#3

EMILY’S heart rate picked up after hearing the loud cries of agony and the warriors screaming to fight and protect the land. Jacob got off her and immediately shifted into his usual black wolf form. With just one swift swing of his arm, the door opened, and he went out of the house.

Her body shivered as she tried to sit down, still unable to believe what had just happened. If not for the attack happening outside, Jacob would have raped her.

Her legs were still wobbly when she stood, but she forced herself to move because she needed to escape.

With the truth he had just revealed and how he attempted to rape her, there was no way Emily would still want to live in that house. She then ran to the basement as quickly as she could and put on a long, rugged dress that was enough to warm her naked body.

Crying, Emily went out of the house and saw the horrible situation in the town. The loud screams of her packmates pleading for help could be heard anywhere. Her breathing was becoming heavy, and she was in helpless horror, watching how the warriors fought against warriors, tearing their opponents’ bodies into pieces and innocent people running away.

Her chest tightened as she continued to look around. She saw fire and smoke everywhere. Hoping it was just a dream, Emily shook her head and closed her eyes. But her mind began to panic as she became aware that everything was real.

She could feel her body still aching so badly because of how Jacob beat her up. Damn! She wasn’t sure if she could go further in her state. But she couldn’t allow death to be the only way of her escape in this cruel world.

It felt so wrong…

“I have to live… I can’t die. Not right now, Moon Goddess…”

Without any hesitation, Emily ran to the woods, crying. Her heart was pounding loudly. Deep down, she prayed that no werewolves from the enemy pack had followed her.

She whimpered as she reached the hillside, where she felt safe. For the last time, Emily looked back at the Dark Moon town, where she experienced the depths of hell. A large part of her still didn’t wish for the place to vanish, as there were innocent people living there. Taking a long, deep breath, she turned away and decided to run into the woods.

The woods were dark and cold, and she ran as fast as she could without even knowing where she would go. The only thing she wanted right now was to survive, and so, despite not being used to being in the dark, Emily held on to the last straw of hope she had.

Even if she went farther from the Dark Moon Pack land, the cries of her packmates echoed in the deeper parts of the woods. It was like a nightmare that was breaking her heart.

Even though their pack was strong enough to handle a war, they weren’t ready for this event, especially the Alpha, who at first just wanted to get laid and almost used his sister to do it.

Disgust crept within her. His revelation still lingered in her mind. It was like a poisonous truth that made her struggle to breathe.

Now, it makes her question her real identity and where she truly belongs.

The massive gates greeted her as she reached the edge of the woods. Taking a few deep breaths, Emily crossed the gate by climbing onto it. It took her a few minutes to reach the top, and then she didn’t hesitate to jump off the other side afterwards.

“Urgh!” she groaned when she fell to the ground.

Panting heavily, her eyes scanned the area. Tall trees, bushes, and the creaking sound of the insects hiding in the dark were the only things she could see and hear. The snow started to fall, which meant she needed to find a place to stay.

With that in mind, she stood up and ran, even though her body was getting weaker as each second passed. After crossing the river, she entered another forest.

Emily kept running… and running…

After a few turns on the trail she found, she could hear the rustling sound of the bushes. Even though she was scared, she worked up the courage to ignore what she heard and continued to find a safe place where she could stay.

However, she tripped on a rock and whimpered as the pain in her body was intolerable. With her lungs running out of air, Emily inhaled sharply. Her eyes were fuzzy.

Just when she thought she was about to lose consciousness, two big lycans appeared from the bushes. She started to panic when they snarled. It was the first time she’d ever seen lycans in her life. Her heart was racing so fast and loudly that it hurt her ribs.

Her body tensed immediately as they walked near her.

“Stay away from me!” Emily managed to shout bravely.

One of the lycans growled before he shifted into his human form. He clicked his head and dared to smirk like a demon.

“State your name before I kill you, rogue!”

Rogue.

That one word stung her inside. In just one night, she became a lone wolf—a rogue who didn’t have a place she could call home.

But like she told herself earlier, she couldn’t let death come after her.

Emily slowly stood up and stepped back. Her hands formed a fist, as if they knew how to fight.

“I didn’t escape hell just to be killed,” she uttered firmly, trying not to falter over her words.

The lycan laughed. “Don’t get your hopes up. You will certainly be killed right now because you dared to step into our land.”

His eyes were ablaze. One step forward, and he gripped her hair tightly, making her feel his claws digging into her scalp.

“Get off of me!” Emily screamed so loudly and she hit his chest. “J-Just let me go!”

“This one is feisty.” He laughed and then glanced over at his companion. “It’s been a while since the last time I killed a trespasser. Allow me to do the honor, Alpha.”

Alpha?

Emily took a quick look at the other Lycan. It was weird that it didn’t move at all and just stood there and watched them… watched her intently. She swallowed the dread inside her throat.

How could her situation get worse?

That giant black lycan was totally different. It was massive. The muscles in his body seemed to want to explode. Its aura was too strong and dominant, which made her legs shudder. Its coat was jet black, and its hair was long. Its bright red eyes were focused on her face, as if she was trying to figure out what she was thinking.

Emily looked away as she couldn’t take its intense gaze.

“Or would you like to taste her first?” The lycan who was gripping her hair sniffed against her neck. “She smells good.”

“Fuck you!” Emily screamed, and mustered the courage to push him. However, he was strong enough and didn’t even flinch.

He grinned as he leered at her. “You want to be fucked, is that it? Be careful what you wish for, little mutt. You might get it now.”

“No!” She spat in his face and looked at him angrily.

“How dare you!” He lifted his fist and was about to punch her in the face, but the giant lycan growled, making him stop what he was about to do.

To her surprise, the giant lycan shifted to its human form. For a brief second, Emily’s eyes grew wider. She had never seen such a beautiful yet dangerous face of a man in her whole life.

He had wayfarer blue eyes that looked so fascinating, brown-colored, shoulder-length hair that shone under the moonlight. His prominent cheekbones went well with his aquiline nose. His red lips were thin and seemingly sinful. His basalt jaw and Spartan shoulders gave her the impression that he was really strong, sporting a hidden, lion-like power, and he walked with purpose and authority, one that could make anybody pee in their underwear. Emily could only suck in a breath when he spoke.

“You have to stop before I lose my patience, Jude.”

His voice was so beastly that she felt goose bumps crawl over her skin. Emily gasped in both awe and terror, believing that such a handsome Alpha was the same werewolf who would kill her. Her jaw ached as she gritted her teeth.

“Why? Don’t you want to have some fun?”

The Alpha growled and eyed him dangerously. “Let go of her now.”

“But she’s a rogue who trespassed on our land!”

“I told you…” he paused. Emily gasped when she saw how his eyes glowed in red. “…to let go of her now.”

His companion looked like he was bewitched or something. The arrogant lycan then let go of her and took a step back, speechless, like a robot.

The Lycan Alpha’s eyes turned back to their bright, alluring wayfarer blue color, and at the same time, the werewolf who attacked her seemed to have come back to his senses.

“Great!” He made a low growl. “Now where is the fun in that?”

The Alpha just ignored him. His attention was focused on her. His gaze. There was something about his gaze that puzzled her. It was strange, and Emily couldn’t tell why.

He stepped forward, which made her panic.

“Don’t get any closer to me!” Emily yelled firmly as she stepped back. “Who the hell are you, anyway? Which pack?”

The other werewolf laughed, seemingly mocking her. “Everyone knows who owns this land, and yet here you are playing dumb?”

“I wouldn’t ask if I knew,” she talked back while gritting her teeth.

She heard him growl. He didn’t seem to like the way she talked. He looked so eager to punish her, to tear her flesh until she was breathless. But then, the Alpha tilted his neck, and a ghost of a smile curled into his lips.

“You stepped into the devil’s lair, rogue,” the other lycan said. “Welcome to the Lycan Blood’s land, where outsiders like you become the meals of our kind.”