Betrayed

With a swift turn, Crystal attacked the person at her back, causing blood to bloom on his hand as he moved back at the unexpected attack. However, after the initial shock, he smiled as he looked at the ferocious woman.

Looking at his comrade, he spoke," You caught a feisty one. The alpha may just reward us after he has had his turn with her." But the other man was not smiling anymore. He pointed at the blood that was turning black on the arm of the new werewolf and gulped," Darius. We need to run. Let's take you to the healer."

The new man, Darius frowned at the sudden change in his friend but could start to feel the changes within him immediately. It felt as if his insides were being torn from within. Shocked, he looked around trying to find something but shook in pain, before falling on the ground -writhing and turning unconscious. The other man ran away after seeing this scene while Crystal thanked the Moon Goddess in her heart. They had been spared. Though she did not understand why this werewolf had suddenly turned and run while the other one had fainted from a mere cut. She failed to notice that the man was not healing as he should have as well as that his blood was turning darker and darker. Her attention on her friend, she knew she needed to go check on Lashley.

However, Lashley was not behind the tree! How was that possible? Worried, Crystal tried to smell for her but the girl seemed to have disappeared. Maybe she had run away towards her home.

Crystal threw one last glance around the forest before walking back towards the village. The silly woman had actually raced back to her death?

As she walked, she tried to think why would these rogue werewolves come to this quiet sleepy town? Usually, werewolves, the rogue or the sane ones tended to steer clear of the human villages lest their identity is discovered.

But these two and the ones she had seen had actually burned her village to the ground.

As Crystal stepped into the village boundary, she could feel the oppression that had been placed on this place. These people were here only to wreak misery or were they looking for something?

Her heart ached at the carnage that she witnessed. Had she been cursed? The place that she dared to call home had once again been turned to ashes. Even as her hand clutched at the pommel of her blade and her gaze searched for her best friend, the tears continued to slip out of her eyes. She had never gotten close to these humans, for fear of discovery as well as putting them in danger. And yet all this had happened.

Soon, she was in the middle of the village square and right there surrounded by three men, was her only friend, Lashley. And her human parents.

She watched as the noses of the three men twitch, trying to smell her and make out whether she was a human or a wolf. But she was not yet eighteen, so her wolf would not show up now and thus, she was a mere human with some extra strength that they were unaware of.

Standing in front of the men, she spoke in a clear voice," Who are you?"

"Are you a Snowheart?", the nearest man growled and she could see the wolf inside lurking just under the surface. His wolf was getting testy.

Raising her chin, she spoke," Why do you want to know?"

The three men looked at each other and Crystal knew they were communicating amongst themselves using pack telepathy. This meant that they were not rogues...Suddenly the one who was holding Lashley grabbed her neck and placed a rusty blade on her neck," If you want to save the woman and your human servants, then come with us, Snowheart."

Crystal looked down at her unconscious parents and frowned. "They are protected by the laws of Alpha of the Bloodshadow pack. By breaking the law, are you trying to rebel? Tell me why you have come here and what do you want?"

The werewolf laughed and spoke," The Alpha of the Bloodshadow pack is no more as powerful as he used to be. And we want the heir of the Snowheart pack to deal with him. After all, you are the Luna of the Snowheart pack..."

Crystal nodded in acknowledgement, aware that there was no point in denying it. "Very well, give me a blood promise that none of you will attack or cause harm to these three people in any way and I will come with you willingly."

The three men once again looked wary. They dare not make a blood promise to a Luna. While the three men once again discussed everything, Lashley bit on the hand of the nearest werewolf who held her captive and raced forward towards Crystal. Seeing that her friend had finally shown some bravery, Crystal hurriedly opened her arms to catch her best friend only to have her throw her arms around her and push an injection into her shoulders.

Pushing away her friend, Crystal staggered back and stared in horror at Lashley who now stood there calmly with a smirk on her face.

She had been betrayed by her best friend...was the last thought that Crystal had as she felt blackness engulf her.