CHAPTER TWO

My past dawned on me, making me feel reserved and engulfed in loneliness. My eyes were completely closed as the past travelled back into my senses with clear flashes of emotion.

I shook my head. That was exactly when Angus noticed me.

"What keeps bothering you?" Angus's voice was a bang in my ears, suddenly driving me back to my consciousness.

"It's a long story, Angus," I muttered.

"What is it, darling?" Angus responded, squatting beside me.

"You can't relate," I said, blinking with emotional pity for myself.

"I'm going out for hunting, Ellie," Angus said, his voice light but clear. He stood up and smiled as he made to leave. "I'll be right back. Please forget whatever hurtful memories you have in your head right now."

I was surprised.

Angus didn't force me to say what was going on in my mind. I was left to feel the fearful memories alone. The voice of those fierce beasts reverberated in my ears. I could clearly recall how they tore my only mother to pieces.

Why I was made into such a world, I didn't know. Left to endure the sleepless nights and escape the wolves' teeth.

"Huh!" I sighed, my breath coming out as someone ready to pounce on a prey. I began to imagine those beasts like prey, remembering that they all wanted something I didn't give them.

It wasn't my mother they wanted.

There was a stubborn wolf among them whose stripes distinguished him from the others, and he proved to be their leader. He would often shift when he wanted to reach me, and I got to know he only wanted me to join their pack.

"Huh!" He often scoffed at me.

Whenever I tried to know his name, I usually forgot. Most often, I would even ask him, but he would only say he was a strong man.

"What do I know about you, dark wolves?" I complained to them publicly, my eyelids dropping up and down as though they were going to fall off. "Am I to be trained how to bite, injure, and kill just to recruit?"

"No." The wolf leader replied, his voice raised very loudly, almost defeaning my ears. "What you are to do is follow orders and never go against them!"

"But, why won't you untie my mother?" I returned, shivering and breathing heavily at the same time, revealing my anger. "She is innocent and humble."

"Do you want to know?" He queried, his voice tense and stiff. He was posing questions in my mind, and I began to feel even uncomfortable.

"What?" I walked closer to him, almost raising my hands at him. "Tell me!"

"Are you confronting me?" He questioned back, grinning and scoffing at my unexpected boldness. "I can't spend a minute cutting off her head!"

"Whose head?!" I reverted, my voice coming low, unconsciously. "What are you up to? Can you just tell me exactly what my mother did wrong to you or to your pack?!"

"Until you can explain why you are threatening me with your voice…" he said.

"No, master." Another wolf suddenly came out from their midst and felt sympathy for my mother. His eyes were already soaked in tears, even while he was a young wolf.

The wolf leader turned to the young wolf and snarled. In a jiffy, he approached him, lifted him up with its hands, and challenged him, "I never called you to this. I hate treachery!"

"Treachery?" The young wolf asked his leader, smiling as though he wasn't afraid of death. "I could recall you said we are for ourselves. If you want this woman to join us, why not command her to be a part and just free her, and her poor child standing here?!"

I was shocked. My mouth was zipped for a minute, and I could no longer tell if the wolf was a mere wolf. Perhaps he had an old wolf's spirit inputted into him. What wit could he be speaking of?!

"Huh…" I breathed, touching my chest with my hands. I was feeling calm, but I didn't know what the wolf leader wanted to do with my mother yet. I was aroused to speak with anger again. "What else do you have to say to that?"

"Nothing." The wolf leader replied, bringing down the young wolf. "I actually said we are for ourselves, in this pack…"

"Pack?" I questioned.

"Yes," the wolf leader answered me bluntly and was ready to confront me. I could see his mood changed, as his face suddenly marked fury.

"Anything…" I wondered, moving my footsteps back bit by bit. I could clearly see his eyes turning red, his skin growing hair, as his muscles came out and his belly continued to protrude and shapen up.

"If only I can swallow both of you at once!" He shrieked as he suddenly turned his face to him. I could no longer see my mother.

I didn't know what to say. He must have turned into the beast in him, so I couldn't speak. "Youngie, please, can you get transformed as well?"

"I…" the young wolf slurred in return, his eyes blinking as though he wanted to sleep. "I cannot change my master's mind now. So, I can't assure your mother will be safe…"

I froze. I couldn't recall what the young wolf said. I knew something must have happened to my mother. I wouldn't want to lose her. I could save her.

Words couldn't come out of my mouth. I kept mute as if I was dumb. I could notice the wolf leader snarling with very loud and audible breaths. I covered my face, and suddenly, I jumped off the bar he flung at me. I didn't know where the power arose from.

"Do more!" The young wolf encouraged me, looking at me, as he tried to escape their already angered wolf leader. He must have been tired of him, as well. "Young lady, run and be free. Run from your mother. Master wants to feed on her…"

"I can't run from my own mother!" I retorted, my voice overwhelming the entire space. "I will never do that!"

I hissed, my elbows landing a bang on the young wolf's head. It was not deliberate, but I couldn't turn back to plead to him. My mother was my utmost concern, and I had to save her.

From the rogues.

"Mother!!!" I screamed, trying to alert her to her senses. I had noticed those rogues had a way of snoozing creatures into succumbing to commands from their heartless hearts, but I didn't want it for my mother. I wanted to call her back.

"Ellie…" she responded to my amazement, but her voice faded out within seconds.

"Mother!!!" I called again, heading close to where the wolf leader had landed, together with my mother. "Where are you? Mother, talk!"

No response at all.

I knew she was going through serious pain. I left the spot and moved closer to hear her, but it wasn't a faint voice of hers I could hear, as though she was being strangled.

"Ahh... Mother!" I couldn't hold it any longer, as my kept imagining the unseen scene of the torture. "Leave my mother, you fool! Where are you?!"

Suddenly, the atmosphere wore another appearance, and a larger part of the sky was bright, as my eyes blinked uncontrollably and tears dropped down my cheeks.