Slave to the Ruthless Lycan King

TAKEN AWAY

AUDREY

"Faster, mother!" I yelled. "Faster!" Fear had enveloped me now. I could hear the werewolves running through the forest, their paws made the forest shake. We needed to make the horse go faster if they were faster than humans.

"I am trying," my mother said in a cracked voice, whipping the horse as it galloped past trees away from our city. She must have been sad and exasperated, wondering why this had to happen during my wedding.

We heard the haul of werewolves, they were so close that I could almost see them.

"They are upon us!" my mother screamed.

I turned back and saw a pack of giant wolves coming after us. They were an army. My hold tightened on my cloak as I saw flaming orbs glaring at us. It hit me. They were not just in the city to cause chaos; they were mainly coming for us, but why? My mother confirmed my thought when she spoke.

"I think they are after you, Audrey!" My heart sank to my stomach.

"We would have gone to the church!" I cried. No werewolf could enter the church, we would have been safe there. I looked back again, the werewolves were gaining on us. They were faster than a horse, and I knew it was only a matter of time before they get to us and maybe rip us apart.

To my utmost surprise, my mother drew out a silver sword from the sheath, grabbed my hands, and handed the reins to me. I c****d my eyebrows in question.

"What are you doing, mama?"

"I am buying you time. Now, you will continue without me. Ride as fast as you can without looking back until you get to Ashdown. You will get there by the morrow's dawn."

My heart raced with anxiety. "But, mama—"

"I will hold them off for a while. Now, go."

"They will kill you, mama!" I cried. I wasn't ready to lose my mother. I don't know what they did to my father back in the village. I wasn't prepared to become an orphan if I made it to Ashdown before the werewolves got to me. But before I could stop my mother by pleading more, she jumped down from the horse and rolled on the dirty ground. "Mama!" I yelled and was sure my voice rang out through the forest, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Don't stop riding," my mother called as the horse galloped away.

I was alone now and needed to be strong for my parents, my people, and myself. I took a deep breath and whipped the horse, urging it to go faster. But I couldn't fight the urge to look back. I turned to look and saw the werewolves still coming at me, but I didn't see my mother anywhere, and that was how I encountered my fall. My horse neighed loudly, raising its two front hooves; because I wasn't concentrating, I fell off the horse, and it ran away.

I fell down a slope, tumbling through the forest, snagging branches and pebbles as I crashed through the small hills. Then I collided with a larger tree and came to a stop. The forest went still, and the only sound was the birds squawking as they took off in fright at the sudden noise. My whole body ached from the fall, but I needed to get away. My eyes fluttered open, and I tried to sit up, hoping I didn't break a bone. The sound of paws fiercely trampling through the forest ripped the quietness apart, and I heard the snare of wolves.

They would find me because they could smell me. I tried to sit up and only realized that I had broken a leg. I sighed and sank back on the dirty ground. My wedding robe was messy, and my porcelain skin was stained with dirt from the earth. When I looked around again, I was surrounded by big wolves. My whole body shuddered with fear as I watched them snaring at me, baring their sharp fangs, their eyes a raging flame. I whimpered and scooted away, wrapping my arms around me as big loops of tears fell from my large blue orbs.

Then a deep growl broke through the midst of the wolves that surrounded me. It was a fearsome one that sent shivers down my spine. The other wolves started to part way, lowering their heads in respect. In my confusion, I knew it was their leader, the one Malik told me was called the Alpha.

Soon, I saw a huge man with broad shoulders, a firm chest, and sturdy muscles emerge. His chest was bare, and he wore a short that was almost ripped. His green eyes glared at me, and my body trembled with fear unconsciously. He was fearsome but handsome. I thought Malik was gorgeous and sexy, but this man beat Malik hands down. His face was sculptured in a fine square, his eyebrows dark, thick and bristling but were now drawn together in a frown, his jaw sharp as a blade, and his lips were thin. He was handsome but also dangerous. His presence alone engulfed me with fear.

As I watched him, I heard other wolves suddenly growling angrily at me and making to attack me, but the man raised his hand, bringing them to order.

"She doesn't know our rules yet." His voice was deep and seemed to boom even when he wasn't speaking loudly.

Why were they letting me live? Why have they not ripped me apart? It hit me that they wanted me alive. But why?

In sudden quick strides, the colossal man came to me, dragged me up, wrapped his palms around my neck, and pinned my back to the tree trunk that had stopped me. His green orbs pierced mine, and all I saw was wrath. I noticed his nose twitch as he held me up with one hand, choking the breath out of me. I tried to take his hand away from my neck, but it was like a heavy log of wood; even with my two hands, I couldn't tear them away. I ended up scratching at his hands which did not even bother him. I was beginning to lose consciousness.

"Please... let go of my neck..." I managed.

He snorted and pressed me tighter to the tree, his grip tightening around my neck, his green eyes changing to a darker shade. I never knew their eye color could change. His face connotes fury.

"For all the sins your kind committed against my kind, you will bear the consequences," he said in a gruff voice that made me shiver with fear. His eyes were growing darker, and I didn't know what else would happen to me.

We all knew how dangerous werewolves were. I sniffed and remained quiet, hoping Prince Anthony or my father would save me sooner.

"I won't kill you, for death is an easy punishment. I will make you suffer and go through all kinds of pain until your kind feels your pain in their bones."

It hit me. Somehow he found out I was the chief wolf hunter's daughter. He knew my father had killed his mate and was taking revenge on me. "I...I.." my words trailed.

As if to confirm my speculations, he spoke. "For killing my dear mate and my heir, you will suffer, and you will bear me an heir!" His voice became more profound, more like a growl. He shoved me to his warriors, who were now in their human forms, waiting with chains to bind me.

Tears streamed down my eyes. I wished someone could somehow save me from getting married to Prince Anthony, but this was not the savior I imagined and certainly not the one I needed. The warriors bind my hands and legs with the chains, fasting the other end of the chains to a carriage that I just noticed.

What were they doing?

My question was answered when the man called Alpha went into the carriage with another man. The other men shifted back into wolves and went behind me. They wanted to drag me through the forest. Tears ran down my already dirty face. My hair, which Penny's mother had well dressed, now looked like a crow's nest, and every part of my body hurt like needles pierced them.

The wolves carried me until we got to my village center. I saw my people huddled together at the square, all tied up, including my father and mother. My mother started to sob when she saw me. The werewolf warriors that were carrying me dropped me on the mud as the carriage got to the village square and the man called Alpha stepped out of the carriage with a wicked grin, staring at my father.

"For all the pain you caused me and my kind, I will repay it. She is your treasure, as well as the city's treasure. Watch me turn your treasure into my rags. I will make her my slave, and she would work until her back breaks, and for my heir you killed, she will give him back to me. I will f**k her so hard that you will hear her screams from here."

My father wiggled and made to free himself, but the ropes were tight on him, and the werewolves snared t him. My mother and some other women were sobbing audibly now.

"Let my daughter go!" my father yelled. My mother cried and pleaded, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

The man called Alpha went back into the cart. When the carriage started to move, I was dragged through the mud. I heard my people cry out loud. Mud blinded my eyes as I was dragged away. I wept and felt it on my lips, and somehow it managed to get into my mouth. I tasted the dirt; they mixed with my tears, but I couldn't do anything; I couldn't even wipe the dirt from my face because my hands were bound.

I gasped as darkness crept into my eyes until I was drowning in nothing. My fading vision caught a familiar figure. Malik. I blacked out.