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The scentof death lingered in the air, causing my body to tense with each step. I continuously looked up at the sun, checking my direction as it brought me closer and closer to the putrid scent.
I made my way toward the top of a steep hill, grabbing onto low-hanging branches to pull myself along. I reached the top and took a deep, exhausted breath. Then I froze.
A rotting corpse lay, split open, at the bottom of the hill before me.
I let out a strangled yip and jerked to step backward but lost my footing. I rolled forward down the hill, scraping my arms on rocks along the way, and collapsed headfirst into the dead body.
I screamed and launched myself away from the mangled flesh, pushing my back against the closest tree. I grabbed my chest, panting hard and heavy. Tears blurred my vision momentarily, and I closed my eyes to calm myself.
The body's entire rib cage was cracked open and emptied, one leg was torn off and dragged a few feet away, and its face consisted of only a jaw bone and some bloody chunks of hair.
My wolf whimpered and shivered, my whole body fighting between the urge to sob or run.
A gentle tickle on my hand made my arm jerk. A spider crawled lazily over my skin, and I whipped my hand into the air, flinging it off. Another tickle just beneath my ear made me smack at my neck and spin.
Nimble insects covered the entire tree, both inside and out. A deep crack in the center of the hollowed-out spruce was filled with thick webs, dead bugs, and spiders that rushed out toward me.
I screamed again and shoved myself away from the tree, falling in the dirt next to the corpse.
A frenzy of fear and panic bubbled up in my throat, and I let out a slow, long whine. I lowered my forehead onto the cool ground and tried to collect myself.
"They're just spiders," I mumbled, trying to will my heart to steady and my breath to calm. "Just spiders."I stood and gently moved to step around the corpse, my legs uneasy and knees suddenly made of soggy twigs.
The bloody handle of a sword caught beneath the body's lower half glistened in the sun, and I paused. I couldn't help but think a weapon might be a good thing to have, especially since I didn't know what kind of creatures I might find here.
I slowly reached out, my hand brushing against the metal, leaving my fingertips red and wet. I winced, snapping my hand back and stepping quickly away from it. I wiped my hand frantically on my pants, a quick gag pushing my tongue out. My wolf begged me to go home, but I ignored her and the tears that glazed my eyes.
"And you're just a dead body," I whispered, my voice high-pitched and shaky. "Just a dead body that's still wet and bleeding and gross. No need to be scared. No need to dwell on the fact that your murderer is probably still out here and probably close. No need to think about how close they might be."
I kept babbling quietly to myself as I walked. Pushing myself further into the forest, away from the smell of blood and the cluster of spiders.
"No need to think," I continued. "Just walk, Tzidal. Just keep walking."
A distant roar of what I could only assume was a violent beast echoed throughout the forest. I stopped and closed my eyes, letting a few tears fall. I hated myself for screaming so loud.So damn stupid.
"You're far from home," an Alpha said, stepping toward me from the nearby brush. He was massive, tall and broad, and his dark, almond-shaped eyes swept over me as he licked his lips.
My heart thundered in my chest, making me dizzy, and my body flooded with fear. Images of the split open corpse flashed through my mind, and I swallowed hard, wondering what kind of wolf could do such a horrible thing.
Then he edged toward me.
Beyond The Border
Tzidal
"What are you doing here?"I blurted out, spinning to face the massive Alpha.
"I think the real question is, what areyoudoing here?"
He held a shirt in his hand, his broad, tan chest exposed, and his black, shaggy hair hung wet into his dark eyes. "Omegas aren't allowed to leave their villages," he said, glancing around. "Does your mate know where you are?"
"That's none of your business," I said, giving a wide berth as I edged around him. Anxious to escape. He stepped closer, and I stumbled back, smacking into a tree. "I'm warning you. Don't even try to touch me!" I flashed my teeth and snarled. I hoped I looked fierce, but judging from the look on his face, it wasn't as aggressive as I had hoped.
"Okay there, little one," he laughed, holding up his hands. My eyes moved to a scarred claw mark ran the length of one arm. "Let's get you back to your village before you hurt yourself, yeah?" He grabbed my upper arm, yanking me to him.
"Let me go!" I squealed, wanting to sound so much tougher than I did.
"This is no place for an Omega," he lectured, pulling me back toward the village. "My name is Joon, but you can call me Alpha if you prefer."
