Runaway

Teaser

Chapter 1

~Alex~

The ground crunched under my paws as I swiftly made my way through the lush green forest, as it was nearing the end of fall. My thoughts would often move to my parents and the love I had for them, but also the unfortunate fact of losing my bag in a panic a year back, so I had no reminder of them, plus barely any memories of their looks. The details seemed to fade over time.

My stomach rumbled, and I knew raw meat wouldn’t cut it. Having no money or a place to stay didn’t matter, as the five-finger discount served me well. I felt my panther's unease; it was like a feeling or instinct, but I like to think that, if the sense had a name, it would be Cleo. Similar to having a wolf's instinct: both guide and protect Shifters. We could turn into what we had as our spirit animal, so for me, I could turn into a panther.

I began focusing on my surroundings; nothing stood out, as it was another scenic patch of woods. My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I needed food. Finding somewhere to get some human food is next on my to-do list. I've only had what I could kill in the forest, and human food was becoming rare for me to indulge in.

Deciding to find a small store somewhere, I started looking for a road to lead me in the right direction. My instinct told me to be careful of this land. Each land had an alpha to rule its territory, which separated at some point; then everyone in the pack, which held communities of people, would follow their leader. Unclaimed land has no connection to anything or any species, and rogue lands are home to unwanted wolves or loose ends, as my uncle used to call them, but I couldn't tell whether this was a territory, unclaimed land, or a rogue land.

My uncle was another story.

He was my abuser, my tormentor, and the reason I haven’t stopped running since I was 18. He came from a wealthy family looking to overtake the multipack system; I don't know much, but I overheard things from my room when my uncle would have his friends over. They would play cards, drink, and demand that I cook them food. He always said anyone would love my panther's head hanging on their wall, and I believed him.

I hadn't seen another one of my kind in my life. My parent figure was mainly my mom, who I assume was a wolf, though I’d never seen her shift. I saw my dad shift once, but I don’t remember what he looked like. One day, my dad came home throwing up, and that’s the last memory I had…he died a day later; my mother then stopped eating and died shortly after him as a result of heartbreak; this is something that happens to soul mates. I'm not exactly sure about the whole story with my parents, considering I only had them for a few years before I went into government care; I have barely any memories of them. Honestly, most of my memories were filled in by my uncle after he adopted me a few months after I landed in the foster system.

Once I found a road, I shifted back into human form, my claws retracted, and my bones snapped back into place. The only fortunate thing about being a panther was that I could turn back into human form in my clothes afterward. I never knew why. wolves would bust their clothes while shifting into their wolf spirit, so they came back naked.

I wasn't jealous of that.

The road led me to a small-looking town. I ignored the details, considering it was an in-and-out situation, not trying to stay long or draw attention. The first store I recognized was a quacky mart, so I brushed off the same outfit I'd worn for the past few months to not seem out of place; clothing was always the bare minimum with me, always stolen when one of my garments was worn out. Currently, my get-up was black leggings, a faded blue hoodie, old socks, and some beat-up tennis shoes. Walking inside, the lights threw me off instantly; I wasn’t used to artificial lighting, but I continued forward so as not to look suspicious. The cashier glanced over, not seeming to care. Before she looked away, I reminded myself to stay calm as I moved forward.

Then, something shiny caught my attention…A mirror.

Now, I hadn't looked at myself in years because I had been in panther form off and on since getting away from my abuser. Looking, I stared back at myself. Long black hair cascaded down my shoulders, wide blue eyes, my face thin from barely eating, and the scarring that ran all over my body, slightly poking out from under my hoodie, courtesy of the monster that was my uncle. The bags under my eyes really drew my attention as I looked like the ghost version of me.

I sighed, moving on as I didn’t like the reminder.

Nothing in the store was too hard to find, so it took practically no time to get what I needed. On my way to the ready-meal fridge section, where I could find cooked foods like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and other premade ready-to-eat meals, I found myself getting lost in how many items small stores now sell. I stuffed two meals into my hoodie pocket, not caring what they were, and headed swiftly for the exit. The rule was to take as little as possible and make no eye contact.

Following you. My instinct roared in my mind.

Warriors.

I could smell not just one, but more, outside the store…Well, at least I knew I was in pack territory. Continuing to the door, I tried to act unsuspecting, but given that most of the world was werewolves and could smell that I was a stranger, I doubted it would work. Humans were rare, as most lived in small, tight-knit communities.

Here goes nothing.

My legs carried me past the clerk, watching all of this happen with wide eyes, but I avoided getting involved and made it past the door into the parking lot. They were closer than i thought as I was tackled by a blond boy who cut off my line of escape. "Rogue," he spat, pressing my face into the concrete. He held my hands behind my back as I wiggled, trying to get out, but it was a tad hard with no free hands.

"I'm human," I gritted before I could think. My stomach dropped as the statement sank in: these Wolves would believe I'm human, but I don't know if it’s worse to say I'm a panther shifter.

“You still have to see our Alpha; come with me," he stated.

Pathetic.

I rolled over, kneeing him in the groin. He fell directly to the ground, and I took off for my life, slipping past them as the other two checked on the warrior in pain, but quickly followed me while the other made his way to his feet. “Fucking hell," he groaned; I was followed by two sets of footsteps, meaning I didn’t know where the third guy was. It was not a brilliant move, kicking most likely a pack warrior in the junk, but if I live to tell the tale, it'll be pretty cool, yet I knew that I was no match for two warriors, let alone three.

My body was sweating, and I was trying to think of how to get back to the woods to shift and get out of there. The footsteps were getting louder behind me, and my legs started to hurt from running on them; my panther's legs could carry me anywhere, but I’d not been in human form in a while.

Crossing a street, then running to the edge of the forest, I looked around me, needing a way to get out of this. I heard that seeing a high authority could be either a death sentence or that you live the rest of your life in chains; at least, that's what I have heard, though I haven't met an official full-blood first-in-command. “Josh, block her other side!" the man with short, red hair yelled. A massive wolf jumped in my way, growling straight into my face. His fur was chestnut, he had strong legs, light hazel eyes, and huge paws.

He blocked my way, swaying and dodging, keeping me trapped before stepping forward, causing me to scamper back in fear. I wasn’t a baby; I was just new to most immortal creatures, as I never really grew up with many of them, either in foster care or at my uncles'.

“Stand down, or we will kill you," I hear a masculine voice say, followed by, "Tyler, keep her blocked off. Miles, get the van ready to bring her."

Ah, shit.

“I was only getting food; I'll put it back and be on my way," I lied.

"No, I can’t do that. We have to get you back; then it will be decided what happens from there," the man said, followed by the sandy-haired wolf growling and then morphing back into his human state.

naked.

A blue van pulled up, and I was still looking around for exits. Shifting entered my mind, but I squashed it as I remembered I had told them I was human. The naked boy in front of me and the others watched my every move, all acting nonchalantly about all of this. I covered my eyes from his now-showing genitals, "and you guys can just let me go; I won't tell anyone, and no one has to know I was here. Can you please put on a shirt or something?"

The naked man chuckled.

“Whatever makes you feel better, sweetheart." It sounded as if his friend handed him a shirt from the van's passenger side as a sound rang out, and the man slipped it on along with some jeans, but I was still covering my eyes. I’d heard that Nudity didn't affect wolves because they grew up practically naked around each other. Again, that's another thing I'd heard from my uncle.

Uncovering my eyes, the blond boy smiled. At this point, I was telling these people apart by hair color. My nerves shot at the sight of the rusted blue van now waiting for me to go to a possible, unknown death. The dark-haired man spoke next “Get her in the car.”

My ears rang; it was like an out-of-body experience because, without a thought, I swung my fist toward the closest person I could reach; the other boys seemed to call him Tyler. My elbow landed across the side of his face before I was pinned down on the grass, and a rag was forced over my mouth.

"Breathe in, asshole," someone growled.

I fought for as long as I could before whatever they had soaked the rag in began to take effect; it seemed strong, as my head sagged, and all I could comprehend was Darkness.

.

.

.

My eyes fluttered open, and my vision became clear almost immediately. For once, I mentally thanked my genetics. Unfortunately, the surroundings I woke up to were a bleak dungeon of some kind; it looked like a remodeled basement. My head pounded, the ground was cold, and I feared the worst. Nothing this bad had happened since my uncle came into my life.

Waiting for someone to seal my fate felt like an eternity, and it was freezing, which I assumed was on purpose, considering it was the beginning of fall.

Looking around, it didn't look like there was anyone else in any of the other cells parallel to the iron door decorating the wall. I moved my neck, and it made me realize I had a metal collar on, with chains connecting to the wall, coaxed into rough concrete. The silence was deafening. You could hear a pin drop, but all shifters had great hearing; at the top of that list were wolves.

There were cold floors and metal bars, probably laced with silver. It was like I was put in a human cell, as the metal didn't burn. My hands grasped the chain. I had never been in this situation, so I didn't know what would happen.

This was perhaps the closest I had been to possible death since my uncle. I didn't know what this person would do with me, having never met anyone who called themselves royalty.

Maybe he will make me work for him for the rest of my life. At least then I would be eating well, I thought to myself. As I have heard, packs sometimes turn trespassers into maids or laborers of the pack. That wouldn't sound too bad if most of them weren't run ragged, but it would give me an opportunity to escape, too, but it's not likely.

My mind wandered to what life was like in a community like this, not knowing exactly what happened here. I'd imagined a clean home with both parents, along with all the food and hot showers you could ask for—a nice little dream. My head pounded from a lack of food or water.

Footsteps shook me out of my delusions, making the blood drain from my face. "A rogue human, sex female, intentions are unknown, and she is a fighter," someone reported...It had to have been one of the three who brought me here, given how formal the speech was. Everything looked bleak for me, but I’d know after today, or I’d be dead.

"Good, you are now unneeded; the alpha would like you three to do a patrol tonight," an unfamiliar voice said. The same responses followed three times.

"Yes, beta."

"Yes, beta."

"Yes, beta."

I still haven't looked up, not wanting to piss anyone off, nor would I want to piss off a high-ranking wolf. More footsteps followed, and my face shot up to see a tall man coming directly at my cell; my nerves spiked as I slid back up against the wall in fear; my chains clanging against the wall.

He stopped outside, staring down at me. His brown hair with blonde highlights brushed his forehead, accentuating his face. Then his brown eyes captured mine as he crossed his arms in an authoritative stance; he looked to think for a moment. "What's your name?" he asked. Looking apathetic to my fear, as silence followed, he sighed, "Are you from a pack?"

"What's going to happen to me?" I whispered, instantly regretting speaking freely.

"I'm going to take you to my superior, and he will figure out what to do from there. I am Beta Kyle of the power pack; you are trespassing. What is the nature of your arrival?" he asked, still staring down at me.

I stared up at him, fresh from waking up in a cell. "It was an accident-." I started to say.

He cut me off. "Besides that, you stole from a shop on our land; that was no accident."

He got me there.

"I'm poor and get confused easily, so if you let me go, I won't be any more trouble," I pleaded, trying to sit up but failing as there must have been more of whatever they used on me in my system.

"No, I can't do that; we know you're here, so do you wanna do this the easy way or the hard way?" He gave me the option, like I wanted to try and fight a high-ranking wolf and fail. I thought about it for a second, scanning the enclosed steel door.

I would have to make it calmly past that and hope there was an exit.

I rolled to my knees and, unsteadily, made it to my feet, hands clanking from the metal banging against itself. I shook my chains to signify I couldn't go with him without them removed. "Yes, those," he commented before walking close to me and swiftly unlatching the back of the collar, freeing me. Without hesitation, he backed up, giving me little space. "How would you like this to go?" He asked.

I'd rather not go anywhere with him.

"I'll walk," I stated.

He grabbed my arm with a tight grip. "Just in case," he sneered, dragging me toward the door with my anxiety spiking with every step. Once we got to the exit, I looked past the door; the stairs led to another. "Be careful," he cautioned, seeming to switch between a nice guy and, well... royalty. I nodded in acknowledgment.

A pack warrior met us at the door to the stairs. The two men didn't speak but seemed to know what was happening as he unlocked the door and stepped aside for us to continue. We went up the stairs to the door, which led to a room that looked like a living room, with a small kitchen looking into it.

now or never.

I ripped myself out of his grip, turning a corner. "I got it!" A high-pitched voice rang behind me before I was grabbed by the bottom of my pants and tripped, rolling back against a wall. A long-haired, red-headed person slung themselves at me, holding my wrists, and pinned me down. I hated lycan strength. "Situation controlled." She grinned over to Beta Boy, then looked down, allowing me to see the features of her face. She was a curly red-haired female, looking in her 20s, with a heart-shaped face, brown eyes, full lips, and light freckles. She could have been a model if she wanted to.

The two of them acted accustomed to each other, but I didn't know how anything around here worked. My instincts roared to life as the male grabbed me.

"Thank you, love," he responded before forcefully swinging me to my feet after seemingly ensuring the female got to hers. "Behave, and maybe he will be easy on you. You are on my last nerve."

I swallowed. Great, I pissed off the second-in-command.

The female followed us. They wouldn't let the same slip-up happen again, so now I have to hope I live. My mind thought of things that this man in charge would do to me.

No way out now.

Once we turned and headed up some stairs to what I'm assuming was the door to someone’s office, the two shared a look, and the female held tighter onto me. At the same time, the beta opened the door, and I was pushed into a room with the door swinging shut behind me.

"My beta wolves guard that door," a masculine voice stated, and the most delectable smell wafted to my nose, rousing my beast. Finally, I looked over and saw a brown-haired man sitting at a desk, his elbows propped on it, a sheet of paper beneath. He did not bother to look up at me; It was like he was bored. I didn't speak because I didn't want to die. He looked up after the silence that followed his statement, his deep brown eyes staring into mine.

I was frozen with fear.

"Speak, what are you doing on my land?" he growled. My mouth shot open, but no words came out. "Do you disrespect me by not responding? Do you think that makes you brave?! Plus, stealing from my pack. I could kill you just for that." he was handsome in a normal case, but right now, he looked like he would kill me, his hands fidgeting on his desk, balled into fists.

I weighed my options again, knowing that if I attempted to run, the two who brought me up here would catch me, and I'd be toast for sure. Even if I got past them, there was no guarantee that warriors weren't out protecting their grounds.

He got up from his desk, stalking closer to me. "I'm human; I stole because I'm poor," I rambled, not wanting him any closer to me.

"See, I'm not buying that. I've never seen you anywhere in our pack or neighboring packs," he kept getting closer. "Now tell me why you're here!"

"I-i. It was a mistake," I rambled.

"Your kind are mistakes," he growled, herding me with his body. As he moved forward, I moved back, heading backward deeper into his domain. His eyes never left mine. “Now, why are you here?" he said sternly, continuing to move slowly, watching me.

My body began to tremble; I was scared and hadn't spoken to many people in the past. "I needed food, and I came here." It was partly true, but I wasn't being given any stars for honesty.

"You have resources, which is why I'm not buying that," he scoffed, stopping where he was.

The position I was in wasn't good, as he was now blocking my exit; the only other way out was the window. "What would you like me to say?" I whispered, knowing he could hear me.

"The truth," he stated, scowling down at me.

I didn't say anything, not knowing the response he wanted.

After two minutes of silence, followed by a vast blur and a hand wrapping around my arm, my ears started ringing, and my heart sped up in panic as my nerves spiked with his sharp grasp. I tried bringing my hands up to get this man off of me, but I was no match for his strength, so this was it; I was going to die. My whole body tensed as I kept focusing on his eyes, going from brown to deep blue. I might be delirious, but he looked as if he recognized me.

Suddenly, he let me go, my arm throbbing from his grasp. All I could do was slide down the wall to his feet. I rocked back and forth trying to calm myself, and waited for the final blow, but it never came.

"Mate," he stated. I struggled to get as much oxygen as possible while he stared at me like he couldn't believe the word had escaped his lips. I was trying to regain my composure after his grasp and the quickness of everything going on around me. He kneeled beside me, "fuck" he cursed under his breath. He touched my hand, and it felt like lightning or, as some would call it, sparks going across my skin.

I purred.

A reaction I have never had to a person.

Flinging my hand out of his, I put my head in my knees, trying not to hyperventilate from fear. Concern registered in his eyes as he looked down at me. Snapping out of it, he looked to take something out of his pocket, but I couldn't hear his mouth move from the ringing in my ears. My head was pounding from everything, but I was too scared to escape, so I lay there weak and let the cold floor cradle me as I tried not to panic.

There was truly no calm.