Chapter 0003

~Daphne~

The hunt has begun.

As we fled through the forest, I pumped my legs and arms as fast as possible, my heart racing like a wild animal. I could have died back there, but my mother quickly jumped into action and saved my life.

‘’They must not get to us, Daphne!’’ she shouted. ‘’ we have to make sure that we survive this hunt!’’

‘’yes, mother,’’ I responded, but I had doubts. No one in the history of the hunt or die had been able to survive. They always ended up dead.

" Watch out!" my mother pulled my hand as we dodged and weaved between the trees, the sound of snapping branches and pounding footsteps closing in behind us.

I could hear the growling of the three wolves behind us, and when I turned, I saw their red eyes blazing with fury as they chased us from behind. Their snarls echoed through the woods. Arrows whizzed past us, thudding into tree trunks and spending splinters flying around. One hit me in the face, and I winced in pain. I could feel the wind running from their shafts, ruffling my hair as they narrowly missed my mother and me.

My mother suddenly yanked me to the left as one arrow almost hit me. ‘’watch out, Daphne!’’ yet again, she had saved my life. We burst through a thicket of brambles, the thorns tearing at our clothes and skin, but we kept running, our breathing ragged, our footsteps pounding out a desperate rhythm on the forest floor.

How could we even survive this hunt?

The wolves were closing in, their hot breath on our heels, and I knew that if we didn’t find shelter soon, we would be torn apart.

‘’There,’’ I pointed to the narrow stream I noticed ahead, and my mother pulled me towards it. We leaped into the water, the icy shaking of the cold numbing my legs as we splashed our way downstream. ‘’We are going to make it!’’ I shouted because once we had crossed the streams and got through it, we would be out of the borders and into another territory, and then we would be free.

Just as we were about to cross the stream, a piercing scream echoed through the forest, and I felt my mother’s hand went limp in my hand. She had been attacked, and she stumbled backward, an arrow shaft protruding from her shoulder.

‘’Mum!’’ I shrieked. My voice shattered the silence of the forest like a broken glass.

My mother tried to speak, but only a gurgling cry escaped her lips as she fell to her knees, the arrow’s feather quivering with each labored breath. I dropped beside her, and my hand grabbed the shaft, but she weakly pushed me away.

‘’Run, Daphne!’’ Her voice was barely audible over the stream roars. ‘’don’t let them Catch… you.’’

Tears streamed down my face as I gazed into her beautiful green eyes, seeing the fear and desperation there. My mother was dying, and she wouldn’t be able to heal fast since she was an omega, except I got her to a healer. I knew she was trying to protect me, but I couldn’t leave her behind.

‘’I Can’t do this without you. I…’’

‘’Daphne!’’ she yelled at me. ‘’don’t be stupid and listen to me,’’ she locked her eyes with mine. ‘’Now run!’’ she gritted her teeth and then yanked the arrow out of her shoulder with a loud cry. Blood gushed out, and I felt nauseated.

" Survive, Daphne, no matter what," she gasped. " Only then will I be happy," she raised her hand and placed it on my face. " Remember that I will always watch over you."

I stared at her in confusion, unsure what she meant by that. She didn’t explain; instead, she pushed me to the other end of the stream. She smiled at me with a look of determination.

" What do you mean? " I screamed, but she didn’t answer. With a final glance at me, she jumped, shifted into a magnificent brown wolf, and rushed to the rogues, closing in on us.

‘’Run Away, Daphne.’’

Her voice sounded in the back of my mind, but I hesitated. I then knew that my mother had stayed back for me, so I took off but couldn’t resist the urge to look back. And that was when I saw it. The rogues were ripping apart my mother's beautiful brown wolf form. Her eyes met mine, and I saw their deep sadness and regret. It was as if she was apologizing for not protecting me.

I love you, Daphne. I heard her voice and knew it was a final goodbye.

I turned away, my heart shattered into a million pieces, but I kept running. My body began to shift, my limbs shortening, my senses heightening, and my furs growing, and then I was in my white wolf form, running through the forest to survive as it was my mother’s last words.

I was not fast enough. Two arrows strike me, one on the shoulder and one on the side. I tried to cry out, but my voice was lost in the chaos of the forest. I tumbled down the hillside, my body bouncing and scraping against the rough ground. I wanted to stop my fall, but I was too late. My stomach hit a large rock with a brutal impact, and I felt a wave of nausea washed over me.

My baby.

As I lay there, I placed my hand on my stomach, feeling the warmth of the blood pooling out of me. Tears streamed down my face as I thought of my mother and her final moments. Her sacrifices and her desperate attempts to protect me were all going to be in vain.

Consumed by my grief and anger, I lashed at the only person I could think of.

The moon goddess.

‘'Why did you abandon us?'’ I screamed into the sky. ‘’why did you let them take her away from me!’’

And in response, the sky opens up, and rain comes pouring down. A torrent of water soaks through my clothes and washes away the dirt and grime of the forest floor. The raindrops are like tears from the heavens, mourning the loss of my mother. The rain continued falling in sheets, drumming against my skin, and I felt a strange sense of peace wash over me. It is as if the moon goddess was crying with me. I struggled to keep my eyes open, and through the blur, I saw the rogues retreating as if they had sensed something and were afraid of it. I heaved a deep sigh; it was a sigh of relief, but I felt weak and helpless, my body numbed from the pain.

The smell of my blood mixed with the rain filled my nostrils, a metallic scent that made my stomach churn. I was losing a lot of blood; I knew that I was slowly dying.

‘’Mum, I am sorry I couldn’t survive,’’ I muttered.

As I thought all was lost, I heard horses neighing in the distance, their hooves pounding against the wet earth. The thudding grew louder, and even though I was supposed to feel afraid that it was another enemy, I didn’t because I knew that this was the end for me.

Someone reached out and grasped my arm, their grip firm and gentle. I caught the scent of the person holding me. It was a unique blend of earthly and wild, like the forest floor after a rainstorm. The person who had grabbed me was not dangerous.

‘’please save me,’’ My voice could barely be heard as I cried for help.

" Take her," a low, deep voice whispered in my ear, and it felt calming and peaceful.

I knew I could trust this person.

With a final breath, I surrendered to the darkness, and everything went black.