THE CHASE

Serena.

"Where do you think you're going, slave?" a voice says from behind me making my body go rigid.

No. No, no, no. This cannot be happening, I think, not when I am so close.

I forget how to breathe for a moment, as my heart slama against my ribs. I know that voice. I’ve heard it in my nightmares countless times.

Slowly, I turn around, bracing myself for Tristan Sinclair’s cold, piercing gaze, but surprisingly, it’s not him.

A sharp laugh breaks the silence. A young servant leans casually against the stone wall, his arms crossed, smirking like he didn’t just shave years off my life. Immediately, my fear morphs into irritation.

"Relax," he drawls. "You looked like you were about to drop dead from fright."

I exhale, unclenching my fists. My pulse is still erratic. "That wasn’t funny."

He grins, unbothered. "Maybe not, but it was convincing, wasn’t it? You owe me for not alerting the guards."

I narrow my eyes. "Then do me a favor and keep your mouth shut."

He mock-salutes. "My lips are sealed."

I linger for a moment, scanning his face. He looks harmless, just another low-ranking wolf trying to get by. Maybe he enjoys causing trouble, maybe he relates to me in some way. Either way, I don’t have time for games.

So I turn on my heel and slip through the tunnels, heart still pounding.

The moment I step outside, the night air fills my lungs, crisp and cold. The forest stretches out before me, vast and endless.

I run.

My feet barely make a sound against the damp earth as I weave between towering pines.

The moon casts silver light over the landscape, making everything feel so unreal, like I am dreaming.

For the first time in years, I feel free. My wolf stirs, restless, commanding “Shift “Run”. “Let me take over”

I want to. By heaven, I want to. The urge to shed my human form and sprint through the trees is almost unbearable, but I resist.

Shifting would leave tracks and make it easier for them to find me.

So I force myself to stay human, pushing forward, entering deeper into the wilderness.

After a while of running, I slow down to catch my breath knowing I am in bad shape.

Then doubt creeps in. Where am I going? I turn left on instinct, driven by the need to escape. I have no destination, but at least I have distance as an advantage. I turn back and can barely see the manor in the distance.

As I keep moving, my mind drifts, pulled into a memory so vivid it feels like I’ve stepped back in time.

The sun is warm on my skin and laughter fills the air, bright and unburdened.

"Come on, slowpokes!" I shout, grinning as I weave through the trees.

Behind me, two small figures struggle to keep up, Gavin and Raine, my best friends.

Gavin's face is twisted in frustration. "You’re cheating, Rena!" he huffs.

I glance back, smirking. "No, I’m just faster." “I always win”

At ten, I outran all the pups my age. At fifteen, I left the older warriors in my dust. Even Father as strong and unbeatable as he was ‘pretended’ to let me win sometimes. I knew he was proud.

I pivot sharply, dodging a lunging Raine, my laughter echoing through the trees.

Then suddenly arms wrap around me, tackling me to the ground. I yelp, but strong hands catch me before I hit the dirt too hard.

When I look up, golden eyes filled with mischief meet mine. "You’re fast, but you’re not untouchable, pup," Father says, his voice deep, warm.

I scowl up at him. "That was cheating."

He chuckles, ruffling my hair. "It was strategy."

Behind him, my mother watches, arms crossed, shaking her head. "You’ll spoil her, Aldric."

I don’t care. I’m happy. I’m home.

As soon as it comes, the memory shatters, leaving only the cold night air and the emptiness in my chest. Home is gone. My pack is gone. My family is gone.

All I have left is running, so I push forward, blinking away the tears behind my eyes. For hours, I move, refusing to slow down.

I reach a clearing and freeze because the hairs on the back of my neck rise. A shiver runs through me and it's not from the cold night air, but from something else.

I’m not alone. My wolf becomes tense and restless, urging me to run. I'm about to, but then, I see him.

A shadow among the trees. Silver eyes gleaming under the moonlight.

Tristan Sinclair. How the hell is he here? Did he follow me?. These thoughts run through my mind as our eyes lock.

I push the thoughts away, and don’t hesitate. I shift in a flash, my human form is gone, replaced by sleek, strong limbs. My feet barely touch the ground before I bolt.

Run. Run. Run. My wolf screams as she takes control.

The wind howls past my ears. I’m faster than him, I know I am. I was the fastest wolf in my pack, but Tristan is relentless.

He’s been trained by the best, and he doesn’t give up easily. He pushes himself harder, faster.

Still, I gain distance, because even I, was trained by the best warriors. I weave through trees, leaping over fallen logs, pushing myself to the limit, that is, until the ground vanishes beneath me.

I skid to a halt in front of a deep ravine that stretches before me, cutting through the land like a jagged scar. Too wide to jump, too steep to climb down fast enough.

I'm stuck at a dead end. So I snarl, pivoting to flee in another direction. However, I am too late.

A massive weight slams into me from behind, sending us both tumbling through the dirt.

We crash, rolling, snarling, until we stop and he is on top of me. His wolf is heavy, pinning me down.

I thrash, but the moment I meet his gaze, my entire body goes still. By this time, we are back to our human form.

His silver eyes aren’t cold and cruel like they usually are. Instead, they are intense, piercing through every wall I’ve ever built against him.

For the first time, he’s not looking at me like a slave. He’s looking at me like something else.

The world around me becomes smaller, the wind stills and it becomes eerily silent as we just stare into each other's eyes.

Then, my wolf whispers the word that changes everything.

"Mate."