chapter 8

After I met Ruth, I realized that I had made a grave mistake in accepting Trey. I should have rejected him when I had the chance. I wonder what heinous crime I committed in my past life to be punished with such a mate.

Ruth and I had bonded and became close.

Lily finally started treating her right and though they weren't exactly friends, they now tolerated each other pretty well.

I had routine checks with the doctor every week and I stopped going to school. I started homeschooling and though it felt awkward at first, I adjusted rather quickly.

I was doing my best and taking my life one step at a time.

However, I wasn't aware that whatever god was cursing me wasn't through with me yet. I had no idea that an even worse fate lay ahead of me.

There had been unrest and unpredictable attacks on our borders every now and then.

No one had been hurt but nobody had any clue who was behind the attacks.

Some said it was caused by hunters whose strengths had been increasing in recent years.

Hunters were a terribly feared group of humans that had unending thirst for supernatural blood. I had heard about them, read about them, but had never encountered one in my life so they might as well have been a myth.

Others said that the peace between the supernatural creatures was gradually dwindling and soon there would be an all out war. Nobody truly knew or understood the extent of power the other supernatural creatures had. Books about them had been destroyed by royal decree centuries ago when the peace pact was made. The peace pact brought peace by eliminating the threat of war because nobody enjoys fighting an unknown enemy.

Whatever the cause, people were frightened and agitated and packs continued to form alliances amongst themselves.

I didn't really care about any of this as someone born into peace naturally would. I had no idea of the tragedies of war and did not believe in subjecting myself to the fear that everyone else nursed.

In fact, I was pretty annoyed because security around my pack had become tight and nobody was allowed to walk around after 9pm.

I was in my second month of pregnancy when it happened. The thing that woke me up to the fact that my life was truly a sport for some bored out of their minds gods out there.

I had been advised to get more exercise by my doctor. I honestly didn't mind it at all, my body was undergoing some very annoying changes and I felt really slow. I had to avoid strenuous exercises but could walk as much as I liked.

I hadn't shifted since I found out I was pregnant and was out of touch with my wolf. She and I were at odds because she kept defending our dumb mate.

she hardly communicated with me adding to the list of things I'd forever hate Trey for.

After spending half of my day binge watching drama series alone, I decided to go for a walk in the woods.

it was a beautiful day in late spring and summer was slowly approaching.

i put my phone in a small bag and made sure the doors were locked.

I had planned to walk around the northern part of the woods but I knew the layout like the back of my hand so it would be boring.

I decided to go to the western part instead. I was well aware of its safety, though I had never gone there before. it was the perfect opportunity to explore. I set out, confident of my safety hunters or not.

The forest was breathtaking. The trees all possessed an eye catching fresh green colour in their leaves and birds of different colours went about their businesses in a carefree manner.

i was entranced by its beauty. I had tried to avoid being alone with my thoughts since Trey but for the first time I was too happy to care.

After walking for a few minutes, I found a lake.

it was surrounded by different trees and looked endless. it exuded an aura of absolute calm. it was very beautiful.

I found a bench by the side of the lake and sat down.

it was my first time seeing the lake but I knew that it had already become one of my favorite places in the world.

Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me and by instinct, the hairs on my neck stood still.

I sniffed the air around me quietly. people were behind me and were coming closer. They had the smell of ordinary wolves, but it was impossible for me not to have heard their footsteps. The only wolves that had silent footsteps were trained ASSASSINS!!!!

Every molecule in my body told me to run but I brushed it off. I was just being paranoid, I told myself.

I turned to my back, two men were there walking towards me. One was a dirty blonde with brown eyes that looked almost hazel. he was about 6'4, slim but looked very fit and had a haughty smile on his face. The other one had black hair with the exact same eyes as the one beside him, he was a bit shorter and looked muscular. His face was devoid of emotion.

Thier faces were not familiar and I knew I had never seen them before. They seemed dangerous at first but the closer they got to me, the less threatened I felt by them.

I returned to looking at the lake, staring at them made me feel uncomfortable.

"do you mind if I sit here?"

the dirty blonde was standing in front of me while the black haired guy stood a good distance away.

why did he have to talk to me?

I sighed inwardly. I had no desire to communicate with any living thing.

"no, I don't mind" I said moving to the farthest edge of the bench.

He laughed.

The sound of his laughter sent a chill down my spine.

"you don't have to move that far"

he had a genuine looking smile on his face but I was inclined not to trust him and be guarded.

" it's fine"

i forced a smile and turned my attention to the lake.

it was awkwardly silent and I knew he was staring at me.

didn't he know it was rude to stare?

A part of me was scared of him and wanted to get out of his presence as soon as possible while the other was curious, very curious.

"i've never seen you before, are you visiting someone?" i asked going against myself.

"something like that..... are you curious?" he asked leaning in a little.

"yes, a bit" I replied

i felt slightly relieved. He didn't seem like such a creep anymore.

he laughed again but this time, it felt soothing and I felt at ease in his presence.

"the lake is beautiful isn't it?" he asked

He was obviously trying to start a conversation

"it is"

we sat in silence admiring the view together, as though we were enchanted by one power.

"your scent is weird" he said breaking the spell of silence that surrounded us.

I didn't know if it was okay for me to tell him I

it was because of my pregnancy. How much information are you supposed to give a stranger?

"is that so?" I asked, I didn't want to divulge information.

"are you pregnant?" he asked

My face flushed red from embarrassment and I honestly wanted to disappear.

I sighed in my head but nodded outwardly.

It was a surprise he had not noticed earlier even though I had painstakingly tried to hide it under my clothes.

"oh!" he said his mouth forming an 'o' as his face clearly displayed surprise.

I understood his surprise. I was 'blessed' with a smallish statue so people always assumed I was younger than my actual age.

"I definitely wasn't expecting that" he continued a few moments later

i smiled innocently and turned all my attention to the lake in front of us.

we maintained the silence for a few more minutes.

"on a second thought, it's definitely something else" he said.

okay what?

I kinda understood why we were told as kids to not talk to strangers. They are so unpredictable!

he turned to his shorter companion who had been standing a good distance from us the entire time. I had almost forgotten he was there.

"what do you think james?"

"I also think its weird" james replied in a very impassive manner.

he was very stiff and structured. it was as though he was in the presence of his superior. Their relationship was surely not normal. James appeared to be the unbreakable defensive wall. I became even more curious about who this guy was, but I put a stamp on it and threw any of such thoughts out.

He studied me, his brown eyes gradually filling with interest. I forced myself to meet his intense gaze though I wanted to crawl under my blanket and hide.

It felt like he was seeing the very essence of my soul and all my secrets were laid bare.

As I looked into his eyes, I realized that they were purple not close to hazel. There was no way I could confuse the two colors unless of course I had become color blind.

The look of interest in his eyes faded away and gave replaced with realization. he slowly stood to his feet, showing me the giant he was. He looked at me with assessing eyes and was very much alert.

I subconsciously became alert as well. Fear started to grow inside me.

he smiled and this time, it was very scary. The way he looked at me had gone from a harmless passerby to dare I say, a prey...

"okay, where do I begin?" he asked pursing his lips in a thin line. His hands folded against his chest

"what do you mean?" I asked.

I found myself speaking with confidence despite feeling giddy for no apparent reason.

"oh nothing much"

His voice was dripping with sarcasm and he sported a mischievous grin. It honestly suited him a lot more than the "genuine" smile he showed earlier. His face transformed, he was as cold as ice, his jaw hard and his eyes, his eyes were filled with an unreadable expression that pumped fear into my heart.

"what is your connection to a guy named Trey?" he asked

I had no idea who the hell he was, what the hell he wanted and why in the world he was asking me about Trey.

It was then I suspected that something was off, terribly off. I felt cold sweat break out on my back and for the first time in my life I felt hunted.

My first cohesive thought was to run...

"do I have to answer that?" I asked surprising myself.

My voice came out strong and clear and I sounded brave.

he laughed, I could not believe he found this hilarious, I was freaking out in my head.

"it's your choice, but i'll advice you to speak willingly"

His tone carried a thick layer of warning.

"before I do that, I'd like to know why you're looking for him" I said

I am convinced that I wasn't the one speaking at that moment. It seemed that I was possesed by some insane fearlessly stupid spirit.

"well, we are here to kill him"

he was very blunt clearly making it known that he wasn't someone to be messed with.

I gasped but no sound came out of my mouth.

A few seconds after, I started laughing.

I tried to stop but laughs continued to pour from my mouth.

what in the world was wrong with me?

I hoped that being abandoned by my mate was not driving me mad.

he was surprised, it was very obvious that he expected fear from me.

Well, my elementary school teacher taught me that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

However, she also said that sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is run...

"If you're truly here to kill him, I wish you the best of luck" a grin was plastered on my face.

"i do not know the whereabouts of the good for nothing you seek, but when you find him" I paused releasing a breath I had no idea I was holding

"do me a favour and grant him a painful death".

i was in complete and utter mortification at myself. I hated him very much, that I knew, but wanting him dead... that was too much.

The two men seemed shocked at my declaration. it was predictable, I myself was shocked.

Regaining his composure, the dirty blonde one broke the moment of silence.

"where did you last see him?"

"i wasn't the last to see him, but, he was sighted on the streets close to the border this pack shares with Fos about a month ago. he should have been gone by now" I replied giving him the information I had received from Ruth.

he paused for a moment letting everything sink in.

he made a small sound of satisfaction and remained in his head.

I took that as my cue to leave and walked away answering the call of my instincts.

"wait a minute" he said.

i paused and turned back.

i had no idea what he wanted. he was staring at me with a blood curling smile on his face.

"what do you want?" I asked in annoyance.

"he's your mate, isn't he?" he asked.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at him and sighed.

"no, he was" I replied.

it was very true, I would've rejected him if I had even the slightest knowledge of his full name and the pack he was from.

"then it is his child you carry" he said raising his left brow questioningly.

"is there a problem" I asked

My eyes opened to the dangers these strangers presented.

"not at all, we'd like to return the favour and prevent a greater abomination" he said

he had a smirk on his face.

I swallowed.

He stood straight and somehow, I immediately knew in my heart that he wasn't a wolf.

My feet itched to run and I felt the force of my built up fear come crashing down. I hoped I was mistaken, I would be in so much trouble if he wasn't a wolf. I could barely hold my own against wolves as it was.

He seemed like danger personified and all my werewolf instincts screamed "run".

he walked towards me slowly, graciously taking his time while I was rooted to the spot.

He knew very well that I was afraid of him.

"an abomination, what do you mean?" I asked.

My voice was filled with genuine interest.

i was sure that I was gradually starting to go crazy.

If I was myself, I'd have ran away since.

"Your child of course miss" he said maintaining his smirk.

I was in complete and utter shock.

He stalked towards me slowly, one step at a time. My body was frozen, everything in me wanted to run but I was rooted to the spot.

He was a few inches away from me when I finally began running and he began chasing.

My legs carried me at a speed it never had before. Everything around me was a blur, I had no idea where I was headed but I continued running anyway.

Behind me, I could hear them following me steadily. I knew I could never outrun them but I had no other choice. I couldn't just give up and let them kill my child.

This was all my idiotic mate's fault. He should have been the one handling it, why must he drag me into it?

I kept running, my feet hurt and my body was feeling weak but I continued anyway. I could feel it drawing nearer, I was almost at what I knew was my limit.

I stopped hearing any sounds from them a few minutes before, but I needed to be as far away from them as I possibly could.

I stopped at a clearing to catch my breath and plan my next cause of action. I listened attentively for any sound but there was none. The clearing was very quiet. I knew I could not outrun them but maybe I could outsmart them.

My entire body ached but I had to find a place to hide and wait for help and I needed to do it fast.

Unfortunately, there was none. I immediately looked at where I came in from.

The dirty blonde walked in followed by James. James blocked the entrance while the other one walked towards me.

I quickly assessed my surroundings.

The clearing was surrounded by huge mountains that seemed to have no end. The clearing was almost bare with a few grasses growing here and there.

I couldn't climb the mountains. I knew if I did, I would be caught easily.

The only way out was the entrance where James had taken up residence.

The only way in was the only way out...

On the ground, there were a lot of small, polished and smooth stones.

My brain instantly manufactured a silly idea.

I grabbed as many stones as I possibly could and tried not to faint at the dirty blonde's approach with nowhere to run to.

His purple eyes were continuously fixed on me and he smiled at me picking the stones.

I absolutely doubted that I'd hit him. It was a proven fact that my aim was terrible but I had hoped the stones would somehow hit him and give me enough room to slip past them.

It was my only shot at escaping and though it hurt my pride to say that it was up to luck, deep down I knew it was.

I had no idea where I would go to but I had to run and hope for the best.

I felt a rush of adrenaline as I picked up a stone and felt it.

I raised my right arm and threw the stone so hard I thought my arm would fall off.

the stone hit him hard on his forehead and the sound of stone meeting skin sounded horrifying.

He was momentarily taken aback and touched his forehead.

I looked at the entrance to see if it worked but James did not stir and remained in the exact same position. I wanted to lay on my bed and cry.

how could he be so impassive?

I turned my attention back to the dirty blonde, he was bleeding from where the stone had hit.

He appeared very furious.

However in a split second, the wound had completely faded into obscurity. It was like it was never there.

It proved my instincts correct, he wasn't a wolf.

wolves healed quickly but not as quickly as he had just healed.

The stones I had gathered fell to the ground making clanking noises as they collided with each other.

"I had originally planned to let you go and only kill the child but it seems that you'd like to die together" he said releasing a murderous aura.

My heart was beating so fast, it was like it wanted to leave my chest.

He raised his left hand and it was immediately covered in bright blue light.

As I watched closely, my eyes widened in awe.

In his palm, there was blue flame.

It was the hottest flame in the world.

I had read about it in a human novel I saw online.

According to the book, it was a power that belonged to the Fae kingdom and only masters of the fire element could command it.

When I read the book, I didn't believe such existed but here I was, in the presence of a living, breathing fire element legend who wanted to kill me.

I had no idea why a Fae would want to kill my child.

The book claimed they were conservative creatures and so the entire situation seemed like a farce.

I knew that I would not live if the blue flame hit me. it could burn a body to ashes completely, in less than a minute.

The only way I would survive was if it missed me by happenstance and knew it wouldn't end there. I was completely powerless and that in itself was sin. I eventually came to terms with my fate.

I swore I would return as a ghost and hunt Trey for the entirety of his life.

The blue flame materialized into the shape of a ball in his hands and was thrown towards me.

I vividly saw the ball of flame approaching me, faster than anything I'd ever seen. I closed my eyes in silent prayer to Selene for the souls of my family left behind.

My own death was coming and I embraced it...