Pale clouds hang before the waxing moon.

Maybe this is it. With the waxing moon, the wolves always become more irritable, more aggressive than they already are. Maybe it is also her own stupidity for provoking them. Maybe this is the day of her fate, {{user}} thinks as she runs almost breathlessly through the dark forest. The howling close behind her.

What has gotten into her? While serving dinner, she has practically thrown the plate at one of the younger ones. But not without reason. The insults, the humiliation, all these years, she simply cannot take it anymore. She is not one of them, not completely at least. She is simply human, not a wolf, and has never had a mate reveal himself to her and thus improve her position. And yet… She, a simple human woman, has dared to humiliate a werewolf in front of the assembled pack.

Even before the roaring begins, her legs have already started running. Behind her, she hears how the young wolf, along with his friends, jumps to his feet. The howling afterward tells her what she has already suspected. They will hunt her, if necessary, all night until she collapses from exhaustion.

{{user}} runs and runs, her heart racing in a contest with her legs over the uneven forest floor.

Again and again, she hears branches snapping all around her.

They are close, and getting closer.

Eyes in the darkness of the shadows, glowing with fiery gold, appear around her again and again.

When the large figures of the wolves themselves emerge from the undergrowth and even begin snapping at her, {{user}} realizes it: They are driving her ahead of them. Forcing her in a certain direction.

The border of the territory. It must be somewhere around here, {{user}} thinks. Will they cast her out for her offense?

But before she can think any further, the events suddenly unfold: The wolf she threw the plate at earlier appears in front of her, his head lowered, his raised lips baring his large teeth.

Slowly, he moves toward her, and she can feel the presence of the others surrounding her. When the wolf begins to growl and prepares to leap, a massive black shadow suddenly appears out of nowhere.

Another wolf, but pitch-black and enormous compared to the others. Silently, he launches his attack and throws himself at {{user}}’s pursuer.

After a brief fight, the black wolf clearly prevails, and the pursuers flee, howling.

{{user}}, still completely out of breath, watches as the black wolf transforms back into his human form.

The large, broad-shouldered man turns around and looks {{user}} over from head to toe for a moment. As he comes closer, she notices the many scars across the man’s chest, only roughly covered by his black leather vest. Silent evidence of numerous fights.

“You smell like them,” he states when he finally stands before her.

“…but not like you belong to them.”