I darted between the ancient pines, my bare feet slamming against the damp forest floor. My breath came in ragged gasps, the cold air slicing my lungs like broken glass. Blood caked the side of my face, crusting into my hair. I didn't remember how far I'd run, but it wasn't far enough. The faint metallic scent of my own wounds clung to me like a beacon for predators.
My limbs trembled, half from exhaustion and half from hunger. Three days without food, two nights without sleep. And still, I couldn't stop. The memory of snarling jaws and snapping teeth seared itself into my brain—a pack ambush, a blur of claws, and then darkness. They were still out there. Hunting.
The forest blurred past me, shadows twisting into menacing forms. My muscles screamed for relief, but fear drove me forward. I didn't dare stop. Stopping meant death.
My next step faltered as I crossed a shallow stream. Something shifted. The air grew heavy, charged, like a storm waiting to break. My instincts screamed—I'd entered someone else's territory.
A howl pierced the silence, deep and commanding. It was close. Too close. My stomach dropped as I recognized the sound—a patrol. The Blackwood Pack.
My legs moved before my brain caught up, propelling me through the underbrush. They were infamous—ruthless warriors who protected their lands with unrelenting ferocity. Trespassers didn't survive.
Branches whipped against my skin as I sprinted, ignoring the sharp pang of an open gash on my thigh. My wolf stirred inside me, weak and disoriented, urging me to fight, to defend. But I couldn't afford a confrontation, not now. My past training kicked in, every movement calculated. Quiet. Quick. Invisible.
It didn't matter. They were too good.
Snarls erupted behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and saw them—three wolves, sleek and enormous, their coats glistening black under the pale moonlight. Their eyes gleamed with feral intensity, and their growls reverberated through the trees. They weren't just chasing me; they were driving me, herding me deeper into their territory.
I vaulted over a fallen log, landing hard on my hands and knees. Pain splintered through me, but I scrambled up and kept running. A flash of black darted to my right. Another wolf emerged, cutting off my path. Trapped.
My back pressed against a tree as they surrounded me, their low growls vibrating through the ground. I was cornered, nowhere left to run. My fingers clenched into fists, nails biting into my palms. If this was the end, I'd go down fighting.
Before I could shift, the largest wolf lunged. But it didn't attack. Instead, it skidded to a halt inches from me, its massive frame towering over mine. Its golden eyes bore into me, and something primal snapped into place.
The bond ignited, searing through my chest like wildfire. Mate.
My knees buckled under the weight of it. His scent hit me—smoky cedar and crisp frost, intoxicating and undeniable. My wolf stirred weakly, recognizing him instantly, but I pushed the sensation aside. This was a nightmare. He couldn't be my mate. Not him. Not here.
The wolf shifted, his form melting away until a man stood before me. He was devastatingly handsome, his angular features chiseled and sharp. Power radiated off him, crackling in the air like lightning.
"Who are you?" His voice was deep and commanding, with an edge that made my skin prickle. He took a step closer, and I flinched. His golden eyes flickered with suspicion, then something darker.
I didn't answer. My throat tightened, and my wolf's instincts fought to submit. But I couldn't. I wouldn't.
"Speak," he growled. When I stayed silent, his lips curled into a snarl. "You've crossed into Blackwood territory. That makes you a prisoner."
Prisoner. The word hit me harder than it should have, dredging up buried memories of chains and cages. My heart raced as two of the wolves shifted, grabbing my arms and dragging me forward. I thrashed against their grip, but they were too strong.
The Alpha's gaze burned into me, the bond pulling taut between us. He hesitated for the briefest moment, his expression unreadable. Then his voice turned cold.
"Take her to the fortress."
I was dragged away, my mind reeling. The mate bond clawed at me, a tether I didn't want and couldn't escape. My eyes locked with his one last time, and I saw it—the conflict raging behind his golden stare.
I'd crossed into the jaws of the Blackwood Pack, into his domain. And now, there was no way out.