Chapter 5 ~ Rollercoaster

{Ciril’s POV}

The next time I woke up was due to the sensation of light pressing against my eyelids. I pushed them apart and was slowly roaming my gaze around but then I saw a foreign roof, a fan, and a nightstand and my gaze stretched.

Huh?

I tilted up to rest on my elbows to realize I was on a bed in a strange room. 

I forced myself off the bed and crept towards the window so that I could at least get an idea of where I was. I had a deadly headache bobbing in my head and it wasn’t helping matters as I moved around.

I got to the window and noticed that the surroundings were foreign too. I was suddenly slapped by a gust of wind and its chill on my skin forced me to look down at my body to realize…

I gasped.

To realize that I was naked.

What?!

I panicked.

How am I naked?

My heart started to race— fast.

I studied the room in my alarm and it was then that I noticed a figure lying on the bed— the same bed I had gotten up from.

My heart skipped two beats with the sight, and impulsively, I shielded my breast with my left arm and sent my other hand down there.

I stood like a Venus de Milo statue for a moment as I stared at the figure.

What the fuck am I doing naked and alone in a strange room with an unknown man?

I studied his form as he lay under the covers and discovered that he was naked too!

I tensed.

No no no. This better not be what I’m thinking it is.

Quietly but with a pounding heart, I stepped closer to the bed and angled my gaze at the man to check for two things. 

One, to confirm if the stranger was asleep, which he was as his eyes were squeezed shut and his chest was rhythmically bobbing up and down with his restful breathing.

And two, to check if I knew him— which was a pointless attempt since the probability of me randomly knowing someone was less than Zero. So unsurprisingly, I realized I didn’t know the stranger… but I also realized how godly handsome this stranger was— whoever he was.

His skin was like soy milk and his face—

Okay, this is the most witless thing to be doing right now.

For all I know, this man could be brutally dangerous. He could go from looking like an Angel to becoming a demon if he wakes up.

I was reminded of my predicament and as if on cue, my heart started racing again.

I needed to get out of here immediately, and I needed to do it as cautiously as possible. A gust of wind slapped me again.

Shit! I’m still naked.

I needed to find my clothes first. I promptly drove my gaze around in search of my clothes and thankfully, I saw them.

They were scattered on the lounge chair at a corner, but with it, were the stranger’s clothes. I panicked the more at sight.

Slowly now, and I mean, very slowly, I pushed my nude body towards the lounge, cautious of my footsteps on the floorboard so I wouldn’t make any loud noises. The relentless migraine was still bashing against my skull but I didn’t let it stop me.

I got to the corner now and hurriedly gathered my clothes. I swiftly wore them— not properly, but I didn’t care.

With my dress worn, I quietly made my way towards the window now. The stranger was still snoozing so I made my escape through the window, being as quiet as possible— It was a tough task as I’m not the most athletic person. But once I was out, off I went, darting through the woods as fast as my legs could propel me. I didn’t exactly know what direction I was headed, but I didn’t stop running.

**

This continued for a while until my legs pleaded their surrender and I stopped from the exhaustion that had claimed me. 

I was very deep in the woods now and knowing how dangerous it was, I pushed myself with weak strides with the hope of making it to the coastal regions before nightfall. 

I was still planning on joining the Rogues there. That fate would be a blessing compared to what I faced over at RawHowl.

I continued with my weary strides but suddenly, I felt like someone or something was following me. I didn’t have conscious control of my wolf— that’s an established fact, but I was sure of the inkling I was feeling. Someone or something was out there watching me.

I increased my pace to quick strides and looked back a couple of times, but I was only met by trees and rabbits occasionally racing by. 

I soon let the feeling go and decided that it was nothing. But just as I settled my alarm, I heard a rough rattling in the bushes, and with that, a body came flying towards me out of nowhere. I flinched.

Instinctively, I ducked to the side and then I heard a loud crash.

And then two voices.

— a groaning one and an angry one.

“You fool! I told you not to charge at her like that!” Said one voice to the other and I turned around to see a really rugged Rogue pacing towards me. 

I trembled backward as fear gripped my heart. The Rogue was pacing towards me but his eyes weren’t on me so I traced them to see that he was looking at another Rogue on my left-hand side who was trying to get up from a crumbled tree trunk he had seemingly crashed into— he was the owner of the groaning voice I heard earlier.

“I didn’t know she would jump out of the way.” The groaning Rogue on my left told the Rogue on my right, as he winced in pain, holding his neck.

“You didn’t know she would move out of the way? You expected her to just stand there after she saw you coming at her?!” The rightward Rogue voiced, visibly frustrated. “How stupid can you get, Clod?”

“That’s enough, you two.” A new and more hoarse voice joined the conversation. I shudder in fear. There were three Rogues now.

“She looks fresh.” The newest Rogue continued talking. “We should just grab her and get going.” He announced and I took it as my cue to run madly for my life. I didn’t need to wait for further cues.

I jumped in another direction now and raced as fast as my legs could carry me— for the second time today. I heard growls occupying the trail behind me so I knew the Rogues were chasing after me— wildly.

Shift, Ciril! Shift!

I closed my eyes tight and groaned with clenched fists while still running for my life. I tried to, you know, summon my furry aggresive part, but nothing happened.

This was a life-threatening situation-- one where I was supposed to shift into my wolf, Kiba, and have a greater chance of survival. But once again, I couldn't. I didn't know how. 

I was also bad at saving my own life-- useless at it!

I added more speed to my legs now but it felt my heart racing faster due to my fright.

These were the same fuckers I hoped to join over at the coastal region and become one of them, but here they are, hunting me down.

Why the hell are they after me?!

I continued fleeing for my life but I knew my speed was no match for theirs. They were Rogues— Rogues who had their wolves, while I was just a female who was at war with hers. So I dreadfully expected them to catch up to me in the coming moment.

I tried to jump over a tree trunk now but then I kicked it and crashed to the ground, slamming my head hard on a rock fragment in the process. With the new bobbing pain in my skull, I struggled up to my feet and saw a Rogue behind me. 

He attempted to jump and grab me but I immediately went back down— He flew past me and crashed into a boulder. 

He groaned painfully now and from the pitch of his groan, I realized it was the same Rogue as before who had missed me and crashed into a tree trunk.

I trembled away as two other Rogues joined the scene. One was addressing the other.

“Do you see what Clod is doing? He’s slamming into trees instead of catching the girl?! I’ll fucking kill him before we kill her.” The angry Rogue said to the other one with the hoarse voice.

Wait. Kill me?

My heartbeat intensified and I slowly started to pace backwards with my growing pants.

The Rogues turned their attention to me now. They looked like dirty, stinky, and scary trolls, except that these trolls were scary. Very scary.

I slowly paced backward as two of them crept closer to me with their threatening forms. The other groaning one joined them so that they became three now.

The moment grew really tense as I started to breathe really hard as one of them crept really close to me. I was plotting my next escape move and route but then I was too slow as the closest Rogue lunged at me to grab me. 

However, as fate would have it, I happened to be very close to the edge of a partly steep hill and it wasn’t obvious because of a thick bush patch behind me, and so with the Rogue’s motion, I slipped…

And then I tumbled down a hill.

**

My fall had helped me escape those Rogues— as they couldn’t consciously throw themselves down from such a height, but it had also scourged my body with bruises and cuts of different sizes and forms.

I spent the following four nights traveling back to RawHowl— the same place I promised myself I would never return back to, because I had no other place to go to and I couldn’t remain out here in the wild as my life was in danger.

RawHowl was a hellhole that housed assholes and fools but over there, I would still be able to be alive and breathe in contrast to out here where I could genuinely lose my life. Being out here feels like I’m on a rollercoaster— anything could happen to me at any time and I’m not exactly the strongest she-wolf who can defend herself against anything, so returning to RawHowl was painfully the best option for my survival.

Ivanka and her mother would probably want to have my head cut off if I returned to GreyHill now but I would prefer their torments any day to being molested and killed out here by Rogues.

Over there, I could maneuver my way around but out here, I’m a prey. 

My legs felt desperately weak now and my body throbbed from the pang of all the injuries that lined my skin as I approached familiar parts— the borders of my Pack. 

Last night had been the night of the Full Mating moon and I had spent it in a creepy part of the forest, staring at the full moon with disdain and cursing the concept of being fated with another soul who doesn’t give a shit about me.

I didn’t care if I had been paired with someone this time around also— but I hoped not. However, If I truly was fated to a new mate, once I met him, I would reject him right then and there— whoever the fuck he may be. I can’t go through that hurt and rejection a second time. No.

Now, with my weariness and despair, I continued trekking until I got to familiar parts— the border of RawHowl. The night was already creeping in so I had to hasten my steps so I could get to RawHowl before complete darkness.

All through my journey, all I could think about was the face of the stranger I had woken up in the room with. His face wasn’t familiar but the allure of his features made the memory of him persist in my mind. 

But then I was hurt by my realization—I had slept with a random stranger. Gradually, my memory of everything that had happened had returned to me and the reality bruised me emotionally. 

— I had been drunk and stupid which had led me to lose my virginity to someone I had never met in my entire life.

With pensive sadness and regret bobbing in my chest, I continued with my haste down a bushy path and soon I got to the godforsaken Pack.

Tonight, I need luck. Plenty of it. 

**

I was a few blocks away from the new Alpha Mansion now and my pace reduced to creeping and my expressionless face bent into an alarmed expression.

I was back to this misery pit.

My heart started racing as I crawled through the Hallways preceding the westward entrance of the Alpha Mansion. I knew that that particular Hallway was dark most of the time so I decided to use it to my advantage.

My plan was to sneak into the Mansion, return to my room and stay there discreetly for the night. And by tomorrow, I would confront the Alpha family with an excuse that I had been kidnapped— if that has any chance of working.

I continued creeping down the lowly dim hallway. I was stealthily moving and making gradual progress when my hair was suddenly yanked to the side and I was hauled out of the darkness. A groan escaped my lips as a familiar wave of pain soaked through my skull. 

I only knew two people who could hurt me— actually, I knew a lot of people, but I knew only two vile souls who could physically knock me about this way, and before I could validate my theory, a squawky voice proved me right.

Ivanka.

“Where have you been, you wretch!” Ivanka dug her fingers deeper into my hair and started hauling me to goddess-knows-where. I winced loudly in pain but it didn’t seem to matter a dime to her or any of the werewolves passing by. Us moving this way was a common sight to them.

“Today. Everyone will know what a cheap whore you are!” She bawled as our strides grew rougher.

I forced my eyes open and hastily drove my gaze around. I then realized, from an odd angle, that we were headed towards the Dinette, where the entire Alpha family would be having dinner at this time. 

My death had finally come.

“Mum, Dad! Look who I found!” Ivanka voiced as we barged into the Hall. She casted me roughly to the cold hard ground so that the attention of everyone was thrown at me.

I quickly gathered my body parts and rested on my knees with my head bowed.

“Ciril…” Luna Dolores was the first to speak

— obviously. 

“You’re back.” She paused, taking a moment to munch on whatever she had fed her mouth. “How was your brief holiday of freedom?” She asked me. Her voice was rather calm and she was so casual with her words that I was forced to look at her. 

“She went about bedding any male she could find since Alpha Dylan rejected her.” Ivanka chipped in.

I stared at Luna Dolores now and instead of the usual irritation and annoyance she usually hung on her face, I met neutrality— Like she wasn’t mad that I had disappeared for five days.

It scared me.

“Well, it’s a good thing she had such a whoreful adventure. It’s good that you took such a break, Ciril.” Luna Dolores said. “Because it’s going to be your last!” She voiced with such a sudden scowl that I was forced to shiver.

I couldn’t help but panic with her words. What did she mean?

With my uneasiness, I drove my eyes across the table to see that the rest of the sordid family had a hateful expression on their faces which was not surprising at all.

“Oh, and perfect timing. I must commend you because, for the first time, you rightly present when you’re most needed.” Luna Dolores continued with a waggish smile before she continued digging into her meal.

Huh?

Why is she speaking in fucking parables? Today was confusing enough for me to come back here just to meet more confusion.

“You may go to your room.” Luna Dolores dismissed me just like that and Ivanka, who was still by my side, reacted in shock.

“What! You’re not going to punish her, mum?” She quizzed in her confusion, practically talking for both of us as I was also wondering the same thing.

Where are the slaps and beating or the hours of filthy service as punishment?

“Ivanka. Just come have dinner, okay?” Dolores said calmly to Ivanka for which she was hesitant to give in. She glared at me for a moment before she finally left my side and joined the others at the table.

What is fucking going on? 

First Luna Dolores talks to me wearing an expression of calmness rather than the usual irritation or hatred, and now, she sends me to my room without punishing me or asking me where I’ve been.

I slowly rose to my feet and carefully studied the room in case arrows would come flying towards me, but nothing happened. 

Was this luck?

Just like that, I was dismissed to my room without any penalty whatsoever. However, Luna Dolores left me with one more suspenseful statement.

“Prepare your things. You leave RawHowl tomorrow!” She said.

But to where?