Chapter 3

"What are you doing on this territory!" His voice sends spikes of fear throughout me and I whimper, hoping he won't get any louder than he currently is. I have never liked it when people yell in anger, especially when the yelling is directed towards me. I try to move away but end up whimpering in pain.

"Shift!" The man demanded and the two wolves at his sides growl, warning me to do what he says. I tried to back up even more but a growl left the two wolves’ mouths again, putting more fear into me. I tried shifting but howled at the pain that went through my small body. I tried again but gave up once the pain increased.

   When wolves are close enough they should be able to mindlink each other, regardless of their relation. However, when I try it seems like they can’t hear me. I’m injured, please help me. I repeat this over and over again but they don’t pick up on it. The wolves and the man looked at me in confusion but it was quickly replaced by anger towards me. I tried backing up again, in fear of what the beings in front of me might do (like kill me or something), but only experienced more excruciating pain.

Ancillary, help me! I pleaded but she still didn't answer me. I needed my wolf, I needed someone to be here and help me and she has always been there; ever since I had first shifted when I was fourteen. She had always had that bit of confidence that I lacked majorly because she was fifty percent confidence, twenty five percent crazy, and twenty five percent like a mother: always telling me what’s best and what I can do in times of need. Her crazy confidence tended to leak into the advice though, telling me that we should do something fun despite the fact that it could possibly get me in trouble. I never wanted to grow up because of how much these antics Ancillary came up with gave me some of the only fun in my life. Now that I am on my own, I am really going to need that. Unless these beings in front of me kill me.

"I said shift! You will do as you are told you filthy rogue!" The man demanded again, trying to put more authority into his voice than he actually had. He took a step forward and I whimpered. His steps got slower, he was taking cautious steps. Why? Did he actually care about me? I doubted he did, but why was he being cautious. The only people who actually cared about me enough to be careful around me was my mother and the pack elders. If anything he should be angrier. "Why aren't you shifting?" He asked softly to himself. He looked me over but shook his head, "I don't understand. You're just doing this to frustrate me aren't you?" The anger and authority was back in his voice and the fear was once again coursing through me, making me physically shake. The shaking only adding more ripples of pain to flow throughout my body.

I tried to hide my head, too scared to look at him. He growled at me, making the two wolves growl along. I flinched and I looked back up but avoided his eyes that danced with fire.

"What are you, stupid?" He growled out, once again trying to have more authority than he actually had, "I told you to shift! If I tell you to do something, you'll do it!"

I backed up further, hoping to disappear into the tree. Maybe, I thought, the tree will swallow me whole and I won't be here anymore.

"Do you hear me!" He yelled so loud I swore I saw some of the trees around us shake. He snarled in anger and turned to the two wolves that were still growling behind him.

The wolves eyes glazed over and I knew they were using the mind link. I remember I used to complain to my dad because I thought he was ignoring me whenever he was mind linking someone, usually my mom or our Alpha.

My dad. He's a topic I like to avoid. You see, my dad was my hero. He was a strong fighter, the beta of our pack, and over all he was the one who was there for me whenever I needed someone. Like if the older kids teased me or something. When he was gone I felt like it was over. I still had Mom but she was mourning and was depressed without her mate. Then when people started picking on me and pushing me around, she didn't notice. My hero was gone forever.

The two wolves grunted and turned to look at me, watching my every move as if I was just waiting for a moment to attack. The man had stopped talking to me but he still had frustration in his eyes that doubled every time he glanced at me.

Eventually the pain started to worsen and I cried out. I didn't understand what was going on with me. The pain was burning, throbbing, and any other thing you could think of. I started to whine in pain and I couldn't stop.

The man and the wolves looked at me but didn't do anything when they saw me in obvious pain. What kind of a person just sits there when someone is obviously in extreme pain and just watches?

"Hush you," the man snarled, "He's almost here." I bit my tongue.

He, I thought, Who's he? Panic coursed through me. What are these people planning on doing to me? Hurting me? Killing me? Death might be the easiest way to deal with this, I thought.

The man sat down on the ground and the wolves stayed put, making sure I didn't move from where I was.

As I laid down, I thought about my life. If I was going to die then I wanted my last thoughts to be about my family. Mom. Dad, I thought with all the love that I could possibly muster up in my heart, I think I'm coming to see you guys soon.

As I thought this I heard the snapping of twigs, making my eyes snap towards it. As the sound got closer I smelt the most amazing smell of coconut and fresh rain. I breathed in the smell deeply before a man came out from the trees. He took one look at me and growled out, "Mine!"