Chapter 1. Encounter

Maeve POV

"MAEVE, GO! RUN AWAY FROM HERE! MAEVE!" I heard my mother shouted frantically as I turned to face her. My eyes rounded from full of shock, my heart beats faster, thumping violently. 

"Mom!"I shouted hoarsely, standing in my feet shaking uncontrollably. I saw her running into my direction as the whole land of our pack started to be eaten by the underground mouth of soils with a huge and deep whole. 

"Mom!" I shouted back with all strength I can exert, seeing my mom being swallowed together with the houses and whole place in one snap. My whole world fell down.

My mom, the Luna of pure white wolf. My dad, the Alpha of the pack and the whole community. They were all eaten by the Goddess of Earth—Paramethra.

It was catastrophic. Devastating. The wolves howl are full of grief—like a song of melancholy.

I fell into my knees and cried like there's no tomorrow. I wanted to get revenge and get all of them out of the goddess mouth but I know I am not capable of doing even a simple destruction on it. My tears wet my whole face as I wipe them off. 

I, once again, looked at the ground and saw my mom's shadow walking away from me. I tried to chase her but she blended into the dark forest. 

"Mom?"

"Mom" 

"Mom!" 

I wake up sweating heavily, roaming my eyes in the whole place I am staying for a while. It was a small old abandoned deck with an old bed laying in the center. 

I wiped my sweats and raise on my own foot trying to find the sink. Unfortunately, there is no water and it looks like being forgotten for years. 

I walked into my bags in the floor and get a bottled water. I washed my face, and looked at the cracked mirror.

I bite my lips looking at my reflection, staring at my eyebags. 

"When am I able to run out of my nightmares", I mumbled weakly.

I opened the window and the cold air hits my skin. It is still dark outside, but I know I can't  go back to sleep anymore. 

"It's a good hour for a run", my wolf Ariella suggested while my mind having a debate if I should go outside or not. 

I just happened to be in this place to rest. My goal really is the pack land of this known werewolves, the Black Moon pack..

This place is safe and can be found in the heart of the forest which is not often visited by werewolves or any creatures such as humans, witches or any shapeshifters.

"We can go for a walk or a short run to deal with your thoughts." Ariella interrupted my thoughts.

"We aren't familiar in this place, Ari. We can't take any action without studying the whole place. I am not in my mood to have a fight to possible enemies." I scolded her and sit on the chair which made a creak sound.

"When are you going to let me take control?" She asked me angrily. I can feel her sadness together with the courage and excitement she feels just thinking that I’ll let her. I sighed deeply and stand on my feet. 

"Okay fine, but for a few minutes only. Understand?" I said warily. 

"Aye aye captain." She happily cheered into my mind.I released a deep sigh and took off a jacket and put it on to ward off the cold outside.

"I will grant your wish but only for half an hour, deal?" I repeated. I opened the door, and the cold breeze of air started to welcome me.I hugged myself as I started to walk further in the forest. The dried leaves, created sounds everytime I walked in.I roamed my eyes and scanned the whole place with my enhanced senses, detecting nothing dangerous around me.

"It's safe!" Ari giggled and almost jumped from the excitement which earned an eye roll from me.I stopped at a large oak tree, took off my clothes and decided to shift there.

I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes and started to shift into my wolf. I felt my bones started to expand, my fingers started to become long, hairy and had growing claws.My bones cracked for seconds and finally shifted into a pure white wolf.

"Thanks Maeve", Ari said as I putted at the back of her thoughts.

I sighed heavily and watched everything she wanted to do, giving a full control to her. It might not be bad right? Besides, this is a free forest, without any harm.

Or it is what I know.

I let myself run fastly into the forest like a lighting bolt. I was restraining myself to take control again as she becomes careless for the nth time, exceeding into my capacity of speed. I keep scolding her, giving her instructions.

"Ari, stop. You will make my human body exhausted." I warned but she didn't even bother to give me her attention. She played, run, and howled a few times, disturbing the birds and any species living in the area.

The reason why I don't give her a lot of chances to be like this is because I am having a difficulty to take control of her. 

Ari is unstoppable, and she mastered to put me back at everything when something happened especially when there's events or parts she doesn't want me to remember.

She's different from other wolves, she's beyond normal. It's because I am the only survivor of the wrath of Paramethra, witnessing such purification of my pack leads my wolf into its mental chaos. Ari is suffering from a huge trauma. But I did everything to cure her. I studied medical herbs and venture the whole land to tend her, but everything didn't work out.

"STOP!" I heard a male deep voice shouted from afar, as I was stunned in my location. It was full of authority, challenging my wolf to pay respect.

My wolf felt excited just by the voice and the strength in the air.

"What's happening?" I questioned panicking on the possibilities. 

I scanned the whole place, searching for the voice's possible whereabouts until the leaves started to flew above my head. The wind blows violently, creating whoosh sound.

I gulped, trying to calm myself. I clawed in the ground, screeching and put the wolf into a defensive stance in case there's enemies around.

I inhaled deeply, releasing the stress I am holding for a long time. I opened my mouth, showing my white cannines in view and released a loud sound coming from my throat traveling into my mouth.

A howl to warn this man who shouted earlier, but I can feel something stirring inside me. 

I smell a sweet smell of vines and pine trees. A strong smell of him, making my insides to feel calm and safe.

"This is maybe a trap or a kind of enchanting us to lure into enemies den." I mumbled in the air.

The tree beside me started to sway, leaves falling down and the air screams untamed breeze.

“Running is still an option, right?" I said to my wolf but before we could run, a man jumped in front, sending dried leaves scatter.

His presence chokes the air I breathe. He's powerful.

I released another growl and prepared myself to fight but the man stand proudly across me. He's dusting himself, looking down in the ground. He's wearing a dark robe, with a hood covering his face from darkness.

I felt myself drawn from his eyes, sending butterflies into my stomach.

"Mate", I weakly growled into my mind, making Mave stoned at the back of my mind.

My feet started to move, advancing to go into him but he speaks, making me stop.

"Who are you?" He asked, pulling out an arrow behind his back, putting it carefully in his archer, aiming it in my direction.

The tip of the arrow shines from the moonlight, revealing a substance that can kill wolves.

I raised my head from the arrow tip to his face but a bit disappointment ruled my system, seeing him with a mask covering his face. I stared into his eyes, a perfect blue orbs shining and reflecting from the light escaping from the grown and verdurous trees.

"Shift", his deep and enchanting voice ordered, making myself panick from the authority he exerted. I tried opposing his presence by revealing a dn showing mine.

I snarled angrily, running fastly into his direction and attacking at once. I jumped into him, pawing his arms to let go of his archer. All I can see is red. And I can't stop myself this time.

I am out of control.

As my body touches him, it felt like a bolt was made, making me felt vulnerable to his touches.

"Even you are my mate, I won't have second thoughts to kill you!" He shouted and sent me a forceful blow sending me into the near tree, banging my head into the huge trunk of it.

I felt myself dizzy, but my wolf can't accept defeat like this.

I ran into him and clawed his chest, growling loudly into his face with my saliva dripping into my mouth.

Our eyes once again met and I saw how his eyes showed a sinister side.

"I don't need a mate. It's all nonsense. Even if you died into my hands, I can still bear the pain." He hissed, making me stunned into my position.

I can't help myself from feeling the pain in my heart. The rejection, the continuous rejection from everyone! How can I be cursed like this?! I felt my wolf cried from pain, enduring a hurtful rejection from our mate. And I felt her drowning from sadness than before. 

I am lost into my thoughts like floating into the air, forgetting that I am still into this battle with him.

 Until I felt a sharp object pierced a hole into my flesh, creating a deep whole of pain releasing from my dried throat. He pulled it out, with my blood spitting all over from the arrow he stabbed my stomach. 

I coughed blood and fell into the ground, seeing the hem of his robe swaying away from me. 

I forcefully shifted into my human form and groaned violently when I touched my wound. 

"I will never f*cking forgive you!" I shouted angrily and lifted my weight to crawl back into the old deck, naked. 

I walked with difficulty, putting pressure into my wound to avoid blood loss. I leaned into the door and reached the knob with my bloody hand. I opened it and didn't expected who I am going to stumble with.

"Are you ready to face your death now? Or you will consider my old offer in you." She hissed, watching me to struggle to breathe. The arrow tip has the substance, attacking my flesh and turned into a rotten one. 

"I accept your offer, but prolong my life first." I agreed chasing my breathe as I heard her laughed deviously tending my side. 

"Looking forward what you can do to me", she whispered.