I pressed myself against the cold stone wall, my fingers clutching the map like it was the only thing keeping me alive. My heart pounded in my chest, a drum of fear and panic. Every sound — a shifting shadow, the faint scrape of a shoe, the whisper of wind through the temple — made me flinch.
And then the shadow moved closer. My breath caught in my throat.
It was him. Alpha Leon.
His presence filled the space, cold and commanding, a weight pressing down on my chest. I wanted to run, but my legs felt like lead. My body refused to obey me. He looked down at me with eyes so sharp, so unyielding, it felt like they were cutting into my soul.
> "Time to go," he said quietly, but every word carried a weight that made my stomach drop. "We have two weeks until your birthday… until the ritual begins."
The words pierced me like ice. My chest tightened, and my knees buckled. My hands shook violently as I clutched the map closer, trying to anchor myself to something real, something I could hold on to.
Two weeks. Two weeks until they used me. Two weeks until everything I had fought to survive might be ripped from me.
Panic surged. I could feel it crawling through my veins, a cold fire burning through every thought. My mind raced, memories of my parents, the fire, the betrayal by my pack and Lena. The night I was banished, alone and terrified. And now… here I was again, at the mercy of the same world I had tried so desperately to escape.
I wanted to scream, to run, to fight, but my body was weak from the injection Lena had given me. Every step I took made my muscles ache, every breath burned in my chest. And yet, I refused to let my fear completely take over. I couldn't.
I noticed his guards surrounding us, silent and watchful, their eyes cold. Each step through the forest was tense, shadows lurking around every corner. Strange noises — twigs snapping, leaves rustling — made my heart jump. I was trembling, weak, but I held the map tightly, my secret lifeline.
I tried not to look at him directly, but it was impossible to ignore. Leon walked with a slow, deliberate pace, radiating authority. His silence was heavier than words. I felt small and powerless, but my mind worked frantically. I had to remember every detail of this path, every shadow, every possible hiding spot.
After what felt like an eternity, we reached the outskirts of my old home — the Silver Claw Pack. My heart stopped. My stomach churned.
The pack's territory was familiar, but it no longer felt like home. Wolves — some my old pack members — were scattered about. Their eyes followed me, scanning, judging. Some whispered to one another. Some stared with hard, cold faces. A few even scowled. Every glance reminded me of the night I was banished, the feeling of being unwanted, exiled, unworthy.
I shivered. Fear and despair coiled tightly around my chest. My hands shook as I clutched the map, my only sense of hope.
Leon led me silently through the pack, giving no explanations. The whispers followed us, the stares burned into my skin, and I felt the weight of my past pressing down like a stone. Every step felt like I was walking through a nightmare, every shadow a threat.
And then he spoke again, voice cold and measured:
> "Two weeks. That is all the time you have before your blood is needed."
The words hung in the air like poison. Two weeks to live, two weeks to plan, two weeks to survive — if I could.
I studied every detail as we moved. Faces, gestures, corners of the hall where shadows seemed too deep, glances that seemed suspicious. Every whisper, every sideways look felt like a trap. I realized that every member here might be a threat. Even someone I had once trusted could betray me.
Then I saw her. Among the pack members, a flash of recognition — Mia. My chest tightened, and my stomach flipped. The first person I had ever trusted for with my life the first person to betray me I had always took her as my sister but after the fire she changed I thought she knew me and would never think of me as a killer but I was wrong. My heart wanted to hope, but fear clawed at every thought. I had learned the hard way that trust was dangerous.
I wanted to speak, to ask her, to call her over, but Leon's gaze cut through me. One look, and I froze. My throat closed, and I could barely move.
Finally, we reached the central hall. My eyes took in the space — the high ceiling, the rows of benches, the shadows that pooled in corners. Leon stopped and turned to me, eyes dark, unreadable. I could feel the countdown ticking in my chest, each second a drum of terror.
He gave no words of comfort, no explanations. Just a cold, sharp presence that made my skin crawl. My mind spun with fear and anger. I wanted to scream at him, to fight, to beg, to plead — but I was trapped, weak, and alone.
I sank to the floor, clutching the map to my chest again, my tears hot and salty. I thought of Lena, her betrayal, the way she had handed me over. I thought of Jason, wishing he were here, wishing he could save me. But no one was coming. I was completely, utterly alone.
I could feel the weight of the two weeks pressing down, the ritual looming like a storm I could not escape. My mind raced with ideas, plans, desperate hope — how to escape, where to hide, how to survive. But each thought collided with fear, pain, and the harsh reality of my situation.
I hugged the map tightly. It was fragile, yes. But it was mine. It was my lifeline. And I had to believe it could help me.
> "I won't let him win," I whispered through clenched teeth, voice trembling. "I won't…"
Leon's eyes bore into me. I knew he could see every heartbeat, every fear, every thought. I pressed myself further into the shadows, heart hammering, hands shaking, tears streaking my face.
And the countdown had begun. Two weeks. Two weeks of fear, of planning, of survival. Two weeks before everything could be lost.