Chapter 7

Biting wind beat against my face, and whipped at the folds of my long white dress. I wrapped my arms around myself as I walked, wishing the dress had long sleeves. But it wasn’t just the weather that sent shivers down my spine. No, something deeper and far colder, that resided within me. It was as if my heart had turned to ice, frozen and unyielding.

Yet, a heavy pain weighed upon my heart with an unbearable intensity as well. With every step, I could hear Adrain’s words echoed through my mind. He hadn’t even tried to stop me from leaving. But then, how could I not expect anything from him? Hadn’t I learned by now?

The driver of a passing vehicle yelled at me, and I realized I’d wandered into the middle of a road. With no specific destination, emptiness filled me. A route through the forest grabbed my attention and became my destination, at least for the moment. As I entered the woods, the sky began to darken, so I didn’t waste any time resting. Though I wasn’t sure where I would end up, I kept pressing onward. After a long time, my legs grew tired, and I slowed.

Then a thorn pierced my foot. “Ahh!” I exclaimed and then dropped to the ground. As I removed the thorn, I could no longer contain my feelings. Tears welled and then flowed from my eyes. I dropped my head into my hands, feeling so lost and alone.

A branch cracked behind me. Then a series of a sudden, I heard growls sounded.

“Look at her,” said a man’s voice. “She looks like a young whore. What’s she doing here?” I heard a man’s voice.

I whipped my head around to find several rogues approaching.

They were rogues!

“Fuck! She is a beautiful bitch.

“Catch her!”

Panic flooded me. I jumped to my feet and ran, hearing them scramble to catch up to me. I cried out, then increased my pace to widen the gap between me and those dirty men. As I ran, I prayed for my children.

Their intention was clear. They wanted to rape me.

‘Where will I go now? How could I save them?

No time to think. I had to keep going. Branches and thorns assaulted my arms and legs as I fled. I hissed in pain as spots of blood stained my white dress.

But then the boundary of another pack appeared ahead. At that moment, it wasn’t just a border, but a hope. I launched myself into a mad dash, hearing the men’s footfalls grow louder.

A quick glance behind me told me three of the five men had shifted into wolves shift to catch me. The two still in human form, halted the others.

Then one spoke to me. “Come back to us. Don’t cross that border. There’s a dangerous pack over there. They’ll kill you.”

As if I would believe them? Besides, what choice did I have? The entire world was full of beasts. A lone woman wasn’t safe anywhere. But I was safer across the border than I was allowing those men to catch me.

I turned and continued to bolt, hastily crossing the boundary into the other packs’ territory. Another quick glance told me my pursuers hadn’t followed. I finally relaxed and took a breath. Then I pressed on with , my stomach growling, my muscles aching, and my body’s strength waning. If that weren’t enough, my head began to ache, as well. I clutched my dress over my belly, reminding myself that I’d done this for my children.

Crunching sounds met my ears. The border guards must have noticed me and begun their pursuit. As I started to run again, my head spun. A moment later, I collapsed. A pair of brown boots came to a stop in front of me as the world around me faded into darkness.

**********

When I came to, I saw that I was in what appeared to be a hospital room, one I didn’t recognize. Terror engulfed me, and I bolted upright, only to see a handsome man sitting on a stool next to me.

“Who are you? Where am I? How are my children?”

“Your children are fine,” he said. “No need to worry. But how do you feel?”

“No. First, tell me, who you are and where I am.”

Placing his hand over mine, he smiled at me and said, “You’re in the confines of the Blue Blood Pack, and I’m Jason Hansley, the pack's future alpha… and you are my sister.”