Chapter 1: Daphne

"You don't have much time left, little rogue. If I count to five and you are still here, you’re dead!" Alpha Darius bellowed, and the floor seemed to shake with his words.

"You can't do this!" I screamed, rage erupting from within me as I refused to move. I was terrified, yes. But the fear welling inside of me was matched by my seething anger. I was determined to stand my ground. “I'm part of this pack!”

But he continued to count as if there was a bomb ticking in this pack house. "Two…!"

"Oh, no. That's terrible. How can she just go away? She has no wolf." Someone commented. I could hear her laughter behind me. "Poor little thing!"

That was what everybody knew. I was already eighteen, yet wolfless. So I shut my eyes and summoned her. ‘Reina, h-help me!’

Just then, Reina stirred, and her roar filled my head. ‘They want us out? Then, fine!’

'But how do we—shit!’ My next words turned into a guttural scream as my whole body seized with pain. Every joint in me cracked as though someone had contorted them in a thousand directions. I dropped to the floor, my breath hitching in agonizing bursts that ripped through my throat. Gritting my teeth, I mustered all of my strength, channeling it into one fierce primal scream that echoed around me.

Reina took over and exploded out of the window like a bolt of lightning. ‘We'll hunt them all down one day! I swear!’

***

We fled as far as we could go while I wept in the deepest pit of her head. But Reina explained that we were just getting started in life, and leaving our family was just a chapter that had to be closed before we could move on.

"Where are we right now?" I asked her. "I can't smell the pack anymore."

"In another territory, I guess?" She sniffed and made a low groan, turning her head from left to right. "We have to keep moving and find a way out of here before it gets too dark."

She kept running, but this time she ran more slowly. Reina seemed to be in a state of confusion and discomfort, possibly due to being in unfamiliar surroundings. Despite this, she remained determined to continue and find a way out before nightfall. Regardless, everything looked brighter and more colorful through her eyes, as though it were daytime. We even felt better as the grass rustled against our fur. And the smell of damp earth and wild plants was like heaven.

What if we were indeed in heaven?

"Can we stay here for a bit longer?" I asked Reina.

‘Sure!’ she said, stopping by the thick roots of the tree. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the tranquility of the moment. The rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds were the only sounds that filled the air, and I knew that this was exactly where I wanted to be.

'This place is very safe. Though it would be much better if I could find a bunny rabbit. I want to work on my canines and practice my hunting skills.'

"Whatever you want," I said with a smile. What Reina liked, I liked.

"Mind if we take a little nap?"

"Of course. We need some time off."

"So, where will we go later?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "To be honest, I don't know. I've never been anywhere else in my entire life. Anyway, we'll figure it out in the morning."

My wolf and I talked for a while longer before we both fell asleep.

***

The sun was shining through the tree branches when I woke up the following morning. When I finally stood up, my eyes grew wide as I turned to look down at myself. I had no clothes on, and I was stuck together with dirt and dead leaves.

"Um, Reina? Are you there?" I whispered, massaging my temples for the little ache in my head.

Great. My wolf was silent. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shift! Wait, did I really transform last night? My stupid thoughts made me slap my forehead. Of course, I turned into a wolf last night. Without Reina, how could I have moved to this place? And my clothes had even been ripped when she appeared unexpectedly. But I couldn't just walk around naked. I needed to gather at least a few large leaves to cover myself. Then I'd walk down the street and ask for help.

Just as I was about to move, I heard someone on their way toward me.

"Well, look what we have found here!"

I took a step back, pressing my bare back against the rough trunk. My hands began to shiver as I noticed five men appearing behind tall clumps of weeds and vines. They wore leather hats and boots. I gulped when I noticed the weapons in each of their hands.

"I thought boar hunting was boring until we found you," the stout man said with a grin.

Then a lanky and pale old man approached me. "Darling, what are you doing in the middle of the woods? Are you camping with your boyfriend?"

"No. No. She wasn’t camping. Who camps naked, anyway?" The other stout man interrupted. “Would you like to come with us, sweetie?”

"Stay away from me!" I grumbled. "I'd rather die than go with you, jerks!”

Their laughter sent shivers up and down my spine. Out of fear, I closed my eyes and begged for help from anyone who could hear me.

"Oh, we’re not going to hurt you, sweet child. We are here to bring you to safety." The man with wrinkles on his face extended his arm to me as he approached. "And when I say safety, it means in my warm bed."

"We should make a raffle so we know who'll f*ck her first."

"Nah, there’s no fun in that. We can take turns, anyway."

"You always have the best idea!"

How could these humans violate such a helpless girl? Do all humans act savagely?

"Got you, bitch!"

“Get your hands off me!” Tears streamed down my face as I felt the sharp tug of a thick, calloused hand in my hair. Then my sobs erupted into a piercing scream as another hand roughly grabbed at my breast. I was paralyzed with fear, and the sickening realization that this wasn't a nightmare hit me like a falling rock.

I was resigned to my fate, accepting the fact that this was how it was going to end for me. But then, out of nowhere, a figure appeared and dragged the man away from me. In an instant, the other attackers were hurled against trees in every direction, leaving me confused as to what had just happened.

‘Is he one of them? Did he knock them off so he could have me all to himself?' The thoughts in my head left a bitter taste in my mouth. I let myself collapse to the ground and curled myself tighter into the curved space of the tree trunk, my face on my hands.

"You okay? Did they hurt you?"

Slowly, I looked up at the source of a rich, manly voice. I gasped when he grabbed my arms and helped me stand up. "Did they touch you?" He took a sharp look at my face, then looked down over my body to my feet.

"N-no." I could only shake my head. My mind was busy gazing at his face. He seemed different from those bad guys. He was wearing a simple white shirt and a pair of faded jeans. His eyes were the color of amber, my favorite color, with a gold and copper hue to them.

"Let's get you out of here before these scumbags awaken."

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he started to peel his clothes off. "What the hell are you doing? Are you going to—oh, no!" I knew it! He was one of them. I should have run when I got the chance!

"Stop freaking out!" He frowned and took off his jeans this time.

"Please don’t do this to me!" I swear my face was on fire when I spotted his most intimate area!

He got down on his hands and knees just as I was ready to bolt. Then, for a short moment, he transformed into a large wolf that was taller than I was.

My jaw dropped. "S-so, you’re a werewolf?"

The same captivating amber eyes met mine as he raised his head to look at me. Before I knew it, my hands were caressing his thick, healthy fur, loving the rich auburn and copper hues that it contained. "You’re beautiful," I whispered.

He bent his head down until it was parallel to my waist. ‘Ride.’

"Huh?" I froze.

'What the fuck are you waiting for?' he growled, revealing his sharp fangs. 'Those humans will wake up soon and they will shoot us without hesitation!'

"Okay! I’ll do it!" I scrambled up, clinging to his huge body before flinging my arms around his back. With a sudden burst of speed, he leaped through the branches, bursting from tree to tree with me locked in a vice-like grip behind him. I felt like I was being thrust through the air with no control or direction.

I wanted to believe that he meant me no harm, yet something was unsettling about him that made me uncertain. He saved my life, but should I put my trust in him?