Chapter 3

DACIANA'S POV

I was filled with fear as the whole world was against me. I was innocent but then I was made to pay the price, all because of my stepmother. 

I couldn't accept that. How could I die at the hands of my enemies? I had envisioned my future and I wouldn't allow it to get thwarted that way. 

At this point, I decided to take my life into my own hands. 

Filled with so much strength and determination, I looked at the clueless guards who were beside me. They were never on guard, since they thought lowly of me.

Using my two years of practice into use, I called on one of the guards, and as soon as he turned to me, I headbutted him. 

I heard him scream in pain but I was quick to turn to the next. 

My hands morphed quickly, swiping against his chest and clawing at his heart.

For the first time in days, my wolf responded to my call by helping me. 

The guard fell to the ground, dripping blood and I didn't care if he died or not. 

The other guard had regained himself and swiftly, I turned to look at him, with a deadly look. 

"You have called me a murderer. Why don't I put that into effect?!" I smirked, while my words rolled off my tongue, smoothly. 

I could see fear on the guard's face but then he came at me, still. 

Swiftly, I put out my claws again and was quick to swipe at his face. Blood spurted out and he wailed so loud. 

Without thinking twice, I punched him in the face and kicked him by the side. 

"Be gone!" I said, as his body flew across the hallway, crashing down on the floor. 

I was breathing heavily already and I couldn't wait to check if he was dead or not. 

I turned to the guard who was lying in the pool of his own blood. 

The keys to my chain were with him. 

Turning him over, I discovered he wasn't dead and that was a great relief. 

"You..." He tried to say something but he was too weak. 

"I'm sorry but I need to save myself," I said, through gritted teeth as I fished out the keys. Swiftly, I unlocked the chains on me and ran in the opposite direction. Away from all the chants of killing me. 

Without looking back, I escaped from the Pack, hoping to prove my innocence someday. 

__

For days, I had been running around, trying to find a place to hide. But then, I was slowly becoming weak. I had run past the Pack borders yesterday and now I was deep within the forest. 

"I can't... I can't do this anymore." I whispered to myself in a shaky tone. 

"You have to! Otherwise, we will die." My wolf said to me as I breathed heavily. In the next second, my body slumped against the forest floor and burst into tears. 

I was tired and weary. 

My body ached and I wished I could just die. I was desperate to live but what was the use of my life, if I continued to run around this way?

"Ahhh!!" I screamed to the heavens as I sobbed, loudly. I couldn't breathe and my chest felt too heavy. The burden on my shoulders was too much. 

I was just a twenty-year-old, young Werewolf and now, I had gone through a lot more than what I should have. 

As I continued to cry, I heard the rustle of leaves, and my head snapped in the direction. 

"Who's there?" I asked as hope filled my heart. If someone was in the forest with me, at least I could get help. 

"Hello, someone please, help," I called out, in a shaky tone. 

"Get her!" I suddenly heard a stern voice and immediately, several people came out of the shadows. 

"What?" I cried out, in shock as several hefty men surrounded me. 

I was just a harmless and weak female. Why would they be so apprehensive of me? 

"Please, don't kill me! I'm innocent!" My eyes widened in shock as I saw the emblem of my Pack on their clothes. 

They were warriors from the Pure Moon Pack. Had Alpha Howard caught up with me, so fast?

My heart thudded in my chest as they took hold of me, and dragged me across the forest. 

I was being whipped as I was being dragged. 

I tried to use my strength to fight against them but then I realized they were strong opponents. They were warriors who had seen the worst and not just guards. How could a weakling like me, stand against them? 

Before long, I was battered and bruised and I lay on the bare floor, in the warriors' camp. 

"Why?" I let out as my heart cried out to the heavens. 

Why has the Moon Goddess given me such a cruel fate?

Am I not meant to feel loved? Was this how I was going to die?

"The General is here!" One of the warriors suddenly shouted and immediately cheered.

Their loud, happy, and respectful cheers filled my head and it was like torture to me.

What was the General here to do? Kill me, finally? He was also taking orders from Alpha Howard after all. 

"Who is she?" The General asked as he bent to my level. I couldn't even open my eyes to look at him. He should get me killed and get it done with. I was finally going to give up after running for so long. 

"She is a rogue!" The warriors replied and instantly, the General turned my face directly to his. 

His hand went still for a moment and his breathing changed. There was a dangerous aura outburst and all the warriors started to cower. 

"What have you all done?" The General yelled and I shivered.

What did he mean? Was he having pity on me? The fuck! I didn't need that. 

"Every one of you, 100 lashes each! How could you lay your hands on Beta's daughter!" The General yelled in anger. His voice was filled with so much indignation. 

At this point, I realized he recognized me and I was amazed. At the same time, it was obvious, he didn't know I had become a murderer and not Beta's daughter.

In the next second, he took me up in his arms and carried me out of that space while the other warriors started to serve their punishment.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for what they have done to you." He said to me, as he carried me to his quarters. I was amazed by his stance and meticulousness. How could he be sorry to a low-life like me?

As the General tended to my wounds, I looked at him with so much admiration. I had heard of the great General Conri who was always on the battlefield. I had little to no interactions with him in the Pack and it was an honor seeing him this way. 

An hour later, he had finished tending to my wounds and he sat by me. His unusual attention was on me and then he spoke up. 

"Why are you out here in the forest? When did you get back? You should be in the Pack, not here." He said to me and I was shocked. 

My lips quivered as I looked at him. I realized he knew so much about him and he looked so trustworthy. I was ready to bear out my heart to him and I began. 

With tears in my eyes and a choking voice, I explained all that had happened.

How I was rejected and framed and how I escaped. 

General Conri was shocked and he looked at me, with an astonished gaze. 

I knew he was going to condemn me as well. Eventually, I was going to die if Alpha Howard got wind of my association with me. 

"Please, let me go, General. I'll always be indebted to you." I pleaded, with tears in my eyes. I started to kowtow before him, wanting to live again. 

He was my final hope. 

"I'll take you back to the Pack, Daciana." He said suddenly and I gasped, in fear. 

"No! Please! I'll die! I'm innocent and I'll be killed unjustly." I pleaded as I felt he wasn't listening to me. As a General, he was supposed to have a sense of justice. 

Why wasn't he putting it to use now?

"You are not going to die, Daciana." He said and I looked at him with wide eyes. 

I was sure that I was going to die if I went back to the Pack. Then what was he saying?

"How?" I asked, curiously.

"You are going to become my mate! You will have a new identity and will go back to the back to take your revenge!" His words rolled off his tongue smoothly and my eyes widened, in realization. 

A new identity!