Chapter 4: Vanished Into Thin Air
1047 Words
Arielle woke up in a fright, she had jolted out of sleep, her heart racing in her chest. The darkness seemed to close in around her, and she frantically reached out to the side, but it was empty.
Where was she?
Where was Selina?
Just moments before, she felt her warm fur around her, Selina's gentle breath on her neck. Now, there was only a cold space.
Panic set in as she scrambled to look for her wolf. But then, a sudden burst of light made her squint, but she scanned the place frantically, calling out her name.
Silence.
A quick glance around the room confirmed she was alone. Where could she be?
Where was this light coming from?
And how did she leave her side without waking her?
A shiver ran down her spine as she wrapped her arms around herself. Something didn't feel right. She needed to find her, to know she was okay.
She walked towards the light and called out her wolf's name but she didn't get any reply.
She hastened her steps towards the light.
Her body was tense, her muscles coiled like a spring as she called out to her wolf. Her hands clenched into fists, and her breathing slowed as she focused inward.
As she journeyed towards the light, her expression shifted from determination to concern. Her brow furrowed, and her lips pursed. Where was her wolf?
Could it be possible that her wolf could appear and disappear at will?
As soon as she got to the source of the light, she shut her eyes to get used to it.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes and was flooded with visions of her wolf's perspective.
She realized that her wolf had taken control of her body again, and she could only watch what was happening.
She saw through her wolf's eyes, and her heart sank. Her wolf was surrounded, pinned down by a hail of bullets and snarling dogs.
She was snarling at some creatures, Arielle tinted her eyes to see who those creatures were and she realized it to her own horror.
Human hunters.
Her body jerked violently, her eyes snapping open. Her face contorted in horror and fear. Her hands flew to her mouth, and she stifled a scream. She had gotten herself in so much trouble, it was a common knowledge on how humans killed their species for fun or for money.
It was forbidden for a werewolf to be seen near human boarders, especially in their wolf form. As they could inadvertently encounter hunters that were hellbent on killing them.
Arielle couldn't believe it, she had just gotten her wolf after many years of torture and now she would die before even getting to know her wolf.
She would die without getting to say goodbye to her parents and Lucien.
Her eyes welled up with tears as she realized that she was going to die in a place where no one would find her.
And knowing that her wolf was new, even if she died, no one would be able to identify her, because they had never seen her wolf before.
She took a calm breath and tried to look at how things were turning out for Selina, she realized that her wolf was fighting for its life – for her life.
She collapsed to the ground, her body wracked with sobs. Her limbs trembled, and her mind reeled with desperation.
Her wolf hadn't given up on them and she had already given up and started thinking of what would happen to her parents.
She didn't think of living at all!!
Steeling herself with resolve, Arielle scanned the surroundings for an opening, she had a plan and knew that the only way to execute it was to stay hidden.
She had to act fast. She had to save her wolf and herself.
Finding an opening after her wolf pounced on one of the hunters, she shouted at her wolf to make a run for it. Her wolf immediately sprinted towards a tree, as if reading Arielle's exact thoughts.
Arielle immediately called out to her wolf, to shift back to her human form, so as to cause confusion and throw off the hunter's concentration from her wolf.
Her wolf grunted in reply, and as she was about to shift, a hunter immediately appeared in front of her and immediately pulled the trigger.
By this time, although Arielle had not shifted back into her human form, she was already in control of her body, her eyes widened in horror when she saw the man appear in front of her with a cunning expression.
As soon as she heard the shot, her eyes closed shut, as she tried to numb her body for the incoming pain.
Lucien paced back and forth in the dimly lit room, his anxiety palpable. Every creak of the floorboards made him turn, hoping it was news of her safe return.
He had almost gone insane, out of fear of the unknown. He had even called her parents, but they were also sick with worry, since she hadn't been home since the night before.
He was lost in thought when he felt a presence coming his way. The beta's arrival was met with a mix of relief and trepidation.
"Report," he demanded, his voice low and urgent.
The beta hesitated before speaking. "We've found her scent in the forest, Alpha. It was strong near the old oak tree."
He nodded, his mind racing with thoughts of why she went close to the human realm.
"But there's something else," the beta continued, his tone grave.
"There was blood on the forest floor. We couldn't find her body, but...it looks like she might have been hurt badly."
His eyes narrowed, as his heart skipped a beat.
He could only guess, "Human hunters?"
The beta nodded. "We suspect they might have been involved. But there's a problem, Alpha. She's wolfless. They wouldn't kill a human without provocation."
He stopped pacing, his mind reeling with questions. What had happened to her? Where was she now?
The beta's expression mirrored his confusion. "We can't figure out what happened, Alpha. It's like she vanished into thin air."
His jaw clenched in frustration and worry. He needed answers, and he needed them fast.
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