Hunted by the wolf.

My body moved on its own accord, jerking me backward as the charging man triggered my fight or flight.

I could barely understand what the heck was happening. I knew this was bound to happen, but it still managed to take me by surprise.

If it wasn't for my wolf, I would have most probably stood still and let him rip my heart right out of my chest. Despite avoiding the sharp claws coming for my heart, I only ended up taking two steps back and tripping on a rock.

I fell backward, my body barely registering the pain of the fall and the twist my ankle took on the way down.

I was too focused on the man towering in front of me.

Alpha Ollen did not look like he had any control over his wolf, his glowing eyes planted on me as he slowly stepped closer.

"Please..." I whispered, desperately trying to back away from him.

"It will be over soon." He said, his voice oddly distant. It managed to scare me more.

I heard a crack, followed by a loud pop. It didn't take me long to understand that he was completely shifting. The shift made a few seconds of difference that gave me a chance to get to my feet and run the other way.

I knew I wouldn't be able to get as far as I need to be. Not only was there a soon-to-fully-shift Alpha wolf after me, but I was also unfamiliar with the place.

The darkness did not help.

A feral growl almost made me trip again, catching myself at the moment and running out of the only area the glow of the moon lit up.

My eyes were wide as I stumbled forward. The second the breaking of his bones stops echoing through the cold night, I knew it would be over. And while the Alpha might know the woods better than I do, I had to take a chance by turning left and right, making curves, and leaving my scent around everywhere.

I knew he would be relying on my scent to hunt me down. I was somewhat sure that he can't see me, but he can smell me. If I leave my scent around as much as possible, then it might lead him in a circle while I find a place to hide for the night.

Cold sweat damped my body as I kept running around, not daring to look over my shoulder. I was certain the sight of him running after me would make me freeze again, so I kept my eyes forward.

My breath grew labored, my heart painfully pounding against my ribs. I didn't get to run much, but I was certain I had at least two minutes head start, and while I was unable to get far, I was sure that I had at least looped around the small area at least twice.

When my feet burned and I heard his growl again, I sank to the ground and hid behind a big tree.

I took in my surroundings as much as I could, my eyes still unable to adjust to the dark. My body felt cold, as if I was already as dead as the land I was trapped on.

I barey saw anything a few feet away from me, and that added to the pure terror running through my veins.

The woods suddenly fell in heavy silence. I couldn't hear a single thing. It was as if everything else but me was put on pause.

The leaves hung silently on their branches. The animals that made the woods their home were too silent. Even those disturbing whispers were all gone.

I tried to open my ears as much as I could, desperate to hear anything that gave me a sign that he wasn't close to me. Silence in the woods usually meant that there was danger lurking around, and I was sure the only danger was the man hunting me down, all because that woman bonded me to him in my sisters stead.

For a second there, I thought my plan worked, thought I had confused him enough that he decided to leave.

The faintest snap of a twig startled the life out of me. I snapped my eyes towards that direction, watching with wide eyes.

I pressed my hands against my mouth when I caught sight of two golden dots floating in the dark. I wanted to fool myself by thinking that they were nothing more than some harmless fireflies. But those were not harmless.

Those two golden dots were the glow of the wolf's eyes as he carefully walked around the trees, picking up my scent with ease.

He hasn't seen me yet, but I knew it would only take him a few seconds to discover my hiding spot.

I tried my best to keep quiet.

If I pushed myself to my feet and tried to run for it again, he would hear me. It won't be hard for him to catch up to me. I didn't want to imagine how he would kill me once he caught me. So running again was not an option, not unless something else caught his attention.

I watched as he put one leg in front of the other, his claws digging into the ground. He paused for a second to tilt his head back and take a few short sniffs. His head moved from side to side, the golden glow of his eyes disappearing when he closed them to focus.

One thing was for sure. He couldn't see me in his wolf form as well. It was no longer a theory. It was a fact, and I needed to use that to my advantage.

I forced my hands away from my mouth and pressed them to the ground, carefully moving them from side to side in hopes of finding something heavy. I didn't want to take my eyes off of him. I thought if I looked away he would disappear, and not in a good way.

I stiffled a sigh of relief when I touched a rock, grabbing it without hesitation. I looked from left to right. I had one shot at this distraction, and I need to throw it as far as I can to give myself another head start.

I lifted the rock, prepared to throw it to the left. I took a deep breath, and fear of failing made me hesitate for a split second.

That split second cost me everything.

The silent woods suddenly boomed with noise. Those awful whispers returned, startling me. I lost the grip I had on the rock, and it fell right in front of me.

My heart dropped deep into my stomach when the wolf's eyes snapped open, and his head turned towards the direction I was at.

There was no hesitation in his actions. It took him a second to react, and the second he realized that I was right there in front of him, he broke into a terrifying sprint.

I let out a cry of terror as I jumped to my feet and tried to run away. But I wasn't able to get far again.

I felt him leap into the air without even looking back at him, and a scream ripped from my throat when I felt his fangs sink into my right ankle, the same one I had twisted just minutes ago.