From a young age, Lexi had learned that she liked puzzles. Whenever she sensed a hidden secret, or a strange happening, it thrilled her to piece together the various hints before surprising everyone with her usually-accurate conclusion. Many a time had she played that game with Thirty-Four, to the point where she was pretty sure he'd given up trying to hide things from her. It had taken practice, and some mysteries took weeks of time and effort. But she always got there. There wasn't a puzzle she couldn't solve.

Until now.

As Lexi stood there, staring at the strangest, most terrifying puzzle she'd ever come across, she didn't have a clue where to start.

The planet seemed to stop spinning in those few moments. Everything froze. Not a single wolf moved as Thirty-Four, the wolf they'd all thought as small and weak for all these moons, disappear into the shadows of an alley.

And then the chaos began.

A rough shoulder shoved into Lexi's side, sending her crashing painfully into the stone. Dazed, she watched as its owner - a burly Toxiwylf - shoved his way through the crowd, bolting as far from the plaza's stage as possible. He wasn't the only one. As Lexi lay on the ground, she saw dozens of wolves, who had been observing the ceremony with quiet appreciation, now trampling each other in their desperate attempt to flee. Shouts and cries filled the air. All calling the name of that Pelt. The Pelt that sent cold trickles of fear sliding over her fur, and a trembling horror that shook her paws uncontrollably.

The Pelt that her best friend now wore.

With no evidence as to why.

Soon, the plaza was nearly deserted. Only a few braver wolves stayed behind, but they were quickly ushered away by Flamewylves, all with the bright red Wylfire bands tied around their paws, or tails. As Lexi rose unsteadily, a dark orange she-wolf approached her.

"Go inside," she commanded, her voice strong despite the fear glittering in her eyes. "We're placing the town on lockdown until the creature is caught." Lexi nodded, trying not to wince at the words.

Her paws moved automatically towards the Thunderwylf labs, just behind her. The Flamewylf had probably meant that she should go home, but after sneaking out last night she wasn't sure she was ready for that yet. Besides, she wanted to stay close to that alley, despite her fear. If there was any possibility of getting Thirty-Four back, she would take it.

Thankfully, Storm was there, peering through the grimy window in her lab's door at the plaza. When she saw Lexi, she hurriedly flung it open and pulled her inside.

"What in Luna's name was that?" Storm hissed, her eyes flicking between terror and confusion.

Twitching her tail, Lexi shook her head dispairingly. "I don't know," she admitted.

They both watched from the window as some of the Wylfire marched through the streets, whilst a few others sprinted down the alley and towards the forest. Storm barked a laugh. "At least you don't have to make that poison anymore."

The poison. The other difficult problem. It seemed like nothing compared to...

Gasping, Lexi turned away from the window, her eyes widening as puzzle pieces suddenly slotted together in her mind. "It's linked. Maybe the Wylfire knew this would happen. That's why they asked me to make the poison." The cogs of her brain clicked into place as she paced the small room. "They wanted an easy way to eliminate..." Her voice trailed away as she stopped, the reality of her theory sinking in.

"They're going to kill Thirty-Four," Storm breathed. Nodding weakly, Lexi dug her claws into the floor, a new fear gripping her heart. This one wasn't a fear for herself.

Whatever he is, I can't let my best friend die.

Storm swore loudly. "Well, this is great." Shaking her head in disbelief, she laughed again, though the sound was more of a nervous titter. She might have been about to say something else, but Lexi didn't plan on sticking around to hear it. Diving around her fellow Thunderwylf, she lunged for the door, her claws yanking the handle open. She made to run out, but a tug on her tail pulled her back sharply.

"Hold up," Storm said, without loosening her grip. "You're not actually planning on..."

"Yes," Lexi replied firmly, with a glance backwards. "I can't let him die."

Eyes shining bright green, Storm stared at her fiercly. "No. What you are doing is letting yourself die. I don't need two dead friends on my paws."

Lexi pulled harder, eyes fixed on the narrow street directly ahead. "I'll be careful. Let me go."

A sigh drifted from behind. "Fine. If you want go on a suicide mission to save your crush, at least let me join in." The claws around her tail fell away.

Before Storm could follow, Lexi sped away, racing across the plaza. She heard her friend shout something after her, and then there was the pounding of paws as she gave chase. Narrowing her eyes, Lexi pushed herself to move faster. As welcome as the backup might be, she had no desire to endanger anyone else. This was her mission, and her puzzle to solve.

Most importantly, it was her best friend's life on the line.

As she sprinted down the alley, she could hear the echoes of Storm's paws pounding ever closer. Unfortunately, Lexi was the lesser of the two when it came to athletics. Thinking quickly, she dove to the side, wedging herself into a gap in the wall.

The pawsteps slowed. "Lexi?" Storm called. She cursed again. "Oh, for Luna's sake!" With a growl of frustration, she continued down the path, calling out again.

Only when she had disappeared from view did Lexi emerge. She crept slowly down the alley, then peaked around the corner, before exhaling a sigh of relief. There was no sign of anyone else.

Taking a deep breath, she began to run again, ducking under the cover of the trees and into the forest. She only hoped she could find him before they did.

The forest had never felt so oppressive.

Granted, she didn't usually come into this section of woodland. She and Thirty-Four always played together on the south-eastern side of the town, near the valley. The trees here on the northern side were taller, and much denser. Thin needles and spindly branches poked Lexi's flank as she weaved her way through the endless maze of pine and spruce, frantically shouting her friend's name.

It was darker here, too. Droplets of sunlight pooled under gaps in the canopy, but the majority of the forest was swamped with darkness. Lexi squinted, hoping her eyes would adjust to the dim lighting soon. Her fearful gaze scanned the stripy line of narrow trunks, searching for any sign of that fearsome Pelt.

"Thirty-Four?" she called for the millionth time. "Answer me, please!"

A shiver slithered down her spine. With every step she took, the woods seemed to get more terrifying.

But I have to keep going, she told herself, determination pushing away the fear. I have to save him.

As her gaze swept the trees again, she spotted a flash of something. A Pelt. A wolf.

"Thirty-Four!" she exclaimed, ducking under a low-hanging branch to run towards him. But when she reached the spot, he was gone.

"Come on, Thirty-Four," she called, unable to prevent the shaky tone that gripped her words. Her eyes darted from place to place. They had become more accostomed to the dark, but not enough to spot black fur amongst the shadows. "Please answer." Her voice faded, her heart twisting with tendrils of curling terror. "It's just me. It's Lexi."

"Hello Lexi."

The tone was smooth and gentle, yet laced with low snarls that threatened to burst out at any moment. And it came from right behind her.

"Th-Thirty-Four?" she stuttered, turning slowly. It didn't sound exactly like him. But the Pelt transformation affected everyone differently. Besides, she wasn't sure what was familiar anymore.

Then she saw him, and all the words lodged in her throat.

Whilst he had once stood with his ears level with her eyes, Thirty-Four now towered above her, with his broad snout angled downwards to meet hers. Muscles rippled in his forelegs, and his claws had extended, narrow and deadly sharp. Many wolves grew quickly, or even instantly, after gaining their Pelt, but she'd never seen a spurt this considerable. But then, this was hardly a normal case.

Yet it wasn't his size that rooted her paws to the ground, or clawed at her heart. What truly petrified her was the midnight-black that cloaked his thick fur. Like no other wolf she'd ever seen. And there were his yellow eyes, bright and fierce, fixed on her with a chilling malevolent gaze.

Dimly, her mind wondered why his eyes had changed. But then she reminded herself that, again, it could be the Pelt. It had brought on all sorts of effects in the past.

Somehow, her heart still had room beneath the fear to ache for his beautiful blue eyes.

His head tilted to the side as his fangs flashed. "Do I look like a Peltless?"

Lexi shook her head, her paws shaking so much they threatened to crumble beneath her. She bent down, searching for the silver letters that would have replaced the marking on his paw. "Deimos," she read, then swallowed. It wasn't the perfect, handsome name she'd imagined him recieving. Instead, it resonated with foreboding.

"That's right," he said. Looking back up, she saw the yellow sparks that danced in his eyes as he leaned towards her. "It means 'fear' or 'dread'. Did you know that?"

She nodded.

"Smart little Thunderwylf." He let out a throaty laugh, before curling his lips back to reveal fangs stained with red splatters. Blood. "But not smart enough."

She barely saw his strike, but she certainly felt it. The muscled paw smacked into her side, flinging her into a tree. Dark spots danced in front of her eyes. A warm wetness matted her fur, revealing that his claws had also connected.

Before she could even think about standing, he was upon her, one paw pinning her chest to the ground. She squirmed, but the movements felt sluggish. He was just too strong.

This is how I die. By his claws.

Her eyes slid closed in an attempt to escape the reality. Yet still his paws pressed down. Claws skittered across her skin, sending stings of pain everywhere they touched.

"Thirty-Four," she whimpered, her desperation chasing the other name from her mind. "Please."

Her head swam. She could feel his dark fur brushing over her chest, inching closer towards her neck. Any second now, it would all be over.

My parents will never see me again, she realised. A single tear slipped through her closed eyelids, soaking into her fur.

I'm going to die.

It seemed like an eternity that she waited. Unmoving and aching. Trails of blood trickled down her side.

Suddenly, she realised that the pressing sensation had stopped.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, expecting his black bulk to lean over and deliver the final strike. But instead, she saw a battle.

At first, she was sure her mind was making it up in her delirious state. Maybe a member of the Wylfire had come to her rescue. Maybe she really was dead, and this was all happening inside her broken mind.

Yet the more she blinked, the more real it became.

Two wolves were fighting. They grappled with each other, pushing and clawing with all their might. One was Deimos, yellow eyes flashing with surprise, and the other was smaller. Lexi stared, wide-eyed, her mind whirring with jumbled thoughts. It made no sense.

She watched as Deimos caught the newcomer with a hefty swipe to the chest, sending him toppling away to the side. For the first time, she caught a glimpse of his deep blue eyes, narrowed with determination as he leapt to his paws.

It can't be...

The blue-eyed wolf launched himself onto Deimos's back, locking his paws around the larger wolf's neck. He yanked hard, making Deimos stagger backwards into a tree.

But how...

Both wolves collapsed in a heap on the ground. The smaller recovered first, scrambling to his paws and delivering a forceful cuff to his opponent's head.

So who...

He struck again, and again, growling something inaudible. Finally, he stood fully, glaring downwards.

Deimos didn't move.

Lexi felt a shudder of terror as the wolf's gaze rested on her, but it soon faded as she found the same calm she always had in those blue eyes. It had to be him.

"Lexi? Are you ok?" He rushed towards her, bending down to examine her wound.

She decided not to tell him that yes, she was completely fine, but only because he was here and his voice was instantly relaxing her tensed muscles, and it was as if his presence was casting the constricting tendrils of fear away, and letting her heart beat freely again. Instead, she opted for a simple, "Kind of."

His claw hovered over the bleeding gash, brushing over the sticky scarlet that coated her once-golden fur, before retracting hesitantly. "That looks nasty. We need to find a healer." After a quick glance back at Deimos, he met her eyes. "Can you stand?"

"I... I think so." It felt fairly unlikely, but she had to try, for him. Sliding her paws under her chest, she pushed upwards, gradually lifting herself up. Her wounded side screamed at the effort, but she fought through the pain and managed to straighten her paws. Instantly, her vision blurred, and she felt her body collapse, but something stopped her from falling. It was his shoulder, propping her up.

"Thanks," she murmured, leaning into his soft fur. The colour couldn't change how comfortable it was. As she turned towards him, it suddenly hit her that he really was taller - now it was his eyes that were placed level with the tips of her ears. He must have been stronger, too, because he took her weight fairly well. Or maybe he was just hiding how much he was straining to keep her upright.

"I saw one of the Wylfire patrolling near here," he told her, his eyes scanning the trees. "They'll be able to help." He opened his jaw to call out, but she interrupted him before he could.

"We can't," she whispered, her tone coming out both scared and serious. "Thirty-Four, they knew this would happen. They plan to kill you." As his eyes widened, her gaze flitted to the unconcious Deimos. Another piece to add to her puzzle. "Or maybe they didn't plan it for you, exactly... I haven't quite worked it out yet. But we can't trust them to help."

He let out a humourless laugh. "Because I'm a Shadewylf."

Meeting his gaze fiercly, Lexi shook her head. "Yes. But that doesn't change anything. Between us, I mean," she added hastily. "It changes... quite a few other things."

This time, his laugh sounded more genuine. "Thanks, Lexi. You're the best." He turned to her with shining eyes. "And thank you for coming after me."

"I..." Snapping her snout shut on her response, she pricked up her ears. A rustle echoed throughout the silent forest. A pounding of paws. A shout. "They're coming," she breathed, her tail twitching in anxious fear.

"Hide." Thirty-Four pulled her down, sliding them both into the undergrowth. Hurriedly, they both piled leaves on top of themselves, while nestling deeper into the bushes. The pawsteps grew louder.

"And then?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Then," he replied, even quieter. "We find the only wolves we can trust."

"Who?"

"The Twilytra."