Chapter 4

LILY'S POV

After my failed attempt at stealing from the royal wolves I thought it’d be best to move on. They could be looking for me right now, and I wasn’t about to run the risk of being captured. As soon as I had started to get comfortable in one place, I was forced to move again. Reluctantly, I left my cozy little cottage and soon found myself aimlessly wandering around a forest.

The whole place was deserted, not one other living creature was in sight. It reminded me of how destroyed the entire continent is, and more than likely the whole planet. I had covered a good amount ground over my traveling years, but had yet to make too far.

It used to be beautiful, with miles of bright green grass, a variety of gorgeous flowers, and a ton of big healthy trees. It was due to all the battles that took place over the years, that had done a huge number on Mother Nature. Now the grass was mostly brown and dead. It was pretty rare to see live, thriving, green grass any more. It was even rarer to see flowers of any kind. It was as if they were there one day, gone the next. This was one of the most horrible things for us Fae. We were so in tune with nature that this was almost causing physical pain.

There were still trees, but they were on the verge of death. Their branches were bare, and they were slowly dying from the lack of nutrients and water. Seeing everything look like this was depressing. Being Fae meant we were tightly linked with nature. That is probably the reason why we could control most things that concerned nature. I decided that while I was running away and wasting time gallivanting around purposelessly, I could at least help nature out a bit. Using my connection to the earth, I leaned down and let my hand glide across the grass. Everywhere I touched instantly turned back to beautiful, green, luscious grass. Flowers started blooming and the trees came back to life from the verge of death. This didn't take too much energy or effert on my part. It came naturally to me.

I kept on doing this while I walked, leaving a path of gorgeous scenery. I knew that I really shouldn’t be doing this. It’s quite obvious that a Fae is doing this, and I’m leaving a trail right to me. I refuse to just sit around and watch everything die when I can do something about it. I felt a responsibility to take care of what I could. It may have only been a small strip of healing for nature, but I felt a bit better after giving it that bit of attention.

Letting my thoughts run wild, I couldn’t help but think about that wolf. I was only able to catch a glimpse of him before I took off, but hot damn! He was a god in the guise of a man. He was really tall, I’d guess him at around six and a half feet that was towering over my five foot five inch self. I couldn’t see much of his frame, but from what I could tell when I smacked into him, he was a wall of pure muscle. He had brown hair that was cut down to about two-ish inches in length with mesmerizing brown eyes. If I wouldn’t have been in a life or death situation I could have stood there and stared into them all day.

Although, I don’t understand why I’m even thinking of him. It’s not like I know him or he’s anybody important to me. For all I know he could be a mass murderer, or a rapist, or a . . .

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” My inner rant was interrupted when a guy popped up out of nowhere scaring the hell out of me. He appeared right in front of me and trailed his finger down my neck. I could instantly see that he was a vampire because his fangs were hanging out of his mouth.

“Well aren’t you the sharpest tool in the shed? I’d think you’d know what you have here. Then again you vamps are definitely not the brightest crayons in the box. I myself am a brilliantly bright yellow, and I’d guess you to be somewhere around brown.” I smirked when I noticed how angry he was getting. I wasn’t worried though because I could easily take on one vamp. My parents had me in every kind of self-defense training known to Fae kind since I first learned to walk. My Dad’s life motto was “rather be safe than sorry”.

I probably should have been paying a little better attention because the next thing I know he grabbed my neck and hauled me into him. “You will not belittle me young Fae or I’ll put you with the rest of your worthless kind.” Sniffing my neck he continues. “Or maybe I’ll just keep you to myself. I do have a sweet spot for Fae blood.” he finishes, licking my skin over the vein in my neck.

I’m shocked frozen. Did he say put me with the rest? They’re still alive? I haven’t heard from or seen them in seven years, since I was eleven-years-old. I just started assuming that they were all dead. I wonder if he’s telling the truth.

“Put me with the rest of my kind? What’s that supposed to mean?”

He backs away and looks at me curiously before full out laughing huge belly laughs. “I’m not about to tell you. All you need to know is that they are most definitely alive. Well somewhat alive.”

“Somewhat? What do you mean by that? Either they are or are not alive. Do you not agree that if they were alive, they’d be all the way alive, and if they were somewhat alive they wouldn’t, couldn’t, maybe, might or might not somewhat be alive in a cellar in your basement?” I just tossed that last part out there hoping to throw him off a bit to give me at least a clue as to where they are.

He looks extremely confused. “No. . . I mean yes. . . I mean no. . . Oh for the devil’s left arm! They are alive, but we’ve taken them!” He yells out exhaustively while throwing his hands in the air. Unknowingly, dropping his hands from their grip on my arm.

I take a step back and swiftly grab my knife from my boot. “Whoever said you’re not the sharpest tool in the shed was absolutely right! Oh snap! That was me! Point to the Fae.”

That must have been his last button I pushed because the next thing I know he’s running full speed at me. I crouch down and prepare to counter attack when two huge wolves come flying out of the brush. One is a blonde colored wolf and the other is a dark brown. They’re both huge, standing at least a foot taller than me. For some odd reason the brown one looks relatively familiar. I feel like I should know him or that I’ve seen him before. Staring at him for a few minutes I’m still coming up blank, so I just shrug it off. I’m not sure if I should keep watching them tear this vamp up or make a run for it.

My moment of hesitation was all it took to remind me of my new found information. I twisted around to make a run for it when something hits me hard on my head. I can feel myself starting to black out, so I look up to find that the perpetrator is none other than that wolf I ran into at the castle.

My last words before I pass out were, “you better pray you aren’t near me when I wake up.”