"You have to keep running. Run as fast as you can and cross the river. Once you are on the other side, I'll help you change our scent and maybe fly us away." I heard the voice in my head say urgently. She was frustrated, tired, in pain and so was I.
Having been on the run for two days. Trying to create as much of a distance as I could to loose the hunting wolves who have been trailing and chasing me, with the intent of returning me back to the rogue pack, but its seems that my attempts are futile. I wanted to give up but I couldn't, it took so much planning to be able to run away unnoticed.
"I'm trying as hard as I can, Pearl," I told my wolf Pearl. "You know that we have very little strength left, our injuries are still not healed from the beating we received two days ago, we are also hungry, thirsty and we've lost too much blood," I said tiredly.
I can feel her sadness, anger, hurt and heartbreak through our bond. There is nothing I could do at the moment. I tried to reassure her that we were going to be OK once we got away.
There had to be a suitable pack with a kind Alpha that's willing to take us in, treat our injuries, flush the Mercury, wolfs bane and silver in our system and only then will we be able to start healing like a normal wolf does.
I was worried about so many things. One of them being how my brother, Cayden has been all this years. He and the pack Luna, Luna Serenity, were the only people who were never mean to me.
They had helped clean my wounds, fed me and protected me within the pack.
When they learned about my parents plans, they came up with various ways to keep me out of their grasp. Luck was on our side and an opportunity presented itself.
Luna Serenity was to attend the Lunas conference three towns over in Light Moon Pack while Cayden had a school trip. This would have left me vulnerable, so Luna Serenity decided that I would accompany her and leave me at her sister's pack.
My mother must have sensed something was amiss because the night that we made it to the conference, was the same night I was kidnapped in my sleep.
When I came to, I was in a rogue cell. Chained on the floor with my clothes torn, bruises everywhere and in so much pain.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
My name is Alpine Pearl Nightshade, I'll be turning 21 in three days. I'm tall for a girl, taller than all the girls in the pack since they were short, previously standing at 5 fat tall. Currently I stood at 6'1ft tall. Am physically fit despite the harsh treatment I went through. I have black shoulder length hair, hazel nut eyes that changes to silver when am in wolf form. It came as a surprise, since every wolf in my pack maintained their eye color when they transform.
My wolf's name is Pearl. I haven't seen her for the past thirteen years. The last time I saw her was when we first shifted. She had snow white fur coat that has silver tinge when under the moon, silver eyes, she was strong and huge for a seven year old wolf.
What surprised me the most, were the large white wings on our back. The wings had dark gold markings on them especially when flapped. I had never seen any wolf like me so Luna Serenity, Pearl and I decided to be quiet about us.
I had a sister, Acacia Shadow Nightshade. Despite the fact that we were twins, we looked nothing alike. She was born five minutes earlier and held it against me despite the fact that I was the last born. I had two older brothers Camden and Cayden. They should be turning twenty three years and also pack warriors.
As for my sister, what can I say? To my parents and the rest of the pack she was a saint, the princess of the pack coupled with all those great qualities meant for a Luna and since she shifted to her wolf Shadow, she became a pain In my back.
Everyone loved her, listened to her and always at her beck and call. I on the other hand being the last born of the family, was the disappointment and a human. This came to be when I failed to shift the same year as my sister. Before that, we were inseparable, best friends, one big happy family and pack.
What they don't know won't hurt them right?. I shifted earlier than expected at the age of seven with the help of our Luna. She was, and still is the only one who knows I shifted and promised to keep my wolf a secret.
Pearl wasn't just a normal wolf, she was something I had never seen only heard in myths. Her being so unique posed as a threat to us. She chose to hide, refused to shift at the required age, she felt unsafe within the pack and that is when my perfect little life turned upside-down.
After failing to shift together with my sister, things changed for me. I became the outcast in my pack. Everyone who loved me abandoned me including my parents, twin sister Acacia and my brother Camden.
The only ones who stood by me were the Luna Serenity and Cayden. Even Ariana and Lamia my childhood friends sided with the rest and that's when the bullying started.
I was never safe anywhere, be it at home, at school or even around the pack territory. Being in Dark Forest Pack became a nightmare, so I had started counting the years until I had to leave the pack and not looking back.
I took all the punishments given to me, did all my chores, went to school and kept my head down bidding time. What I failed to know, my parents had struck a deal with the Rogue Alpha Henigan.
I was to be given away to the Alpha and he in turn help my parents and their associates to accomplish a very important mission.
This was the strategy they had planned on using. They wanted to get rid of the abomination, the family disgrace and a disappointment. They were so into their talk, they didn't notice someone unexpected was listening to their conversation. I heard everything, saw everything and felt my heart break with each plan.
FLASHBACK.
It was on a Wednesday afternoon, I left school due to early dismissal by the school nurse. She found me lying in the bathroom floor after receiving a beating down from Alana ( Alpha's daughter) and her clique which included Lamia, my twin sister and their friends.
She felt sorry for me, carried me to her office, tended to my cuts and bruises, cleaned the blood on my face and asked me to go home.
I figured she must be new because all older nurses or even teachers ignored my presence. They even feigned ignorance to everything that happened around them especially if I was involved.
The clique had cornered me on my way to class after lunch break, dragged me by my hair into the school bathroom. They had taken turns in beating me and left me bleeding out and almost loosing conscious.
The school nurse smelt blood and came to investigate. That was how she found me.
I took a shortcut back home through the forest surrounding the pack to avoid being spotted and punished for being home early. I climbed up the tree and through the window to my bedroom so I could have a few minutes to myself in silence.
Although they treated me badly, they never kicked me out of the house and so I still had the bedroom. It wasn't much. I had an old desk and chair for my books. A bed with an old mattress and a small cupboard for my clothes.
I took a short shower, changed my bloodied clothes and decided to go look for some leftovers. After not being given breakfast and spent lunch with the nurse. I needed food.
Sometimes I think it was meant to be fate or just pure coincidence. The fact that I had taken a shower without anyone knowing or sneaked to the house should have been a sign. In the dinning room were my parents, the Alpha's brother and two unknown people. They were discussing on ways to take over other packs and be the rulers.
They waited until everyone was gone and sent everyone else away so they could plan without hiding.
"I need a down payment for the work am about to help you with." One of the unknown men says.
"You will get your payment in 5 years time after we have accomplished our goal." My father replied.
"I don't do this kind of work without reassurance that you people will hold your end of the deal. It's either you give me something or am out."
"What if we gave you something that will serve as a full payment?" My mother asked
"What do you have in mind?" He asked with amused voice and a smirk plastered on his ragged face. "I sure hope its something valuable that's worth loosing my men for." He added mischievously.
"You can have our youngest daughter, Alpine." Suggested my mother.
"Deborah, NO!" Exclaimed my father hitting the table hard. "The Alpha and Luna are going to kill us when they find out."
My mother looked at him like he had grown two heads. I was in shock too, an able to move from my hiding spot. Now he wants to protect me? He was just like the rest of them , what? had he had a change of mind now?
"I'm trying to set everything as it should have been, killing two birds with a single stone. He's here willing to help us achieve our plan and we loose the little abomination." Whispered my mother.
I watched in horror as he sighed and leaned back on the dining chair heavily. "Fine." He agreed curtly. My eyes widen as I felt my heart beat in her chest. Gently pushing away from the door I quickly run to hide under the stairs in the dark corner to avoid detection.
"I'll be collecting my bride in seven day's time." Was the last words he said as they all left. Getting up from the stairs I quickly climb up the stairs. Running to my room, I quickly lock it behind me, I gently laid on my bed. Curling into a small ball as I try to hold my sobs. All the beating I had received, the hunger from morning and the shock all came rushing back. I slowly let darkness consume me with the little voice in my head telling me I had to leave.
The days that followed were a blur to me. After telling Cayden and Luna what I heard and saw. They both promised to do anything possible to keep me safe.
I was happy when the invitation to the annual Lunas conference presented itself and Luna Serenity took me with her.
I had never been outside the pack territory and I enjoyed the scenery through the car window, I never knew there were such tall buildings away from the little town pack. It felt like freedom to me. The tranquility washing over me the further we went away from the pack. For the first in my life I knew what I wanted away from the small pack… I wanted to be here again but this time with no fear.
The journey was peaceful and we received a warm welcome upon arriving at the Light Moon pack. As Luna Serenity mingled, I never left her side until we parted ways to our assigned rooms to freshen up for a welcoming party before the beginning of the conference tomorrow.
The party was winding up, and so every one was retiring to their rooms one after the other for the night. I bid Luna Serenity a goodnight and retired to the room.
After doing my nighty routine, sleep caught up to me easy because I was extremely tired from the journey. Also I had never felt a softer bed in my life before.
Narrators POV
Back in the woods, three men waited patiently for the appropriate time to grab their promised prize.
After dodging the patrol team on the east side of the pack. They snuck up through the window, drug the sleeping girl and took off running through the woods. They disappeared in to the dark night, never to be seen again.
A lot of things happened to her after being kidnapped. She was tortured, starved and poisoned with wolfs bane for refusing to submit and accept Alpha Henigan as her mate.. The things done to her were what made her who she is and what she would be in the future. She needed to run away, escape from them before it was too late for her.
She had tried to escape for so many times without success until one night after severe punishment, she saw an opportunity and took it not looking back.
All Alpine wanted was freedom, she didn't care how long it took her to achieve it. She could hide among the humans and pass of as one. She wanted to live her life even if she had no idea what awaited her on the other side. She would make it work once she had her freedom.