Changing Fate

Beyond the Wall

Beyond the wall, after all those years of longing, staring down at the world from atop a concrete wall, and now finally she was here among it. The wind was quieter here, less bitter. She could smell the earth and trees.

Yet she was in the arms of the monster. He cradled her firmly against his chest as he cut a path through the forest.

Peaking through her lashes, she could make out the side of the monster's face, his strong jaw and purple-blue eyes most prominent in the darkness.

As her eyes adjusted, she could make out the thick stubble across his jaw, his face all strong straight lines except for his mouth, his lips slightly parted, looked soft and inviting.

Their eyes locked as his gaze flicked down. Ash froze. She felt an unexpected warmth bloom across her face.

flinging herself out of his grasp, Ash landed ready. Her blade found her grip as she lunged at the creature.

'Hey,' he dodged back barely, avoiding her slashing blow that would have opened his throat.

She danced out of his reach as he tried to capture her arms.

She slashed out again, opening his arm.

'f**k' he growled drawing back. His eyes darkening as he fell in to a fighting stance.

'I dont want to fight little one.' his tone gentle as he tracked her with his eyes.

Ash kept moving, making a wide circle. She just had to put enough distance between them to slip away. She couldn't blend in here like she did in The Edge, fading in to the concrete haze but it was dark enough that it didn't really matter.

Ash drew the circle wider, gaining distance. The monster still save for his eyes, they never left her

Their positions were reversed now with Ash standing roughly the way they came.

She knew even if she had no intention of going back to the city she didn't want to gp where he was taking her.

She had gazed out enough times tracing the landscape that she knew every stream, hill and valley but only from a single perspective.

She had to start from the wall or near enough.

Cautiously without taking her eyes off him Ash stepped back. Her sharp glare daring him to make a move.

He tensed on the next step, the pressure building. Ash' heart hammered in her chest, he wasn't like the thugs or the guards. He gave nothing away, she couldn't pick out a tell.

'f**k it' Ash dived to the side, launched in a roll as she passed under his outstretched arm. He moved impossibly fast. She was up and running before she could even process where he was.

The problem with running full pelt at night was that you couldn't see where you were going. This wasn't the familar maze of the edge with its flat alleys pockmarked by potholes.

It took seconds to leave what Ash now realised was a clearing before her shoulder slammed in to a tree. Wrapping herself round it she stumbled in to a turn, racing off in a new direction. Her feet flew over the terrain leaping over the uneven ground as she tried to avoid the shadowy trees as they appeared.

Ash had been so focused on the terrain she realised she didn't know if the monster had followed or where he might be.

She glanced back, not that she could see much but couldn't pick out any man shaped shadows.

Then the ground ran out and Ash fell, landing hard against a steep hill of dirt and roots she tucked herself into a ball helpless to stop as she rolled down the edge of a valley.

Dazed she sat up, her head spun and her shoulder burned with pain.

'thats enough little one, youve going to hurt yourself' The monster said his voice deep and rich.

Whirling round Ash caught his outline looming just feet away, his eyes bright in the dark, almost glowing.

'f**k you' she spat. fingers closing on the empty material of her sleeve. Her dagger. She had been holding it, it must have been lost in the fall. Ash cursed her carelessness. Her hand slipped around to the sheath strapped to her lower back only to find it empty.

The monster held out her dagger,

'When, did you...'She trailed off, furious although now more so with him then herself.

He smiled mischieviously, the small movement lighting up his face.

'Cant we just talk,' he laughed a deep rumble coming from his chest.

Annoyed that he'd somehow disarmed her without her even noticing Ash plucked a small knife from the top of her boot, flinging it at his chest.

She didn't wait to see if it hit and took off in the opposite direction along the narrow valley floor. Damn it'd take too long to climb back up and with her path so restricted it'd be a contest of speed.

The monster slammed in to Ash from behind, his unexpected weight pinning her to the floor face down.

'Get off me you bastard.'she yelled at him.

'Now, now, little one. So aggressive. I saved you from falling and carefully carried you and all the thanks I get is knives and insults.' he cooed.

'You pulled me off!' Ash shieked, she hadn't actually been sure but it was a reasonable enough assumption.

'Well you kicked me off first' he retorted, shifting to get more comfortable as he lay on top of her, body relaxed.

'Get off, your so heavy.' Ash yelled getting angrier by the second as she squirmed beneath him, unable to shift the weight of the monster.

There were more throwing knives hidden in the lining of her boots but she couldn't move enough to reach them and she wasn't in a position she could use the ribbon she kept tied around her wrist to choke him.

'But your so comfy and im tired from carrying you.' he laughed not taking any of it seriously.

'Okay, okay lets talk.' Ash yelled feeling fainter, it was getting harder to breath with him flopped on top of her.

'You mean it?' He asked playfully

'Yes' She wheezed out angrily.

Stong hands wrapped around her pulling her up to a sitting position.

Ash pushed her hair back as the monster settled to sit in front of her.

'Hi, my name is -' He was cut off as she whipped a throwing knife at him, he batted it away slicing his hand.

Knowing she'd never be able to outrun him with his inhuman speed while stuck in a valley Ash lunged, another knife at the ready.

Hitting him in the chest she knocked him onto his back, one of his arms pinned against his side by her legs as she strandled him.

She went for his throat, his free hand, still bleeding from the last knife caugth her.

She pushed down with all her weight but couldn't get the blade and closer.

'My name is Oren.' he said nonchalant as if they were still sat ready to have a conversation.

'Go to hell' Ash ground out through gritted teeth, trying to pry his fingers off her wrist with the other hand.

He let out another rumbling laugh.

'It would be better if you stopped trying to kill me' he looked up at her, batting his eyelashes.

'Shut up monster.' she grunted trying to force the knife down with both hands to no avail.

She passed the blade to the other hand driving it down but her swept her leg up with his pinned hand, sending Ash tumbling to the floor.

Oren sat on her, once again face down in the dirt. grabbing her hand he liberated the knife flinging it away into the darkness.

then shuffling round he proceeded to strip off her boots as she kicked and yelled, throwing them to dissappear in the night.

'There' he said satisfied.

Resting his weight on his knees he flipped her on to his back then sat back on her. His ass pressing her hips in to the soil.

'Now we talk,' he said seriously, raking a hand through his dark hair the humour dissappearing.

his eyes raked over her, taking in every detail.

Breathing hard Ash looked up at him, his face framed by the night sky, his expression unreadable.

The silence stretched.

'Why were you climbing the wall.' Ash blurted out unable to stand the heat building in her from his unyielding eyes.

'I was coming to find you, I could smell you but I wasn't sure where you were. Then I got to the top and you were right there' he sighed relieved.

'Why me.' Ash demanded shocked. She didn't ask why he'd pulled her off the wall. She would have done the same thing given the chance.

His hand caressed her cheek, she batted it away but she knew he could have easily overpowered her, he'd already proven that.

'This wasn't how I wanted to do this.'he said sadly, his fingers absentmindedly tracing a pattern along the exposed skin on her arm.

'Do what?' she hissed ignoring the sparks that spread up her arm from his touch.

Oren let out a heavy sigh.

'If I let you up are you going to try and kill me again.' he asked suspiciously.

'No' Ash lied.

Oren clearly didn't believe her but sat back pulling her in to a sitting position in front on him, never letting go of her arms.

'Whats your name.' Oren asked abruptly realising he didn't know it.

'Stan' Ash replied glibly.

Oren gave he a deadpan look.

'You are my mate.' He said in a breathy whisper, pulling her closer. His eyes locked on her.

Ash felt overwhelmed, she didn't like being outmatched in unfamiliar territory, didn't like the sudden wave of desire that pulsed through her at his words, and she didn't like being stuck in this situation when she had no idea what to do.

Instead of responding she chose to headbut him.

She hit with a satisfying crunch but it hurt more than she though it would.

He released her to clutch his bleeding nose.

She hadn't even got to her feet before he pulled her back down directly onto his lap. his arm round her, holding her arms to her side.

'Really!' the hint of a growl in his voice, he actually sounded hurt as he stood holding her in front of him, her feet not quite touching the ground.

Instinct told her to hold on and steady herself, instead Ash stretched making herself as unwieldly and difficult to carry as possible.

He hadn't hurt her yet and with this new revelation she doubted he would at all.

Even Ash knew about mates, she'd grown up with the stories of monsters that used to sneak in to human towns and steal girls from right out of their beds to be their mates, then the warriors and the builders joined forces and built a wall to keep them out.

'Just let me go, you can find another mate.' she pleaded hating to admit even to herself that she couldn't just kill him.

'It doesn't work that way,' he grumbled voice soundly strange with his newly broken nose.

'You only get one, thats it,' he was moving now making steady progress despite Ash's efforts.

'So just be alone then, or find someone who isn't your 'mate'.' Ash said pronouncing mate as it it was a dirty word.

'Doesn't work like that either.' He said stonily. Clearly Ash must have been having some effect because he threw her up over his shoulder, Holdingher in place by her legs and hip.

'So whats the plan then, you take me back to your cave, then what?' she hissed venomously.

Oren sighed again.

'Then I teach you some maners, rule one is don't stab anyone.'

Suddenly Oren tensed, slowly he set her down holding Ash to his chest.

'Don't make a sound, when I say you will run in the direction I put you in. Is that understood?' His voice hard, itrippled with power and Ash felt a strong complusion to do as he asked. She was about to tell him to go to hell when a howl sent a chill down her spine.

Followed by another, then more bloodcurdling howls.

This was not her world.

Ash nodded.

'Good' Oren said pleased, he buried his nose in her hair. His hands went to her face, her skin tingled at his touch, gently he tilted her head so she was looking up at him.

'I will find you, just keep running.' His eyes shone with intensity, leaning down his lips brushed her own. Ash inhaled sharply at the dizzying pleasure. In that moment she wanted nothing more than to crush her lips into his but another howl came, closer and the Oren was turning her away pushing her in her intended direction.

Ash ran.

The sounds of wolves fighting exploded behind her.