Chased

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CHAPTER 2

The look in Eretria’s eyes clearly told Aurelia the latter wasn’t joking. Taking a step back, she glanced around the room, her eyes locking on Ryland who was beginning to change his form.

“Y-You’re kidding me, right?”

Not knowing when she blurted out those words, she took another step back, both hands spread to her side. "Eretria, stop this.”

“Stop?” she scoffed, “sorry, I can’t let you go. I’ll become the Luna to the Lycan King and you…” Her lips curled into a lopsided smile. “You’ll be gone—dead.”

Suddenly, a low growl tore Aurelia’s attention from Eretria when she saw Ryland had succeeded in shifting.

With no warning, the latter leapt, aiming for her head as his sharp fangs glistened under the moonlight.

Aurelia’s heart tightened in her chest as her feet reflexively moved to the side, causing her to crash into the nearby door.

GROWL!

Her heart thudded widely as her fingers grabbed the next thing she could and she immediately got to her feet.

“Don't be frightened, Aurelia. Stay put, and I promise it will be a painless death,” Eretria promised. A cold laugh broke the silence that followed while Aurelia eyed her only means of escape.

Guessing her plan, Ryland moved towards the door, his eyes set on her.

Her feet trembled; her legs were still weak from the intense intercourse her body had got but her fingers clutched hard the splinter of wood she had picked up from the ground.

Not sparing either of them a glance, her eyes still fixated on her narrow means of escape, Aurelia dashed for the door. At the same time, Ryland leapt once more, his sharp claw aiming for her head.

In that swift moment, Aurelia knelt, her knees gliding on the cold, hard ground as she thrust upwards, aiming for his stomach.

“Urghh!” A sharp groan resounded in the room but Aurelia’s survival instincts kicked in. She did not spare a second more and dashed out of the room, running as fast as her feet could take her.

She stumbled, her feet getting caught by the robe once more but she had little time to ponder that. The next sound that followed was the sharp yell from Eretria, ordering some wolves to chase after her.

Looking ahead, Aurelia scanned around for her next source of escape when she spotted the path leading to the forest.

It was a good thing Ryland’s building was close to the path and away from everyone else. Not that it mattered anyway.

She was an outcast—a werewolf who failed to merge with her wolf. Thanks to being found and saved by Eretria’s parents when she was only twelve, she was taken in by a kind family.

Or so she thought.

“You can run, Aurelia,” she heard Eretria’s voice from far away, “but the wolves would pick up your scent. You can’t hide. Give it up and pay for your treasonous act of attempting to kill Ryland, the next Alpha of the pack.”

She bit her lower lip hard. Crossing her mind, she ran with all her might, heading for the forest. It was dangerous—a place someone without her wolf shouldn’t venture.

But given the unknown dangers of the forest and the apparent death that awaited her, Aurelia chose the former.

Just as she guessed, the wolves chased her down the forest.

Aurelia's heart thudded in her chest as the chilling howls of wolves echoed through the dense forest, their figures shrouded in the blackness of the night.

The towering trees loomed ahead, their branches creating an intricate web that filtered only silvers of moonlight, but Aurelia remained undeterred, as she knew this was her only chance towards escaping.

The haunting realization that she was being chased down by wolves sent shivers down her spine. Desperation gripped her heart as she raced through the labyrinth of trees, her footfalls echoing in the night.

Leaves crunched under her frantic footsteps as she sprinted through the labyrinthine underbrush, the air thick with the scent of pine and damp earth.

The giant wolves, whose furs were a blend of silver and ebony, moved with a haunting grace as they pursued her. Their eyes glowed like a vicious fire, fixated on their prey.

Aurelia's breath came in ragged gasps as she continued to run. Her fear was strong in the frigid night air.

She glanced over her shoulders to see if the wolves were still hot on her track, and she regretted doing so because they were.

Their powerful legs propelled them forward, bringing them closer to their quarry.

Growl!

Another sharp growl made her heart leap as her feet increased in their sprints, running for dear life, still their growl rang out louder behind her.

In her moment of panic, Aurelia stumbled, making her fall to her knees. Leaves and twigs embedded themselves in her hand, her robe skewed as they had been caught by the barks of trees.

Panic surged through her, but Aurelia fought through the urge to stay down. Rising swiftly, she resumed her desperate escape, her legs burning with exertion.

It did not take long for the wolves to close the gap, their snarls intensifying, acting as a reminder of her impending doom.

The moonlight filtered through the branches, casting an ethereal glow on the wolves—their sheer size was truly awe-inspiring, and their eyes reflected an insatiable hunger.

Aurelia kept pushing herself to the limit, dodging trees and leaping over roots. However, the forest seemed to tighten around her and panic immediately set in as she stumbled upon a dead end—a sheer cliff that dropped into an ominous abyss.

"Oh no."

She skidded to a stop on time, but the turn of events certainly wasn't the type she was expecting.

The werewolves' snarls were beginning to close in behind her, and Aurelia's gaze darted around for another escape route, but before she could dash in that direction, three beastly wolves emerged from the shadows.

They encircled her with predatory eyes, forcing her to stay put. Aurelia's mind raced as she was cornered from all angles. She knew that if she dared to act, they wouldn't hesitate to tear her into pieces.

When one of the wolves slowly approached, Aurelia's trembling hands quickly reached for a stone nearby. Anything at this point was better off than dying without a fight.

"Stay back!" she warned with the stone raised—a feeble attempt to fend off the approaching threats.

When the wolves turned deaf to her warning, she hurled a stone at the wolf, while screaming in fear that they should stay far away from her. Unfortunately, she missed it.

The wolves, however, only grew more enraged by her audacity, their growls intensifying. Aurelia's heart pounded in her chest as she realized the futility of her efforts.

“I’m warning you, stay back," but her trembling voice betrayed her.

Briskly, one of the wolves lunged forward, prompting her to retreat until she found herself at the cliff's edge. The abyss below seemed bottomless, another chilling reminder of her dire predicament.

Cornered and desperate, Aurelia clutched another stone quickly, turning to face them as her knuckles turned white.

The werewolf's eyes bore into her, its primal hunger evident as it took two more steps forward and with a sudden movement, Aurelia flung the stone at the approaching wolf, her aim more precise than the last as it landed a hit between its brows.

But rather than deter it, she enraged the wolf further and it closed the distance instead.

As the werewolf lunged with a sharp snarl, Aurelia's instincts kicked in and she took a step back, her foot slipping on the damp ground. Her heart raced as she teetered on the edge of the cliff, and with a sudden leap from the wolf, she lost her balance.

“Aah!”

Right before she was lost, the werewolf dug his teeth into her robe, tearing off a piece of clothing but it was too late.

The world blurred as she fell backwards, the cold wind rushing past her. The chilling howls of the wolves and the snarls of the werewolf faded into the night as she plummeted into the unknown abyss below.

Minutes passed and the wolves remained, watching, making sure she was gone. Once they were sure there was no trace of her, they returned.