Crown Of Fire

                “Hah! Hah! Hah!” my uneven breathing did not stop me from running faster than usual. I trod on the leaves, and they crunched and crackled under my feet.

I was rushing through the woods; I felt like my blood would pop at any time out of so much tension and fear; I was alone, in the middle of the woods, while raining and lost. The sky was pitch black; I could manage the cold and wet weather, but not the fact that I was running for my life right now. The trees howled and rattled in the south, which was the opposite of where I was heading, making it more complicated to breathe.

Thirsty rogues were behind me; I didn’t even know why, of all wolves, I’ll be the luckiest dumb to be hunted by those three fuckers.

“Come on, wolf! Suffice our thirst!” someone said; I bet that’s the tallest rogue among them.

“We can smell you, no matter how fast and far you run!”

“Damn it, am I that stinky to them?” I mumbled underneath my breath.

However, the thought that I may be able to escape from them vanished when I felt a cold, sharp hand grips my arm. I almost howled when one of the rogue’s fingers dug through my skin; I immediately smelled the steel like scent`, my blood; it was my blood.

“Where do you think you’re going, little wolf, hmm?” they caught me; their bare fangs were already out, their eyes were red as blood, and my wolf inside felt the intent to kill, coming from these rogues I was surrounded.

“Let me go,” I hissed when his nails dug deeper than earlier, “You wouldn’t want to hurt me; you will surely regret it,” that was the only thing that came to my mind, trying to intimidate them, but it was no use, they just laughed, as if it was the funniest thing, they have heard so far.

“Then, let them come to be our snack,”

I kicked the man holding me and stepped back to have enough distance from them. I may be outnumbered, but I’m trained to survive.

In an instant, they disappeared from my sight, their laughter echoed, and I could feel them passing fast in front of me because of the strong wind slapping my face.

That won’t work on me; I waited until it was my turn. I raised my arm to welcomed the approaching rogue.

My tight grip on his neck immediately stopped him. He didn’t expect me to catch him; I could hear him gasping for breath. His two companions attended him; I could hear the gnashing of their teeth in annoyance.

“I don’t really need anyone to save me; I can save myself,”

“I don’t think you can,” I heard from behind, followed by a stab to my chest; blood was gushing from the stabbed part, and my body immediately weakened; that shaft must have something on it, “Wondering why you feel that way?”

I smell the rose scent, wolfsbane.

“Do you also want to feel the excruciating pain of being hunted down?” an unknown voice spoke, they all threw me down and faced the stranger man, but something was happening to me.

Inside me, a tingling sensation, the smell of sweet lemon and lavender, with honey and a bit of chamomile, what’s that? What’s this feeling? Is this anxiety……. Or excitement?

“And who the fuck may you be?” anger and annoyance were evident in one of the rogue’s voices, I think, for interrupting their meal, but I heard his loud gasp and, stepping back, “F-fuck,”

“We must run!” one of them said.

“No one will ever be able to escape from here,” he said again; his voice gave me a shiver; it was so cold…. And lifeless.

“Run! The Alpha is here!” said again, “We did not do anything to make you upset; what must be the reason for you to go down here?”

“That lady behind you,” with that I lift up my head, a man not so far away from us, was looking at me, no, he’s not just looking, he is staring at me, like piercing my soul through his eyes, “Whom you almost kill, is my mine,”

“Please, spare us; we didn’t know!”

“You fool!” in just a snap, all of them were cold bodies, in front of me, blood spatted everywhere, he came to me, I should be afraid, but his presence gave me comfort, a wild beast, he was well known for being a stubborn, and cruel Alpha, he is Xerxes, the rogue Alpha.

“Why did you save me?” I asked, trying to get up, “You don’t have to do that,”

“Well, I don’t want to be mateless for this seventh life of mine,”

I didn’t catch what he said. However, one word caught my attention, he told mateless?

“M-mate, what?”

He shrugged as if it was not a big thing, “You felt and smelled that too, right? That tingling sensation, the smell of a sweet lemon and lavender, with honey and a bit of chamomile,” my eyes widened; he just described it perfectly!

“You must be mistaken; a wolf like you, can’t be able to mate with w-“

“But it is; I’ll bring you home, whether you like it or not; you’re mine, you’re my mate,” he carried me as if I were a piece of paper, “We must go before the wolfsbane poisoned your whole system,” I was just looking at her throughout his introduction, “I’m Xerxes, what’s your name, wolf?”

“Esmeray,”

“The dark moon, it happens only every seven hundred years,” he stopped walking and looked at me, as if examining me, “I think we will not be able to make it; let’s just give you my antidote,”

My forehead creased; he has one for wolfbane? “How wou-“  I didn’t have the chance to finish my question when he held my chin and gave me a fiery kiss, entirely in the mouth.

Did he, did he just kiss me?!