Chapter One

|PRESENT DAY|

"Move, you sloth!"

I felt another hard push at my lower back, the force causing me to stumble forward. I desperately try to see through the dark material covering my eyes but it was an impossible feat. My sights were completely useless and I only had my senses to rely on.

I remained limp against their tight grip, I refused to call for help either. What was the use? No one was going to hear me and even if they did it was more likely that they would ignore rather than help me. 

"Move faster, bitch." A shrill voice spoke harshly, it was followed by a hard smack on the back of my head. 

I swallowed back a groan as I stumbled forward again. The jeering laughter of the other wolves followed me along like an escort. My legs trudged against the gravelly path and my nose twitched in recognition, the smell of dirt and fresh leaves permeating into my nostrils. At least, I knew where we were.

That was a good thing. It meant that I had an advantage.

"Stop walking." Another voice, a deeper one, spoke this time, squeezing my bound wrists tighter. "Time for your surprise, mutt." 

I halted, my feet almost slipping from the ground. My heart pounded as I felt myself being spun around, I could hear them, the whispers they exchanged, the snide laughter escaping from their lips. I felt like throwing up from the fear that engulfed me. I had an idea of where I was standing and I knew that if I made any sudden movement, I would fall to my death.

"Remove her blinds."

 The deep voice commanded once again. The cold material of the blindfold clamped down over my face making me squint to keep myself awake with the blinding light that blinded me. My focus slowly returned, and my vision cleared slightly until my surroundings came into view. There were six of them, and I recognized them instantly.  

Judy Austin stepped forward, arms crossed against her chest and a conniving smile on her lips. "How do you like your surprise? We took you to your favorite spot."

My eyes flicked to the landscape behind me and sure enough, I was standing at the edge of a cliff. Normally, I wouldn't be so scared but my hands were bound and I had little chance of surviving if I was pushed.

"Let me go." My voice came out firmly despite the terror that gripped my body. I tried to sound assertive but the tremble was still there. Judy's smirk widened, she was enjoying every moment of this, she enjoyed making me feel helpless. She was enjoying watching me cower away from her and the others. 

She let out a loud laugh. "Would you look at that?" She turned to her right-hand man, "The dog wants us to let her go."

Shaun's lips curled into a sardonic grin, his brown eyes glinting menacingly at me. He moved towards me with purposeful steps, stopping a few inches before me, his face inches away from mine. His breath fanned across my cheeks, I shivered involuntarily. "What did you say you wanted?"

My fingers trembled behind me and my gaze flickered to the group behind him. All six of them had the same expression; malicious smiles on their faces. My eyes darted between Shaun and Judy and my heart sank when I saw how easily they were all able to tear me apart without breaking a sweat.

"Let...Let me go, I said hoarsely.

"Did you hear that?!" He turned suddenly to face the rest of the group, who all chuckled. "The dog wants us to let her go, what do you say to that?"

Judy smirked once more, "Why don't you grant her wish, Shaun."

As soon as those words left her lips, he spun to face me again, hardened brown eyes peering into my lighter ones. 

"I hope you're a good swimmer."

His words were nothing more than a whisper as his hands reached forward and a sudden pressure pressed against my shoulders. With a gasp, I was propelled forward by him, falling backward. My mouth opened in a silent scream, and I found myself in freefall. I shut my eyes tightly as my body hit the water below. 

It was like falling straight onto ice, I didn't have the strength to fight back. I struggled under the water for a second, trying to hold onto anything. I couldn't feel my lungs filling with oxygen, my mind blanked from panic. The binds around my wrists were strong, constricting me in their hold.  

Water rushed into my mouth as the current forced me further and further away from land and air. My body jerked violently beneath the surface, the water pushing into my mouth and I began to choke. It burned in my throat, threatening to make me gag. I could slowly feel myself drifting from consciousness and a different kind of panic gripped my chest.

No. I couldn't die. Not yet. Not like this. 

I willed myself to concentrate, forcing my inner wolf to emerge. My eyes flew open as my canines began to elongate and my claws grew and extended. I twisted my wrist, using the tips of my claws to cut off the binds.  The water surrounding me seemed to recede as I swam upwards and I finally broke the surface. I gasped for air, choking on the water that poured from my lungs.

 I sputtered as much as I could, the salty liquid burning my throat as it rushed past my mouth. My ears rang as I fought to take in more oxygen. 

My teeth felt too big to fit through my gums as I pulled myself up on the bank, my entire body aching.  The cold wind stung my body, sending shivers throughout my whole body. I collapsed onto the grass, coughing, gasping for air.

I lay there for a few minutes until I caught my breath again, trying to calm myself. My claws began to retract, leaving tiny marks on my palms as blood dripped from the wounds. My eyes trace the white clouds floating above me as they slowly floated in the sky... I felt tears well up in my eyes as I stared hopelessly at the clouds, my breathing gradually returning to normal.  

I felt cold, so cold, my teeth were involuntarily chattering as the wind bit deeper into my body. I closed my eyes, willing my body to warm, and my mind to calm down. Slowly, I forced myself to stand, my legs weak and wobbly. I walked forward carefully, my hands trembling as I gripped onto a tree that was supporting the large rock on top of the hill. I leaned against it and took in a deep breath before walking.

With each step I took, I became progressively colder. Colder and colder until it hurt to move.  Every breath sent pain coursing through my chest, reminding me of the injuries caused by my captors earlier today.  The bruises forming on my stomach made me wince as I continued to walk.

 I wrapped my arms around my lower torso hoping that doing so would keep some of the warmth inside of me. The trek to the main village took about five minutes but the painstaking pace felt like hours.  The sounds of moving cars greeted my ears first and I let my eyes remain fixed on the ground. I knew I was receiving attention, that wasn't unusual, however, I really couldn't deal with their whispers and mockery today.

My shoulder bumped into someone, causing me to lose my footing and crash on the ground.

"Fuck!" The middle-aged wolf growled, his amber eyes burning with anger as he stared down at me in disgust. 

I was sure he could see the terror in my gaze, the rough ground scrubbed against my palms when I try to scoot away from him. "I'm sorry," I whisper, my voice trembling slightly.

He looked like he was going to say something but decided against it, instead muttering derisively, "Blind Mutt." He dusted off the arm I bumped into before walking away.

It was hard to ignore the stares, and I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, which was not a pleasant sensation. I forced myself to move forward, keeping my gaze trained on the road ahead.

The moment I entered the house, a sigh of relief escaped my lips. I froze on the threshold, examining the cuts and bruises on my hands with concern. Deciding, I would deal with them later, I trudged slowly to the living room. 

"Emma?" 

My heart stopped when I was greeted with the sight of my family gathered in the center of the room. My father was the first to see me, his brows raised high at my appearance. I knew he wouldn't question me about what happened, he didn't care enough to ask.

"You just came in?" He asked as I walked further into the room. My skeptical gaze ran over them, they shared the same look of excitement in their eyes.

I nodded but he was already looking away from me, instead focusing on my sister. The Princess in our household. 

Dahlia Winchester was everything I wasn't. She was extraordinarily pretty, everyone in the pack loved her, and she was kind and graceful. Not to mention, she was also a strong she-wolf. Her eyes sparkled with innocence and kindness, something most people lacked. I never admitted it out loud, but I was envious of her and the life she had.

Dahlia's bright eyes fell on me and she rushed toward where I stood. "Emma!" She grabbed my wrist excitedly and a small sound of surprise escaped me. A wide smile graced her lips. "You won't believe what happened!"

I was astonished, her behavior was truly odd. Dahlia never noticed me, none of my family did. They treated me the same way the pack did. Like trash, or as they termed me...a dog.

"What happened?" I asked despite myself and her smile widened even further. When my eyes flicked in the direction of where my parents stood, they had equal expressions of enthusiasm. 

Dahlia's smile only grew brighter, her blue eyes sparkling like sapphires. "I got picked!" She squealed, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, her fingers digging into my bruised flesh. I tried hard to conceal the wince on my face and tried to grin,

I was still confused, so I asked carefully, "Picked for what?"

She rolled her eyes, an action that showed my question was a stupid one. "The selection, Em. I got picked for the Queen's position."

My jaw dropped. I didn't know what to think, my mind was in complete disarray. My gaze traveled to my parents again and they had proud smiles on their faces.

I didn't know much about the selection process, except that whoever was picked would become the Lycan Queen. A position that has been left vacant for centuries.

My eyes returned to my sister's and I forced a happy grin onto my face, hoping it hid the turmoil of emotions swirling in my head.

"That's great," I replied, though I was surprised I managed to speak normally. Dahlia looked puzzled for a moment, her expression quickly changing into one of recognition and happiness.

"Of course it is. Imagine if I won."

I watched as she sauntered to my parents and began talking animatedly about how lucky she was to get chosen. I couldn't help but notice the way her blue eyes gleamed with happiness. Or the way my mother was patting her hair fondly. Even my usually stoic father had a proud smile on his face.

A sudden wave of bitterness washed through me as I watched them. My eyes fell on my throbbing skin, at the new claw marks formed on them as a result of Dahlia's grip. The old scars were still fresh and I knew it would take weeks for them to completely heal up.

I looked at them one last time,  the sadness and despair filling up my veins and I turned away, not wanting to witness any more of their happy expressions. I walked back towards the safety of my room without giving them another glance.