As I ran, I breathed deeply. The cool evening air helped to clear my mind and improve my mood. I could feel Ash's mood lightening as well so I ran until we reached the edge of the pack territory. Turning East, I ran along the border for a while.
Just as I was about to head back, I caught a couple of scents that I didn't recognize. They seemed to be mixed together, so they probably came from two people in very close proximity to each other. One smelled like wolf, but was a bit off. I cocked my head in confusion. Maybe the odd tinge was related to the other smell, but I couldn't place that one. I could tell by her silence that Ash couldn't either so I took a deeper breath, thinking that would help. The smells hit me hard though, and I stumbled back, shaking my head.
I knew I wasn't very experienced with my senses, but I was sure that they were coming from the same source.
'They are,' Ash confirmed.
I couldn't think how that was possible, but I didn't want to stay to find out. Every instinct I had was telling me to leg it¹. As I felt my nerves grow, I felt Ash taking over. So I let her.
Before I knew it, we were back at our clothes and she was giving me back control. I shifted into my human form and slipped my dress on. I noticed that it had gotten darker while I was out and silently gave myself a tongin'² for losing track of the time. I reached to put my shoes on, but the sound of a snapping twig made me freeze. I placed my back against the nearest tree trunk and steadied my breath. I told myself that it was just Amon coming to look for me, but I could feel that Ash's uncertainty matched my own.
I closed my eyes and breathed in. My eyes shot open as those scents hit my nose again, but this time, they were much fresher and very close. Luckily, they were upwind so if it was a wolf, they couldn't smell me yet. They might be able to hear my heart pounding in my chest though. I closed my eyes and willed my heart to slow. As it did, I shifted my focus to my hearing. I could hear a set of very light footsteps about 40 feet away. I listened closer, but there was definitely only one person.
'I knew it.' Ash didn't sound very happy about being right.
'What do we do?' I knew that whoever, or whatever, it was would hear us soon, if they hadn't already. I thought about making a break for the packgaff.
'Just relax and hope they don't care about us. If we run, they'll chase us and we can't hold our own in a fight yet.'
I did as she suggested, listening for the footsteps to get closer. My eyebrows furrowed in concern when I couldn't hear them. I listened harder, hoping to catch a heartbeat or something. I could hear the sound of the music from the ballroom, but there were no signs of life around me.
'Did they leave?' I asked Ash.
'McKenna.' Ash breathed out a frightened warning. 'Look.'
I froze at her tone and turned my head slowly. As I did, a figure came into my view. My body shivered at the size of him. He wasn't wearing any shoes and his clothes were old and worn.
'A rogue.'
She was terrified, for good reason. There was no way that we could take him. I steeled myself and looked up at his face. My breath caught and my body froze. His eyes glowed a deep green in the darkness, but they weren't wolf eyes. They looked more like the eyes of a cat. I heard a growl escape his throat as I made eye contact with him. I flinched, but Ash gasped, almost in excitement. My mind went blank as I heard his voice.
"Mate."
That one word excited something in me and I panicked. My feet acted of their own accord, carrying me toward the packgaff as quickly as they could.
'What are you doing?!' Ash screamed at me. 'He's our mate!'
'He's not normal!' I yelled back, terrified.
I couldn't hear anything over the sound of my pounding heart, but I knew he was chasing me. When I caught sight of the back door of the gaff, I yelped with joy. I snuck a glance behind me and my heart soared when I didn't see him there. I could make it!
I turned my head back just in time to run into a wall. I fell backward, holding my now bleeding nose.
'What the heck?' I groaned. 'I can't believe I just ran into the side of the packgaff.'
'You didn't,' Ash practically purred.
I frowned, looking up. My heart skipped a beat as I stared into the eyes of the rogue. He smirked, the tip of his canine showing.
'Wait, canine?' It didn't look like any canine that I'd ever seen.
'Nope,' Ash licked her chops. 'That's a fang.'
I could feel her arousal and it gave me a bad dose³. I'd only ever heard of one kind of creature that had cat eyes and fangs.
'There's no way,' I told her in denial. 'Vampires are extinct.'
But he definitely wasn't a wolf.
He reached his hand toward me and my previously frozen body kicked into survival mode. I scrambled back and assumed a defensive crouch. He paused, looking me over, before calmly walking toward me. I was terrified, knowing that I could never take him. He hadn't even flinched when I'd ran full-force into his chest. Then I remembered my pack.
'Help!' I shouted through the mindlink as loud as I could, broadcasting it as far as possible. Any pack members within a mile radius should have heard that. I hoped to the goddess that they had.
He was almost within arms reach of me when I bolted to the side, skirting around him toward the gaff. I kept my body facing him as I backed toward the door. If I could just get inside, I'm sure he wouldn't follow.
'Oh yes, he will.' Ash said it triumphantly.
I shivered. The look in his eyes told me that she was right. I could feel his impatience with me growing. If my pack didn't get here soon, he would snap and I wouldn't be able to escape him.
Suddenly, I heard the door slam open behind me. I smelled Amon and my father, a relieved grin spreading across my face. Both of them ran to separate me from the rogue, growling. His green eyes flashed in anger and determination. I gulped as I realized that he wasn't going to back down.
More of my pack members rounded the side of the packgaff, behind him, and I felt a crowd growing behind me. We had him surrounded, his only exit the woods. I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't really know how strong vampires were supposed to be, but there was no way he could take on the entire pack.
Ash chuckled. 'I wouldn't be so sure. He's not JUST a vampire, you know.'
I frowned. What was that supposed to mean?
'You'll see,' was all she said.
'Ash!' I practically begged, but she didn't respond.
I looked back at the rogue, refusing to believe that we were mates. I expected him to panic and run for the woods, but he simply crouched, ready to take them on. I widened my eyes in shock. Then, he spoke, his eyes trained on my father.
"I will tear this pack apart before I let you take my mate from me."
I gasped. Even laced with such a threat, his voice was like music to my ears. It was rough and exotic. Maybe Italian? I felt a fire begin in my stomach. His eyes found mine and softened just a bit. I felt mine doing the same and I opened my mouth to speak, but my father's voice cut me off.
"My daughter will not be leaving unless it is of her own accord."