In The Wolf’s Territory

Tucked on the outskirts of a lush countryside was a small wooden cottage, beside a narrow, murmuring creek. The road up there, if it could even be called a road, wound steeply through the trees, little more than a rutted track of mud and loose stones. The drive was rickety, the vehicle jolting with every turn up the hill.The cool evening breeze had a bite to it and the birds returned home for warmth. As the sun set somewhere far in the horizon, something stirred in the forest.

Inside the cabin, however, the atmosphere was grim. The tension in the air mixed with panic and that sharp metallic tang of blood gave way to fear.

Amira ran. As far as her legs could take her. Till her lungs burned. She was a mixture of sweat and blood. Fresh tears ran down her cheek. Somewhere, far away, a single distant howl of a wolf could be heard and fear washed all over her again. She scrambled her way through the rocky terrain, slipping occassionally on moss when she saw the river. She was exhausted. She looked over her shoulders and finally allowed herself to relax for a moment. The stream was shallow with a steady current and without thinking twice, she splashed some water on her face. 

A scream. 

Her ears perked up. It was, undoubtedly, a child. She scanned her surroundings for any sign of threat, even a pursuer, but a second scream tore through the woods. She gulped audibly.

She was losing light fast and was nowhere near her destination but did she even know what her destination was? She picked up a small branch fallen nearby and crossed the river.

The cries grew louder and more desperate. She was getting close. That’s when she spotted them: three children, surrounded by two giant, vicious wolves. The eldest boy, who couldn’t be more than 7 or 8 stood bravely at the front, arms stretched protectively around his siblings who hugged a big oak tree. They must have tried to climb it at some point. The wolves on the other hand snarled, baring their bloody fangs. A man laid dead at their feet. He looked older, probably a guardian. 

The kid at front suddenly spoke, “Take me, not them. Let them go”. That poor innocent soul trying to negotiate with a predator. But a guttural sound escaped their mouth and Amira lunged forward. 

She aimed the branch at the wolf closest to her, trying to scare them away. Alas, she had never faced a wolf before. It sensed her before the branch even landed, dodging her swiftly while his mate attacked Amira from the side. She was thrown five feet in the air by mere contact and her back hit the thick trunk of a tree before she made contact with the ground. 

The impact knocked the breath out of her lungs and she coughed violently. She was now on all fours, wild hair covering half her face and when she looked up, her gaze locked with two vicious golden eyes. The wolf had a grey fur and a long scar that ran from his left eye down to the edge of his mouth. 

But she was no longer scared. She was furious. She was exhausted. She was bleeding. And for a moment she thought she was dying. Maybe this is how it felt, right before death. A wave of emotions so strong you couldn’t possibly categorise it. She had a new surge of energy and she charged forward with whatever strength she could muster. The wolf attacked her but this time she did not miss. The wolf squealed a little as the blow landed on it’s shoulder but recovered quickly and left a deep gash along the side of her hand. 

She was now standing in front of the children who looked up at her, hope gleaming in their eyes. She could taste blood when she tried to smile at them. 

“You’re bleeding”, the kid said. The girl at the back was a sobbing mess by now, her whole body shivering so hard Amira could sense even when she was standing six feet away. 

The wolves had started circling again. She focused on the kid at front and said “Run.” 

He did not move.

“NOW,” she screamed as she braced herself for another round, but the kids behind her stood rooted to their spot. Another blow. She stood her ground. The blood flowed freely now, and her heart sank with the only outcome possible. She was not making it out alive.

Kaiden

I’ve been tugging at my tie for the past twenty minutes. My wolf is restless. He’s been whimpering just beneath the surface- like a wounded animal. I don’t understand. My body is burning up.

“Knight you need to talk to me”

Only whimpering. What is going on? Is he sick? He was fine just this morning. 

“Knight please!”

Frustration grew as I paced in my office. I loosened my tie and flung it across the room. A thin sheen of sweat clearly visible on my features. I started unbuttoning my shirt when the door swung open and my Alex, my beta, walked in.

“We found them—“ he stopped mid track when his eyes fell on me. “Shit Kaiden what’s wrong?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know”, i said truthfully. My breath shallow.

“Jesus! Amelia!!!!!!!!!!!”, he yelled for my sister. 

A guard came running in. “She’s treating the human in the infirmary” 

I looked up at Alex with a quizzical brow. 

“It’s a long story”, he shrugged.

“Humans cannot enter the barrier”, my voice came out breathy.

“Amelia gave her the amulet”

I straightened myself but my wolf howled uncontrollably inside. He was in pain and I could feel the ache. He started clawing at me, wanting to take control, to shift and I stumbled forward. Alex caught me by the shoulder. 

“Infirmary “, my voice was animalistic, Knight taking control. My pupils turned black and veins threatened to pop but Alex just hooked my hand over his shoulder and propped me up. He had already started guiding us towards the infirmary. 

My heart pounded in my chest, hard. An invisible force seemed to be guiding Knight. It felt like he knew something that he wasn’t willing to share just yet. We climbed down the stairs, across the hall and right before we crossed the garden towards the infirmary, the floodgates opened and Knight took absolute control over my body.

“Knight!”

It was frivolous. He kept repeating only one word. “Mate. Mate. Mate. Mate.”

Amelia was standing at the door of the infirmary, her clothes covered in blood- my mate’s blood, I could smell it now.Knight howled in agony. She looked up at me in surprise. 

“Brother-“

“Where is she?”

She looked confused. “Who?”, she asked.

“My mate.”

Her eyes widened with the realisation. She looked uncomfortable. I rushed past her into the infirmary and there she was curled up on the bed. 

Small.

Petite.

Wounded.

Wires and needles stuck all over her fragile body. The ECG machine next to her beeping quietly. Julio, my nephew was holding her hand with tiny little fingers. Grief so clearly visible on his face. 

I picked him up and he wept on my shoulder. I looked at her more clearly then. Her clothes were tattered, her hair was caked with dirt and grime and the rest of her body was adorned in bandages. Knight whined. This was our mate. I had just met her.

Amelia placed a hand on my shoulder. Her voice was deep when she said, “I’m sorry brother. I tried everything I swear.”

“Is- is she…?” My voice sounded so foreign. 

“Not yet. But I’m afraid she won’t make it past the night.”, it came out small.

Two nurses nearby came with a stretcher. 

“Shall we take the body, Miss Amelia?”

My claws were around his throat in an instant. Rage so blinding I could rip his heart out then and there. 

“Alpha… she-she is a human. If she dies here nobody will ever find the body”, his partner tried to explain hysterically.

“She is my mate.” 

The room went silent.

“And she will not die. You will do everything in your power to make sure she gets better or I swear I will sacrifice all of you to the moon goddess herself the next full moon”, I pressed harder. Fingernails digging into his neck.

I growled menacingly, “Is. That. Clear?”

A/N

Hi everyone! It’s been so long since I’ve written literally anything so please don’t be too harsh on me and do let me know what you think of the story