Blurb
Luna’s peaceful life in the heart of the Whispering Woods is all she’s ever known. Nestled beneath the towering Bitterroot Peak, her days are filled with exploration, family, and the timeless rhythm of nature. But when strange tremors shake the ground and the waters of the mountain begin to swell, the balance of her world is threatened. Swept into a journey she never imagined, Luna must face the unknown with nothing but her instincts and resilience to guide her.
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Content Warning
Themes of loss, graphic depictions of natural disasters, death of family members, trauma, perilous situations, emotional distress.
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Tags
wolf hybrid, survival, natural disaster, family bonds, loss, emotional resilience, wilderness, adventure, coming-of-age, tragedy, found family, AI-generated cover art.
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The Tides of Howling Hills: Prologue
The Whispering Woods had always been a place of timeless beauty, where nature thrived undisturbed by the world beyond. Beneath its towering canopy, life moved in a delicate balance—predators and prey, light and shadow, birth and decay. It was here, in the heart of this ancient forest, that Luna called home.
Luna was a wolf hybrid, her striking appearance a testament to her mixed lineage. Her fur, a swirl of ash-gray and snowy white, seemed to shimmer in the dappled sunlight. Her eyes, an unusual hue of glacial blue, often held a faraway look, as though she could see beyond the trees and hills to places no one else could imagine. Among her family and siblings, she was the most adventurous, the one most drawn to the mysteries of the woods and the hills that framed them.
Her pack lived near Moonflower Meadow, where the sun broke through the forest's dense embrace to light a vibrant sea of wildflowers. The meadow was the heart of their world, a place where the pups could roam freely under the watchful eyes of their parents. Luna loved the freedom of the meadow but found equal joy in the challenges of the Whispering Woods. The dense forest, with its labyrinth of roots and shadows, was her playground, its secrets calling to her in ways the meadow never could.
To the north of the woods loomed Bitterroot Peak, a jagged mountain that pierced the sky. At its summit lay the Whispering Lake, a vast natural reservoir fed by mountain springs and seasonal rains. The pack rarely ventured near the lake, as its cliffs were treacherous, and its waters were said to hold memories of storms long past. Still, it was a source of life for the land below, its gentle streams feeding Shadow Creek and nurturing the wildflowers of the meadow.
In recent weeks, however, the Whispering Lake had taken on a strange mood. The rains had come earlier than usual this year, heavy and relentless, filling the lake to levels that even the eldest wolves in the pack whispered about with unease. The streams that flowed from the lake were swollen, their once-gentle currents now fast and loud.
Luna noticed the change, though her young mind didn’t yet grasp its significance. On one of her morning explorations, she followed Shadow Creek deeper into the forest than usual, her ears flicking at the sound of water rushing faster than before. She leapt from stone to stone, her paws landing with practiced grace, but even she could feel the power behind the surging flow. When she returned home, her parents spoke in hushed tones of tremors felt beneath the earth near the bluffs, though they reassured the pups that such things were rare and unlikely to pose a threat.
Still, Luna’s curiosity grew. From her perch atop a low ridge in Moonflower Meadow, she gazed toward Bitterroot Peak. Though it was shrouded in mist, she thought she could see a faint line along the cliff face—a crack that had not been there before. She didn’t mention it, uncertain if it was real or her imagination playing tricks.
Life continued as usual, despite these oddities. The pups played, the pack hunted, and the forest thrived. But in quiet moments, when the woods fell still and the only sound was the distant hum of the wind through the Howling Hills, Luna couldn’t shake the feeling that something was changing. The cracks in the rock and the tremors beneath the earth were whispers, faint but persistent, carried on the breeze like a warning too faint to hear.
And far above the woods, hidden from view, the waters of Whispering Lake pressed harder against the natural walls that had held them for centuries.
Luna pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind, focusing on the here and now. The meadow was alive with color, the wildflowers swaying gently in the breeze, and her siblings raced through them with boundless energy. She joined in their games, her agile frame darting through the blooms as laughter and playful growls filled the air. Yet, even in these moments of joy, she caught herself glancing toward Bitterroot Peak, its silhouette stark against the bright sky.
Her father noticed. A stoic and steady presence, he rarely spoke more than necessary, but his sharp eyes missed little. That evening, as the pack gathered near the creek for their meal, he approached her. “Your mind is elsewhere,” he said, his deep voice soft but firm.
Luna hesitated, her gaze falling to the ground. “The creek,” she began, searching for the right words, “it’s louder than before. And the lake... it feels... different.”
Her father’s ears flicked back slightly, his expression unreadable. After a pause, he nodded. “It’s not uncommon for the waters to rise in spring. The lake has seen countless seasons of rain and snowmelt. Nature knows how to find its balance.”
His words were meant to reassure, but Luna caught the flicker of concern in his eyes as he turned away. He spoke quietly with her mother that night, their voices too low for Luna to hear. She could only guess at what they discussed, but the way her mother’s tail twitched nervously told her enough.
The following days brought more signs that something wasn’t quite right. Shadow Creek’s banks had begun to spill into the forest, pooling in low-lying areas and creating muddy patches where the pups once played. Luna’s siblings thought little of it, splashing in the shallow waters with gleeful abandon. But to Luna, the water seemed restless, as though it carried an urgency she couldn’t explain.
The cracks in the rock at Bitterroot Peak grew, too—subtle but noticeable to those who looked closely. On one of her solo ventures, Luna ventured farther than usual, her paws carrying her to the foothills near the base of the mountain. The air there felt different, heavier, as though the earth itself held its breath. She stood for a long while, staring up at the sheer cliffs, tracing the faint lines that jagged across their surface like a spider’s web.
A deep, distant rumble startled her, breaking the silence of the hills. It was faint—so faint that Luna wondered if she’d imagined it. Her fur bristled instinctively, and she backed away, her keen eyes scanning the landscape for any sign of danger. But the woods were still, and the sky above remained clear.
By the time she returned home, dusk had settled over the meadow, painting the world in hues of orange and gold. Her mother greeted her with a lick to the ear, her touch warm and grounding. “The hills are no place to wander alone,” she chided gently. “Stay closer to the pack.”
Luna nodded, but the unease in her chest lingered.
That night, as the pack settled into the safety of their den, Luna found herself unable to sleep. The cracks in the cliffs, the swelling creek, the tremor beneath her paws—they were pieces of a puzzle she couldn’t yet assemble. She crept to the edge of the den, peering out into the forest. The trees swayed softly in the night breeze, their leaves whispering secrets she couldn’t quite hear.
Above the forest, Bitterroot Peak loomed in the moonlight. From its summit, where Whispering Lake rested, another faint rumble drifted down—a sound so low and distant that it was almost indistinguishable from the wind.
But this time, Luna knew she hadn’t imagined it. The sound resonated in her chest, a deep, bone-shaking groan that seemed to rise from the very heart of the mountain. She froze, her ears twitching and her tail stiff. The ground beneath her paws felt unsteady, as though the earth itself was holding its breath.
The night air carried the faint scent of rain, though the skies above were clear. Shadow Creek, running along the edge of the den, gurgled louder than usual, its waters licking hungrily at the banks. A tremor rippled through the ground, so subtle that it might have been overlooked by anyone who wasn’t paying attention. But Luna was.
Her mother stirred inside the den, her head lifting as her ears swiveled. “Luna?” she called softly, her voice laced with both concern and irritation. “What are you doing out there?”
Luna hesitated. “I... I heard something,” she replied, her gaze still fixed on the distant peak.
Her mother sighed and padded to her side. Together, they stared into the night, the shadows of the forest stretching long and dark beneath the pale light of the moon. “It’s just the mountain settling,” her mother said after a moment, though her tone lacked conviction. “Come inside. The night is no time for worrying.”
But Luna couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. As she turned to follow her mother back into the den, another rumble echoed through the woods—louder this time, and accompanied by a deep, ominous crack that split the silence like a thunderclap. The vibrations traveled through the ground, jarring enough to make her stumble.
Her mother stopped in her tracks, her ears flattening against her skull. “That... that wasn’t the mountain settling.”
From deeper within the den, her father emerged, his amber eyes narrowing as he scanned the horizon. “What’s happening?” he asked, his voice low and steady despite the tension in his posture.
“I don’t know,” her mother admitted, glancing back at the pups who were beginning to stir uneasily. “The mountain… it’s been making strange noises lately, but this…”
Before she could finish, the air was pierced by a sound unlike anything Luna had ever heard. It began as a low groan, deep and mournful, but it rose quickly into a roar that rolled down from the peak with the force of a gale. The ground beneath their paws trembled violently now, shaking loose rocks and branches that fell with sharp cracks.
Shadow Creek surged suddenly, its once-swollen banks now overtaken by a rush of frothing, icy water. It poured into the lowlands, devouring everything in its path. The pups yelped in alarm, scrambling to their feet as the den began to shudder.
“Get them out!” Luna’s father barked, his voice sharp and commanding. “Now!”
Her mother moved swiftly, nudging the pups toward the forest as the roar of the mountain grew deafening. Luna hesitated at the den’s entrance, her eyes snapping back to Bitterroot Peak. Through the trees, she could just make out the distant glow of moonlight reflecting off the lake, now shimmering like a restless beast.
And then she saw it.
The natural walls that had held Whispering Lake for centuries gave way with a final, heart-stopping crack. The water burst forth in a towering wave, carrying with it chunks of rock and debris. The flood surged down the mountainside with terrifying speed, carving a path of destruction as it raced toward the forest below.
“Luna, run!” her mother screamed.
Luna’s paws moved before her mind caught up. The forest erupted into chaos around her, the thunder of the flood growing louder with every heartbeat. Trees snapped like twigs under the force of the water, and the ground beneath her was slick with mud and debris. She could hear her siblings’ frantic cries, her mother’s desperate calls, and her father’s growls as he fought to keep the pack together.
But the flood was relentless, a roaring wall of water that swallowed everything in its path. Luna ran faster than she ever had, her heart pounding in her chest as she leapt over fallen branches and darted between trees. The once-familiar woods were now a nightmarish blur, lit only by flashes of moonlight and the silver gleam of the rushing torrent.
She glanced back once, just once, and saw the flood closing in—an unstoppable force of nature, bearing down on the Whispering Woods.
Luna ran, her paws pounding against the muddy ground as the forest fell apart around her. The roaring floodwater was deafening now, a monstrous tide that devoured the trees, rocks, and earth in its path. She could hear her siblings crying out ahead, their small voices barely audible over the chaos. Her mother’s sharp, commanding barks urged them forward, but the torrent was closing in fast.
A sudden crash echoed through the woods as a massive tree was ripped from the ground, its roots splintering like bones. Luna stumbled, mud splattering her coat, but her father’s bark from behind snapped her back to her feet.
“Keep moving, Luna! Don’t stop!” he shouted, his voice raw with desperation.
She surged forward, her muscles screaming with effort as her legs carried her faster and faster. Shadow Creek, once their lifeline, had become an unstoppable force, merging with the deluge from Whispering Lake. The water swirled and churned, carrying debris that smashed through the forest like a battering ram.
Ahead, her siblings scrambled up a slope, their small forms slipping and sliding in the muck. Luna’s mother was there, her sharp eyes scanning for a safer path. She turned toward Luna, her face etched with relief for a split second.
But then the flood came.
A towering wave of water crashed into the slope, sweeping her siblings off their paws. Their cries were swallowed by the torrent as they were carried downstream. Luna lunged forward, but her mother’s voice cut through the chaos.
“Luna, stop! Don’t—”
Before she could finish, a massive branch, thick as a tree trunk, hurtled toward her mother, carried by the force of the water. Luna froze, her breath caught in her throat as time seemed to slow. Her mother turned just in time to see it, her eyes widening.
“Run!” she shouted, the word ripping from her throat like a final plea.
The branch struck with devastating force, silencing her voice forever. Luna’s world shattered in that instant. She watched in horror as her mother’s body disappeared beneath the rushing water, lost to the chaos.
“No!” Luna screamed, her voice raw and breaking. She tried to run toward the spot where her mother had been, but the ground gave way beneath her paws. The floodwater surged, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her into the maelstrom.
The icy current wrapped around her, dragging her under. She fought desperately, her legs kicking and her lungs burning as she struggled to surface. The water was relentless, pulling her deeper, spinning her in a disorienting whirl. Each time she broke the surface, she gasped for air, only to be plunged back down again.
Through the chaos, she caught glimpses of her surroundings—trees ripped from their roots, jagged rocks jutting from the water, and the pale light of the moon flickering through the spray. She called out for her siblings, for her father, for anyone, but her voice was drowned by the roar of the flood.
Time lost meaning. The cold seeped into her bones, and exhaustion weighed her down. Just when she thought she could fight no longer, the current hurled her violently against a boulder, the impact knocking the air from her lungs. Dazed and battered, she was swept onward, farther and farther from the Whispering Woods, from the meadow, from everything she had ever known.
Finally, the torrent began to slow. The water spread out, losing some of its ferocity as it spilled into a vast, open plain. Luna’s battered body drifted with the current, her consciousness slipping away. She barely felt it when the flood carried her onto a muddy bank, her limp form coming to rest among the reeds.
The forest was gone.
The meadow was gone.
Her family was gone.
And Luna was alone.
