Mine
Nadja woke up with the strange sensation of warmth on her face. Five years barely seeing the light of the day had made her eyes and skin more sensitive.
Her mind was confused; she felt lost as she opened her eyes in a strange place. Her tired and fragile body lay at the edge of a stream, flanked by leafy trees on both sides. The robe she wore was wet, and the rays of sunlight brought a cozy sense of warmth.
She touched her face, incredulous. She thought she would die when she fell from the cliff, but despite some pain from her battered body, she was alive and whole.
The sound of birds singing filled her ears with the beautiful melody of a new day.
There were wounds on her arms, legs, and feet, but despite being painful, they were not serious. She felt cold, but the greatest discomfort came from her empty stomach. She looked around with no idea where she was or where she should go.
In which direction was the kidnappers' camp? How could she know if she was not walking back into her nightmare?
She stood up with difficulty, a paralyzing fear seizing her, scared of the punishment she would receive if she were captured.
She was alone in the world for the first time, she had never made any decisions, she grew up obeying orders and did not know what to do.
Furthermore, she remembered that Rebeca would follow the river; perhaps she had a better chance of staying safe if she did the same. If she was lucky, she would find her friend and Rebeca would know where to go, wouldn’t she?
She followed the stream for a few minutes, but luck seemed not to be on her side, as the sound of male voices paralyzed her once again.
HIM
— Is there a problem, Alpha? — Beta Eli asked when Dérik suddenly stopped walking. They were patrolling the border of the territory, scheming how to better promote security and avoid invasions. A quiet walk after the victory against the last attack they suffered, to rectify some flaws in security. However, not only did Dérik stop suddenly, but the energy of his third form was felt after so many years.
— Do you smell that? — Dérik asked with a distorted voice.
Eli took a deep breath, but did not notice anything different. Upon noticing Dérik's black claws tearing at the tips of his fingers, he ordered the wolves accompanying them to take an attack position.
Seeing his men ready to attack, whoever was nearby, the black fur bristled on Dérik's hands and face. The growl he directed at the men made them fall to their knees on the ground.
Uncontrolled and confused, Dérik followed the strange scent that penetrated his nostrils and completely clouded his mind. His heart beats fiercely, as if it wanted to escape his chest and go by itself in that direction.
Eli spotted a figure running towards the trees, and before he could order the men to capture the intruder, Dérik ran at a terrifying speed.
— Who's there? — Dérik roared, dazed. — Step out from behind that tree, and maybe I'll let you live!
A frightened girl, with a face full of tears, slowly revealed herself. She was small, of uncertain age, dirty, with large eyes that shone with terror. She trembled from head to toe, and upon seeing the blood from her wounds, Dérik growled even louder.
Eli did not understand why his alpha was so furious with that intruder. She was weak and pathetic; the weakest of his men could break her neck effortlessly. However, when her eyes met his, he realized she was a Luna by birth, though still looked immature.
Dérik took a step toward the girl, and she reacted by taking two steps back, which made him growl, annoyed.
Eli's mind quickly worked on the advantages of having a true Luna in their pack. They could use her to benefit the females, and by chance, produce pups. Last time, they managed to produce an heir; it would be better not to kill her, but to keep her in the harem.
Without thinking properly, he grabbed Dérik's arm.
— Sir, we can't kill her; she doesn't seem to pose a danger to our people. Let's take her to the Harem; she could be useful as a breeder and—
Dérik's body exploded, revealing the terrible third form. Bones twisted and flesh structured into a huge beast. A giant mix of wolf and human, powerful, strong enough to crush Eli's skull with just two fingers. The monster brought its snout to Eli's ear and roared:
— Mine!
The beast grabbed Eli by the neck and threw him away before running towards the small intruder. She tried to flee, which amused the beast.
HER
Nadja had no way to escape, they were too close and had already noticed her presence. She tried to run between the trees, in the vain hope that she would be too insignificant for that pack to chase her, and she couldn't have been more mistaken.
— Who's there?
The deep, gravely voice pierced her ears and struck her heart directly. What did that feeling mean? She stopped running and came out from behind the tree to face the owner of the voice that had caused unknown emotions.
The group of males looked at her with curiosity and apprehension. One of them emanated a wild, almost oppressive energy. What gave her chills was that he looked neither like a man nor a wolf, but a monster with the characteristics of both. Tall, muscular, with sharp fangs and eyes as black as the coldest night. When their eyes met, she felt a connection with him so deep that her soul seemed to be trapped by the beast.
She felt fear, yet somehow, the monster that terrified her was also the source of an incomprehensible feeling of security. She wanted to flee from him, to stay as far away from that creature as possible, but her feet would not move, for her heart wanted to approach him.
— Mine! — He growled as he jumped towards her.