CHAPTER TWO: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE, CAUGHT!

She kept running, her sharp green eyes scouring through the deep forest, the very distinct snapping of the twigs beneath her precise legs, leading her far from the hunters that were determined to catch her by all means.

Her breaths came in pants as she stole another look behind her, her incredibly heightened senses taking note of the distance between her and the three men and a lady that had lost her like the wind. So she thought.

Sighting the place she has come to call home almost close by, and not wanting them to see it, she took another course leading to the fountain by the cliff, her ears picking up the far gushing waters burrowing through the ground, and the smell of the dwellers of the blue depths, her serenity.

She paused, bending over, her hand going to her chest, her heavy mass of red tresses falling over her face, to cover her vision. Flipping her spongy ridiculously long hair away from her face, she realized in a bit, that she was impressively very thirsty.

Deciding hopefully that she had given the hunters a run for safety, she trudged to the gushing fountain waterside and bent to take a large gulp. She raised her face up and reveled in the cool impression of the water as it streamed down her throat.

Closing her eyes, she flopped down beside the natural gift of the goddess and instinctively reached out to scoop some amount of water which she poured on her face and let it trickle down her body, soothing her body aches from running so long playing with the wolf hunters in the forest, which she saw as an awesome pastime.

Not long, her back hit the ground, dozing off beside the stream, carried away by the fresh breeze emanating from the river, mixed with her wolves weakened by the exertion of before.

~

She felt elevated, swinging in fact. What is going on? Is she on a swing? Her face stretched in glee as she thought of the hand-crafted swing at the back of her hut which she used each time she wanted to pretend she was back home on the swing her Dad made for her before...

"Snap that eyes of yours open, Shabbaroon !" rumbled a deep voice getting her attention full on.

True to the request, her eyes cracked open and to her uttermost chagrin, took notice of two things at once; it was dark,  and two, she was bounded to a silver wood_hilarious.

She exhaled in the abysmal realization of where she was...Urgh, not again!

"Finally, sleeping beauty graces us with her sweet arousal." The slight man drawled disgustingly making her stomach crawl. She knew he was a hunter and knew what they did with her kind which is why she wasn't going to say a word to him.

They were the least of her problem. This wasn't the first time they captured her nor will it be the last, as far as she continues living in the forest.

"The last time, you pulled that silly stunt and ran off," he stooped low to her level "You little pretty nitwit" he patted her nose, whilst she still observed him, wishing to go against her resolution and tear those white flesh off him, his heart a feast for her hungry paunch.

"What are you doing there with her, Pablo?  Thunder have ye behind for playing with my merchandise!" came a terse voice shortly before a scrawny thick man appeared, holding a silver weapon in his hand.

"Ehm..eh...I will check on the weapons supplier, Milord" the nosy slight rat stuttered and scurried away.

Emilia rolled her eye and sat up from reclining on the silver wood, appraising the object in the older man's hand.

The new man squatted down beside her, "I know you are not afraid, which I must inform you disheartens me...But I can let you go, if you will take me to him" he bends close to her to express.

She raked her head if they have had any discussion before then on how to meet anyone, but after some time, that proved to be abortive, so she straightened her hurting shoulders and fixed him her nonchalant slurring regard, still muted.

He huffed angrily and stood abruptly, with his hands going to his warped waist, and then in a flash, the back of his crusty hand collided roughly with her delicate cheek "Say something you good for nothing dog!"

Tears stung her eyes as her face was askew from him, stinging with the pain from the bite of the wallop. She counted to three in her head to quell her hurt, still willing herself never to lose her temper. The outcome would be disastrous.

" You won't talk?" he groaned, looking beyond distraught with her. "God'steeth! Woman, just say something! Anything!" he was reaching his brink.

She was still mute, shaking off the pain and raising her chin up to meet his eyes just as her mother had schooled her when she was younger.

Her sweet mother whom she knew by now must have kissed mother earth. She had rescued her that night after the Beta had dashed off to tell the elders of her abominable act.

Her mama knew she was eventually going to take her daughter's punishment and had looked her in the eye that day and told her, "This might be our last encounter, my dear child. I know you are kind and an adorable bane and..." She had stuttered, getting her bearing before continuing "I don't know where I went wrong with the goddess,  but come what may keep running and never look back..."

Just like that, she was pushed away, with only the clothes on her back and the last memory she had of her happy pack and family.

She had kept running until she came to that river after one week of running and that was how she came to be the Queen of the jungle.

"Say something or I wil__"

"Milord." He was interrupted, with his hand suspended in the air to once again strike Emilia, who had closed her eyes to welcome the biting sting to her cheek.

"What in Bullock's name do you want, Logan?" The infuriating sound of his voice showed he wasn't a bit pleased with being interrupted by the wee lad.

"The supply just arrived and you need to inspect it." The scathing-looking lad, made out, seemingly not comfortable to be the bearer of the information to their short-tempered master.

The man grunted aloud, his grey eyes skimming between the girl and the lad, possibly making up his mind if to give up his present venture for the one to come.

"Make sure she says something!" He eventually concluded, pointing to muted Emilia, his almost hunching figure waddling off the place.

There was stretched silence as the new figure stood fidgeting on his feet, regretting why he had to be the unfortunate one to come out here. How is he expected to make her talk about whatever it is they were talking about? He mused and then as if it just dawned on him, he whirled about to ask his master what he was asking her and was met with space as he had disappeared into the night.

Slowly he twisted around to face the bounded girl who to his wildest mortification doesn't seem to be affected one bit by the silver wood she was tied to, which was supposed to kill her or make her weak at least.

His eyes flickered from the wood to the girl who was closely observing him as if any minute and she would pounce. He certainly did not like this very assignment especially when it has to do with a lady this captivating, with drowning green eyes.

Why his master had this obsession with hunting down supernatural creatures was beyond him. However, the little he had heard was that his master's history with them was drastically hoarse and one tainted with revenge.

He cleared his throat.

"Uhm..." He touched the nape of his neck. "Hullo," he waved his hand in front of her face, her eyes following his movement, and then she moved, sending him jerking away in fright that his imagination might come to pass, and she would spring at him. His past experience with her kind wasn't memorable and he did not envisage repeating it.

"Perchance you can refresh my memory of what he was asking you about...?" He cocked his head to the side, his left eye looking like it was closing up, as he drawled the statement.

No dish, no move.

He smoothened his sweaty palm on his breeches and bobbed his head sardonically, never going to allow himself hit a woman as his master would have him do.

He raised his hands innocently "Look, I can help you if you will help me... Just fucken speak, you hear?" he stoop to the ground but, at a distance. Then he looked around them to confirm if there was any lurking figure. Finding none, he leaned closer to her "That man, he can be very eccentric when pushed to the wall" he sagged his lips, hoping she understood him "But if you trust me and tell me....."

"He asked me about a certain man..." She ultimately spoke up, earning a relieving guffaw from the lad.

His face was red as he scooted closer, deciding she might not be harmful after all. "I think it's this very big guy who he calls a Lycanking, is it?" He queried Emilia whose eyes grew in her socket like saucers, in incredulity and trepidation.

"Lycanking?!"