CHAPTER ONE

Rosaline POV

The howling sounds coming from every corner of the street made me aware that I was going to be the prey of the rich lords. A sigh of exasperation escapes my lips as I watched behind me the tailing paws of the frightening-looking wolves. They were the servants of the greatest kings of the world, I was sure of it.

 Under the creak of lightning, my whole body is drenched with the heavy downpour. It was a cascade swimming from my forehead to my whole body. I am going to be the slave. Something I don't want.

 I try to keep calm, not trying to show any sign of fear. The wolves behind me, and their breath of steam shook my body, and my teeth grinded in despair and panic. The neon lights flickering from every corner seemed like I was the only one with them.

 These monsters.

The downpour was hard, accompanied by electrifying lighting that broke the virginity of the night. Somehow, while I tried to look back, to see if I was still safe…

 It was these people watching me. The subjects of the ruthless kings of the city.

 The Alpha and Beta Kings.

 They wanted to eat me alive, they wanted to kill me. That, I was sure of. But, there was no solace for me. The only thing that I had was a poised me - standing for myself.

 Strong wind traveling from afar slaps my face, and constantly, while garbage and gunk from the stationed bin swept across my face. The rattling of the chains in my leg sends strong fear up in me. From the fiber in my legs, up to my core and gut, it only resulted in a strong breath that cooled my lungs.

 I was trying to remain calm. Despite the horrible situation I was trapped in, I couldn't do anything.

 Today was the day that everything I loved was swept under me, leaving me alone hanging in the air, prone to the ferociousness of these beasts, and at any second, they could leave me to break into infernal misery. I would die forever.

 No matter how terrible the names sounded, the Alpha King and Beta King were far worse in reality, I heard. They could annihilate the world before them, and rule in dominance over everything they wanted. Such were their servants. Villainous malignance was oozing off them.

 I try to rest, try to slow down, and catch my breath. My heart was thumping irregularly against my rib cages, and I could hear the sound in my head - the high-pitched frequency of deathly fear. The whole thing consumed me.

 My father had made a deal with the Alpha King. If not, my father, being the Alpha, would become the next hunt for the kings, and to save himself and us, I was to be sacrificed and given to the kings.

 They owned me. They could do anything with me. Anything they wanted.

 "Move, girl, Alpha Liam would kill us if we don't present you on time," one of them growls behind me.

 A hiccuping whimper escapes my lips, and I was shivering from the cold. My wolf, Rayana too, was going to die. I had overworked her today, and she was ready to rest. I wasn't giving her that. But none of these meant terror to these men. They were walking fiercely, and the wolves were ready to attack me if I made any move to run.

 The two that grabbed my arms on each side were devilish looking. The kind of scent that oozed off them was something not to joke with. They were mortal gods, that was the fact.  And more of a fact, I couldn't run from them.

 To save my father from debt, I was going to be the scapegoat. I was to be offered to the rich lords. Even to be prepared for these great men, I am going through these horrible things.

 My bare feet had a carnage going on in them. The blood that had accumulated from the long walk was beginning to be washed away by the water and pattered on the cold floor. It was better if I was left to drown in the deepest part of an abyss, subject to the wash of some hydraulic action, or left to die with rocks crushing me.

 Only tomorrow would speak about that. As the fear slivered down my spine, a shaky sob emits from my lungs burning in the cold. I was going to pass out soon. If only I could run, and save myself from the perilous situation, it would have been a new turn for me.

 Strong howls from some local packs around spun me into the realization that they were in their safe edifices. For me, I didn't know what would become of my life.

 The set of feet on either side of the poor me makes matters worse. The burning heat beginning to inflame my whole body collides with the strong cold I inhale. I try to swallow my vision, seeing the closeness between these animals and me, my reserves shudder terribly.

 It is like I am on the edge of a rock trying to save myself from the whirlpool beneath, and on the cold breezy winter night, nocturnal insects infest my blood-drowned hand, forcing me to let go. I want to run, but if I did, they might catch me.

 The irregularity in my heartbeat continued, and I could feel the life in my wolf was dwindling. After running to near the end of the world, these monsters could still catch me, swallow me in their mighty fists, and have their animals watch behind me. I can not run in this way.

 The journey continues, as I try with every ounce of strength I could garner to continue moving. At least, when we get to the Alpha King's place, I would be in the comfort of a home. I would not die in the cold.

 The strong wind gushing from afar slaps my face roughly, as agony reverberates through my spine. Today is the worst day of my life. The day that I would never forget, even if I was reborn again, or even if I woke from a lucid dream.

 My muscles shrieked upon every move I make, and cold air singing in my ear leaves me aware that I was with nothing more than nothing -  my family had failed, and I am just paying for it.

 The life I loved before, living on the clouds, was ripped apart leaving me to accept a life thereafter, a life that faced me now, a life without my family. A life that I had to accept as my fate. 

 A life with these uncompassionate devils incarnates. And even fate, a magicless symphony faced me now and showed no sign of rewriting my un rectifiable destiny.

  Soon, the largest of lights in the entire city shone and struck my eyes from far away. I was near the start of my death. I could sense it. And the wicked aerial aura of misery was blowing against my face.

 I watched as some cars moved into the territory. I guess the pack sentinels were taking shifts, guarding the very large territory. I couldn't see anything ahead, trying to squeeze out the liquid that rolled into my eyes.

  By this time, my legs were like jelly, and they could not support my entire body. The whole ground is swept by the water, and loud howls of wolves come from a few meters from where we stood.

 I watched as the patrol went, trying to ease my burden with some sightseeing, as the wolves roamed around the place. It seemed we were not even near. I am fading away. I might die. 

 The mouth of the man firmly grabbing my arm by the left moves dangerously. He had said something, but it was too loud to grab. The deafening roar of thunder and the spark of lightning were too much to handle. 

 Dragging me forcefully, we continue the journey. I try to notice my roughly torn cloth, making me look a bit bare. My entire thigh was exposed, some other body parts too insecure to mention, and they watched sleazily. Even the ones at my back mock and taunt me, laughing. They just be watching my bare back. I look like a mad person. The wolves too would have enjoyed the sight, urging me to move forward, they rushed nearer, sometimes having their bare fangs grazing the back of my leg. They would eat me if I didn't go faster.

 Not having the sensual feeling as usual, my blurry vision has me falling hard on the floor. A sharp pain rushes into me as the thud emitting from my chest could go loud in my ears. Having a feeling of momentary rest, I tried to breathe normally. But the pain was too sharp. And, too late to check on myself, I felt the heavy paws on my bare skin. The entire frame on my back was doubled in pain.

 "P-please," I managed to beg. Grabbing my hands, and legs, I was forced to stand up. Soon, the pool of blood rushing down from my temple, arms, and legs, was beginning to be washed away by the rain.

"You should faint here when we've reached," one man says. The uproar of the night was beginning to die down slowly, and I could hear what these guys were saying.

"We're here," he repeats as if his earlier statement had not resounded in my ears.

 I tried to raise my head forward to see the gargantuan building.

 Suddenly, my stomach dropped, and I could feel a knot down there. My breathing ceased temporarily, my lungs burned furiously, and the air that escaped from them and out my nostrils was a mixture of pain and fear.

 This was it. The end of my days. I was going to be killed. I could see death before me, before everything consumed me, a world of darkness, great dereliction, hot and deadly...

… Before I breathed my last.