Chapter 3: Margot’s First Hunt
Margot awoke to the cool, early morning air, a sense of purpose settling in as she blinked awake on the mountainside. The earth was firm beneath her paws, and her silver-gray fur caught the first light of dawn as she adjusted to the world in her new form. Today marked her initiation as a hunter for the Blood Moon Wolf Clan, a step toward proving herself in this life she’d chosen.
Her siblings, Luna and Fang, stood beside her, their eyes bright with pride and a hint of mischief. Luna, a sleek gray wolf with perceptive amber eyes, nudged her gently.
“Are you ready, Margot?” Luna asked, her tone both encouraging and challenging.
Margot’s heart raced as she steadied herself, nodding.
“I think so,” she replied, though her voice was laced with a nervous excitement. She felt a mixture of pride and anxiety at the thought of proving herself to her family and clan. She may have come from the city, but this was where she belonged now.
Fang, her older brother, rolled his eyes, though his gaze softened with a trace of sympathy. “Just stay close, all right? Nobody expects you to bring down a stag on your first try.”
Their mother stood a few paces away on a ridge, observing with a look of quiet pride. “This isn’t just about strength, Margot. It’s about understanding our role here as protectors. Trust yourself.”
Margot met her mother’s gaze and nodded, trying to soak in every word of advice she could. This world felt foreign, but each passing day strengthened her bond to it. She wanted to make her family proud and prove herself worthy of the Blood Moon Clan.
Together, the three wolves slipped through the trees, Luna and Fang moving with practiced grace. Every scent, every sound told a story, filling Margot’s senses in ways she’d never known possible. The forest’s secrets felt alive in the air, making her feel more connected than she’d ever been in her life.
Luna stopped, sniffing the air and crouching down low. She pointed her nose toward a small group of deer grazing in a clearing just beyond the trees.
“Your target,” she whispered to Margot, her eyes glinting with excitement.
Margot felt her pulse quicken, her muscles tensing as she readied herself. Every fiber of her being urged her to give chase, yet a wave of doubt lingered. Could she really do this?
“Wait for the right moment,” Fang murmured softly, his gaze fixed on the deer.
“Feel it in your bones. Timing is everything.”
Margot steadied her breathing, summoning all her focus. She honed in on the nearest deer, feeling an instinct take over that was both foreign and deeply familiar. She stayed low, waiting until her muscles ached with anticipation, until every instinct told her to move. Then, like a coiled spring, she launched forward, her paws thundering across the earth as she tore through the clearing. The deer scattered, but Margot kept her focus, locking her sights on a single target.
With a burst of speed, she leaped forward, sinking her teeth into the deer. Her heart pounded as the forest stilled around her, and with a mix of triumph and relief, she knew she had succeeded. 
Luna approached, her eyes shining with pride. “Well done, Margot,” she said warmly.
“You’ve earned your place among us.”
A sense of belonging washed over Margot as she looked at her siblings, her family, her clan. This was her life now, and she felt a surge of gratitude that she had chosen to embrace it.
---
Meanwhile, back in the city…
In a dimly lit diner, Rodney sat alone at a booth, staring blankly at his coffee cup. His face was haggard, and a restless energy lingered beneath his dark, tired eyes. It had been months since Margot had disappeared, months filled with sleepless nights and countless unanswered questions. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, that Margot hadn’t simply chosen to leave.
His friend, Lucas, slid into the booth across from him, shooting him a look of concern.
“Rodney, you’ve got to let this go, man. It’s tearing you apart.”
Rodney ran a hand through his hair, exhaling heavily.
“I can’t, Lucas. She’s… she’s Margot. I love her. I don’t understand why she’d leave like that.”
Lucas leaned back, crossing his arms.
“Look, you’ve turned this town upside down searching for her. You visited every place she used to go. I mean, if she wanted you to find her, don’t you think she would’ve left something? A note, at least?”
Rodney shook his head, his expression resolute.
“That’s just it—none of this adds up. She wouldn’t just vanish without a word. I know her. Something must have happened, something she didn’t want me to know.”
Lucas let out a frustrated sigh, looking at Rodney with sympathy. “Maybe she had her reasons, Rod. Sometimes, people… they have lives we don’t see, things they don’t want us to know.”
Rodney’s hands clenched into fists, a mixture of frustration and helplessness bubbling within him.
“But we were… I thought we were everything to each other. Why wouldn’t she tell me?”
Lucas reached across the table, placing a hand on Rodney’s shoulder. “I know this is rough, but you have to stop torturing yourself. She wouldn’t want you to waste away like this.”
Rodney looked out the window, watching the pedestrians pass by, laughing and smiling, couples enjoying a life that felt out of his reach. He remembered the sound of Margot’s laughter, the warmth in her eyes, the countless moments they’d shared. The thought of her moving on, living a life he would never know, tore at his heart.
After a long pause, he slumped back in his seat.
“Maybe you’re right, Lucas. Maybe it’s time to let go.”
Lucas nodded, a hint of relief in his voice.
“Good. I know this isn’t easy, but Margot would want you to be happy, even if she’s… wherever she is.”
Rodney nodded, though inside he felt nothing but emptiness. His search had turned up no leads, no hints, only endless frustration. As he stared down at his coffee, he forced himself to accept that he might never understand why she had left, or where she was now.
But as much as he tried to convince himself to move on, a part of him would always be waiting, hoping that someday, somehow, she would come back to him.
---
Back in the mountains…
The clan gathered as Margot—no longer the city girl she once was, but a wolf of the Blood Moon Clan—returned from her first hunt, pride shining in her eyes. Her siblings offered her warm congratulations, and her father’s gaze softened as he approached.
“You did well, Margot,” he said, his tone full of pride.
“Your instincts are strong, and your courage even stronger. You’ve proven yourself today.”
Margot dipped her head, feeling a sense of connection to her family, to her clan, and to this new life she was building. She had taken a risk by leaving everything behind, but standing here now, she knew she had made the right choice.
Her mother stepped forward, pressing her forehead gently to Margot’s. “You are one of us now, Margot. We face the future together, as family.”
A howl erupted from the clan, echoing through the mountains, the sound resonating deep within Margot. She lifted her head, joining in the chorus, her voice blending with her family’s in a song of triumph and belonging. 
As the clan celebrated, Margot felt an overwhelming sense of peace. She had a place here, a purpose, and she was ready to protect this land and these people with everything she had.
Yet, as she raised her eyes to the sky, a fleeting thought of Rodney crossed her mind. She remembered his smile, his warmth, the life they had shared. For a moment, a pang of longing tugged at her heart.
But she took a deep breath, grounding herself in the present, the life she’d chosen. She was Margot, a wolf of the Blood Moon Clan, a warrior with a new purpose. And she would face whatever came next with the strength and courage she had found within herself.