Chapter 3

The events happen straight after 'The Forest'

I am in a deep mess right now. Really, really deep. I know the brown wolf felt it too. A powerful tug deep in his core. A strong push, making two forever bonded souls get closer to each other.

We are mates.

Hell no. This will not happen to me. I don't want to be anyone's mate. I know what it means for a girl to find one. It doesn't end well for her if she doesn't want to cooperate. Wolves are territorial, overprotective, aggressive, instincts driving them, not the logic. They will do anything to get to keep their mates for themselves.

But I won't leave my family for any man.

The brown one completely shifts his behavior now. He starts gently licking my wound, poking me with his nose, but I'm not having this shit. I growl, my lips baring sharp canines, ordering him to step the hell away from me. He seems not to care at all ant pokes me with his nose again.

Like hell I am coming with you, stupid mutt.

Seeing my stubbornness, he steps back and shifts to his human form. He is tall, really tall, with ivory hair and icy, wild eyes. A viking, my first thought was. ''Shift'' he orders me with a strange accent. No emotion in his voice.

Sure, dude, I will. I will definitely lose the only weapon I have.

''Shift now''. His aura explodes around him. A pure, brutal power, radiating from him. My wolf inside screams at me to do what he says. Great, an alpha. Just when I though this situation couldn't get worse.

I should be afraid. I should bare my neck to him, crouch down, accepting his authority over me. And yes, this man scares me to death. I don't know what to do, I want to go home, to my brothers safe embrace. I am terrified.

But I won't submit. Anger rises in me, overwhelming my fear, my pain, my panic. I am not planning to go with this man anywhere. I know he will drag me to his pack and lock me away, ripping me from my family forever. And I have no plans leaving them, mate or not.

His tone is harsh, demanding me to yield, but I am my father's daughter. Always too proud, too stubborn, impossible to tame. My father always said that the wilderness lives in me, bringing storms and raging winds through my skin for the world to feel.

So I become the wilderness itself.

I gather all my strength, all the storms inside me, all the blizzards and wind. The feel of power rise in me, energy filling my body once again. I jump to my feet, ignoring the crushing pain in my left thigh and brace myself for what I am about to do. I will most likely get instantly killed by this fucker, but it's better than all of this shit. And well, I do a lot of stupid shit when I'm angry. So, going against all my instincts, I bare my teeth, push myself forward and jump on blue eyed monster to rip his throat out.

But the man is fast, just in time shifting to a wolf. We crash together on the ground and I manage to bite his neck, ripping hairs and skin out, my nails digging in his soft stomach. I unleash myself on him, drawing more blood.

I guess he did not expect me to be like this, I took him by surprise. But now, he attacks me back, sinking his teeth in my flesh. We continue this vicious, bloody dance another few minutes, neither me nor him wanting to give up.

But I am not strong enough as I used to be, not big enough and I know it. A year without shifting to my wolf form has made me weak. The wound in my thigh is dripping with blood, quickly draining my energy. I won't win the fight against the healthy wolf, especially an alpha.

Snarling, he sees the hole in my defense and bites my front leg, tearing me away from his flesh and pushes me down to the ground with all his weight. I whimper, my wounded legs giving up on me. My face is buried in a mud and I choke, trying to fill my lungs with air. He leans down to me, pressing harder, growling loudly, daring me to move.

Fuck you fuck you fuck you.

My head spins, my legs, my whole body ache. I am so tired suddenly, but I just can't go with him. My mother, Keenan...

I can't leave them, I must get back. So once again I push myself one last time and when the beast's head is close to mine, I lash out and bite just bellow his right ear. He whines from pain but still doesn't release me. He then turns his head up and howls and then soon later, six more wolves appear around us.

I know that this fight is really over now. I won't escape the seven wolves, especially with my wounded legs. So I stop struggling. Now, my fight is over. But if not now, I will still find a way to get out.

Noticing my stillness, the alpha finally releases me, giving me a warning nip to my neck, not enough to draw blood, but it still hurts like a bitch. I will not move, I will not. He nips me again, this time harder.

Keep doing that and I will tear your damn throat out.

Growling, I slowly stand up, my instincts screaming for me to obey the alpha, but my stupid mouth won't hold my snarls. I will kill you, I swear, I will kill you. Not now, I lost my fight today, but I will.

So I keep my head low and I unwillingly follow the brown one to the north. Other wolves surround us and if I even try to look up they growl and try to nip my back legs. Every time they do that, I lash out, my teeth looking for a bite. I am not giving up, but I know my limits, I know when the fight is lost. I just hope that wherever these wolves are taking me, I will find a way to escape.

*****

We run and run and run. I'm so tired now, my legs are killing me and I am tripping every other step. My lungs are burning, it feels like I can't get enough air. My body wants to shut down.

The dawn has started to break. The birds begin singing their songs and I instantly remember Keenan and his whistling. I would do anything to be there with him and hear his stupid little tunes right now. The mist is settling in the forest and I can't stop thinking about the escape, about how the fog would camouflage my fur. But I know I would never make it far.

My wounds are already healed by now, but I lost so much blood and energy in that brutal fight. My head is starting to spin, making me feel dizzy. I try to keep up with the others, not wanting to be nipped again, but I am too tired. If I could just lay down for a second... and I am bitten again, these dogs just can't run slower apparently.

I push myself for another mile, but the night's events are catching up to me, the dark starts blurring my vision and the world begins to fade. I shake my head, not wanting to pass out in the middle of nowhere, but my body finally gives up. Just before I black out, I feel myself shifting back to a human form and then everything goes dark.

*****

I jolt up with a gasp, last night's events flashing through my eyes. Shaking a little, I drink up my surroundings, looking for a way out. It is pretty dark in the room, the sun is getting low. Good, the darkness will be on my side. Get up, get up, my wolf says.

I am laying in a big dark wood bed, covered in white sheets. Furrowing my brows, I pull the covers away and find myself dressed only in a big t-shirt. Those idiots touched me and even dressed me.

They touched my skin, my body. Without my consent. Without me actually being conscious. I couldn't stop them. I couldn't protect myself.

Every inch of my body starts tingling. The shirt is now clinging to my hot skin, beads of sweat gathering on my forehead. My breathing picks up and my throat feels like fire. My hands are starting to shake violently and I can't--I can't breathe--so many dark dots, still, too bright. It's too bright here...

Time stops. A heartbeat. So loud. Ringing in my ears. It's like being underwater - every other sound is blocked and you sink down down down...

One two.

One two three.

One two three blood drops, trailing down my fathers dead fingers.

One two three, pooling below him.

One two three.

Stop.

Breathe.

In, out. Deeply. You survived. One two three.

You didn't die with him there.

In, out. Again.

I repeat my mantra again and again till I feel my panic starting to subside. I shouldn't be this weak, I tell myself. I can do this. In, out. Focus. I need to get out.

Slowly, I push the covers away and tiptoe to the window. My head spins lightly, I am tired and dehydrated, but I ignore it. I have bigger problems now.

I am on the second floor and everywhere I look are the forest and the mountains. There's a clearing here, with a few other buildings standing. I can make out contours of people in them. I gently try to open the window, but of course it is locked. I curse in my head and go try another one. No luck. Then I go to the first door and find myself looking at the white bathroom; the second one leads to the closet. The third one, as I expected, was locked.

Damn. What now? Where to run? I thought I will be able to just open that god damn window. Of course, I can smash it, but that will be too loud. Maybe when I know I am alone in the house... There is nothing I can do now, so I do the only thing I am left with - I wait.