CHAPTER 4

SAPPHIRE 

It seemed I had begun to hallucinate.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he didn’t have it in mind to kill me. 

Or eat me. 

He reached out to touch my cheek and I flinched away in fear. 

“You must leave at once, before he gets here.”  He said as he lifted me to my feet, his eyes scanning his surroundings. 

“What? Who?” I asked, my voice woven with confusion.

“If he sees you like this, it would be disastrous.” He said, a certain dread lacing his voice. 

Why was he helping me? Or was he truly helping me? Or just deceitfully leading me to my ruin. 

He led me to a through the camp, his eyes actively surveying. 

“Where are you taking me??” I asked, my eyes gazing upon this stranger warily. 

He paused abruptly. 

I could have sworn on the moon his eyes turned pitch black. In that moment, his scent changed; he wasn’t a wolf. 

So what was he?? 

He turned to me, and his eyes reverted to the norm. 

I took a step away from him, my eyes refusing to look away from… whatever he was. 

“He is close. I must leave now,” he carefully dropped a pouch on the ground infront of me, as though he knew that if he came close, I’d run. “I am not your enemy, sapphire.” He said softly, his eyes filled with concern. 

My eyes widened. How did he know my name? 

“There is so much I want to tell you, but the time is yet to come” he said softly and turned away.

“Wait!” I called out, “What are you?” 

He turned his face to me, “Just a humble servant” he smiled and bowed. 

“They will catch your scent now.” And with that, he disappeared into the wind. 

I could not believe what my eyes had just seen. 

Magic? On wolf territory? That was an abomination. 

Sorcerers have been sworn enemies of the lycans for millennia, it’s been so long since any of their kind was seen so close to wolf territory. 

What was his mission? 

My eyes fell to the ground - the pouch. I knelt to pick it up, and as I was about to open it, I perceived his scent. 

I hurriedly buried the pouch in the band of my skirt.

“It would be stupid of you to attempt desertion.” Hakil’s voice reached my ears, the hairs on my neck standing in response.

“No, no, I wasn’t running away my lord, I was just lost” I said hurriedly.

“Rise.” He commanded and I immediately obeyed, my eyes refused to leave the floor. 

He lifted my chin up with his finger, bringing my eyes to meet his. 

“Do you want to end up like that human?” He questioned. 

“N-no my lord” I trembled. 

He leaned in and whispered in my ear “Then you must obey.” 

He violently grabbed my buttocks and a whimper escaped from my throat. 

“I savor your type - weak, undeserving of me,” He shoved me to the ground and a cry escaped my lips, tears blurring my vision. 

“And struggles till the very end” he smirked cruelly, eyeing me like a prey in a hunt. 

My breathing became erratic as he ripped off his trousers, and pounces on me, tearing off my blouse.

“Let go!! Let go!!” I yelled with everything in me as I struggle beneath me. 

But he's just too strong. 

I’ve always been so weak. Too weak. 

I couldn't  even shift. I couldn't even hold my own against an omega. 

There was no point to fight. I would lose. Like I have lost every fight in my life. 

I closed my eyes and surrender. Like I always have. 

He grabbed my skirt and tears it off, and a powder is released in the air. 

“What is…” He began to cough hysterically, falling on his back beside me. 

My eyes sprung open and I jerked off the ground. 

His hands were on this throat, his eyes were adorned with red veins as he violently coughed. 

I searched the ground for the pouch and sniffed it - it was poison. 

Did he know this would happen? 

That I would need this ? 

Now was not the time to think about this. Or anything. 

I needed to escape. To survive. 

I began to run. I didn’t know where to, but I sprinted like my life depended on it - because it did. 

I ignored the stabbing pains from my feet as the sharp rocks and twigs pierced. 

The cold wind stabbed me deeply in my lungs, but I could not stop. 

If I stopped, I’d die. 

Then I heard it. The howls. They were coming for me. 

I tripped and landed on a sharp rock, eliciting an excruciating wave of pain in my leg. 

I screamed in agony - the rock had pierced my knee. 

I could not stay down. It would not take them long to find me. 

I groaned as I stood up, one hand on my knee. 

I began to limp as fast as I could, my eyes stung with tears. 

“All mighty goddess, please come to my aid” I prayed, my heart pounding in my chest. 

But deep down, I did not believe she would answer the prayers of an abominable creation as myself. 

And she didn’t. 

I felt claws digging into back, and I screamed in pain, falling to the ground. 

It was a wolf - three of them, baring the fangs out as they eyed me in rage, their growls caused my body to quiver.

This was it. 

There was no way to survive this. 

Even if I threw the powder at them, there was no guarantee they would not kill me first. 

I closed my eyes in anticipation of the attack, tears streaming down my face “Hail almighty goddess, I pray for my soul, grant me peace in the- “ 

A loud cry forced my eyes open and what I saw enveloped me with dread. 

There was another wolf, one I had not seen before. 

His scent was different from the rest. 

He was larger than the rest, his fur was glowed more  than the moon in its full glory, and his eyes were crimson red. 

The other wolves cowered before him, whimpering as they bowed their heads. 

My eyes widened in realization- he was a Lycan.  His aura dominated that of any werewolf she had ever encountered, even the soldiers. 

His growl echoed through the forest, his eye were bloodshot with fury. 

He lunged at them and ripped them apart mercilessly with his fangs and claws- they could not stand a chance. 

I watched in awe, frozen to the ground as he killed every one of them with ease. 

And then He turned to me, and as his eyes met mine, my heart began to beat frantically in my chest.

And then he strode up to me. 

Was he going to kill me? Rip me to pieces the way he done to those wolves? 

I closed my eyes, tears falling out shamelessly as I trembled. There was no one that could save me now.

But what he did next surprised me.

He licked my wounds and laid next to me, warming me with his fur. 

Even though I saw this wolf tear apart the other, for some reason, I felt safe. Safe enough to drift into sleep. 

And before the darkness enveloped me completely I heard a deep voice.

 “You are mine.”