5

~Dawn

He leant against the thick base of the tree like prey.

My mind played with ideas, as my eyes follow the line of the slight quivering bow in my hands. It's handmade and not all that reliable. It will do the job though, if I decide to completely blow my cover. It might be worth it though, to see him in pain, even if it's for a flicker of a second.

He had his dark leather outfit created especially for Rylan's guards. They never used to wear the bulletproof clothing, or wear hoods over their faces. They never were from the Power Pack either, where some of the most elite soldiers were trained. I remember when they were incompetent Purity Pack members who were too scared to hurt anyone.

It has all changed since I escaped Rylan for a second time, three months ago.

I pull the string of the bow back, hair it groan very slightly by my ear. It's not often I use the bow and arrow pair that I made messily, but today, I need to put a little unease into these highly trained law enforcers. They have been hanging around in the wrong part of the forest to Lucy and I, so I have decide to send this arrow at them to think they are on the right track.

That's my theory anyway. I'm not sure if they will actually catch on, since they are all brawn over brains.

The arrow hits him exactly where I had anticipated. Right in the foot.

I only gave myself a single moment to rejoice in my perfect hit, before I pull my mask of leaves across my body. Being in a tree is a more dangerous way to stalk the guards, but it gave me a good vantage point at least. I could see perfectly, as the Elite didn't move a single inch. His eyes fell down to the arrow in his foot, not making a single sound, like I had expected him to.

His lack of reaction made me nervous, as pulled the arrow from his foot without a moment's hesitation. A sheen of blood glinted off it, confirming that it had gone in, yet he acted as if it hadn't, letting his shoe keep the wound in.

Then, he casts a dark gaze up to where I was in the tree.

I didn't move an inch.

He can't possibly see behind these leaves, so he shouldn't know I am hiding behind here. I even hold my breath, seeing those cruel, shallow eyes from between two leaves. Then, he snaps the arrow in half, and turns to his small group, who had been silently watching him. They knew not to speak until commanded to.

"She's here," the Elite muttered, his voice low, as if to conceal it from me hearing. I did thought, and I was quick to turn to the trunk, scaling down the tree so quick, my arms scraped viciously until blood was drawn.

As my feet touched the ground, and I turned to see myself surrounded by the Elite Guards.

They are a lot more intimidating than they once were three months ago. I've managed to evade them at all costs, but now, as they stand in front of me, I have no other choice to accept their presence.

Leather clad, weapons strapped to their sides, masks over half their faces like Lucy liked to do, they were terrifying. An unfamiliar shiver of fear stalks up my spine, making me swallow dryly. This time, it's serious. The only common sense here is the fact that the leading Commander, Burke still runs the show.

He stares at me with those brutish eyes.

"It looks like the tables have turned," Burke says, in the bloodthirsty tone I found painfully familiar. You wouldn't tell her prays on his knees to the Goddess morning and night just by looking at him.

I keep my eyes on him, instead of his Guards. Six of them, this time.

"I found you, this time," I say, knowing what he meant, just not wanting to admit it. This had been my idea to sought him out. I had no idea he had brought such experienced reinforcement.

"You're not getting away," he tells me securely, his thin, dry lips curving into a malicious smile. "Unless you want everyone of these men killed."

I force a shrug into my shoulders. "I wouldn't mind."

The impassive look on their faces remain, as they seem unbothered by my claim. They don't know me. They would usually be working in a difficult environment for the Alpha of Power, risking their lives to defend their Pack's. Now, they work for the Alpha of Purity, risking their lives in another way. Now, they must be thought of as a joke, being hired to chase after an Alpha's mate.

"These males have families. They have lives. You don't care that your mate will destroy them, before replacing them without a single thought?"

Is this his idea? Blackmailing me? He should have taken a different route if they wanted to sway me.

"I'm going to leave now," I say casually, taking a step backward.

The sweet song of native birds in the trees ceases, followed by gentle breeze that ruffles the leaves in the trees. Everything stops; even the clouds in the sky, as if they are watching, not believing the audacity of my statement. My sister would reply the same in this situation, so why can't I be brave?

Normal people would be on their knees in front of these Elite's by this point, but Commander Burke shakes his head at the males who step forward, gloved hands on their weapons.

"Don't. She's not going anywhere," he tells them, and air of confidence and spite around him that made me nervous. "Not if she wants to know about her family."

I stop moving.

I left my family behind over a year ago. They haven't put nearly as much effort into trying to find me as Rylan has, which should have pained me, but it made me grateful. Their belief in the Goddess is an extreme, so them complying with whatever their puritan Alpha has to say doesn't surprise me at all.

I'm still shocked into a pause.

"You changed him, you know. You two are perfect for each other," Burke says.

"We are opposites."

"Tell that to all the people he has killed over the past few months in cold blood. He's not pure anymore, girly. You've sickened him in the head."

I swallow, watching the tense muscles of the Elite's, who want to make a move. They haven't spent this many months in a forest looking for me, to just stand there and watch. Striking appeals to all of them, but they know not to step out of line of their commands.

"That's not my problem," I tell him, yet my tone quivers.

"You can take responsibilities for the Pack wide search going for you. The time off work people have had to have. You can even be held accountable for all the innocent souls Rylan has tortured for information." Burke is enjoying telling me this.

There is little I believe about that. Not the weak Alpha who only sent out the most pitiful guards for me. He can't have changed that much.

"He wouldn't," I say carefully.

"You doubt it, do you? Have you not seen the Pack of Peace turn into a frantic search for their Luna? Be lucky they aren't brave enough to venture this far into the forest," he taunts. "They would drag you back to Rylan without a second thought."

Lucy and I have been living off the land, refusing to shift into our Wolves so Rylan wouldn't be able to sniff us out. It's been difficult, not visiting the Pack for decent food once, but we haven't had a choice.

It hasn't helped my sickness . I'm getting weaker by the day.

Slowly though, slowly Lucy and I have been stalking deeper into the forest. Our plan is to conceal ourselves to a point where no one will even get close to us. We can live out precious life of freedom away from all of them.

"Does this make you think I am going to just walk into his arms because of it?" I question, mildly disgusted by that notion.

If anything, it makes me frightened of him.

"He won't stop until he has found you. You're his mate, and an Alpha's one too-"

"I didn't ask for it," I snap, unable to hold back my emotion.

They didn't seem to notice the step I take backwards, giving myself enough gap, that when I turn to run, they will have less of a chance to grab at me initially. If there is one thing I have on my side, it is my ability to run. I've always been quick on my feet, and I'm about to let that work to my advantage.

I can't stay here another second. Not with Rylan's words mulling in my mind.

I would tear the world apart to find you.

So I turned, and I ran. Instantly, the Elite's were in pursuit, but they don't know the forest like I do. It took me a few minutes of quick stepping and dodging around trees for me to lose them. When I do, I take a break, not knowing exactly where I was, but I know I'm close to our camp.

My heart pounds in my chest from my near escape, and my harsh breathing has my head spinning slightly. Resting my back against the bark, I wait for the mind whirling to stop.

But it doesn't...

I don't know how long i had passed out for, but when I woke, the sun was setting and my face was buried in the dirt. Someone was at my shoulder, trying to push me onto my back. Blearily, I look through the slits in my eyes, seeing my concerned sister above me.

She is talking. "Something is seriously wrong with you. You need medicine, or at least good food."

My mouth was too dry to formulate any reasonable words, as Lucy helped me to sit up against a tree. Still, despite my aching neck, I shake my head in protest.

But there is no doubting what is going to happen.

We are going back to the Purity Pack.