Chapter 2: The White Wolf

Chapter 2: The White Wolf

Mink’s P.O.V

The fresh gust of cold desert wind did nothing to soothe the ache inside my chest. Not when I could still hear them…the screams.

Smoke rose in the horizon, the light of the fire glowing a bright red-gold, as it illuminated the skies.

And then there were the screams…terrifyingly satisfying.

“Ma…d…”

Startled, I whipped around to find the source of the sound. It appeared to have been from somewhere near me, and yet, I couldn’t see anyone in the vicinity.

I strained my ears, but the wind was strong. It kept sending sand everywhere. I have to cover my eyes, my mouth and even then I could feel the fine grains on my tongue.

A storm was coming.

“Madat….” (Help)                                            

There it was!

I close my eyes tightly and move forward, up a sand hill. It seemed to be coming from somewhere down the hill…

“Madat….”

I climb over the sand hill, as fast as I can, opening my eyes only when I can feel the direction of the wind shift. And then I see a woman below.

She was almost buried in the dune alive and yet, she kept trying to crawl forward. I could smell blood all around her. And suddenly, realization dawns on me that she is the woman that Rafael had ordered his men to throw out into the desert not long ago, hoping that she would be buried in the sand by morning.

I race down the hill towards her, the wind howling in my ears as I reach for her with my hands, closing my eyes once again as the wind picks up speed.

“I’m here!” I scream over the wind when I’m close to her and I feel her grabbing onto my hand.

“Madat!” Her voice is louder now, but at the same time I can feel her desperation as she grabs onto me. “Help my child! My daughter!”

I suddenly remember that she had given birth to a girl before she was thrown out. But how do I tell her that I burned the village? That her child might as well have been burned to the ground?

“My daughter! My baby!” The woman cries desperately, grabbing and pulling me closer to her. “Help my daughter! Help her! Please!”

“I burned village! Everyone’s dead!” I tell her, in a futile attempt to shake off her death grasp on me.

I try squinting my eyes and the woman’s face vaguely comes into focus. She has dark brown skin and dark eyes, but her face is covered in blood as are her hands. She grabs onto me harder, refusing to let go.

“Madat!” She screams again. “Save my child! Go back and save my child!”

“No!” I scream. “I won’t go back!”

“Save my child! Go back and save my child!” She screams at the top of her lungs, her voice becoming hoarse and grainy. But no matter how hard I try to escape, she hold onto me…just like how my mother had held onto me before she was pried away by the soldiers and set on fire…

I shake my head vehemently, and try to pull my hand away but now; her raw screams have turned into desperate cries of agony.

I was scared; I didn’t want to go back. I had just escaped them…I had just escaped those monsters…

Since yesterday, when Rafael had killed my mother and father, he had kept me in a tent where several young girls were kept…and the things that the soldiers did to those girls…NO! I couldn’t go back! NEVER!

“NO!” I scream. “They are monsters! I can’t go back!”

“I will die soon, child.” She begged, with every ounce of strength she had left. “I cannot save my daughter. She is innocent. She just came into this world! Save my child, please. Save my Ruksaar!”

Her words had my blood chilling in my veins. She was right, she was about to die soon. I could smell blood, everywhere.

As a girl who lost her mother not too long ago…how could I not save her child? How could I not grant her this dying wish?

Her Ruksaar…

"Jala dena sabko! Kisi ko mat chorna!" 

My mother’s voice echoes in my mind and I feel torn between doing the right thing and escaping while I still could. I followed her dying wish then how can I not follow this woman’s dying wish? It was only fair…right?

The woman can sense the change of my heart as well, as I stop struggling against her grip and become calm.

“Go child! Please!” She rasps out, her voice giving out after her constant cries. “Save my child and the goddess will save you! May the goddess always be with you. Please save my baby.”

With that her hand fell on the sand limply and she coughed hard, blood coming out of her mouth. My legs shook as I stood and I was scared out of my mind. I did not want to go back, but I had to. I had to save Ruksaar. The woman gave me her ashirvaad (blessing), so I had to keep my word.

I patted her head with my hands. “Hang in there.” I told her before I started my journey back to hell.

The wind was strong and it pushed on my back, making me walk faster. I ran back to the village, hoping and praying to whatever goddess was up there, to save the little child. Everything had been burned, the fire still blazing brightly and there were no more screams.

The stench of roasted flesh was heavy in the air, so pungent that I had to cover my nose. They were all dead.

I started looking for Ruksaar in whatever was left, hoping to find any signs that she was still alive. She the only baby in village so I tried to look in the tent where all the children were kept. But Ruksaar was not there!

I tried to look everywhere, but the flames were hot and they scorched my hands. I couldn’t keep doing this…the child…she was dead…she had to be…

What will I tell her maa? Where will I look? I look everywhere but she wasn’t there! I was scared, so scared. The fire was everywhere. Everyone was dead. Of what I could see from the ashes, the people had been burned to skeletons, their skin black and sticky and pungent smelling.

I killed Ruksaar. What will I tell her maa?

But then, a vicious roar sounded from behind me and I jump up from the ground, whipping around to find none other than Rafael, standing only a few feet away from me. His wolf was black as night and his eyes dirty yellow. And he had a tiny child in his jaw, who was crying desperately.

Ruksaar!

She was alive! But Rafael had her.

But as soon as he saw me, he dropped Ruksaar on the sand and came after me. His teeth were big and sharp and he leapt over a burnt log, and tried to snap at my arm, but I moved out of his way just in time.

Ruksaar’s cries filled the night, and I wanted to take her and run, but Rafael blocked my way. His teeth were big and strong and he was very fast. Coming back was a mistake…I shouldn’t have listened, I should have run when I had the chance…but now, it was too late.

Rafael tried to bite me again but I fell to the ground and crawled under his legs. He was big enough that I could escape, trying to reach Ruksaar, but he spins around quickly and bites down hard on my shoulder.

I scream in pain.

Blood drips onto the sand, my clothes turning red as he bites harder, refusing to let go. My eyes blur with tears and I stretch my hand towards Ruksaar, but when he finally lets me go, I no longer have the strength to move.

Rafael finally let’s go of me and I fall onto the sad, the grains going into my eyes and making it difficult to see. Every part of my body hurts, especially my shoulder and there is nothing I can do but stay still.

As Rafael’s laughter fills the air, malicious and angry…I know he has transformed into his human form.

“I shouldn’t have waited to have you, little whore.” He spits. “I should’ve fucked you when I found out about you. I should’ve fucked you when I burnt your mother and father, should’ve fucked you in front of them.”

I cry in fear. I cry because I remember my mother and father as they took their last breath. I cry as my shoulder stings and blood drips onto the sand. But more than anything…I feel a sudden pain in my chest, as if it is about to burst out. Like something wants to come out of my chest.

What is happening? Will I die like tis? Am I dying?

But the pain increases and I cry louder, making Rafael laugh harder. He likes my pain. He always likes it when others are in pain.

I hate him. I hate him so much!

Suddenly, I feel him kick my back, digging his heels on my spine as the air whooshes out of my lungs. “Get up you whore!” He pulls me up by my hair and I cry out in pain.

Ruksaar’s cries get louder as well, as if she too can tell that our life is about to come to an end.

Finally, Rafael grabs my hair and pulls me up to face him. My feet dangle, and his grip on my neck tightens as he stares at me with eyes filled with hate. I struggle to breath, both past the pain of his grip, and the strange ache that sees to increase every second.

“You killed my pack, you bitch!” He screams at my face, his dirty yellow eyes now red. “I’ll make you pay for it all! I’ll fuck you! No, you came back for the child didn’t you? I’ll fuck her in front of you and then I’ll kill her! And then I’ll fuck you!”

 He threw me to the ground roughly and I land on my shoulder as pain explodes through my body. And then he steps over me and moves towards the crying baby.

NO! I can’t let him hurt her! I can’t!

But how is he still alive? His body has burnt patches, but how is he still moving? Why didn’t he die when no one else survived?

Because he’s the Alpha.

A woman’s voice reverberates through my mind.

But there is no one here except for me, Rafael and that child. Then who is talking? Who is this woman?

Because he’s the Alpha.

The voice comes again and the pain in my chest increases. I press down on my chest as the pain becomes unbearable.

I know Rafael is Alpha! But I hate him! I hate him so much! He is going to hurt Ruksaar! He is going to kill her! He killed everyone! He will kill me too!

Yes. But you can kill him too.

How? I ask, trying to scream but no words come out. There is so much pain that I cannot talk.

How do I kill him? I want to kill him! He should die! I hate him! He’s dirty! How? He’s so strong! He is Alpha! How can I kill him?

How? How? How?

You can kill him…because you’re an Alpha too.

Suddenly, everything around me goes very quiet. The pain that had been unbearable, starts to feel good, like I’m free. Light dances in my vision and I can feel myself changing, that thing inside my chest finally finding its freedom.

And then…I burst.

When I finally open my eyes, I’m standing on all four legs, red hazed over my vision. Rafael in on the ground a few feet away, and Ruksaar has gone eerily quiet as well.

Anger bubbles inside me, wanting to rip Rafael to pieces before he can hurt the little girl. I open my mouth to scream, but instead, a terrifying roar escapes my lips and Rafael flinches back in terror.

 “You bitch! You’re not supposed to change for another four years!” He stutters as he backs away from me, the color drained from his face. “How can you transform now? It’s not possible…”

Without wasting any more time, I close the distance between us and I bite down hard. Rafael screams and tries to flip me off of him, but I don’t let go. He fall on the ground crying out loud, and I take the opportunity to sink my teeth onto his head and jump off of him…taking his head with me.

When I look back, his body convulses on the ground as blood sprouts out from where his head should’ve been. I spit out his head and it lands on a burning tent and catches fire instantly.

Should’ve killed me when you had the chance. I think to myself, before I turn to the child and pick it up gently.

That night I leave Mouri, whatever was left of it, and I take Ruksaar with me. Everyone I know is gone. And I’ve killed Rafael and his cursed pack.

Now…I’m Mikalya Carnell…a woman with the blood of an Alpha. I was the very first female Alpha in the world.