Selene's Alchemy

Chapter 3 - I shall make her my slave

In the dense sunlit forest, deep within the heart of this colourful landscape, Sparrow sprinted through the undergrowth. She flees through the forest, desperate to escape the wolf on her tail. Her ragged breaths echoed through the stillness, blending with the rustling of fallen dried leaves and snapping twigs beneath her frantic footsteps. Her heart pounded in her chest, fueled by fear and desperation as she pushed herself to keep going. One word kept replaying in her head. "Run!" She had grown up in a placid environment void of the violence of wolves. The wolf behind her kept growling and snarling as it was quickly closing up the distance between them.

Her heart churned when she remembered she had said she will kill a wolf. The one behind her is just too quick and agile. She doesn't even know if she can stand a chance against it let alone killing it. Now she knows how difficult it is to kill a wolf. Her fear robbed her mind of the right things to think of.

She thought to check if the wolf was closer to her when fatigue was gradually setting in. She had run for probably miles but the unrelenting wolf wasn't going to give up. She looked over her shoulder to the wolf pouncing through the detritus on the floor. It was aiming for Sparrow's head to pin her to the floor and devour it's prey but Sparrow stooped and rolled on the floor. The wolf dropped on the floor and raised dust into the air as it's claws struggled to grip the soil. The mud on her skin had dried up from the air that had mixed with the golden rays of the sun, making it warm against her skin. She hurriedly stood up before the wolf could turn back to her.

She bristled with rage. A short knife on one hand and the other clenched into a fist. The wolf turned back to her. It's eyes glowing more intensely fierce as it's swarthy body took position before Sparrow again. She inched backwards with her alert gaze on the wolf monitoring it's movements.

The wolf continued barking dangerously with snarls and each passing moment reminded Sparrow of the keen danger she was in. The wolf's golden eyes burned with fury, the intensity of which can melt a mountain like lava.

Sparrow's face was streaked with dirt and sweat including her dark hair which had bits of dried leaves stuck between it's strands. Her whole body was messed up, painted with dried mud that she looked like a local clown. Only her two eyes were the most visible part on her face.

Her hands gripped the handle of the wooden knife strongly as if her whole life depended on it, possibly it did. Her thin leather sandals that had lapped to her feet perfectly before, now hung behind her ankle from the slippery mud while pointing out the scaring intensity of the chase she had just gone through. Being chased by an agile wolf as the one before her sparked something within her. If she can outrun a wolf, she can pierce it's heart with just her knife if she carefully takes the right steps.

The wolf and Sparrow walked in circles with eyes locked onto each other, each stooping waiting for who to attack first. Then suddenly, out of the leaves, four more wolves emerged. All of the same size as the first one except the last one which is both larger and fiercer. His dark red eyes shimmered with greatly unmatched energy amongst the other four and even his aura gave Sparrow a huge fright.

The wolves surrounded Sparrow and she felt this will be the last. How she wished she could tell her mother she won't be returning from the hunt. How she wished she can tell Manik and her other friends that she finally met the wolves but her life was in their hands.

No! She can't give up now. She will fight and escape. She will contend with these wolves and even if she can't win, she will make sure she takes one wolf with her on her journey to the great beyond. Her mind was bravely made up.

Mate?

This word raked through the largest wolf's mind. It quickly communicated with the other wolves to stifle their attack. The biggest wolf quickly shifted. In place of his large wolf stood a tall naked muscular man with tanned skin and ashen hair. His hazel green eyes pierced Sparrow's surprised ones but she didn't attempt to let her guard down. Her mind went into chaos. How is this possible? They had been told that wolves can change to humans when they wish to but who can believe such tale? That is a myth that the likes of Sparrow were struggling to believe. Even with the evidence before her, she still cannot believe that myth.

One by one, the other wolves transformed to humans. All naked.

Sparrow still had her knife pointed at the five wolf humans. She didn't know if they will attack at her weakest. She just can't let her guard down.

How can this flimsy human be my mate? She is small, weak and inexperienced. A snap and she is dead. Is the moon aware of this? Maybe I am just thinking too much. Maybe the trauma of losing my mate to the grim reaper has me wishing that every female I see is my mate.

The man with the big wolf thought to himself as his eyes studied Sparrow's distinctive features.

"Alpha why did we stop?" One of the wolf humans closest to Sparrow asked. His voice was dangerously taut suggesting his impatience.

"Yes alpha. Why didn't you let us to a meal?" Another asked as he turned to Sparrow who was still stunned. "Her flesh will taste sweet to the mouth and her blood will be nourishing." He licked his lips. "Why deny us this pleasure alpha?" He chided with hands akimbo.

"I shall make her my slave. She will scrub my chambers. Make my food. Everything a slave does, she shall do it." The alpha's orotund voice sounded a note of alarm and anger to Sparrow.

A slave?