[1.1] SLAVE

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Hi guys! Welcome to chapter 1. I would appreciate your feedback. Please tap the star, and leave a comment. Thank you!

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"RUN, RUN AS fast as you can Keffer!" The voices of the Nightmoon Pack kids echoed behind me mockingly as I ran barefooted, weaving through the forest trees, my heart a rampant beat within me.

"Run Keffer!" They called out laughing in their sickening amusement, their taunts prodding through my mind as they chased after me. Their footsteps run light and fast through the forest.

They were built for this, it was like a walk in the park for them.

Not for me.

Never for a Keffer.

My vision was a teary blur, my body shaking in fear, yet still ignoring the tiny little cuts the fallen branches and dry leaves made through my skin with every step I took, my breathing harsh and hollow, as I pushed through the forest, the afternoon sunlight barely scraping through the dense trees to light my way.

The voices of the taunting kids vanished, and so did the sound of their footsteps but my heart only sank. I knew what came next. The sound of bones cracking behind me only meant one thing.

They were shifting.

Soon the taunts were replaced by growls, their human figures replaced by their wolves. Howls began to echo behind me more deadly than their taunts had ever been, animalistic promises of what they could do to me if they caught me.

I pushed forward as best as I could, running into an opening in the forest, the wind in my face as I swatted through the large field of high grass, where the sunlight shone through harshly.

They knew I couldn't outrun any of them, not even skinny Douglas, the weakest one.

Not in their human forms and much less in their wolf forms. They were better than me in every way- faster, stronger, more good-looking- and yet they found the utmost pleasure in scaring me to death.

They loved the chase and I was always going to be prey in this world.

Keffer, they called me. Wolfless.

Tears blinded me further and I tripped, falling and scraping my knee on the hard ground, but that was the least of my worries.

My eyes quickly darted around me, my heart pounding, fingers shaking as I heard the sound of their growls closer than ever before.

I crawled backward on the ground, head darting in every direction I could hear a growl. They were circling me now, I noted, catching glimpses of the musky brown fur of their wolves as they stalked the middle, sealing every route of escape until they finally came into full view, creeping noiselessly through the grass, growling and barring their sharp white teeth at me.

Trying to make myself as small as possible, I hugged my bruised knees, hands shaking as my eyes trailed the wolves.

They were only omega wolves, but still much bigger than I could ever be.

My eyes darted around the five wolves that encircled me, stopping as the sixth one emerged through the middle. He was bigger than the others and behind moved another wolf.

From the mere size of him, as he was bigger than some full-grown omega wolves in the pack, he could only be one wolf.

Gabriel, the Alpha's son. And behind him was the Gamma's son, Lawrence.

I gulped slowly, shaking my head, pleading softly whilst moving slightly backward as the large Alpha wolf stalked forward until he was standing over me, his large paws on either side of me.

My back lay flat on the ground as I stared wide-eyed into the beady eyes of the Gabes wolf, filled with hate and distaste I saw mirrored in almost every pack member of NightMoon Pack whenever they looked at me.

I was a walking curse.

The seed of bad luck. The moon goddess forsook. A keffer. I was wanted by no one. I was no one.

That was what the wolf hovering over me was trying to say as he growled deeper, his sharp fangs grazing my face, hot stenchy breath fanning my skin as my fingernails dug deep into the soil, eyes shut tightly closed in fear, awaiting the sting of the bite-

Then I heard it.

A howl so deadly deep it rattled my very bones.

A growl so powerful, it seemed to shake the earth itself. The sounds of birds launching from the trees in flight, followed by the whimpering of the wolves around as they suddenly scampered away, the feeling of the large alpha wolf hovering over me vanished in an instant.

My heart stopped within me, as silence followed.

I was too scared to see what it was, what could have made that sound.

A soft wind grazed my skin as I found the courage to slowly open my eyes, one at a time, coming face to face with nothingness, nothing but the open field.

My eyebrows arched, quickly sitting up and drawing my knees to my chest as I looked around the grassy field, only now-

-now there wasn't any grass.

Everything was ashes.

Burnt to ash.

Something grazed my skin, and I looked up, watching as bits of ash fell from the now grey, darkened sky.

I reached out a shaky hand into the open, a piece of ash falling into my open palm, a sudden flashback of buried memories melting into my mind.

A figure of a blurry woman tugging a child along as they run through tall trees. Fire crackling around the flame-lit forest, howls, and screams echoing behind them.

I shook my head, tears now spilling freely from my cheeks, hugging my knees tightly against me, shutting my eyes as I tried to stop the flashbacks.

"No, no, no," I whimpered, shaking my head until everything suddenly stopped, and silence returned.

I forced myself to be still, sniffing as I tried to calm my heart. Feeling a hand suddenly rest on my shoulder, my whole body stiffened. But I was way too scared to open my eyes until a gentle voice whispered right above my ears.

"Go my little flower," it breathed softly as if it was out of breath, "Go find your Alpha."

I opened my eyes, staring straight ahead into nothingness as the words echoed through my mind. I stared down at my bruised knees as if in a trance, watching as the bruises on my knees healed in a matter of seconds, the ashed fields around me growing flowers again as the sun shone through.

I wiped my tears, getting up to my wobbly feet, sniffing again as I stood, blinking to get a clear vision back, eyebrows arching when I noticed the most peculiar thing.

The whole field I was in had the bright harsh sunlight of the afternoon, but as I looked back into the forest I had come from, it had been overtaken by the darkest blackest night.

It was as if I was standing in the place where Night and Day met for the first time.

From the depths of that Night, I saw a huge shadow move, larger than I had ever seen, two bright red eyes glowing from the midnight.

The growl I had heard before sounded, shaking the earth once again as it barred the sharpest fangs I had ever seen-

I sat up in bed with a gasp, my heart thudding within me, eyes wide as I came face to face with Vale, her bright shy blue eyes and thin blond hair bounced lightly against her shoulders as she shook me awake, her face only illuminated by the small candle beside my bed stand.

"Nightmare?" She whispered lowly, moving back slightly.

I stared blankly for a minute, trying to recollect my thoughts. My eyes traveled around my surroundings, recognizing my small room with a relieved sigh, eyes trailing back to her,

"A-as always," I whispered back, pulling my sleeve over my exposed arm, covering the numerous bite scars on them.

Vale glanced at the action for a moment, her eyes catching mine again, before falling to her lap, silence looming between us.

It was the same dream I had been having for years now. The bullying, the ashed field, the voice in the forest, and the creature that brought the night- it was a mixture of both memories and nightmares I figured because some parts felt like I had lived them before and whilst others were just replays of what had already been done.

I didn't want to dwell on it too much, at least not now. I was bullied every day, and I was used to it, and so was Vale.

I was a keffer, and she was a rogues daughter.

Neither one of us was wanted in our pack.

True, I got the brunt of the bullying and the insults and the hate, the stones, the chases through the forest, the bites- it was because I was worse than a rogue, worse than a servant.

At least rogues had wolves, their only crime being traitors but I was cursed, cursed to be wolf less and therefore mate less. Denied the gifts of the moon goddess and shunned by her.

I pushed those thoughts away. All that didn't matter now. What mattered was the future. The future of Vale and I.

"I'm fine, Vale, I promise," I grinned softly pushing the light sheets off me.

I was as quiet as a mouse as I trod across the small room grabbing a woolly coat and throwing it on before tiptoeing back to my bedside, where I pulled out a packed bag from under it quietly, placing it on the bed.

I glanced up at a nervous-looking Vale as I studied her figure. She too had a packed bag under her arm, her body covered well enough to be shielded from the cold of midnight outside.

"Are you ready?" I whispered.

She paused, gulping but nodded quickly, though I noticed the shake in her hand as she pulled her bag tighter.

"Vale-" I whispered, my tone harsher than I intended, noticing her unfocused gaze.

"P-perhaps we should stay," she suddenly blurted, "j-just f-for a day or two," she stuttered out, hesitantly.

I moved to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Look at me Vale," I prodded, her scared gaze holding mine, "if we stay, bad things will happen to us. Do you want to be slaved to some other territory?" I asked slowly.

She shook her head, gaze shifting to the ground.

"That's what's going to happen tomorrow. We're going to be sold, Vale- sold like pigs. Alpha's only been waiting till I turn eighteen like you- that was his only promise to AMA. That he would take us both at the same time" I reminded, "we can't. Stay. Here." I gritted out, taking a rolled brown paper out of my sleeve.

I looked back up at her, "this map will get us to the Harbor, then we can get on a ship and finally be free across the sea-" I continued, "I understand it's risky but trust me, it will be much worse if we stay- Do you understand Vale?"

She pursed her lips for a moment, her eyes searching the urgency in mine, finally nodding, as she took a sharp breath in, cooling her nerves.

I took out my own shaky breath, trying to steady my hands as I squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

If we got caught trying to escape it would be worse for us but staying was simply not an option.

I smiled softly, nodding towards her, "c'mon it's time to go," I breathed, blowing out the candle.

In the darkness we moved, Vale, trailing like a shadow behind me, down the hallway. We tip-toed even slower past the familiar door right outside our room before heading toward the front door-

I glanced behind me, stopping when I noticed Vale had frozen before the wooden door looking at it skeptically.

"Vale!" I whispered lowly.

She looked back at me, her eyes sad, permission in them. I knew what she asking, why she was sad.

We weren't saying goodbye to AMA. The one woman in this godforsaken pack that showed us kindness and took us under her wing, called us her family, her daughters- probably the only woman in the whole cursed continent of Valcane whoever would.

"W-We need to go," I whispered.

She looked at the door one more time, her fingers lightly grazing over the wood before moving silently after me, finally walking toward the front door.

I was about to open the door when Vale's hand clamped on my shoulder causing me to turn, eyebrows arched.

She put a finger to her lips, pointing towards a window where a spot of light vanished in the darkness of midnight outside, only lighting up a second later.

I moved to the window quickly, catching sight of horses. My heart beat loudly as I moved rapidly toward Vale, grabbing her bag and throwing it behind the door-

"S-shade?" Vale whispered as I took a shaky step back from the door, pulling her with me not a second later as the door suddenly swung open, banging against the side by sheer force.

Both of us moved backward as Gabriel walked in, behind him, the light of horses and Lawrence, his gamma, accompanied by a few other pack warriors.

He didn't seem surprised to see both of us standing before him, despite randomly barging in.

Gabriel Sandor was soon to be Alpha, his eighteenth birthday only a week behind mine, where he was to finally ascend as Alpha of Night-moon pack, and one of the 13 Alphas under the Night Wolf territory.

With brown eyes and blonde hair, he if anything should have looked mismatched and yet the combination did wonders for him.

Standing at an Alluring height, with broad shoulders, and a face that had all the unmated females praying to claim him on his eighteenth birthday, it was a shame his heart did not match his beauty.

"Shade Shadows," he stated eyes staying on me, a smile that made my blood crawl curving his face. Vale moved instinctively behind me.

"Gabriel-"

"ALPHA Gabriel!" Lawrence corrected, trying to sound intimidating I assumed. He was the complete opposite of Gabriel. Green eyes, and brown hair, and though he was decent looking could not be matched to Gabriel despite his unique features.

He always tried too much.

Maybe it was because he was to become Beta next week. After Gabriel ascended as Alpha.

He had to live up to that title besides being Gamma's son.

Simply put, Night-moon pack had no current Beta. Beta Samuel died a long time ago leaving his widow without a pup or heir to carry his name.

Despite all my own misfortune, I found it humorous how I still felt pity for Lawrence. It was a lot to bear especially being a beta to Gabriel.

"He isn't an Alpha yet," I gritted out, surprising myself.

"How dare you speak to your Alpha like that, Keffer!-"

"Where were you going?" Gabriel cut, holding up a hand to stop Lawrence's babble.

My gaze locked back to him, heart beating wildly within me, Vale reaching for my hand, holding it tightly as she stood behind me.

"W-what do you mean?" I stuttered, my voice shallow.

"It's the middle of the night- and you're out here-" he paused closing the door behind him, my heart dropping as he moved to the bags, "you thought I wouldn't hear this?" He said grabbing a bag and dropping it to the floor.

The sound.

Of course, his Alpha ears would have picked it up.

"You sure can't be stupid enough to plan to escape your own fate?" He mocked though his tone was calm with the same creepy smile on his face as my throat run dry. His brown eyes held the depth of hate he never failed to unleash.

He moved closer, eyes trailing from my face to Vale's, "you wish to be a Rogues daughter and a traitor? Isn't the world cruel enough for you?" He huffed, before looking back at me, he moved closer pulling my chin up to meet his eyes directly, "and you- a keffer?" He grinned as I held my position, "perhaps it's as low as it gets-"

"The clothes are mine." A voice stated.

We all turned to look behind us. There stood AMA. Grey eyes, healthy Raven hair, and face still youthful despite her age.

"Austria-" Gabriel began

"You may call me Austria when you're Alpha, Gabriel" she paused, "for then I will no longer be the beta's widow," her eyes trailed to Lawrence's who looked to the floor.

Gabriel's jaw hardened, hand dropping from my chin as he moved to AMA.

"AMA- " he stated, eyes searching her steady ones.

I often admired AMA's courage. She was a pack warrior till she retired a few years back, hence she knew no fear, despite looking into the eyes of the future Alpha.

"What are you doing in my house?" She growled lowly, her wolf's amber eyes flashing for a second.

Gabriel's eyes darkened, his jaw clenched but softened after a time, stepping back, "we're simply here to collect-"

My heart beat loudly. Collect.

Collect us.

"The day has barely begun," Austria gritted out.

"But it HAS begun, has it not?" Gabriel grinned, "Alpha Darren was concerned there would be...escapes so he permitted us to collect. Now," he stated, "besides- an urgent letter came from the Night Wolf's court-"

My fingers froze at this, unable to breathe.

No. No.

Please- Not there. Anywhere- but NOT there.

"A demand for all slaves no matter the rank- those almost and already eighteen summers before the crack of the second Dawn-" he paused, eyes staying on Vale and I.

I couldn't breathe and I could feel Vale's fingers drain cold in mine.

"T-The N-night Wolf?" AMA stuttered.

She never stuttered.

"Take them," Gabriel commanded with a low growl, the pack warriors behind him moving on command as they walked into the house, grabbing Vale and I.

AMA immediately moved forward, "you cannot take them!" She called out, "leave my daughters alone!"

"They are not your daughters, they are a rogue and a keffer," Gabriel growled back, tone deadly, "the only reason my father ever allowed them in our pack is because of his respect and love for his Beta, Samuel. He could never deny you anything no matter the disgrace to the pack, but now even this is out of his hands-" he grunted as we were pushed into the metal cages.

He was not wrong.

Even Alpha Darren could not go against the Night Wolf's orders. Gabriel moved forward as AMA rushed to our silver cages, holding the metal bars, reaching out for our hands desperately as the carriage prison prepared to move.

"I'm sorry AMA, I'm so sorry," I cried, tears gushing down my face, Vale crying along beside me.

Her face was tearful as she clasped both our hands, " I will find you both, I will-" she stated, her hands gripping onto us tightly, her eyes traveled to me- "be a nobody-" she stated gravely, a hidden meaning in her eyes.

I nodded quietly, "I am a nobody-" I stated as she nodded, her eyes clouding with tears as the carriage yanked alive our grasps on each other slipping.

The single lantern than hung above us swayed back and forth as we stared back at AMA and the place we used to call home in despair, till her figure was swallowed by the darkness.

Vale held on to me as we stared blankly down the darkened road. It was then I realized something.

I wasn't a nobody-

I was a slave.

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