ECHOED HEARTBEAT

Author's Note 

Hello, dear readers,🥰 I am back again with another new werewolf story, hoping it would amaze you. I have improved my writing skills compared to my last book 'my lovable possessive mate' but if you do come across any grammatical errors do let me know, I am open to positive criticism.

This book may not be updated daily because I am currently writing it. So I can't promise you daily or weekly updates until I reach chapter 15. So hope you can wait patiently till then...Do let me know how you felt about this book in the comments below😍😍 enjoy reading 

CHAPTER 1 – escaped

The night is hallowing at its brightest while I fleet amongst the thousand thick tree trunks, catching after fading freedom. The fresh bruises on my skin make my blood drip past the thorns and muddy soil I run.

The night was just beginning, and I still had a lot of footwork to cover. My racing heart never stopped, not for a moment as I swiftly passed by the glowing trees, some red, some green, giving me the light to move forward, even when its roots had thorns that could pierce right through a werewolves’ heart.

I knew this would have happened if not now, then, in the future, I hoped she would change but it was a lost cause. I winced hard as a thorn pierced through my foot. My footing faltered, and I fell back on a pile of thorns, probing into my skin. An unbearable Pain shot near my left arm, a fractured bone. ‘What terrible luck’ I humored at the situation.

I rested for a while, catching my breath against the thorns that were making me bleed to death. My fragile body couldn’t handle anymore, I was but 10 to face such a disaster in my life. Running away from the pack I was born, abused, tormented, I have lost a sense of the direction in my life and now.

I could hear distant howls, some painful, some prideful as they chased me into the forest of thorns, a region, nobody, would even dare think of steeping foot into. But because of me, because they wanted to capture me, the warriors cared no more.

Under the command of the Alpha, all they had to do was to bow down in submission. Even if the task assigned was to bring me back, so that the Alpha’s son could rape me. They had forgotten the values and morals, humans spoke of.

After all, they were all beasts, and they couldn’t care more to behave like civilized beings when power and authority were under their grasps. Sickening creatures. Even though I was one of them, I hated the way they led their lives. Especially our pack, the CRIMSON KNIGHT, known for the merciless and arrogant Alpha who spilled blood of countless humans and werewolves alike. 

Just remembering his name, send shivers down my spine. A greed-struck human who had no bounds. ‘ahh..shit’ I winced stopping the blood flow, my body was weaker than I imagined it to be.

The colors in my skin were fading, and I knew if not now, I could never leave this pack alive. With trembling fingers, I removed the thorn, biting my lip so hard, the smell of blood hit me. It took me 3 attempts before I finally freed myself, and to what joy, because the blood in my veins, trickled down like a waterfall, endlessly, as I tried to take a step.

Tears blurred my vision, ‘NO, not now…You are a RED, remember that’ I said to myself over and over again as I proceeded towards an unknown destination. I had forgotten my goal because by now all I wanted was to escape and rest in peace.

My tattered dress, torn in places I was ashamed of, I could no longer care how they looked, my lips were cut, black and blue bruises covered my eyes, some of my hair torn off, I looked like a walking mess.

My breathes were getting deeper, as I cringed in pain whenever my lungs inflated and deflated. Every part of my body was on fire, I knew I was almost reaching my end.

‘just a little more’ I convinced myself, but NO, I couldn’t take it.

I wanted to give up, to just close my eyes and sleep forever. I was almost fading into the darkness when a memory sprang into my head.

‘YOU ARE A RED, YOU ARE A WARRIOR, JUST LIKE ME, JUST LIKE US, WE FIGHT, WE NEVER GIVE UP, UNTIL OUR LAST BREATH’ I remembered my father's last words. He was the man I looked up to, kind and generous. He fought for our pack, eventually dying when a rouge attacked 5 years back and since then my life has been a living hell in the pack.

I missed him dearly; I wished he would pat my head or tell me night stories when I slept. But Moon goodness wasn’t by side, not then, not now. My eyes held determination now, no matter what, the will to survive had overpowered my consciousness. My strides started growing longer as my pace increased and eventually, I was running.

Yes, I will make them all pay, each and every one of them. I will become strong and powerful that no one can ever lay their hands on me.

My body was suddenly feeling light, it was as though I was skipping through the clouds, even as my cuts spilled a surplus amount of blood on the floor, I felt no pain. It was a déjà vu. A mile away, I could see light, a faint hope I was catching onto. Yes, the end. I ran until my lungs gave out until I couldn't take another step until every last drop of blood had left my body.

As I reached the end, a lush green environment enveloped the blooming flowers, the shy animals, and the beautiful moon.

I looked around, finding any trace of wolves, but NO, they were none. I limped, brushing away the creepers and bushes until I heard a waterfall a few feet away. Hope clouded my judgment as I bent down, cupping my hands, filtering whatever I could drink. My hands were small, tiny even because I was malnourished. I had to do the same procedure 7 times before my parched throat could finally be saved.

Until I heard a frightening growl.

I wanted to run, but I couldn’t. The power, the gaze held was too strong to even move an inch. If my life was destined this way, then so be it. I thought. I could outwit them with my knowledge. I was known to be a dazzling child, back in my pack, and that is why the Alpha feared my existence.

The black wolf came forward along with his warriors, every one of them towering me with their height, they circled around me like prey, mind linking before the black wolf went behind a tree, changing himself.

‘YOU, you are a RED, what are you doing here?’ he asked. He sounded just like the Alpha back in our pack, the same age as my father. Signs of getting old was slowly seen on his hair and beard. Could I trust him? His eyes glowed Green, just like everyone's. If what my father told me was true, then I should try it.

‘I AM VALERIE RED, from the Crimson Night pack, I seek shelter in your pack, in return, I will be the Alpha warrior representing your pack,’ I spoke, looking at him. ‘Eye contact is the key to achieve success,’ my father said, especially with werewolves, and he couldn’t have been wrong.

All the wolves stood silent as they listened to a 10-year-old girl speak of fighting wolves 10 times her size. I would have expected a laugh or too, but the man before me, looked at me dead in the eyes and said ‘DO YOU THINK I CAN FOOL THE KING, YOU ARE A RED, NOT A GREEN, it’s treason’ his voice raged.

‘If that is a problem then, I shall cut my hair, dye it, even my eyes too, please don’t send me back to that pack, I beg of you,’ I prostrated myself. My entire life was depending on his answer. ‘I will do anything,’ I added.

‘ufff’ he signed. ‘Let’s get you to our pack’s hospital first, contact the Alpha and Luna’. As the words left his mouth, the weight in my eyelids grew heavy. The darkness embraced me as I escaped into the twilight.