13 Chapter 13

Not Edited-

Neutral POV

The Lycan wolf they had gone to great lengths to contain was free, not only was it free but it was currently tearing Ronan's men limb from limb.

He watched in disbelief, he wasn't there when his men were attacked and killed by it, there was one man that survived the attack because he ran. He told Ronan how easily the Lycan dismembered some of the strongest in his pack. Ronan of course thought he was exaggerating, like everyone else who had heard the stories.

The shiny black feathers that covered its body reflecting the orange glow of the rising sun. It's movements were quick and calculated, executed with precision... literally, men were being executed and ripped apart. Some of the more powerful men had already changed into their wolf form. Though that didn't help their situation.

It confused Ronan more that the Lycan wolf smelled ferrel; a ferrel wolf doesn't smell bad, a wolf or a Lycan can just tell if a person is not connected to their wolf by the way they smell. A ferrel wolf is normally all over the place, attacking manically. This wolf was ducking attacks and countering with no problem. Ronan would be lying if he said he wasn't a little scared.

How did such a little thing become this monster?.

The burning fiery rage in its eyes, it was like nothing he'd seen before.

With his most of his men either dead or dying Ronan did the last thing he thought he'd ever do. He ran. "You will pay for this" he hissed under his breath as he left the scene of the battle.

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Annabelles POV-

As soon as everything went black the familiar red flames appeared, not burning me but warming me completely. They dispersed leaving me laying on top of a bed of soft grass. The sounds of birds chirping filling the air, the pleasant sweet smell of the forest engulfing me. Hold on... where even am I?.

I opened my eyes and finally sat up. This place is pretty closed in, the trees and bushes are forming a tall wall all the way around. There's an opening, I should go that way... well there is no other way but still..it's my idea..

I made my way along the path created by the tall prickly bushes. The winding trees looked sculpted, twisting in a way that looked like an intricate man made design.

This is the forest of my dreams, it's so peaceful here. I can't explain it, like the aura of this place is peace itself. The bright blues and purples of the trees looked even brighter, the soft breeze soothing my soul.

I approached a small lake that was surrounded by the same bramble like bushes. I noticed a single wooden chair by the lake, it looked worn down. That means that someone's been here. I don't even know where here is. Maybe if I find them they can help me.

Even though by the looks of this chair they left a century ago.

I looked around but there was nothing else here, no other entrance or exit. Nothing to chop the bushes down with. How will I ever escape this place?. Its beautiful and all but who would want to stay here..

I sat in that chair for awhile before I fell asleep. I shouldn't have, but the sun was warm and the breeze on my face was just too much. I guess I was still tired from being captured and beaten up.

-----

I don't know how long I was asleep. I could hear scraping, like a wood being dragged along the ground. I felt a jolt which woke me up completely.

I opened my eyes to find myself on a stretcher made of branches and vines. Some around my legs holding me to it. Two men were dragging me along. I could hear more footsteps indicating they weren't the only ones in this group.

I heard quiet footsteps approaching, my hearing is so damn accurate. He began talking to someone out of my sight behind me, ahead of the group.

"They went straight through, I don't think they caught our scent"..he informed.

"Good..the last thing we need is the Skrill on our trail."...

I tried to stay quiet but my body betrayed me. "cough..cough.." shit.

I did my best to contain it but that hit to my stomach was still throbbing, along with my head. There were also a few new wounds I could feel covering me. When I coughed it felt like my ribs were breaking, I clutched my chest and let out a small involuntary groan from the pain.

"She's awake!" a man said in a hushed voice.

"I know she's awake, I can hear just fine." a voice snapped back.

The two men holding the stretcher laid it down on the ground, I heard footsteps approaching. I sat up continuing to hold my chest trying to suppress my painful coughs. I don't know who these guys are but I'm not restrained and they even carried me. They aren't the Skrill and they aren't with Ronan. This can only be good..I think.

The sound of the footsteps quickly arrived at my side, a warm hand was placed on my shoulder, I flinched in surprise. The man retracted his hand before placing it again. "I'm not going to hurt you..I promise"..."Collin... Give me that bottle" his voice was soothing like fathers. One of the men who was carrying the stretcher gave him a bottle, he knelt down nexto me, opening the lid and handed it to me..

"Take your time...you must be exhausted..".

He looked menacing with long black hair that reaches his shoulders, he had shaped short jet black beard. His arms looked like inflatables.

The thing that threw me was his eyes, his green eyes that slightly resembled father's. They were warm and soft unlike the rest of him. A person's tell is always in the eyes. I don't know why I found myself trusting his words but I did. I took the bottle and took a few short sips, even swallowing was hurting my stomach. I nodded slightly as a thank you when I handed him back the bottle. He placed it on the floor in front of him. "Rest now, we will be home soon"... he placed one of his hands gently at the back of my neck, the other on my forehead as he laid me back. I closed my eyes and fell straight back to sleep. I keep doing that lately...

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"Please!!! Aahhh!" the man in my claws was begging, screaming, crying in pain as my claws ripped into the flesh on his arms, I held him two feet from the floor. Familiar faces surrounded me...Ronan's men.

Some were running towards me others running away. I couldn't stop it, I pulled his arms apart ripping one off and almost ripping the other one off before the first broke away, releasing the tension.

Before I knew it, a large brown wolf had latched onto my leg causing me to loose my balance. I fell backwards, the wolf released my leg and lunged for my neck. I fell backwards with it on top of me, I grabbed it's face with one paw and it's jaw with the other, I pulled down hard. It came slow at first but ripped away easily at the end. I was mortified. I didn't want to do that..why did I do that?.

Its blood covered my face drowning me. I tried to scream, to make it stop. I tried and tried and then I heard it...my scream. My human scream. I opened my eyes and realised I had been dreaming. I found myself in a room I do not recognise.

I'm so glad that didn't happen...wait..did it happen?.

I didn't have much time to think about it when I heard a voice that I'd grown to miss so much.

"Annabelle!!" Mav exclaimed in her high pitch voice. Damn she's way too hyper right now, I just woke up.

I winced slightly at the pitch of her voice, my head still hurts. I looked over to her, we were in a large wooden hut, it had ruff wooden flooring and was only furnished with two wooden beds that had thin mattresses on, two cabinets beside either bed and two chairs.

Mav was standing right by me. That's probably why her voice hurt my ears. "Quiet down Mav, your annoying voice his causing her more pain"

I looked to my other side and saw Bea standing there. Her hair was tied in a messy bun and she looked like she hadn't been sleeping. She gently took my hand and smiled. I looked back over to Mav who had the same dark circles under her eyes.

"I missed you.." I croaked, it was all I could say right now. My mouth is so dry. As if sensing this Bea released my hand and poured me a cup of water. I sat up painfully, groaning and wincing as I did. I took the cup from her hands before drinking what I could.

"Thank you...where are we?" I asked.

Before any of them could reply another voice interjected from the door way. The man with the warm eyes. "Hello Annabelle, I'm Glad to see you awake. My name is Marcus, This is my home." he sent me a warm smile, it's weird to see such a manly man being kind. I continued to take small sips of my water not knowing what else to do. "I will leave you to talk with your friends, they worried about you an awful lot". Bea smiled while Mav looked away seemingly uncomfortable. Marcus left the hut.

I just remembered something "Bea what happened?" her face dropped, I can tell she never usually messes up. She stuttered "I..I thought it could hold you, I mean, I've never seen, well...I've never seen someone as small as you become something...that..powerful?" she said silently asking herself if that was the right descriptive word.

"So I escaped?" I asked her.

"Yes you escaped and we had to get help to find you, then the 'capturers' had you, so we had to wait for scouts to block the route, and when you left us, a soldier went to tell the King about a powerful Lycan that escaped the cells and we were worried he would find you" Mav said all in one breath.

I stared at her for a second before looking at Bea. She was looking at Mav, mouth agape with a shocked expression.

"Mav!" Bea shouted nearly causing my ears to explode. "I'm sorry Anna" she whispered loudly with her hands in the hair apologetically.

-----

We talked for about half an hour before my eyes grew heavy again. I didn't want to go to sleep just in case I wake up imprisoned again. I yawned causing Bea to ask if I was tired, I said no. I sat there for another half an hour listening to Mav drone on about how she met her mate and he's a part of this clan, Bea didn't look too pleased but I know her. She accepts the will of the Gods, her faith is something I wish I had.

Mav had not long left to be with her mate, my yawning became almost every minute, Bea could clearly tell I was fighting it.

"Anna you need to sleep, get some rest, when you wake up we can go for a walk, how does that sound?" She placed her hand on mine trying to reassure me that she'll be back.

I didn't want to be alone, "Please stay with me" I begged breaking eye contact. I hate being seen as weak but right now I really need somebody. A tear escaped my eye, she squeezed my hand tighter wiping my tear with the back of her other hand.

"Of course I'll stay with you...you know.. I don't think I've ever been that scared in my life" Bea stated climbing into bed next to me. I moved over a little giving her some space. I laid on my side slightly to face her, it was comfier for me that way anyway.

"What do you mean?" I asked. She moved to face me.

"Anna... I promised it was going to be okay and I shouldn't have. I overestimated myself and put you and everyone else in danger. I thought he already had you." she paused "I'm sorry. It's all my fault" a lone tear ran down her face which she quickly swiped away.

"Hey, it's okay, I didn't know what we were getting into either" I sighed trying to take off some of the pressure she put on herself.

"It's not okay Anna, look what you went through because of me, you have scars that will never fade because of me, another friend almost died because of me"....

"Another friend?" this revelation woke me up abit, Id heard the mention of a friend but never wanted to pry as it seemed like a sore subject. She brought it up so I might aswell try.

"Yes... we were friends as kids...I would often run away from the castle to play in the forest. It seems he had the same ideas because we ran into each other in the middle of the woods. And I mean bumped heads fully ran into each other. Which still surprises me because of all the spaces we could have ran too. We called it fate". She smiled to herself in remembrance of her old friend, then she frowned clearly remembering something else.

"What happened to him?..you don't have to tell me, I just..I want to know what hurts you so badly" I told her honestly. I trust her completely, she barely knew me and still went through all this effort to save me. She was a prideful person I know asking for help wasn't easy for her.

"He was a Lycan.." she said that like I'm supposed to know what that means for him..

when she saw the questionable look on my face she continued. "I tried to keep him away from my father. I made sure I knew where all the patrols were going so I could make sure he kept clear... Then my father established a group we called 'the capturers'. They go from pack to pack digging up all the Lycans they can find... long story short they caught him. My father has some cruel methods of making people co-operate, I can only imagine what he went through before he even got to the war.. My father realised I would never forgive him and so he let me leave... Now you know one of the main reasons I hate my father". The look of anger and sadness on her face was heartbreaking.

I took her hand in mine and squeezed it, she returned the squeeze and we both sighed simultaneously. "None of this is your fault Bea"... I said closing my eyes still holding her hand, wow I'm so tired right now.."There will always be bad in the world, so there has to be good too right?" I said drousey, before I was fully asleep I heard her reply. "..Right..".

NOTES-

Thank you for reading!!

I never actually thought I had the patience to write something like this. It turns out I do and I don't. Sometimes I can't write, and sometimes I can't stop.

If you made it this far there must be something I'm doing right, feel free to tell me when I'm not.

Love. Love.

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