Lila's POV
"Lila!" "Hide! Run!" From outside, my father's voice yelled.
With my legs shaking, I jumped off the bed. There was only one window and wooden walls in my tiny room. Outside, I could hear dogs growling and see shapes moving. They were attacking my pack.
I snatched up my coat and hurried to the door, but my mother rushed in before I could open it. Her eyes were wide with fear and her face was pale. "Lila, you must leave! "Now!" she cried, her voice tremulous.
"What's going on?" With hardly more than a whisper, I asked.
She grabbed my arm and said, "Hayden's pack." "They are here to kill us all. Lila, you must run. Go to the Forbidden Forest. Remain alive!
"No!" Tears were pouring down my face. "I can't abandon you!"
My mother's body shook as she gave me a hard hug. "Lila, you must. You have strength. You will live. Go now!
I stumbled outside when she shoved me in the direction of the back door. It was a hectic night. There were wolves everywhere, their eyes shining in the darkness, their mouths bared. I watched my father defeat three of Hayden's men with his wolf form, which was huge and strong. Despite his bleeding, he continued. He was buying me time so I could get away.
I took off running. My breath came in quick, frantic gasps as my feet banged against the floor. The trees towered over me like monsters in the dark jungle. Even though I could hear the battle's sounds fading behind me, I continued. I was unable to.
My legs finally failed me, but I was not sure of how long I had run. My chest heaved as I fell against a tree. My thoughts were a haze of pain and worry, and my heart continued to race. I had lost my pack. My parents had left. I was by myself.
I had no time for grief. I froze at the sound of footsteps. I listened while holding my breath. The steps were steady and determined. Something or someone was approaching me.
I tried to shrink as much as I could by pressing myself up against the tree. However, it was useless. I knew I had been found when a low growl rumbled across the bush.
A wolf entered the open space. This big wolf, with dark fur and bright blue eyes, wasn't one of Hayden's. With its head tilted as though trying to identify me, it gazed at me.
I stayed motionless. I held my breath. One step, then another, brought the wolf closer. I could feel the force radiating from it and see its muscles quivering beneath its fur. This wolf wasn't your normal one. It was an Alpha.
The wolf moved, its body changing and turning until I saw a man. His dark hair fell into his sharp blue eyes, and he had broad shoulders and a tall build. His look was intimidating and his face was hard. He viewed me as though I were a riddle that he was unable to solve.
His voice was chilly and deep as he said, "What are you doing here?"
I swallowed hard, looking for the right words. "They were attacked, my people. I had to run.
His eyes narrowed and he lifted an eyebrow. "Your pack? Are you a werewolf?
Even though I knew my smell was weak, I nodded. I was smaller and had softer features, so I didn't look like a normal werewolf. However, I was among them.
After studying me for a while, the man shook his head. "You're telling lies. You are a person. All you're trying to do is find a place to stay. "I'm telling the truth!" I said, raising my voice. It was Hayden who killed my group. My parents are no longer with me. There is nowhere else for me to go.
He didn't think I was real. His eyes showed it to me. But he paused for some reason. Perhaps it was the tears running down my face or the panicked tone in my voice. He groaned and mumbled, "All right," whatever it was. Let me show you my pack. However, you're on your own if you make any problem.
I nodded, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. "I'm grateful."
He didn't answer. He simply turned and walked away, thinking I would follow. I did, my thoughts still spinning from all that had happened, my legs still shaky.
For what seemed like hours, we walked in silence. With the trees surrounding us, the forest was scary and dark. I kept looking at the man, trying to understand him. It was clear that he was an Alpha. However, there was something evil and broken about him. He avoided looking at me, and I could sense it in the way he handled himself.
We arrived in his pack's area at last. It was a big, well-defended camp, ringed by a high fence and wooden houses. With suspicious eyes, the other wolves watched me as we entered the gates. I sensed their mistrust and judgment. I had no place here.
I was shown to a small hut on the outside of the camp by the man, who I later found out was Kian. "You'll remain here," he stated icily. "Avoid wandering. Avoid causing problems. You're on your own if you do.
Too tired to protest, I nodded. Without saying anything else, he left, leaving me by myself once more.
My thoughts were racing as I sat on the bed. I had lost my pack. My parents had left. The wolves around me didn't trust me, and I was in an unknown area. Furthermore, the Alpha who had come to my help didn't trust a word I said.
Outside the hut, I heard a low growl as I tried to fall asleep. A pair of bright eyes were looking at me through the window as I sat up, my heart pounding. I'm being watched by someone or something.
However, I was still living. And that was sufficient for now.
I tried to go asleep as I lay down, but I kept having the sense that something was about to happen. Something dangerous. And I would need to be prepared when it did.