Chapter 2

Elixir’s POV

The woods had become my prison and my refuge. For three years, I had wandered these endless trees, my only companions the sounds of rustling leaves and distant howls. The moonlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting an eerie glow over the forest floor as I scoured for food. Hunger clawed at my insides like a restless beast, but the ache was familiar. Survival in exile was nothing new.

Three years. That’s how long it had been since the day I was cast out, burned in the most literal and figurative sense. My stepmother and Amaya had been the first to call me a monster, their screams fueling the pack’s rage. It hadn’t mattered that I didn’t understand what was happening to me. My half-shifted form, the raw, untamed power surging through me, had been enough for them to judge me unworthy of the pack.

So here I was, nothing more than a shadow of the girl I used to be, wandering the edges of a world that no longer wanted me.

I tightened the tattered cloak around my shoulders as the night air grew colder. My camp was a few miles back, nestled near a stream where the water was clean, but I had ventured farther than usual in search of food. The thought of going another night with an empty stomach was unbearable.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I froze, my senses sharpening. There it was again, the faint crunch of leaves, the sound of something, or someone, moving nearby.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

The voice was deep and laced with mockery. I turned slowly, my heart hammering in my chest. Three men emerged from the shadows, their eyes gleaming with malice. Rogues. I could tell by the wildness in their movements, the scent of unbridled aggression that clung to them like a second skin.

"Looks like we've stumbled upon a lost little lamb," another one sneered, his grin revealing sharp teeth.

"Please," I said, forcing my voice to remain steady. "I mean no harm. I’ll leave."

The tallest of the three laughed, a sound devoid of humor. "Oh, sweetheart, we’re not letting you go that easily."

Panic surged through me as they began to circle, their intentions clear in the way their eyes raked over me like I was prey.

"Back off," I warned, though the tremor in my voice betrayed my fear.

"Or what?" the tallest one taunted. "You’ll cry for help? You’re nothing but a wolfless freak, aren’t you? Pathetic."

The insult struck like a whip, reopening wounds I thought had long since scarred over. I clenched my fists, trying to summon even a shred of the courage I had left, but I was outnumbered, outmatched, and helpless.

One of them lunged, grabbing my arm and yanking me forward. "Let’s see how tough you really are," he growled.

I thrashed, clawing at his grip. "Let me go!"

"Feisty. I like that," he said, his breath hot against my ear.

Tears burned my eyes as I struggled, the weight of my powerlessness pressing down on me like a suffocating blanket. They shoved me to the ground, and I hit the dirt hard, the air rushing from my lungs.

"Stop!" I screamed, kicking and flailing as they loomed over me.

"Shut up!" one barked, raising his hand to strike me.

But before he could, a deafening snarl shattered the night.

The rogues froze, their eyes darting toward the sound. From the darkness, three wolves emerged, their massive forms sleek and menacing. They moved with the precision of predators, their glowing eyes locked on the rogues.

“What the…” one of the rogues started, but he didn’t get a chance to finish.

The largest wolf lunged, his jaws closing around the throat of the man who had grabbed me. Blood sprayed, and the rogue collapsed with a gurgling cry.

The other two scrambled to fight back, but it was futile. The wolves were relentless, tearing through them with savage efficiency. I could only watch in stunned silence, my body trembling as the scene unfolded before me.

Within moments, it was over. The rogues lay in broken heaps on the forest floor, their blood staining the earth. The three wolves stood victorious, their breaths heavy as they turned their attention to me.

I scrambled to my feet, my legs unsteady beneath me. "Th-thank you," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.

One of the wolves stepped forward, his intense gaze pinning me in place. As he approached, his form began to shift, the smooth transition from wolf to man leaving me speechless.

He was tall, his body corded with muscle, and his dark eyes glinted with something unreadable. Two more men followed, their expressions just as fierce.

I took a step back, my instincts screaming at me to run. "I-I’ll just be going," I said, my voice shaking.

But before I could move, the first man reached out and grabbed me. Without a word, he threw me over his shoulder as if I weighed nothing.

"Hey! Put me down!" I shouted, pounding my fists against his back.

He ignored me, his grip like iron as he carried me deeper into the woods.

"Let me go!" I screamed, desperation clawing at my throat. "I don’t even know you!"

One of the other men produced a handkerchief, and before I could react, he pressed it over my mouth and nose.

"No…" The word came out muffled as a sweet, cloying scent filled my senses. My struggles grew weaker, my limbs heavy.

The last thing I saw before everything went black was the moon shining through the trees, a single question burning in my mind.

“Who are these men? And where the hell were they taking me?”