Chapter 3

My feet are stuck in place. My heartbeat is fast. But not because I am scared. I... am happy. There's a certain dizziness that envelopes me whole, heightening my senses. I can feel everything. I can hear everything. My wolf is at the surface. I only feel excitment even though death is directly knocking at my door now. My wolf howls in delight.

     I feel heavy. Almost as if something is pulling me. 

     "Where are they?" Rey asks.

     "They are at the embassy," Haze replies. The wave of relief that washes over me and Rey is shared. But then he adds, "however, the head of delegation, along with ten others is here. He is in an audience with the elders right now."

      Rey swears under his breath. "The meeting is in a week. What is their purpose of coming a week prior"

       "Due to serious threats to the delegation, there was a sudden change in plans as a security precaution. The Union has decided for the meeting to take place tomorrow. We have just been notified."

       "Security? The precautions aren't in place right now. Are they out of their minds? The delegation has been selected by the King of Utrif, personally. If we get attacked and any one of the delegation members is even hurt, what do they think would happen?"

       Haze nods. "I will request immediate assistance from neighbouring packs." He hurriedly excuses himself and paces out.

      Rey gets up. "Leave," he says to me. "Right this instant. Do not stop for anything or anyone. Take the elevator, go straight down. I will send your luggage before the flight takes off. Right now, just leave fast."

      I don't speak. I just nod and run out of his office and down to the elevator. I have to leave. Now. There's a weird tension in the air. Everyone is in a hurry. The elevator is filled with people. It goes down slowly. The feeling grows. My palms are sweaty and my vision white.

      I close my eyes shut tightly, taking deep breaths. My wolf is at bay. She is begging to be let out and I have no idea why. I need to leave.

      Someone screams. Which is followed by the louder bang. A deafening noise. An explosion. The elevator stops with a loud screech. Everyone around me is suddenly screaming and crying and shouting.

      Panic thickens the air. People fidget around in the tight space. The crying continues. The crowd keeps pressing buttons in panic. Some start to bang their fists against the doors. Some try to open the door with pens and rods and whatever they can find.

      Another explosion. This one is louder.

      I blink, look down at my hands and up. Everything around me is slow. Voices muffled. It's as if someone is holding me underwater.

      The lights go down. In the darkness even more panic is created. Someone steps on my toe. Someone screams in my ear. A child is crying among them. Most of them are humans, too scared for their mortal lives.

       I put my palms over my head, tightly shutting my eyes. She's close. My wolf. Please stay in. I beg to myself. And then as if the heavens heard me there's a metallic clank and the elevator door is broken down. A werewolf, dressed in all black from outside grabs the remaining elevator door and pulls it off like it's nothing but paper.

      "Get out!" he hollers. And people obey, hurriedly sprinting out the elevator.

      I am the last person in there. The guy grabs my arm and pulls me out. A second later I hear the bang of elevator falling and blink. Frozen in shock, I don't look back at what could have been my death. The werewolf in black along with many others just like him ushers everyone in the direction of the ballroom. I am on the sixth floor. Just a few more and I'll be down.

      The whole place smells like smoke and sweat and blood. And... rogue. I pick up the dark and bitter scent and stop. We're under attack. By rogues.

       I turn back. My pack mates are here. My friends are here. Do not stop for anything and anyone. I shake my head. I have to stop. Someone grabs my arm. A man also dressed in black. But his scent is a familiar one. "Miss Austel?" he says.

       "Haze."

        His eyes are ablaze. His claws out. "The car is waiting for you. Take the left exit stairs please. Go down. It will be at the end of the basement." He turns me back to safer side and nudges me forward.

       I don't move. "We are under attack. Let me—"

       He isn't surprised by my words. "You will do no good by being here. The best thing you can do for anyone right now is leave," he whispers in the mayhem. When I frown at him he shakes his head. "The Alpha asked me to tell you this." He nudges me forward again. "Run."

        He turns and sprints across the other side. I hear roars and claws scratching against each other. Leave.

        I hesitate, almsot running after him. I want to help. I can help. But I turn, bitting the inside of my cheek. I turn and I run. The whole crowd empties into the ballroom. The staircase is on the end of the ballroom. I start towards it. Everything will be fine—

       My feet stop moving. I am still in place. I can't move. I am not being let move.

       Everything melts away all of a sudden. Everything but a presence. A presence I have not seen yet but only feel. And goddess I have never felt such power in my life. So raw, so effortless, as if the holder simply exists for power to ignite. My wolf is at bay. I feel the green of my eyes fade into darkness. I knew something was wrong.

       I turn.

       There is a dark shadow looming over me. I swallow a nonexistent slump down my throat. The music quietens around. My ears thrum with a muffled, dim version of my heart beat.

       The shadow moves closer to me. The specks of light sneaking in through the half closed shutters fall on the shadow's face. It's covered, hidden underneath a black mask. But before I feel disappointed, I am met with the most bizarre set of blue eyes. Everything loses sense all of a sudden, as if nothing in my life ever mattered as long as I met him. Everything I went through, every spar, every scar, every Navoi. Nothing matters if I met the man in front of me.

       I blink.

       He blinks.

       I try and make sense of what is happening. Maybe the air is drugged. Maybe I am having hallucinations. But all explanations lead to one logical answer. Light in dark. Shelter in a storm. A safe haven.

       My mate.

        It all makes sense now. I thought something was pulling me towards it, calling out my wolf. Now I know it wasn't something but someone.

        And I am moving away from that someone with every tick of time.