She rose to her feet, clutching her chest, as if trying to hold the pieces of her heart together. She ran as fast as she could, but her legs felt numb and her eyes were blurred by tears.
Her brain was too overwhelmed to process anything except the urge to escape. Her heart was a heavy burden, dragging her down. The only thing that kept her breathing and running was the will to live for another day, even as she felt herself giving up on everything.
The worst moment of her life replayed in her head over and over. She felt a wave of pain wash over her, as if a thousand knives were stabbing her soul.
She felt the bond between them snap, leaving her empty and broken. She felt the eyes of the pack on her, mocking her, hating her, and none to pity her.
She felt the tears stream down her face, as she sobbed uncontrollably. She felt the urge to beg him, to change his mind. But she knew it was useless. He made his choice.
He had rejected her. Seren felt a cold hand grip her heart as she heard the alpha's words. He looked at her with disgust and contempt, as if she was nothing but a stain on his pack.
He spat out his rejection, making sure everyone heard him." You are not worthy of being my mate, Seren, or whatever you call yourself, " he said in his calm deep voice.
" You are weak, pathetic, and useless. You have no place is my pack, in my life. I reject you as my mate and I will never want you as my mate."
The alpha said in frustration and annoyance. " You are a useless whore, if all you wanted was one night with me, you should have been better looking than this."
Seren felt another surge of pain as her brain couldn't stop replaying the scene in her head. She tried to snap out of it and look at her surroundings. She found herself in a deep dark forest." How long have I been running?" She said with a shaky voice, trying to hold back her tears.
She decided to try to follow her footsteps, but she feared that she might end up where she was running from. Sha tripped on her heavy gown and fell to the ground, annoyed by the gown that was too heavy.
She sat on her gown, which she had worn for her special day, but now it was a reminder of her nightmares.
"Thud" she heard from far away, trying to calm down and be clear about the sound she was hearing. As she was still sitting on the ground, she heard footsteps approaching.
She hurried to hide and stay calm, because she didn't know if they were some bad packs that always attacked other packs to take over their territory. At the same time, she tried to keep an eye on them, in case they were someone she knew from her pack.
She saw strangers in black clothes, all of them masked except for one. She couldn't tell how many they were, but she knew their leader was the one with his right eye hidden by his hair.
"The alpha will be furious if we fail him, " the unmasked one said. " The scroll must be somewhere around here, not too deep in the ground."
" Split up into two groups and search every inch of this area. Find it." He ordered in a deep voice. The others obeyed without hesitation, as if they had rehearsed this before.
Seren held her breath and covered her mouth, hoping to avoid detection. She had overheard their leader's words and knew they were after something dangerous.
Two groups of black-clad figures approached her from both sides. She tried to inch closer to the tree she was hiding behind, but she didn't look back and stepped on a branch that snapped loudly.
One of the group members glanced toward the snapped branch but found nothing. "Why do I feel like there's another presence here?" Inquired the one who had heard the sound.
"I thought I was the only one sensing the energy around here," remarked a female voice as they approached Seren's concealed tree.
Struggling to maintain composure, she yearned to project an air of nonchalance, as if untouched by the unfolding events. Yet, an insidious fear gripped her, intensifying with each echoing footfall that drew ominously near.
A tidal wave of panic surged within her, compelling the realization that fleeing for her life held greater appeal than facing the imminent threat without resistance.
The group heard her footsteps and saw a figure darting from behind a tree. "We have an intruder!" one of them yelled.
Seren didn't look back, afraid of tripping and getting caught. She heard the group's footsteps chasing her, getting closer and closer.
Her legs betrayed her, collapsing beneath the weight of fear, and Seren's desperate cry for help echoed into the emptiness, knowing that solitude was her only companion. No kin, no friends – a barren existence left her utterly defenseless.
Struggling to rise and escape, a searing pain erupted as a claw lacerated her thigh, a visceral scream tearing through the air.
Surrounded by the ominous group, their masked faces concealed malice as they demanded answers.
"Who are you working for? How long have you been spying on us?" one of the masked men asked, while another ran to get their leader.
"Please don't kill me."She pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "I was just passing by." Tears streamed down her face, a plea for mercy escaping her lips as she insisted on her innocence. Attempts to flee were met with ruthless retaliation, the threat of breaking her other leg hanging in the air.
A mysterious presence intervened, swiftly incapacitating the assailant poised to harm Seren. Turning her gaze backward, Seren glimpsed a hooded figure, yet the haze of blood loss clouded her eyes, shrouding the enigmatic reacuer's face in obscurity.
"Save me, please," Seren whispered, her voice dissipating into a frail plea. Amidst the chaos of battle, the only functioning organs left were her ears, capturing the relentless symphony of clashing forces.