CHAPTER 4

KRISTINA'S POV

Days went by, and I still hadn't found anything to eat. Once I begin to eat the flesh of my own kindred, then that won't really make me any different from a lone wolf who has gone crazy. My skin has gotten itchy because of the filthy surroundings that I'm not used to.

I've been constantly moving out of my shelter every single time that my heightened senses warn me about dangerous wolves approaching. I've already tried countless times to connect with Laurence in our mind-link, to possibly ask him if he had a change of heart about me, but I could no longer reach him.

It was supposed to be just another peaceful and ordinary night. I didn't expect that I would be surrounded by about five wolves who were all in the high grounds, patiently waiting for me to arrive and take another step towards my hidden hut.

"That silver hair of yours stands out too much. You're the only one who has that color," one of them said.

Even if I was standing idly in the same spot, I made sure not to miss any movement they made. Two got behind me, one on my left and another one on my right, and then the man who spoke was the one in front of me.

"What do you want?" I asked. pretending like I wouldn't back down if they ever tried to attack me.

The man who seemed like the leader brushed his hair backward with his fingers as he grinned. "You're new here, huh? Figures why this was the first time I saw you here."

I pressed my feet to the ground, then braced myself for impact as I jumped far away. "That was close," I whispered to myself, then proceeded to turn around in an attempt to escape.

"It's rude of you to run away when we're still in the middle of a conversation."

My instincts told me to do a backflip, which I did, helping me dodge the man's claws. It was too late for me to notice that all of them had already shifted into their wolves with ease.

These Lycan rogues weren't joking around when they declared that they owned the woods. During my years back at the orphanage, I already knew how they could take one's life without any problems.

"You don't look so tough now. Don't be afraid of us; we'll be gentle on you," he snickered as he hastened his pace to catch me before I could hide from him. "Truth be told, you're the only woman we've seen out in the woods after several decades. We're beginning to lose hope that we'd see a new generation of Lycans; do you want to volunteer and be our breeding mate?"

I hissed when his nails started to dig deep into my skin while his vacant hand got inside my dress. His thumb moved in a circular motion as it trailed from my waist down to my belly button.

Glancing up at the sky, I was devastated when I didn't see the moon. There's absolutely no chance for me to shift into my wolf; if only I could, then this man wouldn't even get to lay a finger upon me.

Footsteps from his underlings were drawing near—it would be the end of me if I didn't get out of here quick!

Oh, dear heavens... If anyone out there can hear me, please send someone to help me.

The rogue who held me captive pulled me towards his furry body. "Are you feeling hot now?" he asked.

I tilted my head upward, meeting his gaze and sending him a death glare. "Even if I die right now, I would never be aroused by an a**hole who disregards every other matter for his own lust." I groaned when I felt my whole body aching while I resisted his strong force.

He carried me with his dominant hand out of the blue. I waited for him to completely bring me down, but instead, he continuously smashed my body to the ground.

I could hear my bones cracking due to intense pain. My temple received a loud thud, resulting in a wound that didn't heal as fast as I hoped it would.

A glimmer of hope surged within my mind when I sniffed a familiar scent in the vicinity. It was someone from the Crimson Snow Pack, and if I'm not mistaken, it's the second-in-command, Laurence's right hand in everything...

"Beta Monteverde!" I screamed my lungs out, even if it might have been a futile effort, considering how I hadn't even seen him here yet. "Beta, please—"

Just like a domino, the trees that encircled us all fell consecutively at the same time that a cool aura passed by.

"Who are you to mess with our pack's treasure?" Beta Carl questioned the rogue before he punched his chin upwards, making him fly to the other side where his troops were.

Carl David Monteverde was the only man who got along with Laurence as the Beta. He was consistent in providing Laurence with the best for their pack. He never left Laurence's side through all the good and bad times; he was the only one who understood and laughed alongside the Alpha.

I could no longer control my tears as I burst them out, wailing with my hands, endlessly wiping them off. "T-thank you, Beta... thank you..." My voice was shaking; I still haven't recovered from what that Lycan rogue did to me.

"It's not that much of a big deal for me, but why were you here in the first place? Laurence never missed a day in warning you not to go out in the woods, right?"

Judging by Carl's inquiry, he probably has no idea about what happened or how I unwillingly came here, so I explained the situation from the start until Laurence kicked me out.

"You can't be serious! Laurence may have found his mate, but there's no reason to cast you out," he complained while scratching his head.

I sighed, sparing a few seconds to let myself regenerate. "He probably doesn't want Lady Montereal to know that I had s*x with him."

Carl placed his hands on his waist, avoiding eye contact with me. "Follow me; I'll get you out of the woods safely," he said, then walked ahead of me.

Unsure of where the Beta would go, I chose to follow his tracks. My heart, which thumped in haste, made me nervous. I'm getting this weird feeling that there's no turning back to where I came from.

"This is as far as I could take you, Kristina. My wolf would go berserk if I went further," Carl told me while he was pointing at the illuminated area ahead of us. "If you go straight from here, you'd see some type of portal. You don't have to think about anything; just normally walk and pass through there. You wouldn't even realize that you're already out of the woods," he instructed.

I raised one of my eyebrows, pondering whether this was the right course of action. "What about our child? I won't be able to sit still if I see those people messing up with my pups."

"Humans aren't as cruel as you think, Kristina. You have to get used to the lifestyle of a mortal—marry a human and have fun—forget about everything you've been through in Wysteria. Only then would you be able to forgive yourself and Laurence."

Carl held my shoulders and gave me a short tap before he pushed me towards the pathway. I bid my goodbyes to him and told him not to tell Laurence about my whereabouts, no matter what happened.

If we're destined to meet again after a couple of years, I'm certain that the Moon Goddess would intentionally let our paths cross, together with the pups that Laurence and I created.