Chapter Three

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Nineteen Years Later

"Sara! Come here, don't go too far into the woods."

"Okay Cassandra!" Sara shouted from inside the woods and threw her spear across a tree.

"Yeah!" She shouted when the spear hit a cross mark on the tree.

Sara flipped her dark black backward and sat on one of the rocks to remove her boots.

It has been nineteen years since her mother passed away. She has been living with Cassandra who was a midwife and grew up in a small town far from the palace. 

She had come to know how her mother suffered before giving birth to her and the fact she was raped. Sara didn't see herself like the other girls in the town, she believes she was conceived out of force by the Alpha Calhoun. 

Sara had brewed her hatred for him and his clan to the hundredth level that no one could remove. Being alone with Cassandra wasn't the best life, nevertheless, it was the only one she could live. She had no friend except her tiger she found in the woods years ago.

Cassandra love staying close to forests because of her love for nature, eventually, they relocated to this side of the woods when she was seven and had seen the young cub without a family.

After many years of training, she has prepared to embark on a journey to Autumn town where the Alpha Calhoun and his households live. The next day she won't be here with Cassandra as they had planned everything.

Each time she thought about leaving, her excitement sometimes grew higher than her determination to kill the Alpha. It was because she had lived in a small town where she didn't have friends. 

After the day's training in the woods, she walked her tiger home. It was almost dark when she reached their small house to find old Cassandra waiting for them close to the paddock.

A sigh of relief escaped from her mouth when. She saw Sara and the tiger returned. "You are not supposed to be too late Sara, I have always warned you about staying out late," she scolded lightly at Sara and ushered the tiger into his kernel.

"I'm sorry Cassandra, today's my last day here. I'm gonna miss you," Sara said and embraced the old woman tightly. Cassandra has been her everything, when she was sick, scared, when she was sad or happy or angry; she was always there and parting with her wouldn't be an easy feat.

That night, Cassandra and Sara reminisced about their times together, they laughed, smiled and even cried together. It was the most painful time of Sara's life. She wanted to bring Cassandra along but the old woman was safe here. Maybe if she gets a good place in Autumn town, she would bring Cassandra to stay.

Sara lay on her straw bed quietly as she thought about the people she was going to meet and those she was going to make them pay for all they had caused most especially her illegitimate father, Alpha Calhoun. 

The next morning, Sara's things like clothes, food and so on were tied to the tiger as they didn't have a horse and she couldn't shift into her wolf because she was carrying many things.

Cassandra patted the tiger after placing the pouch of money beside its ear as no one would dare go close to a tiger. Though they were taking the forest route, it was also a good way of protecting her money from bandits in the forests.

"All set," Cassandra said and removed the loose fringe of hair from Sara's face, "be a good girl and make me proud, okay? Don't cause trouble, just do what you want to do and return safely to me, will you?" The woman said, on the verge of breaking down.

Sara gave her a life squeezing embrace and cried in her arms. "I will," Sara said and pulled back to wipe her face.

"Good girl. Here," she said, handling a necklace with a silver crescent moon necklace locket on it. "It was given to me by your mother and asked me to pass it to her child when the right time comes. I hope it will come in handy someday." Cassandra said and kissed Sara on her forehead.

"I'll be looking forward to seeing you with a suitable partner too," she said and smiled.

Sara blushed and nodded her head, "okay." she said and mounted the tiger. She gave Cassandra and the house and everything around it one last look before walking away with tears all over her face.

"Do what's right Sara," was the last thing she heard from Cassandra before the tiger walked into the forest. 

Right at that moment Sara made up her mind to finish what her mother started and hope to see Cassandra again before she passes away.

*

The journey to Autumn city will take three days to reach the outskirts. Sara ran her finger on the locket Cassandra gave to her and put it on before tucking the locket into her shirt.

A trip through a forest path wasn't an easy one as there were lots of risks but Sara was not afraid nor was she complaining, it was all the faults of the Alpha Calhoun and he's going to pay for it.

She walked past many borders which were demarcated with beautiful flowers and pea trees. Sara couldn't see other villages and towns as she was traveling with a tiger and the farmers who saw her either ran away or gape in awe.

Sara made a large tent that could accommodate her and her tiger inside a pine tree forest and took out her map she uses for location purposes. Two more towns and she would be in the outskirts of Autumn town.

The morning sun greeted Sara's view as she winced. Small talking voices were heard outside her tents.

She took her spear and crawled out of the tent to see five huge men with swords and clubs. Bandits, she thought.

"Little girl, what are you doing alone in the forest?" One of the bandits said and brought his finger to his teeth to remove a piece of meat hanging there.

Sara almost puked when she saw the man do such a thing and showed them her spear, "don't come near me, else you'll regret..."

Hahaha

The men laughed when the first bandit who spoke earlier took the spear from Sara in just one movement.

"Ohh. She's so brave, can you see that," another teased and gestured with his head for his friends to go inside the tent.

Sara had forgotten she had a tiger and realization immediately dawned on her but she didn't stop the men from rushing in.

Few seconds later, an earth shattering roar filled the forest as birds that were in their nest flew away. The men who went inside were all struggling to get out of the tent and it fell atop them and the tiger.

Smiling to herself, Sara removed the fallen tent from their body as they ran away like mad men. The least they expected was a tiger inside a young girl's tent who was camping in a forest.

Sara put all her things well and mounted her tiger as they continued their journey towards Autumn town. Sara inhaled sharply when she saw a few warriors in their uniforms staring at her with groggy eyes. One of the warriors looked at his horse and back to the tiger before gulping.

Sly is a domestic trained tiger and was quite harmless to people but the appearance of a tiger is enough to send everyone running helter skelter.

***

News reached the Autumn Pack palace that there was a girl riding a tiger towards Autumn town and might be in Autumn outskirt soon.

"Are you sure of what you are saying?" Alpha Calhoun's son, Brian asked the messenger who nodded his head continuously.

"Most farmers saw her," the messenger added.

"Can you describe her?" Alpha Calhoun asked.

"Yes. No less than twenty years old, black long hair, slender, her eyes seem smart and daring, most of all she's beautiful," the messenger said as if he was daydreaming.

Brian threw him a sarcastic look and his eyes met the stern eyes of the young man who was sitting with his legs crossed and less bothered about the news. 

Alpha Calhoun frowned and ordered his guardsmen to bring the girl to him. "Brian went with the guardsmen and brought that girl here, there must be a reason she's riding a tiger." He remarked.

"Father, what about Adolphus? Isn't he coming along?" Brian asked with mockery laced in his tongue.

Alpha Calhoun then stared at Aldophus who shrugged his shoulders, "there are better things to do than bringing a girl riding a tiger. Good luck Brian," he replied nonchalantly and walked away.

"What? Cat's got your tongue?" Cleo asked with a smile on her lips before following Aldophus out of the meeting room.

Brian was angry and almost puke blood as he had been mocked in the presence of everyone.

"I'm leaving," he said and walked out of the room.

*

"Aldophus, will you come with me to watch Brian catch the tiger or attend a soiree," Cleo listened and walked to stand in his front.

"I have better things to do," Aldophus replied and turned to enter his room. 

"Then you will come with me to Lady Doris' tea party," Cleo said from outside his room before rushing away.

Aldophus didn't reply to what Cleo said and instead changed his clothes before leaving the room and leaving the palace.

***

Sara reached Autumn town on the third day in the evening. The city was thrown into turmoil as the news of a tiger rider spread like wildfire. It wasn't long until Sara found an inn to pass the night as the growling and roaring of her tiger came from the shed.

"Did you lock the shed?" Sara asked the owner of the inn.

"Yes. Very tight milady," the innkeeper said and went his way.

When it comes to capturing, Sky could easily be trapped because he isn't a wild tiger. He had grown right from when he was a cub in her home and that made him less hostile.

Sara couldn't bear the noise any longer and rushed down the staircase towards the door. When she came out, the town was already dark and the burning fire touches of the people lit up the whole place.

Sly wasn't in his shed anymore, a series of ropes were around his neck as the people pulled the rope but the tiger was also strong and held its ground.

"Where are you taking him!" Sara shouted, making the crowd turn their head in her direction.

Brian appeared before her and ordered his guards to take the girl. His smile was not pleasant and Sara could sense it. 

"Take her to the palace." He ordered and walked away from there.

"I didn't do anything, why am I taken to the palace?" Sara was taken aback because she hadn't hurt anyone.

They were doing her good by taking her to their Alpha who was the number one in her death list. A grave smile appeared on her lips as she followed the men with her tiger trotting behind.

"Your mother said there's also another werewolf that wants revenge, if you find him, give him this," Cassandra said, handing her the necklace with a crescent silver moon. 

Sara didn't like the fact that someone also wanted to kill the Alpha. It won't be a surprise if hundreds of people run in just to kill the Alpha.

While walking, Sara became nervous when they reached the palace. It was a large one that could contain hundreds of people.

"Aldophus, I brought the girl," Brian said in another to mock Aldophus.

Before Sara could see who the werewolf called Aldophus, Alpha Calhoun appeared on the flight of stairs in the entrance door.

"Father, I brought the girl," Brian said boastfully and eyed Aldophus who had eyes only on the girl.