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Chapter One
Ava
My paws slam straight into the ground as I run as fast as I can. I can practically feel the monsters chasing after me, breathing down my neck. I’d like to think that there is some hope of escaping but I do know it’s not going to happen so easily. It’s a little terrifying to even think about it since I have been on the run for as long as I could remember but I didn’t want to even dare think about anything else. I know it might sound a bit stupid right now to even think about it but I have been continuously screaming to myself that I would now allow myself to go down this road that they want to take me through.
It might sound a bit ridiculous but I totally thought that the home where I was at would be my forever home. I didn’t realize being there could very well just get me killed. I didn’t want to believe that the people that I have cherished the most would even dare to throw me up as some kind of sacrifice but I should have realized that it wouldn’t be the case.
I shifted really late in life, about six months ago after turning twenty-three. Most Shifters turn by the time they hit eighteen but no older than twenty. I remember being bullied by the pack because my parents were strong Shifter warriors and have been through this lineage where it didn’t make sense as to why I couldn’t shift. I couldn’t even make sense of it myself and that’s what I had to keep telling myself afterwards. That I didn’t do anything wrong and that I need to figure something out one way or another.
I remember telling myself that everything was going to be alright but even that didn’t seem plausible right now. After everything that I have been through, you kind of would have thought that everything would have been squared away by now but it’s becoming clear to me that it isn’t going to be at all. I know after everything that I have been through, this isn’t going to be an easy road to go down but I do know one thing is going to lead to another and I will have to keep reminding myself of that.
If I don’t, I’m at risk of losing everything. If I had it my way, I would have turned tail and never looked back months ago but when I finally shifted, I thought that everything was falling into place. I wouldn’t have been more wrong, going back and forth on what I needed and how I needed it. I know now that it isn’t going to lead me to where I need to go but I can keep longing for it.
I hated the fact of being an outsider so when I finally shifted, I felt like I was one of them. They started treating me better and not like a human slave. Even my parents stopped being cold to me and actually acknowledged me as their daughter. It’s a little sad to say but they continuously treated me like dirt after figuring out I hadn’t shifted nor did it look like I was going to shift at all.
But it wasn’t too long after my first shift that I realized something was wrong.
Wyatt Verdez.
I will not forget that name for as long as I shall live. He is the Alpha of the pack, having taken over after his father stepped down. He was never really mean to me but he didn’t stop anyone else from being so cruel. I didn’t like him so much mainly because of his attitude and how he decided to talk to me sometimes. I know it might sound a bit ridiculous but I had no idea why he was such an asshole to me, or why he allowed people to hurt me that way.
Then, it slowly became clear what exactly he wanted from me.
I thought that it was all fun and games when he started giving me attention. Flowers, chocolates, midnight strolls when no one was around to turn and stare. It kind of felt like it was our own little personal secret, like he was giving me all the attention I could ever want. I liked this feeling a lot, trying to remind myself that one way or another, it’s going to be just alright. I should have known that something else was happening but I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to believe that he was a good person and wasn’t just out to hurt me.
Unfortunately, I should have listened to my ‘friends’ who were trying to warn me about him. Everyone knew his plans but me and during the next Full Moon, he tried to take me as his mate. When I told him no, that I wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment, he freaked out and tried to force it on me. I remember kicking him square in the balls before turning on my heel and running as far away from him as I possibly could. I had no idea why he did that to me or even what was going through his head when he did what he did. It scared me and all I wanted to do was scream and shout.
I ran home and quickly packed up all the things I could and ran. My parents would not protect me, they had already made that very clear. It kind of felt like the entire pack was in on his plan and it left me with nothing. This pissed me off royally and I didn’t even know what to think after that. It kind of felt like nothing was going my way and I would just end up on the shit end of the stick.
I know how I felt but he’s had his men chasing me for weeks now. I’ve been living off of the land, trying to survive somehow. I don’t even know how I’m doing it because it seems like I’m running around in circles and it’s never going to work out for me. I know how it kind of feels to be down this road now, always running, caked in so much dirt and grime because I never got a single second to myself to wash it off in the stream.
Like right now, I can sense them behind me, chasing me. My body is tired and sore and I honestly don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to do this. My muscles are aching, screaming for me to stop or to just do something. I had no idea what was going through their heads right now and why they just had to keep chasing me like this. Don’t they get tired? Don’t they think it’s a good idea to just stop and leave me alone?
Why does Wyatt want me so much to go to this extreme? I don’t even think I’m worthy enough to have his attention like this. I don’t know why he would even want me when he could have ANYONE that his heart desired. I was just the she-wolf who didn’t shift for the longest time and I wouldn’t even say that I’m strong. I am really fast, that I can attest to, but that’s about it.
That’s the only reason no one has caught me.
I jump into the creek, feeling my heart race as I manage to get to the other side. I hear soft growling coming from behind me but it doesn’t seem like they are chasing anymore. I freeze as I look behind me, seeing them standing on the other side of the creek, glaring at me like I had just done something wrong. I don’t know what I did nor do I care at this point because they are the ones who have done this to me. Not the other way around. I keep trying to come up with a logical answer as to why they are doing this to me but I can’t really say.
I stick my tongue out at them, being a little bit of a bitch now because I’m not going to back down anymore. If he wants to capture me, then he can come to do it himself because I’m not just handing myself over to ANYBODY. I would rather die than ever do that, that much I can promise. I turn around, running into the forest.
Something feels automatically wrong where I’m at.
The next thing I know, I’m being slammed into my side by a large wolf. I yelp in pain, having not expected it. I tried to get to my feet but he had me pinned. There’s no way that I am going anywhere and even I know this now. I’m gazing up at the wolf, trying to communicate that I am not a threat. His scent fills my senses and I realize then that I am now in pack territory. I had been running in Rogue lands for as long as I can remember now, I totally forgot about watching for the signs of a pack.
I whine softly, exposing my neck and underbelly, trying to show that I’m not a threat. The wolf pinning me down doesn’t seem to care, looking around as other wolves surround us. I squeeze my eyes shut, wondering if this is the moment where I’m just going to die. I ran from the hands of one monster into another. It’s my own damn fault for not paying attention but I didn’t think that I would need to worry about it already.
But when my wolf starts to purr, I feel the presence of someone who automatically makes me feel calm. I open my eyes, my eyes widening in surprise when I see a very handsome man walking towards us, butt naked. He has short, curly blonde hair that almost looks white and striking blue eyes that pop on his sharp features. He is really tall, towering over even the biggest wolves with fair skin and a muscular body. My eyes lower to the monsters between his legs as he walks, hoping that I’m not drooling in the process. I have never seen a man like him before…
“Mate.” He suddenly growls, making my head jerk up in surprise, “I have finally found you.”
Everything comes crashing in and I’m not sure if it was from fear or exhaustion, the next thing I know, I’m passing out. Mate? He can’t be serious.
Chapter Two
Reagan
I have been searching for my mate for as long as I can remember after turning eighteen. I’m twenty-four now and it seemed like it would almost be impossible. Most wolves find their mate early in life because the Moon Goddess does this thing of pairing people in the same packs. I wasn’t as lucky, feeling a bit depressed every time that I couldn’t find her. I went from pack to pack all over the world, trying to make sure that I didn’t just lose her.
