Ruby;
Millions of questions swirled in my head as I unexpectedly found myself in heat, but I knew they could wait. Right now, I have more pressing issues to deal with, like finding a safe place, than deciphering the cause of my current predicament.
Being out in the open while in such a state was incredibly risky, causing my heart to race and my hands to tremble. With urgency driving me, I hurried deeper into the woods, seeking refuge away from male wolves who would be drawn to my scent like moths to a flame.
Returning to Damian’s house was an option, but the thought of pretending that everything was fine and facing his irritating sister was unbearable. Besides, it was his fault that I was in this condition.
Like, why did he have to scent-mark me? The fucking bastard wanted to have his cake and eat it too. No way.
When a female wolf goes into heat, it’s typically because she has begun forming a bond with her mate, as was the case with me in the past when I was with Liam, although the experience wasn’t as agonising as it is now.
Exhausted, I stumbled through the dense underbrush with the last remnants of strength I possessed. Luckily, I spotted a tent in the distance, which brought a grin to my face. It was a beacon of hope amidst the darkness surrounding me.
Gratefully, I hastened towards it, seeking sanctuary from the chaotic storm raging within me. Collapsing onto the soft bedding inside, I struggled to catch my breath as I fought against the pain surging through my body.
The agony was unbearable, and I resisted the urge to tear my hair out strand by strand. My core throbbed, craving the touch of my mate or any other male around.
Clutching at my skin, I tightly shut my eyes as the intensity of the sensation overwhelmed me. My core flared up as if it had been struck by thunder. It was good to know I was still in Damian’s pack, but that didn’t guarantee my safety.
“Make it stop,” I whispered hoarsely, knowing my wolf could sense my distress.
“I’m trying, but I can only ease some of the pain; we need our mate to do the rest.” My wolf’s voice echoed in my mind, breaking through the haze of panic.
“We don’t have a mate,” I snapped angrily, silently cursing Damian.
“This is strange,” she murmured, catching my attention.
“What’s strange?”
“I’ve never experienced anything like this before. And why is there a full moon? It’s not supposed to be this way.”Her words struck a chord, stirring a sense of unease within me. A full moon in the middle of the day was indeed strange and unsettling.
“I know, right? We can only get answers from Granny’s book once we’re done with this heat,” I sighed tiredly. I had no idea how long the heat would last or if it had anything to do with the full moon, leaving me grappling for answers in a sea of uncertainty.
“Do you perceive that?”
Suddenly, voices interrupted our conversation, carried on the wind. They sent a shiver down my spine, and fear raced through my veins about what could happen.
“Yeah, something smells delicious,” another responded eagerly, his voice tinged with excitement and hunger.
Panic surged within me as I realised they were talking about me-about my scent, heightened by my heat. Every instinct screamed at me to flee, to hide from the looming threat that lurked just beyond the safety of the tent, but I was too weak to move.
Trembling, I pressed myself into the corner of the tent, hoping to blend into the shadows, praying they wouldn’t notice me. But deep down, I knew my heat would inevitably draw them closer.
As the men approached, their heavy footsteps echoed against the forest ground. My breath caught in my throat, and I remained frozen, hardly daring to make a sound.
“I think it’s coming from there,” one of them murmured, their voices drawing nearer.
“Yeah, it smells like… something sweet,” another replied, their hunger evident. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing in the tense silence.
“Open the tent,” one commanded, sending a shiver down my spine. Holding my breath, I prayed they wouldn’t discover me hiding inside.
The flap of the tent peeled back, revealing me crouched within. Their eyes widened in surprise, and I felt a surge of fear as their gazes swept over me. A huge man wearing a blue shirt smirked, licking his lips as his eyes lingered on my body. Disgust churned in my stomach at his predatory gaze.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” he exclaimed, sounding amused.
“It looks like we stumbled upon a little treat,” another man added, a wicked grin spreading across his face. He wore black, and the deadly look in his eyes sent a chill down my spine. I swallowed hard, bracing myself for whatever would come next.
Though they didn’t smell like rogues, they were clearly members of a pack, possibly Damian’s warriors. But their intentions were far from noble, and I needed to think fast if I wanted to survive.
“Why is a beautiful woman like you out here all alone, without her mate?” the man in the blue shirt asked, false concern dripping from his words. I clenched my jaw, trying to maintain calm despite the fear bubbling up inside me.
“I’m just camping,” I replied, my voice wavering as fear tightened its grip on me. The men exchanged knowing glances, their expressions morphing into something predatory.
“Camping, huh? It looks like you’re in luck, boys,” the man in black said with a sinister smirk, his scarred forehead adding to the menacing aura. I watched in horror as more men entered the tent, which wasn’t large, and their intentions became increasingly clear.
“Be gentle on the lady and help her ease her pain.” The man in the blue shirt winked, and a chill ran down my spine. It was evident that these men weren’t here to offer help or companionship-they were predators, seeking an easy target to prey upon.
I knew I would be fucked, and desperation clawed at my chest as I searched for a way out of this precarious situation. If I didn’t act fast, I could end up as their next victim.
However, I couldn’t do anything but writhe in pain as I was helpless against the onslaught of my heat, and the men stepped closer.
Just as one of them reached out to touch me, his hand was swiftly decapitated from his body, and I gasped in shock as blood splattered over me. Despite the gruesome sight, relief flooded through me as a tall, familiar figure burst into the tent, his presence commanding and authoritative.
It was Damian.
He must have caught wind of my scent, and with swift and decisive movements, Damian detached the man’s head from his neck before he could scream out in pain. The rest of the men stepped backwards, but only the blue-shirted man stood frozen in shock, like he had seen a ghost, and before he could react, Damian ruthlessly disabled him, leaving him clutching his wounded hand in agony, and he fell to the ground, crying in pain.
“Alpha,” the man wearing a black shirt said immediately, and the rest of the men lowered their heads in submission, acknowledging Damian.
They knew better than to challenge the authority of their pack leader. Damian’s eyes blazed with fury as he surveyed the scene before him, his gaze settling on me with a mixture of concern and protectiveness. I couldn’t believe that Damian had taken his men’s lives like it was nothing for my sake.
“Mate,” he called my name, sending a sensation of a shiver running down my spine that was impossible to ignore. The desire bubbled inside me-a desperate need to bask in his warmth as he said my name. My fingertips twitched with an incandescent longing to reach out and touch his skin.