In the Dragons Shadow

Mira Caldwell kept her footsteps quiet and steady, trying to blend into the darkness of The Hollow District. The old part of the city was far from beautiful, with small lighted alleyways, cracked pavement, and graffiti-designed walls that speak about dark secrets. But this was where Mira's latest lead had brought her. She didn't mind the dirt. She didn't mind the danger. What she did mind was the truth she was chasing. And tonight, it felt closer than ever.

Mira pulled her jacket tighter around her, trying to cover herself from the chilling cold weather in the evening air. She was used to working alone. She was used to being on the brink of danger. Tonight seemed different to her, she was having a strange feeling within her, the air seemed weird, and she seemed to be watched.

Hollow District was known for its secrets. Strange disappearances. Unexplained events. And it was all connected to the luxury development project that billionaire real estate mogul Dane Voss was backing. Everyone in the city was talking about it, but no one knew the truth behind the project-or what was really happening in secret.

Mira had been following this trail for weeks. People had been disappearing without traces. Those who were brave, or foolish enough to ask questions never returned. And now, she was on the brink of discovering something big.

She crawled as she approached the old warehouse at the end of the street. The streetlights kept flashing above her, displaying scary shadows across the alley. She could hear voices ahead, low and hushed. Mira's heart raced as she crawled closer, her camera ready.

Through the small opening in the broken fence, she saw them. Two men, dragging something heavy between them. At first, she thought it was a bag. But as they shifted their load, Mira's breath seized in her throat. It wasn't a bag. It was a person.

A lifeless body, with an arm escaping from the bag which was later returned hurriedly

Her pulse quickened as she focused the lens of her camera on the men. They moved with strange accuracy as if they had done this before. But their movements were straight in the dark like they were trying to hide what they were doing. They had to rush things to avoid any form of disclosure.

Mira clicked the button on her camera, capturing the moment. The men were too focused on their task to notice her. They dragged the body toward the warehouse, disappearing into the shadows. But Mira didn't move. She knew better than to rush in. She had to wait. This was the break she needed.

In her mind, she directed a question to herself. Was this how her father disappeared? Her father Mr Caldwell also disappeared some years back without any trace during his time working for the Dane Voss family which she just uncovered a secret about.

She checked the screen of her camera. The images were not clear in the low light, but clear enough to understand what the photos were displaying, the men were wearing dark jackets and gloves, their faces hidden in the darkness. But one of them had a tattoo on his neck, something that looked like a wolf's paw. Mira's heart seized in her rib cage. This was no ordinary gang. This was something far more dangerous.

She zoomed in on the tattoo, her fingers shaking. The mark was unmistakable. It was the symbol of the Voss Pack. The same pack that Dane Voss controlled. The pack that had been linked to the disappearances.

She snapped a few more photos to ensure she captured a lot more angles, Her job as an investigative journalist was to uncover the truth. But this seems different and dangerous. This wasn't just a story. This was a warning.

But as she turned to move, a sudden sound behind her, made her heart seize. Footsteps, Slow and calculated, Someone was coming.

Mira's heart kept pounding in her chest. She tried to remain unseen, blending with the darkness. The footsteps became louder and closer. She looked around where she was hiding and saw a tall man in a fine suit, walking straight toward her. He moved smartly, his eyes checking around the alley as if he already knew she was there.

His eyes glowed golden.

Mira's heart vibrated with a speed that wasn't natural. She had only seen those eyes once before-when she'd encountered Dane Voss. The Voss Pack. The werewolves.

Her camera dropped to the ground with a soft sound, but she didn't dare make a sound. The man's gaze never left her. He shifted his head slightly as if studying her. His eyes moved to the camera, then back to her, and she could see his lips moving, a smile came out from his mouth which wasn't friendly but scary.

"You shouldn't be here," the man said with a low voice. It made a shiver run through her body. "You've seen too much."

Mira's mind raced. She had to think fast. She had to get away. But her legs felt like they were made of stone and couldn't be carried. The golden eyes of the stranger seemed to affect her, it made her powerless.