After finishing The Clawed Path, I put my next piece of microfiction on hold. I simply had too many other projects to work on, including my psychological thriller. Fortunately, I’m determined to break the recent pattern where my creative momentum stalls. As the release date for the second story approached, I began thinking about what kind of story I wanted to tell. The only thing I’d already settled was that it would involve my shifters, and I love pitting the predatory tribes against the more peaceful ones.
After getting some ideas from ChatGPT, I found a strong seed to shape this short piece. There’s something timeless about the mix of moonlight and forests. When the right story unfolds beneath those broad strokes, the ordinary stops feeling natural. Rather, every shadow becomes a predatory creature, listening to every sound streaming through the trees. And in this instance, those shadows loom over the world in judgment.
Hunt by Moonlight centers on a single moment, one that places instinct and preservation at odds. For Kael, a predator in a world where people shift between their human selves and a single animal form, the rules are clear. At least it should have been a simple choice. As I’ve continued creating these brief narratives, I’ve grown fond of them. When you hit on the right words, these stories often carry more weight than their word count suggests.
Find a quiet place and settle in as we explore a moment between two rival shifters. Will Kael’s hunt be successful? Or will the doe elude the chase?
The moon hung over the forest, casting a pale glow through the trees. Kael stalked through the foliage, his paws gliding across the damp earth. In his wolven form, he paused and drew a deep breath. His head whipped to the right as a strange scent teased his nose. He slipped through the hanging vines, finding an elegant doe. His lips parted, revealing his teeth as he eyed the interloper.
The rival shifter lapped water from the stream. Kael’s muscles coiled, drawing him into a crouch. Like all their kind, she knew the unwritten laws.
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To continue reading the story, click here to head over to Wattpad.