Chapter 7

SHE RUNS THROUGH THE FOREST, WHILE LISTENING TO THE HOWLS IN THE DISTANCE.

"No, no, no, no", She whispers to herself.

She runs through the forest, tripping over vines, ducking under branches. An open patch of land is in sight and she picks up speed. She finally reaches it, walks toward the center and collapses. Her heart is racing in her chest, her legs feeling like jelly.

"I can't do this anymore", She says aloud.

She lays there for ten. Twenty. Thirty whole minutes' pass when she hears something. SNAP. She hears it again. She looks around.

"Who's there? Show yourself", She shouts.

Fur appears among the leaves and a giant wolf emerges. The wolf's fur was patchy and looked like a lot of it has fallen out recently and began to grow back. She has a horrified look on her face.

"What the hell," She whispers.

The wolf grins and begins to shift back. There now stood a man. He looked not very well kept.

"What are you," She shouts.

The man laughs," I'm what you call a rogue, pack wolf."

A rogue?! Rogues are horrifying and very deadly. More hunters fall to rogues than other mutts because it's said that rogue's claws are laced with nightshade.

"I heard the mutts with the king howling and even the king himself sounded like he was in pain. That makes me guess that you are the king's beloved mate," his yellow teeth show.

Lucia stands and goes to run when she was tackled to the ground. The rogue on top, Lucia struggles to get free.

She hears him whisper," I wouldn't mind giving his majesty his mate back soiled, wouldn't you say."

Lucia shouts," Get off!"

He laughs, which gives her time to roll over and kick him off. He flies a few feet before getting to her feet. He gets back and was going to attack again when he notices something. Her teeth were clenched, and her features basically screamed pain. She falls to one knee, sweating heavily. It felt like her skin was melting off and her bones were breaking. She feels her left arm shifting, then a snap is heard. She lets out a blood curdling scream and collapses to the ground.

" She is shifting," the rogue whispers.

Another bone breaks, making her completely collapse and blood starts to trickle down the side of her mouth. She felt like she was dying and whispers," Father, forgive me for I have been turned into one of them."

Another bone breaks, causing her vision to blacken as she fell into oblivion.

Damian races through the forest when a sudden jolt of pain sends him into the ground. He hears his wolf howl as his body's temperature rises higher and higher. His heart beats faster and faster.

***Our mate is in pain. She is shifting. ***

" I know," Damian whispers.

He rises and races towards where Lucia's scent gets stronger and stronger. He reaches the opening and finds blood covering the ground. He lowers his snout and sniffs. It was Lucia's.