Chapter 2

The world toppled over around me and a deafening crack echoed throughout my head, almost distracting me from the sharp pain ripping through my skull. It was hard to breathe, and at first, I thought it was because of the impact, maybe part of it was, but the huge crushing weight of the dark grey wolf didn’t help.

“Ow,” a whimper I didn’t mean to make left my throat.

The wolf didn’t seem to care, baring its fangs at my neck, so close that if I moved an inch it would slice my neck like scissors to paper. I tried not to flinch, but saliva dripped down its mouth, splattering on my face, and another whimper formed. I could’ve sworn the wolf smirked at my fear. Its paws crushed one of my arms with such strength I was sure it was going to break. Another paw was pressed firmly on my chest, I wasn’t going anywhere. Opening my mouth, I tried to speak, maybe it would’ve been a threat or a beg, but as I did so, the sour taste of iron coated my tongue from where my teeth had torn my gum and instead I spat. The blood landed on his coat, and those satisfaction-filled eyes became malicious as he lurched for my neck. 

His razor-like teeth were mere centimetres from my neck, his hot breath making me writhe with disgust and fear. 

Suddenly, he let out a menacing howl and within seconds, more followed. A pack howl. The rest of the warriors would soon emerge from the inky black of the night and I’d be overrun. My free hand searched the floor desperately for anything that would help me: a stone, a twig, a convenient knife hidden under the mud and leaves. My hand closed around a small, sharp stone that barely sat in my hand. I ran a finger down the edges of it, feeling for the razor side that I hoped would do the most damage. 

The grey wolf howled again, his head preening to the sky. The second he looked down again with that wolfish grin that was beginning to piss me off, I slammed the rock into his eyes, a sickening squelch drowning the sound of the impact as blood spurted from whatever exit it could find. Surprised and injured, the wolf baulked from me and despite the pain in my head and the blood in my mouth and the ache of my body, I was running again. 

The menacing snarl of the wolf followed behind me like his breath was against my neck. I just needed to take a few more steps, just a few more.

“Who are you?” A voice growled, causing me to flinch and almost trip. A man stood just a few feet ahead of me and I immediately knew; this man was an alpha. Even in the darkened light and remnants of rain, he radiated that importance and dominance required in all alphas. His dark hair was slicked back from the rain, the light beard of his chin dripping and his clothes sticking to his toned body.

“I-”

Arms encircled me, holding me with crushing strength, practically lifting me off of my feet. I tried to thrash my way out of the confinement, but the arms tightened around me. I whimpered from the pain, my thrashing ceasing. 

“Got you, bitch,” 

I think I stopped breathing hearing that voice, it wasn’t one I would forget. This was Marcus, the leader of the New Moon pack’s warriors. He was sadistic, violent and didn’t know when enough was enough. I’d seen his handy work plenty of times during pack training sessions and the weekly fights for power. Marcus won every time. I could feel that cruel smile burrowing into the back of my head.

“Do you know how long we’ve been tracking you for?” He asked viciously, taking a deep inhale of my hair. My lips curled in disgust; there was no way in hell this man was taking me back.

“Fuck you,” I bit back.

I swung my head backwards, right where his nose was pressed against my hair, hearing the harsh crack of his cartilage splattering against his skull. His grip on me loosened and I brought his hand up to my mouth, biting down hard enough to draw blood. Marcus cursed, swiping his hand back before he could think about it and I took the chance to leap out of his reach. 

With a shout, he reached towards me again, blood trailing from my teeth marks as he did so, but before I knew it, a figure was in front of me. The alpha from earlier, his back towards me, radiating anger. 

“Do you understand you have illegally crossed into my territory?” The alpha asked coldly. He didn’t need to growl or shout or snarl for the threat laced in his words to be loud and clear.

At his voice, more wolves appeared, both from the New Moon and from this new pack. The grey wolf from earlier was still bleeding from his eyes, a vengeful glower on his face as he spotted me. A blondish wolf stood beside the alpha, alert and aware of any threats towards his leader. 

Marcus straightened, ignoring his bloodied nose as he smiled, the red coating making him look more menacing.

“Forgive us, Alpha Jackson,” Marcus began with an insincere level of respect and politeness, “one of our pups seems to have gotten lost. She forgets her place, you see?”

Alpha Jackson turned to look at me, his eyes running up and down my body so quickly before addressing Marcus again, “She does not seem much of a pup. How old are you, wolf?”

“I am nineteen, alpha,” I bowed my head in respect.

Marcus chuckled darkly, the blood staining his teeth but still he made no attempt to wipe or stop it, "well, she behaves as one. Our Alpha Fredrick has requested her return.”

Unconsciously, I took a step back and was only aware of it when Alpha Jackson’s arm shot out, without him having to turn around, grip like a vice to keep me in place. The wolves behind me growled in a warning: One wrong move against their alpha and they’d rip me to shreds.

“So she is part of your pack?”

“Yes.”

“No!”

Marcus and I shouted at the same time, glaring at one another with a hatred I could barely describe. 

“Oh Elise,” the mothering voice from earlier murmured softly and sympathetically. I cursed myself for not having recognised it before and for not having thought of the possibility that she might have been tracking me too. With dark auburn hair, braided and flowing down her back, and blue eyes glazed with a cold and calculating light, the New Moon’s witch, Melanie, dismounted from a wolf and began her steps towards them.