Chapter 2: The Edge of Survival
1240 Words
The rain just would not stop. It kept falling and falling, coming down in sheets that went right through the trees in the Neutral Zone. Elena got soaked to the bone. Every step she took away from the Bloodmoon border was a struggle. The mud was sucking at her shoes, and they were falling apart. The fabric was. Her feet were getting hurt on the sharp rocks and thorns on the ground.
Elena did not look back. There was nothing to go back to.
Inside her, it was really quiet. That was scary. For a werewolf, being part of a pack is like having a friend in your head. You can feel what the others are feeling. You know you are not alone. Now that was all gone. Julian had rejected her. It felt like a part of her had been ripped out. It was even worse because of the magic that Elder Silas had used to lock up her wolf. Elena tried to reach inside herself to talk to the spirit that had been with her since she first changed, but she could not get through. Her wolf was asleep. Elena was left with nothing but her human weaknesses.
"I am not going to die ", Elena said out loud, her voice shaking. "I am not going to give them the satisfaction."
The forest was getting thicker, the trees looking weird and scary. Elena was going deeper into the Neutral Zone, a place where outcasts and rogue werewolves lived. It was not safe for someone without their werewolf senses. Elena was very blind and deaf to the dangers around her.
As the night went on, Elena was getting really tired. Her muscles. The cold was making it hard for her to move. She needed to find shelter and fast.
Then she saw a tree that had fallen over, resting on some rocks. Under the tree, there was a cave that was dry. It was not the place, but it was better than being out in the rain.
Elena crawled into the cave, dragging her dress behind her. She curled up into a ball, trying to keep warm. Every breath she took was shaking. Her heart was. She could still hear Julian's words in her head.
*“Elena brings nothing but a destiny we cannot afford to feed.”*
He had said that. It cut deep. Elena had trusted him, loved him since they were kids playing in the sun. He had promised to be with her to rule, but it was all a lie. He had used her for his gain.
A tear fell down her cheek. She wiped it away. Crying would not help her. She needed to find food and build a fire.
As she lay in the dark listening to the rain, Elena heard something. It was not the wind or the rain. It was the sound of a branch breaking under something
Elena held her breath, her heart beating fast. She pressed herself against the cold rock, trying to be invisible. She looked out into the forest. She saw something moving.
Two big yellow eyes appeared in the dark. A massive gray wolf came into view, its fur scarred and dirty. It was huge, easily twice as big as a werewolf. The wolf was sniffing the air, tracking something. Then its eyes locked onto the cave.
Elena knew she was in trouble. The wolf had smelled her.
The wolf growled, showing its teeth. It was getting ready to attack. Elena's mind was racing. She had no way to defend herself, no pack to help her.
Then she got really angry. She was not going to be a victim
Her fingers found a rock in the dirt, and she gripped it tight. The wolf attacked, its jaws snapping inches from her face.
Elena screamed, driving the rock into the wolf's eye. The wolf howled, pulling back. It was not giving up. It attacked again, its paw slamming into the tree.
Elena scrambled back. There was nowhere to go. The wolf grabbed her dress, pulling her out into the rain. Elena fell to the ground, getting up as fast as she could. The wolf was circling her, its one eye looking for a chance to kill.
Just as the wolf was about to attack, another wolf appeared out of nowhere. It was a wolf, lean and fast. It fought the wolf using its speed to dodge the bigger wolf's attacks.
In a minute, the brown wolf had won. The gray wolf was dead.
The brown wolf stood over the body, catching its breath. Then it changed, its body shifting into a woman. She was pretty with dark hair and a tough look on her face. She put on a leather jacket, looking at Elena with an eye.
"You are far from home, princess ", the woman said, her voice rough. "You smell like someone who has been rejected."
Elena was still holding the rock, her heart beating fast. "Who are you?"
The woman smiled a little. Her eyes were still wary. "My name is Jade. Jade Silverclaw.. Around here, we do not usually find Bloodmoon werewolves fighting off rogue wolves with just a rock."
Elena lowered the rock, her knees shaking. "I am not a werewolf. I was exiled."
Jade's face changed, looking serious. "Exiled during a succession, huh? Let me guess. The new Alpha did not want a fated mate who was not profitable?"
Elena felt a sting. She just nodded. She was not going to show weakness.
Jade laughed, a sound. "Typical pack politics. They think they can throw us out and let us die. You survived the first hour, which is more than most can say. The storm is getting worse. The blood from this kill is going to attract more trouble."
Jade stepped closer, holding out her hand. "My camp is not far. It is dry, it is. We have fire. You can stay here. Freeze, or you can come with me and figure out how to make them regret what they did to you."
Elena looked at Jade's hand in the dark forest. She was still hurting from what had happened. Looking at Jade, she started to think that maybe she could do something about it.
Julian got rid of Elena because he thought she was a problem. He thought she would disappear and be forgotten, just a small part of his story. When Elena took Jade's hand and pulled herself out of the mud, she made a promise to herself.
She would not give up. Elena would get stronger, she would learn to deal with things, and one day she would show the Bloodmoon Pack that when they kicked her out, they did not hurt a person. They started something big. The Bloodmoon Pack would see that Elena was not someone to be forgotten. Elena would make sure of that. Elena was going to make the Bloodmoon Pack realize that they had made a mistake when they got rid of Elena.
- Writer
