5 TAKING HER BACK

Blair took a cease from running as she tried to catch her breath. Beads of sweat were dripping down at the sides of her face. While she glanced over the surroundings, she realized that she was still in the woods.

Blair nodded with the realization, of course, she didn't shift into her wolf self. So, she must not expect herself to go that far.

She didn't know how long she needed to run to get herself out from there and find a road. Blair leaned over the tree, panting and yet smiling. She pictured herself among the humans.

Blair wondered what it would look like there.

Did they also have someone she needed to talk with, like an alpha, to join their pack or whatever they were naming it? Although it was only the myths and the elderly's stories that she could rely on to know more about humans, she had a good feeling that she would survive there.

Besides, she had been reading a lot about them. She was even amazed about the things they had created, and she couldn't wait to feel and experience all of that. Blair couldn't help but imagine how the big city would look and why they called it that way. She was wondering if it was as vast as the woods they had in there.

She was smiling the more she thought about what her future would be like, but at the same time, those smiles also faded with her anxiousness.

However, Blair shook her head to brush off her thoughts. She hadn't even made it out of the woods. Blair knew that she still needed to run some more but she didn't even know how much longer. All she knew was she was not supposed to stop and slack around.

She wasn't safe yet.

Nevertheless, she still needed some rest.

Just as she thought of resting, Blair briskly flipped her head into one side as the rustling sound of dried leaves caught her attention. There was someone else in the woods. She knew it was far enough since she hadn’t caught the scent yet. Her hearing was way sharper than her sense of smell and her ears had already prickled to attention.

That was the sign that she needed to continue running again. However, she also needed to be more cautious this time. If it was a wolf that she heard, they’ll be able to track her down through their sense of smell or hearing and it won't be long before she got caught.

Hiding wasn't a good choice either. With their enhanced senses, they could easily find her. There was only one option she had and that was to run as fast and as far as she could.

When she noticed the spacing between the trees increasing under the moonlight, Blair’s feet felt lighter with hope. The forest was getting sparser and she could even make out the dark horizon and the silhouettes of the mountain ranges some distance away.

However, her delight was short-lived. She heard the steps of more than one creature advancing towards her. Blair looked back, terrified.

'It must be the pack,' she thought.

The galloping sounds were getting stronger and undoubtedly on their way to her. That only meant one thing: they had already detected her. She regretted not putting on that perfume she saw in her room in the castle. It might have helped her cover up her scent.

However, Blair didn't have a choice anymore other than to continue running. Although she could run faster in her wolf form, it could also mean her scent would be much stronger. It would be easier for them to detect her smell.

She pulled her makeshift dress up as she tried to run silently but speedily. Or, at least, as fast as she could in her human form.

Blair began to panic as she could feel them getting nearer and nearer. She tried to run faster and just let her feet keep moving without paying much attention to her steps.

"Ouch!" Blair winced as she stumbled. She lost her balance as she felt a sting on her feet.

"Damn," she let out a cursed word after she saw her bloody foot. She had stepped on something, probably a thorny vine, and it dug deeply into the sole of her foot.

Nevertheless, she could already make out the scent of what was coming for her, and she discerned that it was not even her pack. Instead, it was Dante's pack. The more she needed to move and get herself out from there.

There was no way that she would let Dante catch her. It was a fate worse than death.

He undoubtedly was furious, and Blair didn't want to imagine to what extent. All she knew was that it would never be good news for her.

She forced herself to stand up and trudged the best she could. At least, the vast arrays of trees had ended.

Blair felt hope as she started to hear the beautiful sound of waves.

However, that hope was quickly dashed.

"Oh, no, not a cliff…" She drew a sharp breath at the sight of the cliff.

It was dark, and she couldn't even make out the depth. Judging by the sound of the currents, there was no doubt a river at the bottom of the ravine.

She lost all hope as she heard footsteps coming right behind her.

"Blair!"

Her heart hammered wildly under her chest as she heard Dante's voice echoing around the woods and against the mountain. She was trapped and there was no way out other than jumping off the cliff. Yet, doing that was nothing but suicide. She had no idea what else was down there, whether the water was deep enough to cushion her fall, or worse, if there were jagged rocks awaiting there.

Slowly, she submissively turned around.

She guessed it right. It was Dante and a few of the warriors of his pack.

Dante's lips stretched unto a sneer. " I didn't understand why you needed to run."

"I'm sorry, Dante, but I can't marry you," she answered with her trembling yet firm voice.

“Don’t be silly, Blair,” Dante said. “Come back with me.”

Dante was about to make his way on her when a sudden sweep of the wind stirred the dried leaves and dust on the ground. The dark surroundings were getting fuzzier, and the next thing she saw was a familiar man standing in front of her.

"Lucien?" she mumbled.

Lucien's head moved slightly to give her a glimpse but abruptly focused back on Dante and his pack. When he had turned around, Blair thought she caught the sight of a cocky smile dancing on his lips. However, he turned away before she could confirm.

They were all taken aback by the sight of Lucien. Most of them were open-mouthed with a hint of fear on their faces. However, not Dante. He let out a growl even in his human form, taking a step forward.

"Who are you, trying to barge in?" Dante asked angrily.

"No, need for you to be cranky, I'm just here to take my lost bride back home," Lucien said and sniggered.

The wolf behind Dante started to clamor with confusion. However, that made Dante sulkier.

“She’s mine!” Dante declared. "Kill him and take Blair back!" he yelled in command.

Everyone was starting to jump towards Lucien and Blair, shifting to their wolf forms in a symphony of cracking bones.

Nevertheless, Lucien was unpredictable. He grabbed Blair's waist as he swayed around, almost as if he was dancing. His feet struck the approaching wolves perfectly, walloping every last wolf that got a little too close.

“Hold on, love,” he murmured before jumping off the ground.

They stepped weightlessly on the wolves’ heads and bodies, using them as if they were a paved road. His hands firmly gripped onto Blair’s waist. The next thing she knew, they were already up in the air.

When everything sank in, she gaped at the distance between them and the wolves and uttered, "Wait, are we flying? You can fly?"

Lucien only smirked without answering nor looking at her as they flitted back to the castle, Dante’s furious howl piercing through the air.