Running Into the Unknown

Lorien

The wind howled through the trees, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine as I ran. My breath came in ragged gasps, burning my throat, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. My legs ached, my lungs screamed for relief, but none of it mattered. I just had to get away—from the sneering faces, the cruel laughter, and, most of all, from him.  

Cassius Blackwood had rejected me.  

It wasn’t just the rejection—it was the way he had done it. Publicly. Mercilessly. As though I were nothing but filth beneath his boots. I squeezed my eyes shut as the memory resurfaced, my feet stumbling over uneven ground.  

"An omega like him is beneath me."  

His words played over and over in my mind, each repetition slicing deeper, cutting through the fragile hope I had dared to hold onto.  

I had been stupid.  

I had been so stupid to believe that last night had meant something. That the way he had touched me, the desperation in his lips and the way our bond had surged between us, had been more than just an act of instinct. But no—Cassius had woken up and erased me from his life in front of the entire pack.  

A sharp branch lashed across my cheek, snapping me out of my thoughts. I stumbled forward, catching myself on a fallen log, but my legs trembled beneath me. My clothes were torn, my skin scraped from the rough terrain, but I didn’t care. If I died out here in the wilderness, then maybe that was better than going back. Better than facing another day in a pack that had never wanted me.  

I kept running.  

The forest grew thicker, the trees clawing at the sky like skeletal fingers. The night stretched endlessly, and I had no idea where I was going. My body was exhausted, but I couldn’t stop. I refused to stop. I pushed forward, through thick undergrowth and sharp rocks, my bare feet bleeding with every step.  

Then, suddenly—voices.  

I froze.  

Distant murmurs drifted through the trees. My heart pounded in my chest, my instincts screaming at me to turn and run the other way. But it was too late. A twig snapped under my foot, and the voices immediately stopped.  

A moment later, shadows emerged from the darkness.  

Four men. Tall, broad, radiating dominance. Their scents were unfamiliar, but there was no mistaking what they were. Werewolves. And from the silver embroidery on their dark clothing, I knew one thing for certain—  

I had stumbled into enemy territory.  

“Well, what do we have here?” One of them sneered, stepping forward. His blond hair was cropped short, and his sharp eyes glowed in the dim light.  

“A rogue?” another muttered.  

“No,” the blond one smirked. “Smell that? He’s an omega.”  

The way they said it made my stomach churn. There was nothing but mockery in their tone, disgust curling their lips. My body tensed, but I refused to cower, even as fear crawled up my spine.  

“What’s an omega doing out here all alone?” the third one asked, stepping closer.  

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. I had no answer. I hadn’t exactly planned this—I had just run.  

“Maybe his pack kicked him out,” the blond one mused, circling me like a predator. “Maybe he was too pathetic even for them.”  

The others chuckled.  

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “Just let me go,” I said, though my voice came out weaker than I wanted. “I didn’t mean to cross into your territory.”  

“And why should we let you go?” the fourth one chimed in, grinning. “We could use a bit of entertainment.”  

Dread pooled in my stomach.  

They were playing with me. Like a cat toying with a mouse before the kill.  

I took a step back, but the blond one grabbed my wrist in an iron grip.  

“Where do you think you’re going?” he hissed.  

Panic surged through me, and I struggled, but he was too strong. The other three closed in, their eyes gleaming with amusement.  

“Maybe we should just kill him,” one of them mused. “Get rid of the nuisance before he causes any trouble.”  

My breathing turned shallow. Was this it? Had I really escaped one nightmare just to die here in another pack’s territory?  

The blond one raised his other hand, claws extending. “I think that’s a great idea—”  

“Enough.”  

A new voice rang through the night, sharp and commanding.  

The blond man immediately let go, his expression shifting from amusement to irritation as he turned toward the speaker.  

A man emerged from the trees, tall and broad-shouldered, his dark hair tousled as if he had just woken up. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, and for a second, the world stilled.  

The soldiers immediately straightened. “Beta Kieran,” one of them murmured.  

Beta.  

A flicker of hope stirred in my chest.  

The blond one—clearly the most arrogant of the group—crossed his arms. “We found a rogue omega on our land,” he said. “We were just handling it.”  

Kieran’s gaze flickered to me. He was assessing me, his sharp eyes unreadable.  

“Handling it?” he echoed.  

“Yeah. He crossed the border. We were just about to put him down—”  

“Put him down?” Kieran repeated, his tone dangerously calm.  

The blond hesitated. “He’s a trespasser—”  

Kieran moved so fast I barely saw it. One second he was standing still, the next his hand was wrapped around the blond’s throat, slamming him against a tree.  

The other wolves immediately took a step back.  

“I don’t recall giving you permission to execute anyone,” Kieran said, his voice ice-cold. “And I certainly don’t recall needing your opinion on what to do with trespassers.”  

The blond wolf gasped, his face turning red. “Beta—I didn’t—”  

Kieran released him, letting him slump to the ground. “Get out of my sight,” he ordered.  

The soldiers scrambled away, casting wary glances at Kieran before disappearing into the trees.  

Silence settled.  

I stood frozen, unsure whether I had just been saved or if I had only bought myself a few extra minutes of life.  

Kieran turned to me, his gaze pinning me in place. He studied me, his expression unreadable, and I had the strangest sensation that he was looking through me, peeling back the layers of everything I had tried to hide.  

“You’re not just any omega, are you?” he murmured.  

I stiffened. “What?”  

Kieran tilted his head slightly, considering me. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he smirked.  

“I think I’ll take you to see my Alpha.”  

My breath caught in my throat.  

The words sent a chill through me—not just because I didn’t know what awaited me, but because for the first time since I had fled, it felt like my fate was no longer in my hands.