Chapter 2.

Olivia.

Just when I thought I had truly escaped, two hands grabbed me, I spun around, eyes wide, knowing that the guards had caught up with me. Panic surged through my veins. 

They made me kneel, circling me like they were protecting me.

They were six in number, their faces were covered with masks, dressed in black clothing that made it quite easy for them to hide and blend when I thought I had lost them in the forest. Their presence reeked of an unsettling energy.

One of them had a band tied on his head, he was the strongest amongst the six, that was the way of identifying their ranks. He took a step forward and pulled my chin up.

“Please don’t kill me. I'll do whatever you want.” My voice trembled as I begged.

The leader with an intimidating voice and aura spoke in a low, menacing tone, “We are not here to kill you. Our Master has ordered that we bring you back to him alive and untouched.”

My mind raced in fear, that must not happen. I can’t face Master’s wrath. “Please do not take me back. I’d rather have you kill me here.”

“Why? We are doing a good deed by not slaughtering you here.” The leader said as a wicked grin formed on his face. He knew the exact reason why I had said I wanted them to kill me instead.

Everyone that served our master knew what he did to people that offended him when he decided to melt out punishments on his own.

“You know what Master would do to me if you take me, I don’t want to die a gruesome death,” I put my hands together, begging for my life.

The leader took off his mask and bent to my level, “Why should I let you go?”

Raising my head slowly, I recognized him from when he first joined as a new recruit. I had noticed that he was breathing amongst the other guards that our Master had murdered in cold blood.

I dragged him to a river, gave him a bath and some food I stole from the kitchen. I had saved his life. “Yo..u….” I said, more like I stammered ponting at him. “You know me, don’t you?”

He took a close look at me, “Oh my, it’s you, from the river side.” he clapped his hands once, “Olivia, that’s your name.”

The other guards seemed to recognise me when he mentioned my name, I was quite popular amongst the guards for my kindness towards them, giving them extra meals. They didn’t know my face but they sure knew my name.

I silently hoped that he took the fact that she had helped him in the past into consideration and listened to her.

“Yes, please don’t kill me, you know how Master can be and you can take me back to him. Please let me go.” I begged desperately.

Life might not have much in store for me but I didn't want to die yet. Even if I was going to die, it would not be by Master’s blade.

"I appreciate what you've done for me in the past, I really do. But you have to understand that I'm just acting on instruction. He wants you back dead or alive"

Dead or alive? If they returned me dead, he would have them skin me and make it into a coat for him. The thought of him wearing my skin made me cringe and scared the living hell out of me at the same time.

I held on to his leg, “No, you can’t do that to me, please. I will do anything you want, I can’t return with you, dead or alive,” tears begin to lace my eyes.

“You are putting us in a tight spot,” One of the guards said, “what do you want us to tell Master?”

"There's no way he's going to believe that Six of his best guards lost a wolf as weak as you" another guard said "we would be risking not just our jobs but also our lives for you"

The tears managed to escape from my eyes, “We can make up something to tell him, you can say some other rogues in the forest attacked me and ate me. I promise to live like I am dead and you would never hear of me as long as I alive,”

“I can agree to that,” The leader said, taking pity on me. That was the least he could do for me. “Keep your slide of the promise, if you don’t, I will kill you with my hands and present your skin to our Master.”

“Thank you,” I got off my knees and dusted the leaves and sand that stuck to it while I was kneeling. “I can leave now, right?” I asked him and he nodded in response.

“Thank you, Thank you so much,” I bowed severally to show how glad and relieved I was that they had helped me.

“It’s over pleasure to help you,” The leader replied to me, “You should make it out the border right now, we will wait for to cross before we leave,”

“I hope I get to repay this favor before I lie,” A smile formed on my face.

“You should start going before other rogue wolves wake up so they don’t attack you,'' one of the guards warned.

“I will be going now,” I turned around and moved my legs, racing to the cross the border, a sharp pain dug into my back, I turned to see what was going on. The guard that warned me earlier pulled out a silver knife from my back. I couldn't understand what was going on.

Why did they stab me when we had an agreement? They were trying hard to protect themselves.

 I fell down on my back.

The six of them circled me and bowed their heads to apologize for what they did. I could not say a word as I was in so much pain. They had used the forbidden knife on me to make sure I was going to die.

They turned on their heels and I watched them walk away from me. I didn’t know if I was supposed to be grateful that they had killed me this way, and had not taken me to the Master.

I can’t be grateful to them, they had left me to die in the woods, even if any wolf found me right now, I would not survive the stab of the silver knife.