Chapter 005

I stared at him blankly. Too much information that my brain couldn't digest and made me dizzy.

"That's enough, Seth. Come on out." Beta Yasen pulled an upset Seth out of the prison and locked the cell. 

I lay curled up, hugging my knees. My world was crumbling. It was as if the ground beneath my feet was crumbling to pieces, pulling me into a dark, bottomless pit. 

"Daddy ...." my voice choked with deep longing.

You were the only father in this world who appreciated and loved my existence when the world scorned me for being born a hybrid. Father never hated me even though my birth caused my mother to die.

I still remember the resignation and bitterness on Father's face when I threatened to kill myself if he didn't allow me to marry Lyord.

"Because Lyord Creed is the man you love, father is allowing you to marry him. Take care of yourself because no one takes care of you in the Northwind Pack."

Now that my father has left me in this world, I feel more alone than ever.

"I'm sorry dad... I've let you down."

I don't remember how long I cried until suddenly, a strong hand touched my shoulder. 

I gasped as a dark shadow enveloped my vision, and a large palm covered my mouth that was about to scream.

"Shhh, Nia, it's me...." 

My eyes widened as I looked at the man in front of me. He had a stocky build with tanned skin and ginger hair. He squatted in front of me while placing his index finger on his lips, signaling me not to scream. 

"Tybalt?" Quickly, I got up and wiped away the tears streaming down my face, confusion taking over my mind. 

"Nia, we need to get out of here," Tybalt said, hastily pulling me to my feet and leading me out of the open prison cell. I was still confused as to how my cousin had gotten here and infiltrated the Northwind Pack and the dungeon.

"Tybalt, I have something to ask you. Is it true that my father was killed?" I held Tybalt's arm as we walked down the dark and deserted secret passage.

"Later, Nia, after we get out of here. I don't have time before they realize my presence. It's not safe to talk here. Hold your screams." Without saying much, Tybalt led me on the run and out of the dungeon room into the forest behind the packhouse.

I stifled a scream as his body transformed into his Lycan form and threw me on his back. He jumped up and ran into the dark forest.

My heart was racing as I hugged her neck tightly. 

"Nia Schafer! She's running away! There's a Lycan infiltrating!"

I looked back to see Seth and Yasen yelling after us.

Tybalt growled, I spontaneously hugged his neck tightly from behind as he jumped up and sprinted through the dark forest.

Yasen and Seth had transformed to chase behind, and howling broke the silence of the night.

I'm sure the sounds attracted the attention of the entire Packhouse herd. In an instant, a pack of wolves was chasing behind.

My heart was racing, my adrenaline was racing, while fear and anxiety overwhelmed me.

 Suddenly, without warning, a large wolf leaped from the side, revealing a snout and canines ready to rip Tybalt's neck out. In a flash of moonlight, I recognized the shining sand-red fur, Beta Yasen, catching up to us.

"Tybalt!" I called.

The Lycan's howl echoed through the forest as he maneuvered to dodge the attack and hit the wolf back. The poor wolf was sent crashing into the pursuing wolf pack behind before crashing into a large tree. 

Tybalt continued to run relentlessly through the darkness of the night. The moon was again hiding behind thick, puffy clouds. I couldn't see in the darkness of the forest.

The sound of wolves growling could be heard farther and farther behind as Tybalt's speed increased, leaving the Northwind pack's forest territory in what felt like an instant.

Tybalt did not stop until we had completely left the Northwind Pack territory.

I endured the queasy feeling in my stomach until Tybalt stopped.

After a while, Tybalt stopped his steps after making sure no Northwind wolf packs were chasing us.

He gently lowered his body to the ground for me to get off his back. I ran towards the nearby bushes, the unbearable urge of nausea forcing me to vomit.

 

"Nia ...." Tybalt's human form voice sounded worried, and his hand rubbed my back.

"You okay?"

I nodded my head, cleaning my mouth before facing Tybalt. 

The clouds moved slowly, revealing the moonlight that penetrated the forest where we stopped. As it fell on the somber figure of Tybalt standing in front of me, his look was very serious.

Tybalt was five years older than me. He was already like an older brother to me, and we had played together since childhood. 

 

"Tybalt, what really happened? What happened to my father?!" I grabbed Tybalt's hand.

Tybalt's expression hardened. "The King is dead. He was killed by Uncle during the hunt."

My shoulders slumped. I whispered softly, "Why? Why did Uncle do that?" 

 

"Uncle had always harbored the intention to take over the position of the Lycan King. He's infatuated with power and authority, wanting the entire Pack Shifter to submit to Eastwood's kingdom. I once warned the King to be careful of Uncle. But the King has always been concerned with family relationships and doesn't want a split in the pack." Tybalt grabbed my shoulders and said with a serious expression.

"Nia, now that John has taken over the Eastwood kingdom, he will kill anyone who opposes him and hunt you down. You must leave, get as far away from Eastwood and the Northwind Pack as possible. I promised the King I would protect you no matter what. Never trust anyone."

 

He paused for a moment, then continued his words in a furious tone. "Including Lyord Creed! That bastard wants to send you to Alpha Don. They want to use you as an experiment to investigate the gene power of the Lycan King's daughter and witch hybrids."