Seren felt the alpha's grip tighten around her neck as he lifted her off the ground. She looked at the beta, Lucian, who stood there without any emotion on his face. He didn't make any move to help her, even though he was only one who could challenge the alpha.
She closed her eyes and remembered why she had returned to the pack. She had a mission to complete, a secret to uncover, a revenge to take. She couldn't let the alpha kill her here and now. She had to fight back.
She opened her eyes and let out a loud howl of pain and defiance. It was the first time she had howled since she had left the pack. She felt a surge of strength and willpower in her veins. She was not going to die here.
She clawed at him with all her might, leaving deep gashes on his arm and chest. But he didn't seem to care. He was too strong, too powerful, too ruthless.
He threw her down on the ground and kicked her hand in the stomach. She felt a wave of nausea and agony wash over her. She grasped for air, trying to ignore the pain.
No one in the pack dared to intervene. They all watched in fear and awe as the alpha punished her for her insolence. Except for Lucian, who turned around and walked away. No one knew what he was thinking, what he was feeling, what he was planning. He had never spoken a word in front of any of them since he had been in the pack except for the alpha and Damien who is just like him.
Seren saw him leave and felt a pang of betrayal. He had abandoned her. "I don't know why I'm expecting him to help me out of here," Seren said in head with pain.
She tried to get up, but the alpha was faster. He grabbed her by the neck again, like he was ready to snap it this time, not even waiting for an answer from her again.
" Graham… Something important came up." A voice interrupted him. It was one of the pack members, a man with long black curly hair and a broad cheek. He looked like he had just returned from a mission.
"Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" Graham snapped, glaring at him.
"Trust me, this is more important than that. It's…." The man whispered something in his ear.
Graham's eyes widened in shock. He let go of Seren and turned around, not even sparing her a glance. He followed the man out of the area, leaving the rest of the pack behind him.
Seren seized the opportunity and crawled out of the area. She knew she wouldn't survive another attack from the alpha. She had to get away, to heal.
She ignored the pain and the blood and the fear. She had to escape from the area.
******
Graham, the alpha, stormed into his office, his anger boiling inside him. He had just received some disturbing news from one of his scouts.
" Are you sure about what you said? " He asked in a deep voice.
" Yes, alpha. I heard there was a fight in the forest of Eden, but when I and the other scouts checked, we found nothing. It was like there was no fight at all. "
" But what I don't understand is what the scroll contains that makes it so powerful. Why are all the other packs looking for it as a weapon against us?" The scout, whose name was Damien, asked.
"I told you guys not to come to me with hearsay. I need facts, not rumors." Graham punched his desk in frustration.
"It can't be the scroll from the battle. I remember burning it myself. Unless there were two scrolls that the doctor wrote." He muttered to himself.
" Go and gather more information about it." Graham ordered Damien.
*****
As night falls over the settlement, Lucian ventures into the forest, looking for the place where he had fought off the groups few days ago. He scans the area carefully.
He had heard the rumors that there is something that could be used against his pack. And he has a bad feeling that they might be true.
His pack is the most powerful and feared of all. But they have a secret that no one knows.
He wonders if the scroll has anything to do with it. Maybe it contains the details of what happened in the battle.
'Are there two scrolls? ' He thinks, remembering how they had burned the scroll during the battle, when the first alpha of the pack died. The salutary had tried to send a message to the elders, but Graham had set it on fire.
The beta moved stealthily through the tress, his senses alert to the dangers of the Dark forest. He didn't notice the six men who had been tracking him, armed and ready to strike. They sprang from their hiding places, attacking the werewolf with vicious intent. A fierce fight ensued, with claws and steel flashing in the shadows.
Lucian had a reputation for being a loner, which made hime feared and respected. He was cold and independent, but loyal to his alpha in some way.
He relied on his animal instincts to fend off his assailants, dodging and striking with agility. The moonlight pierced the thick foliage, creating a ghostly atmosphere for the violent confrontation. The sounds of the battle reverberated through the forest, as leaves and branches were disturbed by the forceful impacts.
The beta was not invincible, though. The men were relentless, inflicting wounds that drained his strength and blood. He was outnumbered, but not outmatched. His resolve was like a flame, igniting his will to survive.
He caught a glimpse of the object he had been looking for, the reason for this ambush. He summoned his remaining energy, and fought his way to it, eliminating his enemies one by one.
As he claimed his prize but had no strength to open it and check what's inside, the beta collapsed, blood seeping from his injuries.
He dragged himself out of the forest, desperate for medical help. The pain throbbed in his veins, pushing him onward.
******
Seren felt the ache of her wound, but she had bandaged it well. She was a strong-willed girl, but that often got her into trouble. She heard a groan of pain from the backyard. She feared it was the alpha, coming back to interrogate her.
She lived in a clinic that doubled as her home. She hid inside, but curiosity got the better of her. The alpha wouldn't groan, he would just barge in. She hadn't heard anything else.
She opened the door and gasped. There was a bloody figure on the ground.
She ran to the injured person and lifted him up. She wanted to bring him inside and treat him.
But then she recognized him. It was the same mysterious werewolf who had saved her days ago. He was hurt and maybe helpless, and he looked at her with a connection that fate had forged between them.