Chapter 4 Aurora's Wolf

I was thrown out of the car forcefully. As the world around me spun, the stench of rotting leaves filled my nose. "Let's go! Don't let them notice we're here!" The wolves inside the car urged the driver to get out of the terrifying forest as fast as possible. Only after the car left did I slowly stand up from the ground. The pain from the severed mate bond ran deep in my bones. Cold sweat broke out across my back just from standing up. Who could tell how long this pain would last? I didn't think anyone had ever experienced being rejected by their Alpha before this. I let out a bitter laugh and forced myself not to think of the merciless expression on Damian's face. I shifted my thoughts elsewhere. The next moment, I caught sight of the moon rising above the forest. It shone brightly, reminding me of the stories my mom used to tell me about the Moon Goddess. I whispered to myself, "She'll protect me, won't she? Mom, you said the Moon Goddess would protect me. I'll survive these seven days in the forest." It was very dark all around me. I could barely see the path ahead. The branches and leaves on the ground posed a huge threat to my survival. Any sound I made underfoot could attract mindless Rogues. I made as little sound as possible as I treaded lightly to find a place to rest for the night. As I passed through the bushes, several pairs of green eyes appeared in the woods ahead. Right away, I knew they were Rogues searching for prey. I instinctively held my breath and stepped backward slowly, hoping not to alert them. I was absolutely focused on the Rogues ahead. Suddenly, I felt something press against my back. I could feel its hot breath brushing against me. I froze as a terrifying thought flashed through my mind. Though I was scared, I knew there was no use running from it. I had to turn and see what I was up against. Then came a deafening roar! As I turned my head, a huge, gaping maw snapped right beside me. It roared at me. The foul stench from that monstrous jaw almost made me vomit. Damn it! The Moon Goddess wasn't protecting me at all! Cursing inside, I bolted into a wild sprint. Wind howled past my ears. With the Rogue chasing relentlessly behind, I felt like death itself was closing in on me. The commotion stirred the other sleeping Rogues in the forest. The moment they caught the unfamiliar scent of a new prey in the air, fur sprouted from their skin. Their bones made sickening cracking sounds as they morphed. Under the moonlight, countless wolves emerged! "Damn it! Fuck!" I cursed in despair and ran with everything I had, squeezing through narrow gaps using my human body. Even though every cut the branches made on my skin healed in seconds, beads of blood had still formed before the wounds closed up. The metallic scent they gave off guided the Rogues straight to me. There was no way I could shake these mindless wolves off! But if I pressed on, I would breach the border and go into the vampires' territory, which was even more dangerous! My heart thumped violently. Even my eardrums felt like they were about to burst. The sharp pain in my chest told me that my lungs couldn't handle the intense exertion from running anymore. I needed to stop and let my body rest for a moment. The wolves behind me crashed into the obstacles in their way. Within half a minute, they would catch up with me. When that happened, I would be torn apart and end up becoming the food in their bellies. Panting heavily and clenching my teeth with resolve, I ran across the border. The Rogues were mindless creatures, but they still remembered how dangerous the vampires were. So, they skidded to an abrupt stop at the border and stared at me with wild eyes. All they could do was pace anxiously with their tails tucked between their legs. "Stupid mutts," I croaked hoarsely at them. Then, I turned and left. Vampires often patrolled this part of the forest to drive away the Rogues. That meant I wouldn't have to constantly worry about wolves lunging at me from every direction for the time being. I was exhausted and couldn't afford to exert myself anymore. I leaned against a random rock and shut my eyes to rest. Daylight came, followed by darkness. By sheer luck or some belated blessing, I survived the next few days safely. But on the fifth day, while bringing food back to my makeshift shelter on the vampires' territory, I heard faint footsteps approaching. Judging from the instinctive and intense hostility I felt in my blood, I quickly realized that the ones approaching were vampires. And there was more than one of them. I hid behind the bushes. My body tensed, and I slowed my breathing as much as I could. "Did you hear? Lord Redthorn woke up yesterday. We haven't seen him in almost a hundred years." "Lord Redthorn? What could've happened that they had to wake him?" "They say a Silver Wolf is about to appear. The Elders want it killed before it becomes a threat…" Their casual conversation reached my ears. I had read about Silas Redthorn in our books. He was the most mysterious of all Vampire Elders. No one knew what he looked like, but everyone knew he possessed terrifying power. To think that the vampires had awakened him just to kill the Silver Wolf… I shivered, and my heart jolted with apprehension. Compared to Silas, the Rogues were nothing. I told myself that it was fine, because the vampires had no idea that I was the Silver Wolf. I needed to stay calm and escape from underneath their noses. I forced myself to stay calm and moved my weak legs forward carefully. Crack! The sharp snap of a branch came from under my foot. I froze. At the same time, the vampires fell silent too. Without wasting another second, I ran for my life. Vampires were far faster than Rogues. When I turned around mid-run, they were already behind me. I saw their pale skin and crimson eyes. It was daytime, yet they showed no fear of sunlight. Oh my Moon Goddess… These were at the very least elite-class vampires! "Hmph. It's a runt that can't even shift into her wolf form," said one of the vampires in an amused tone. He saw me as nothing but a toy, like a cat playing with a mouse before snapping its neck mercilessly. "No… Oh no…" Helplessness overwhelmed me, causing me to panic. In my desperation to get away, I stumbled over a rock and crashed face-first onto the ground. I scraped my palms and started bleeding. The scent of blood drove the vampires mad with excitement. I cried fervently in my heart, "Someone save me… I don't care who… Someone just save me, please!" "My child, I'm sorry you're so frightened." A gentle female voice echoed inside my mind. "Hold on a little longer, okay? There's a cave ahead. Go in, and you can get away from them." No explanation was needed. I instantly knew that her name was Filipa. She was my wolf, and I could trust her completely. Hope surged through me. I rolled across the ground to dodge a vampire's grasp. Then, I scrambled to my feet and ran toward where Filipa told me to go. Soon, I saw the cave. I stumbled inside. When I turned around, the vampires had halted some distance away with furious expressions on their faces. Well, that was understandable because they had lost their prey. "You're my wolf, aren't you? You finally appeared! That means I'm close to becoming the Silver Wolf, right?" I asked excitedly. The intense fear from earlier was replaced by exhilaration and surprise. "Of course, child. With a little bit more time and patience, you will become the true Silver Wolf," Filipa replied gently. Her voice was like that of my mom's in my memories. I smiled from the bottom of my heart. For the first time, I firmly believed that I would become the rare and strong Silver Wolf. Filipa said in a soothing voice, "The Rogues won't hurt you anymore. You will go home safely."