. Her security in those familiar woods was ripped from her, leaving her feeling lost on the paths she could run blindfolded.

Her steps ghosted through the tall grass, muffling her movement. Her breaths were small, quiet little gasps she tried to silence with a hand. Her cheeks were wet, tears streaming down them unbidden. Terror filled her form, and the dread of being followed, of being chased, filled her to the brim.

She avoided the path, sticking to the side to prevent the sound of her shoes scraping against the gravel. It would be too noisy; they would find her.

Crack!

A twig underfoot echoed like a gunshot in the quiet woods. Immediately, the world grew silent. Then, eyes. Bright green glowing eyes, leering at her out of the dark. Creeping into existence through those dense leaves that once offered her privacy and security. Then began the whispers. Their words were impossible to hear, sliding beyond comprehension. Animalistic.

She turned. She was surrounded. The forest rustled and shifted around her, these things growing closer, but she couldn’t tell from where.

Someone—some thing stepped out of the trees. It was within arms reach; big, inhuman. It leered down at her with radioactive eyes, like spotlights illuminating her form, stripping her bare and leaving her to its mercy. Her soul was exposed to this thing. The flash of white knife-like teeth in the moonlight let her know what it thought of her.

She bolted.

Her feet hit the ground hard, every step kicking up gravel and sending rocks skittering. The ache from the hours of use from work faded, replaced by pure adrenaline. She had never run so fast in her life.

It wasn’t enough. She could hear those heavy feet on the gravel behind her. Those large, deep breaths of the thing chasing her.

It was getting closer.

It was faster than her.

She tried to pump her legs harder.

She couldn’t.

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She tried to scream.

Sound wouldn’t come.

A small shape darted out of the bushes ahead of her, racing toward her feet. Darcy didn’t have time to react, the small, dense form taking her legs out from under her. She stumbled and fell, sliding off the pathway and onto the cold grass.

She rolled herself over and tried to get up, only for those heavy footsteps to come to a stop behind her. She could hear its deep, inhuman breaths. Could feel the powerful gusts of air from its lungs washing over her. The stench of iron and copper filled her nose; blood.

She scrambled backward, trying desperately to get away from this thing. Her back hit the trunk of a tree, arresting her escape altogether. She stared up at the massive form as a shadow crossed over her, the creature blocking out the moon with its large frame.

Those massive jaws opened, bright teeth glittering with deadly intent. She closed her eyes, hoping the end would be quick and painless.

“Daaaarrrrsshhhhyyyy!” An excited, slurred exclamation came free from the jaws of the beast. “Ish me! Akela! I told you I wash gonna visht!”

Darcy froze, her mind reeling. This thing was clearly reading her mind and in the process of consuming her soul or something. Maybe it was like that one clown from the book series who fed off of fear. The damn thing would be having a feast right now off of her emotions.

“Oop! Ssssorry, Darshy,” came the reply. “Darshy. Daarrrshhh—Ssshh… Darcy. There, that’sh bett—dammit, friggen hard words…”

Darcy’s head was spinning, the sudden switch from pure, unrelenting terror to this… this mess had her confused.

Sitting before her was an honest-to-god werewolf, unlike some goofy Hollywood guy in a fur suit. Her pen pal was a werewolf. Tall, broad, and fucking fluffy as hell. Bright green eyes were focused on the ground, while Akela made a variety of “sshh” and “ss” noises, his tongue flopping out of his mouth. He glanced up again, noticing Darcy’s eyes on him. His tongue was still sticking out.

“Phhttbbtbtbt.” The werewolf blew a raspberry at her.

What the actual fuck.

Darcy’s gaze was locked on the very real werewolf in front of her, who just sat, observing her as well. His tail was wagging behind him, and his ears were perked up, pointing to her. Darcy offered him a timid wave, and Akela gave her a big, wolfish grin in return. His tail wagged faster.

It was actually kind of cute, now that she wasn’t seconds from shitting herself in pure terror.

“Itsh great to finally meet you!” He wagged harder when he spoke. “Shorry if I s—frightened you. I can’t change like the othersh—like they can. That’sh—that ish… bleh. Dumb tongue getting in the way,” he grumbled. “I wanted to visss—meet you. I can’t make friendsh like they can. I have to keep hidden and can only talk with lettersh to you.”

This was her pen pal. She should have seen it coming in all honesty. The lack of photos, vague personal details, an aversion to city life, and a love of nature and exploring. That was one of the first things they had bonded over.

Still. Akela Wolfgang. She should have noticed it sooner. It had been in front of her nose this whole time and she never once noticed. She figured she deserved to be eaten for that; it was in the name for fucks sake.

The giant werewolf shuffled a little closer, his tail wagging but his ears folded back a little bit, as if nervous. His massive, meaty paws clasped together in front of him, and he glanced up at Darcy again. He looked far less intimidating now, sitting on his paws, crouched low, and lit up by the moon. Not at all the intimidating monster that was chasing her.

Okay, that was a lie. He was still scary. But he was cute too!

“Er… In the lettersh you mentioned a hug when we would eventually meet,” Akela began, almost hesitant. “I, um, can I hug you? I-I hope sh—seeing me didn’t change anything… I shtill wanna be your friend.”

Oh. Oh, he was so precious. Sure, maybe the horrific chase through the woods had taken a few years off her life and brought her closer to a full heart attack more than she cared to admit. But looking at the crouched, begging, floofy werewolf before her…

He was a big puppy in her eyes. It was the tail wagging and the cute ear flopping that did it for her, and let her push back the fear and worry.

A nod and open arms were all the invitation that was needed. Akela moved slowly, big paws grasped her wrists and pulled Darcy in. Immediately she was buried in pure soft fluff. Those big, muscular arms wrapped around her, and his head rested above hers. She was warm, safe, and comfortable as heck.

The minor swaying and shaking from him let her realize that Akela was wagging so hard it was throwing off his balance.

Reluctantly, they parted, the duo looking upon one another properly for the first time. Sure, the first meeting was a little unconventional, but on the bright side, she’d never forget it.

“Oh! Right!” Akela started. “I sssaid my family was gonna come. It’sh going to rain tonight. Can we sh- stay at your plashe?”

She nodded before she could think it over properly.

Immediately, green eyes burst into existence around the two. Dozens of them peered through the bushes, growing closer to the duo. Darcy very quickly realized she was in way over her head.