The wind carried the scent of pine and damp earth, wrapping around me like a familiar embrace. The forest was alive with the soft rustling of leaves and the distant chirp of crickets. My parents walked beside me, their presence a comforting shield against the world. We had walked this path countless times, yet tonight felt different, though I couldn't quite place why.
"Isa, stay close," my mother warned, her voice gentle but firm. Her fingers brushed against my arm, a gesture meant to reassure but laced with an unmistakable unease.
My father chuckled, his deep voice resonating in the cool night air. "Let her be, love. She knows these woods like the back of her hand."
I smiled at them both, inhaling the crisp autumn air, blissfully unaware that this moment would soon turn into a nightmare. The moon overhead was full, casting a soft glow over the trees. It should have been peaceful, but there was something in the air that felt off. The forest seemed to hold its breath.
Then, the howls shattered the silence—low and menacing, their eerie resonance slicing through the night like a blade. A cold shiver ran down my spine.
My father halted. My mother's hand tightened around mine, and I could feel the subtle shift in both of them—like an instinctual change had washed over them. They were no longer just my parents, but two predators attuned to a dangerous presence.
"Something's wrong," my mother whispered, her voice tight with concern. Her gaze darted around, searching for the source of the disturbance.
The first shadow moved so quickly I almost missed it. Then another. And another.
The attack came suddenly—ruthless, unrelenting. Shadows poured from the darkness, fangs flashing, claws raking through the air. Snarls and screams filled the night, turning it into a chaotic symphony of violence. The scent of blood mingled with the crisp pine, the forest's familiar smell now tainted by the metallic tang of death. My father lunged, my mother followed, their forms shifting into the powerful wolves I had always known. But even they could not hold back the wave of attackers.
The moment stretched on, brutal and unforgiving, as my world shattered around me. Shadows leaped from the darkness. Teeth. Claws. Blood.
I barely had time to scream before my father shoved me behind him, his body shifting as fur erupted from his skin. My mother transformed in a seamless motion, her silver fur gleaming in the moonlight. Together, they stood between me and the danger, fighting with everything they had.
I wanted to help. I wanted to fight. But I was frozen, rooted to the spot, watching in horror as my parents battled the enemy. For a brief moment, it seemed as though they were winning. My father tore through the attackers with the brutal efficiency of a seasoned warrior, his claws and teeth cutting down the wolves in his path. My mother fought by his side, her movements fluid, graceful, yet deadly. But the tide quickly turned.
The enemy was too many. Their numbers seemed endless. The battle began to shift in their favor, their ferocity overwhelming my parents' defenses. I watched as my father faltered, a scream escaping his lips as he was dragged to the ground. My mother lunged toward him, but it was too late.
Blood stained the ground, the air thick with the scent of it. My father's body lay motionless, the life drained from him too quickly for me to comprehend. The sight of it was a raw wound in my chest.
"No!" I cried, trying to reach them, to do something. But my mother's voice cut through the haze of panic.
"Run, Isa!" Her words were strained, filled with both desperation and resolve. "Find him—your mate. He will come for you. But you must survive. Go!"
I hesitated, my heart tearing at the thought of leaving them, but her gaze was fierce. She would never let me die alongside them. I had no choice.
Turning, I fled.
Branches scraped at my skin as I stumbled through the underbrush, my pulse thundering in my ears. My legs burned, but I pushed forward, ignoring the ache in my muscles. The sounds of the battle still echoed behind me, but I didn't dare look back. My parents' final words echoed in my mind: Survive. I couldn't fail them.
Then, hands seized me. Iron grips yanked me backward, dragging me into the darkness.
Darius.
The name sliced through my thoughts like a shard of glass. The Beta of the Onyx Fang Pack. The right hand of Magnus Voss—the Alpha who had been determined to claim me for himself. His cruel eyes gleamed with a cold satisfaction as he watched me struggle.
"Feisty little thing," one of his men sneered, his fingers digging into my arms. "But you'll learn your place."
"Let me go!" I screamed, writhing against the grip of the wolves holding me. But it was no use. They were stronger, and I was powerless.
Darius stepped forward, his presence a cold, unforgiving force. His gaze met mine, and for a moment, I saw the predator beneath his skin. "You're a rare prize, Isabella Devereaux. Magnus will be pleased."
Before I could respond, a deep, guttural snarl split the air.
The world exploded into chaos again.
A blur of dark fur and ferocity descended upon us. Larger wolves, their eyes burning with ruthless intent, tore into my captors with brutal precision. Blood sprayed the ground, the metallic stench flooding the air. Screams filled the night, but they were cut off abruptly, as the attackers fell one by one.
I was hardly aware of the violence around me, my mind too frazzled to comprehend the carnage. Then, powerful arms wrapped around me, lifting me off the ground. I was held tight against a solid chest, the heat of the body pressing against mine.
"Let me go!" I gasped, struggling, but the grip was unyielding. The man who held me was immovable, his strength far beyond anything I could overcome.
I looked up, my vision swimming as my head spun from the sudden shift in events. I met his gaze, and my breath caught in my throat. Golden eyes. Cold. Unyielding.
Until the world around me faded into darkness.
******
When I wake, my body aches in places I didn't know could hurt. My wrists throbbed, the skin raw. The air was damp, thick with the scent of stone and iron. Chains clinked nearby.
I blinked, forcing my blurry vision to focus. The dim light of a single flickering torch cast long, haunting shadows across the walls. The sound of dripping water echoed from somewhere in the distance.
I froze, taking in my surroundings. Cold stone walls, thick with mildew. Chains hung from the walls, their rusted lengths rattling eerily in the still air. The place smelled of decay and rot, the stench clinging to every surface. The shadows seemed to move with a life of their own, stretching and shifting as if they were aware of my presence.
A dungeon.
Panic stirred in my chest, but I swallowed it down, forcing my breaths to steady. I couldn't fall apart. Not now.
Where was I? Who had taken me?
The answer came swiftly, and the weight of it nearly brought me to my knees. I was in their grasp, trapped in their lair, a prisoner of the enemy who had already claimed my parents' lives.
The coldness of the chains biting into my skin reminded me of my new reality. The walls pressed in, suffocating me, and yet, I refused to let fear consume me.
I clenched my fists, steadying myself. I couldn't let them break me. My parents had given me a chance to escape, and I would honor that.
The chains rattled as I tested their hold, but the iron was unyielding. I was trapped, but I wasn't beaten. Not yet. Somewhere, in the dark corners of the dungeon, a flicker of defiance stirred within me.
I would survive. No matter what it took.