Chapter 2

KELIEGH

I wrestled with my conscious to force myself back awake, but it was already too late. The first thing my senses picked up, was the scent of stale blood. My vision was still dark and blurry, but i managed to peer through my eyelashes, and the first thing I saw… was my father in a pool of his own blood.

"Dad!" I tried reaching out, but was grabbed by my ponytail before i could bend to reach for him.

"Do you really think I'll allow you save him?" Jake's resonant voice echoed up, and i turned back to look at him. His shirt was already torn, drenched in blood, and the scars travelling down his face was enough evidence to show that my father refused to go down without first putting up a fight.

However, Jake was grinning from ear to ear, eyeing me up like a Hyena toying with his prey before pouncing on it.

"Please let me go" i held his hand, trying to make him release his grip on me. "He's gonna die—"

"Because of you" Jake pulled my ponytail, forcing my head back while my eyes looked up at him. "Dear old pops is gonna die because his daughter is such a fool" he laughed, mocking me while tears ran down my eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" I cried. "I gave you everything you wanted. My heart… my soul… my body. Y… you told me you loved me."

"I lied" he said, meaning every single word that fell down his mouth. I felt my skin blood almost ripple out of my skin when he said it, no remorse whatsoever. "Being with you has been the most pathetic two years of my life… God!" He shoved me back and i fell back first on my bed.

"Jake, please don't do th—"

"Shut up" he slapped my fighting spirit out of me the moment i tried getting up. "You don't know how long I've waited for this moment" i heard, and when i looked down, i saw him pick my father up like a rag doll. "You know how mamy times i tried infiltrating your kingdom, Raphael?" He forced my dad to look at me. "Some how, you managed to find a way to outsmart my every move. Who knew the answer to all my problems would be to go after your daughter instead?" he let out a loud chuckle, and I forced myself up from my bed. Before i could reach my dad though, his guards surrounded me, pinning me down almost immediately.

"As heartless as you think i am, Keleigh, I have no interest in you" he let go of my father and i watched him plummet back down to the floor. "I'll give you two options" he dragged my dad by his hair as he walked towards me. "You can choose to stay here, and watch me kill your father right in front of you" he tilted his head to the side. "...or you can run… and save yourself" he laughed at his own words. "God, I'm such a demon. What sort of options are those?" he cackled, pulling my Father's head up. "You either get to see you daughter for the very last time, or see your daughter for the very last time!" He maniacally laughed. "What will it be, ayy Keliegh? You gonna save deary old pops by running away, or you gonna finally cause his d—"

"Run Kay" I heard my father mutter through the blood that drooled down his mouth. "R…run!" He repeated.

"Who asked you to talk without my permission?" Jake let go of his hair, and he fell face-first to the floor. Not waiting a single second, he stomped on my Father's wounded body. "Is the beating I gave you not enough?" He stomped again. "Don't force my hands you old—"

"Stop" i screamed. I couldn't take it anymore. "Please, stop" i cried. "I'll go. I'll run. Just please, stop hitting him" i sniffed, and Jake walked over from my father and straight towards me. His guards let me go the second he caressed my face, then forcefully grabbed my cheeks.

"I guess you do have some sense in you after all" he laughed, then pushed me back and i fell to the floor once more. "Go on then. Run like your life depends on it!" He didn't even give me a chance to tell my father goodbye. The man i regarded as the love of my life had shattered my dreams right before my eyes. Two years… all gone in the space of hours.

I grimaced back to my feet and endured their mocking cheers as I moved as fast as i could. My senses could still pick up the distinct details of the house as i crept further and further away. I thought I'd be able to endure the pain, even in the midst of the mocking and manipulation. But even my one way out turned into a nightmare when i heard… "Kill Her"

I felt my adrenaline push the oxygen out of my lungs, and before i even had the chance to give a thought to my next move, i heard the laughs and cackles of wolves from behind me.

The gaze of the evening moon and my blurry vision already made limping hard, now this? I had no choice. I had to shift. In the midst of the looming chaos, my grey-coated wolf emerged sprinting as fast her legs could take her.

We'd made it to the woods in a matter of minutes, but i could still hear Jake's wolves behind us. Every stride forward felt like a step in the worst possible direction, but there was no option left. I just had to keep runn—

The mist of foggy darkness didn't help, and after my hind leg got caught by a tree stump, the force of my speed made my ankle tweak in the wrong direction, and i fell to the ground with a loud thud. The ringing in my ear dimmed my senses as well, and not long after, the wolves behind me soon caught up.

They took their time mocking me, kicking up specs of dust and leaves while toying with my weak body. I could feel it… my end was near.

But that very moment, a different scent trailed into the environ. From the way the wolves hushed up, it was pretty clear that they'd smelled it too. I couldn't decipher this scent. Wait… no… scents. It wasn't just one!

Their scents weren't even complimentary. That could only mean one thing. These… were rogues.

The fact became awfully evident when the wolves that had been chasing me sprinted in the opposite direction, and i heard the swift creeping of footsteps slowly make their way towards me.

"Hunt them. Kill them" i heard once say, and his compadres were more than ready to fulfil his command. Overtaking me, they zoomed passed, and soon enough, the only sound echoing through the dark woods was that of chilling pain, a gruesome beating, and eventual… silence.

"What should we do with this one?" i heard, and before i could say a word to defend myself, someone flipped me over. My injuries got the best of me, and my frail body eventually returned as i morphed back to my naked human self.

"Heh?" I heard, unable to see the details of the faces that peered over me. "What's a woman like her doing in a place like—"

"Wait" one tilted his head. "Do you hear that?" He bent forward. "She's pregnant."

"Ewwww. Now she's worth even less. Why don't we just have our way with—"

"Watch your mouth boys. She's a princess" A different voice echoed up. This one was deeper, and way more chilling. It was the same voice that had given the order to hunt and kill.

H… how did he know that?

No one dared question his knowledge or authority. The hunk definitely had to be the leader of the pack. His aura was ummatched.

"You're in the wrong place at the wrong time, missy" he squatted, adjusting the strands of my hair as his voice bellowed.

"Please. Please don't h… don't hurt me" i managed to say, but his expression didn't change one bit.

"What're we gonna do with her, Zen?" someone else finally chimed up, and everywhere went silent for a while.

The gaze of the moon finally lit up the right spot, and my eyes caught the scar that traveled from the top of his eyes to the base of his cheek. He oozed of horror, and his scent alone was warning enough. But I'd seen way too much, just minutes ago to allow whatever this was, scare me. He noticed I was unmoved by his demeanor, and he let out a sly smirk. "The Nightclans are gonna love you."

Heh?

Nightclans?