Everywhere seemed dark and gloomy, and the forest thickets scrubbed and grasped at my cloak as though in protest of my action. I gasped, halted, cussed, and yanked my cloak off a thicket for the umpteenth time, fast losing my patience with the thorny plants as I stumbled through the cold night deep into the woods.
I didn’t want to transform because it would only increase my scent and make me vulnerable to the guardians lurking around the forest, not to mention the patrollers; they are very sensitive, and their abilities stretched to maximum due to their high ranks.
“We will soon be out of this territory, Muse. Hold on,” I assured my wolf that was going on a rampage in agitation inside me.
“This is a stupid idea, Danika!” she roared, tugging at my inside. “What if something goes wrong? Did you forget there are likely to be rogues outside the borders and then what are we going to do?”
“We will fight! We have prepared long for this, don’t forget.” I linked back in a snarl and slapped indignantly at a buzzing insect that flew across my face, thereby escaping it, the angry pelt landing on my delicate skin. “Ow!” I cried in outrage, hoping that the insect meets Hades by all means. I had studied the map that I got from the library which shows that from this forest I’m supposed to burst out to the red moon pack, a frontier from where I will go to the human territory.
“This is not smart! Our mate would be mad at us!”
“Can you let me think, Muse?” I cried, coming to an abrupt stop as I felt another presence. That is what I suspected. It’s not possible that the forest would be empty without patrollers or guardians, particularly since the last incident. I knew all along and planned for it.
I leaned on my hunch, enhancing my sight to run through the forest. Only thickets and trees decorated the pathways, and then I saw a hare burrowing into her hole. I shook my head, depending on my ears to listen.
They might not have seen me, which is why I have to act fast. I closed my eyes to try and clamp close the last of my essence so that they don’t see me meander through. This has to work.
“Danik-”
“Shuuuuu,”
“List-”
“Not now, Muse!” I focused, once more scanning my eyes through the direction I’m supposed to go through, to make sure there were no silhouettes outlined, masked, or concealed.
“We are good to go!” I blurted, slowly rising to my feet to sneak through. This part of the forest is going to be the most difficult until I’m out of this territory to face the human part.
I managed to outrun them until I was close to the border, then I eventually transformed into Muse when I was getting tired and proceeded to bound through the forest. Yes, I’m tired but we can’t waste any time resting. We have to make sure we are halfway across the human territory, before sunset so that by the time they notice I’m gone, I would be truly far to be reached.
“Good girl!” I applauded Muse who despite not supporting this adventure was doing her best to make it work.
“I just wish you will stop this…” she whined.
“We will talk about it when we are safe, Muse. Just get us out of here.”
We reached close to the border when it was almost dawn and had to stop close to a river to drink water. Muse lapped into the water and played around in it, making me roll my eyes, though having to tell her that we had to keep going.
She had run throughout the night and I didn’t want to spoil the little fun she was having. So, I chilled and let her have her way so she can be compliant when I want to have mine.
“I can see you are enjoying yourself,” I quipped.
“Yeah… It’s been a while since we went to the river, remember?”
My face fell. “Yeah.” It’s really been a while. Since Alfred’s return, a lot of things changed, and affected our outings too. I didn’t know Muse was likewise affected. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. I know you are hurt like me, so we are going to comfort each other,” she sounded broken, almost driving me to tears but someone had to be strong.
“I’m sorry I failed us, Muse. I wasn’t that strong to fight. You must think I’m some weak coward who couldn’t even win the heart of her mate, instead runs away.”
She looked out to the river with a heavy heart. “I think you are a strong woman, Danika. Any woman who would easily forfeit her position to another woman without a fight after what you have gone through, you are unique.”
“You think so?”
“I know so,” she said. “I’m glad to be a part of you even though you are a bit annoying sometimes…” She giggled and sniffed, showing she was crying. “I will always be here for you, Reddo!” I inclined my ears to the top.
“Did you just call me Reddo?”
“Yeah. Ain’t you one? You don’t know how angry I was when you cut your hair. It was one of those moments I felt like drowning you…” She rolled her eyes.
“You didn’t say anything.”
“I didn’t need to. It appears your friends helped me do all the talking.”
I chuckled. “You are a legit asshole.”
“You love me like that, Reddo.”
We laughed together, the moment making me think of my friends. They might miss me, who knows? And Alfred, would he miss me too? Alonso?
I shook my head, withdrawing from having such stray thoughts. I’m not supposed to think of them for now till I’m safe in the human territory.
“Hey, we have to leave now, okay? So that we can get there before nightfall,” I urged her.
She shook her body to ward off water and walked out of the water, going to pick up our backpack, and began strutting into the bush.
Then I paused, my nose catching a passing scent. I don’t know if it’s in my head from thinking too much or if it’s real. It can’t be! I can’t come this far for this.
With a sharp brief glance around, I took to my heels, dashing maddeningly towards the boundary to cross to the other side.
Luckily, I crossed to the other part, saying goodbye to my former life. By now Muse was tired, panting aloud, her gait slowing down. I felt bad for her. She has been through a lot throughout the night and I wasn’t making things easier.
“I have to rest, Danika. I’m so whipped…” she expressed, clearly out of breath. She took a few staggering steps, and fell on her hunch. I knew she was tired. But something else was wrong. Muse doesn’t easily get this tired.
I looked about frantically. This place looked very dangerous. It’s the red moon pack, the frontier between the werewolf kingdom and the human world. They are situated here for strategic purpose because they possess very powerful abilities and produces the greatest warriors. Their vicious activities carry through all the werewolf packs, that we hear about them from my former pack.
I can’t be found here. They don’t know me, plus I am not fully marked. I might have a mark, but still, the acceptance mark of a mate is not there. They might think I’m a sharer who had my lover’s fangs dug into my neck and not that of my mate.
“Can we try to move further, please?” I implored Muse who was sprawled on the ground now, her eyes drooping shut. “What’s happening? Are you okay?”
“I’m not. Something is wrong with my body. It’s like I’m drenched in silver.”
“No! No-”
Senile laughter broke out from behind me, causing me to go still in fear, the consequences of what is happening now dawning on me. We have just walked into a trap. A well-laid-out trap for rogues and by-passers, by the red moon pack.
“Look at what we have here, fellas! Show yourself, rogue!” A voice thundered, a deep Caucasian accent seeping through. They are pure breed red moon transformers. Very feral and dangerous.
I raised one of my claws above me, mumbling to an agitated Muse that nothing is going to happen. “Please, I’m not a rogue and I mean no harm. I’m just passing through.” I linked, slowly facing them, but their faces were concealed. They all wore black masks with silver knives in their hands and their body spotting hairs, meaning they were ready in case I tried anything messy.
Not that I would dare. If it was a person, I will try my hands but now, it would be my death sentence to nurse such an idea.
They are just as they were described, bulky men of menacing stature, deadly weapons hugging every inch of them.
“She is just a passerby…” Another man displayed in a mimicking voice and they all busted out laughing mockingly. “However, rogue, we don’t care if you are a fucken princess, we will confirm if you are worthy of being kept alive after we have sampled you…” He took a step forward and my heartbeat soared, pounding in my ribs. It can’t be what I’m thinking. They can’t do that.
“Please you can’t do that! You have to help my wolf, she’s dying from whatever you put in this forest.” I knew they heard me but ignored me. They were still carefully encroaching on me. I swallowed dryness, my eyes darting frantically from one man to another, I can’t even transform because that would be more like a giveaway of my body to them.
“I belong to the Alpha King!” I cried, using that as the last form of defense. They stopped, their eyes skidding from one man to another in contemplation of my words.
“Liar! The King has only one mate that we know of! If you think you can lie your way through, well, you just doubled your punishment, baby girl. Grab her!”
…