Branches whipped against my arms as I tore through the forest, each step heavier than the last. My lungs burned, every breath sharp and ragged. The metallic stench of blood…my own blood clung to the night air, twisting my focus.
"This can't be my end," I whispered, though my voice was nearly swallowed by the snarls closing in.
Behind me, the rogues howled. Their hunger rattled my bones.
Run, Ella! Storm, my wolf, snarled inside me, her voice sharp as broken glass. Shift. Fight them!
But I couldn't. The deep gash in my side poured blood into my torn dress, and pain radiated with every stride. My thigh burned from where claws had ripped me open earlier. Each step sent blood sloshing in my boot.
Still, I ran.
A howl split the night, raw and savage. Another answered it. The ground seemed to vibrate beneath their pursuit.
My heart thudded too fast, too loud. Keep moving. Don't stop. Don't look back.
I pressed a hand to my side. Hot, slick blood coated my fingers. My herbs, comfrey sage, arnica, all smashed in the fight were useless now. My healer's gift sparked faintly beneath my skin.
Not here. Not now. If the rogues saw my power, I'd be hunted for what I was. I forced it down, teeth clenched, even as Storm growled: Suppress it all you want. It'll burn through when you're weakest.
The forest stretched in endless shadows. Every tree looked the same, every path winding back into darkness. My vision swam, blurring into silver streaks under the moonlight.
The Rogues Close In, they should leave me alone I'm just in the forest for herbs..but rogues don't listen they haunt anything and anyone..they don't care about anyone.
A snarl ripped behind me. I leapt over a fallen log, but claws grazed my back. Pain shot down my spine, white-hot, stealing my breath. I stumbled, barely catching myself.
Laughter low, guttural echoed behind me. "Think you can run faster than us?" one rogue growled, voice thick with hunger.
Panic clawed at my chest. Storm pressed harder. Shift, Ella. Let me fight.
"I can't," I panted. "Not like this."
The Snare
The ground caved beneath me.
Steel wires coiled up my ankle with a vicious snap, yanking me to the ground. Pain exploded as the trap dug into flesh. My scream tore through the night.
The rogues circled slowly, eyes blazing red, saliva dripping from bared fangs.
Storm slammed against the walls of my mind. Let me out. I'll rip them apart.
But if I shifted now, mid-snare, the wire would shred bone and tendon. I'd cripple us before the fight began.
I clawed at the wire, blood slick on my hands. The rogues crouched, ready to strike. Desperation gave me strength. I wrenched hard, tearing flesh, and stumbled free with a cry.
Blood poured from the wound, but I ran.
Crossing Into Another Territory
The air shifted suddenly. Heavy, commanding, unseen power pressed against my chest. My steps faltered. Territory.
Storm's ears pricked inside me. An Alpha's land.
Terror and relief collided. Packs killed trespassers without hesitation, especially those reeking of rogues. But rogues wouldn't dare follow here.
A second howl split the night, this one different. Clear, sharp, filled with dominance. The rogues' cries faltered instantly, melting back into silence.
"Alpha," Storm whispered with reluctant respect.
My knees buckled. I clutched a tree trunk, vision swimming. Then shadows moved swiftly through the trees, not wild, but precise.
Warriors.
Blue eyes glowed in the dark. Wolves emerged, tall and broad, shifting fluidly into human form. Weapons gleamed in their hands, the scent of pine and steel clinging to them.
"Rogue," one spat, voice flat and cold. His eyes burned pale blue, the mark of a trained fighter.
Storm growled inside me. We are not prey. Stand tall.
But my throat was raw, blood dripping from my lips. "I'm not " The words broke into a cough. My knees gave out.
"Hold!" A sharp female voice cut through the night.
The warriors obeyed. A woman stepped forward, tall, her hair tied back tight. Authority clung to her like armor. Her wolf pressed heavily against my senses.
She studied me, eyes narrowing at the blood pouring down my side. "You reek of rogues."
"I'm not " My voice cracked, weak and broken.
She didn't listen. "Bind her."
"No…please." I staggered, then collapsed. Rough hands caught me and shoved me back against the tree. Pain tore through my ribs.
Tears pricked hot in my eyes, but I bit them back. Storm roared inside me, furious. Fight them, Ella! But I had nothing left to give.
The woman's gaze was ice. Her lips thinned. "You'll answer to our Alpha."
The word sent a shiver through me. Alpha.
Relief and dread twisted in my gut. A cage was safer than a grave.
Rope bit into my wrists as the warriors bound me tight. They hauled me upright, dragging me like a broken doll through the forest.
Torches glowed ahead, flickering against towering wooden walls. A fortress. The heart of a Pack territory I don't know yet.
With every step closer, the air grew heavier. Dominance pressed like chains against my chest, pulling me forward, choking me. My legs trembled, barely holding me.
Storm went still. Silent.
At the gates, my vision blurred. Blackness crept at the edges.
And though I had not seen him, I felt him.
A presence sharp as a blade, heavy as stone. The Alpha.
My head tilted back, fighting the darkness. For one heartbeat, I swore the air itself bent toward that unseen power.
Then the world slipped away.