Chapter 7

• Lily POV
• But no one came… not even the moon goddess.
• It felt as if blood had stopped flowing to my wrist from the death grip I had on the steering wheel, my eyes darting between the road ahead and the rearview mirror. The rogues were still chasing me like their lives depended on it.
• I swerved sharply, narrowly avoiding a tree that loomed suddenly in my path. I weaved through another row of trees – who plants a tree in the middle of a path? I wondered quietly too angry to voice them out. I narrowly missed the trees and continued bursting out to a clearing.
• The noise from my car was becoming louder but I couldn’t afford to slow down, especially not now. Suddenly, Lucas’s warning echoed in my mind again, cutting through the fog of fear that had settled in my brain.
• “They’ll come for you, Lily. You can’t outrun them forever,”.
• I peered out of the window, studying the Rogues chasing after me. A chill ran down my spine as it dawned on me the real identity of these rogue wolves. They weren’t random rogues out for an easy meal – they had small cuts on the left side of their ears… they were known as “The Crawler”.
• Unlike other rogues that roamed about killing unsuspecting people, these ones had a settlement and only took jobs assigned to them for a given fee. They were the best in the business and they never missed their prey no matter how strong it was, regardless of if it was a Lycan.
• So, they were sent by someone who wanted me dead or captured and there was only one person with that kind of influence and motive. It couldn’t have been my father… he was too timid to shed blood but…
• “Vanessa!” I whispered. Of course, it has to be her. If she could steal Lucas away from me, and watch her with a joyful smile on her face as they exiled me, she would do anything to make sure I disappear forever and she wanted to make sure I never made it to safety.
• Adrenaline replaced the fear that was pumping in my bloodstream. I wasn’t about to give Vanessa the satisfaction of dying. Checking my rearview mirror again, I gauged the number of rogues after me and they seemed more than 20. There was no way I would get to ‘Blue Moon Pack,’ the pack my father had finally agreed I go to since they were easy on rogues from a royal family like me. My gas was running low and the condition of my car will not see me through.
• With my jaw set in determination, I made a split-second decision. Even though I stood no chance with this decision since I knew the Alpha hated rogue wolves, whether wild ones or not I’d rather face death than go to the other pack father had arranged for me and be a pawn in his games.
• The Royal Hunters Pack – Alpha Kai Ryker’s territory.
• Taking a deep breath, I yanked the wheel hard, veering off the main road onto a barely visible trail. I’d heard rumours of this shortcut, whispered by pack members who’d dared to go close to the edges of the Royal Hunters Pack. If I could just make it there…
• I was literally asking for my death by going there. Alpha Kai was notoriously known for being merciless and trespassers met their death or punishment instantly. But his pack was also the closest. More importantly, these rogues would dare not follow after me once I drive past his borders.
• A thud rocked the rear of the car as one of the pursuing wolves slammed into the rear bumper. I yelped in surprise and the car careened off for the trail for a few seconds before I regained control.
• “Come on, come on,” I muttered, willing the old car to hold together just a little longer.
• Another wolf lunged for the driver’s side window, its jaws a few inches away from my face. I screamed, instinctively pushing myself away from the window. The car spiralled out of control and just when I was sure I was going to crash and that I’d finally run out of luck, something extraordinary happened.
• Those flock of white birds – the same one that had been following me earlier and disappeared suddenly fluttered their dainty wings in front of the werewolf that was ready to attack me. One of the birds went further to release its litter, dropping it conveniently on the wolve’s eyes.
• The wolves yelped in surprise and pain. Momentarily blinded, it lost its footing, tumbling away from the car and taking out two of its packmates in the process.
• I couldn’t believe my eyes.
• “Did that really just happen?” I wondered aloud, regaining control of the wheels again as a hysterical giggle bubbled up my throat. Were the birds actually trying to help me? it seemed impossible and yet…
• I had no time to think it through as the rogues had regrouped. This time, they were running through the bushes, trying to overtake my car. My heart hammered in my chest, as I continued muttering desperate words to the moon goddess. Ahead, I could see the border that led to the Royal Hunter pack… Just a little further. Just a little further –
• A deafening roar split the night… it was so powerful that it shook the ground. My breath caught in my throat as I picked up a massive figure that burst from the tree line behind me.
• It was another wolf, but unlike anything I’d ever seen before. It was twice the size of the rogues chasing me, with fur as black as midnight and eyes that shone like the moon in the darkness. The air crackled and I saw before my eyes, that the rogue wolves paused as they all quivered with fear. Some of them darted into the forest while others whimpered as they back.
• It growled, causing a shudder to run through me, I could feel the aura of its pure alpha energy that made my skin prickle from where I was in my car.
• Our eyes met in the mirror and I felt attraction sizzle in the air… I couldn’t look away either… I felt pinned in place… the forest itself seemed to hold its breath, waiting to see what would happen next.
• Then I realized with a mix of awe and terror as the big wolf started towards me with a deliberate slowness, his piercing golden eyes still trained on me…
• Was that Kai Ryker – the ruthless Alpha?