Prologue

1334 Words
Third Person Riva trod the forest carefully. She could never be too vigilant. The Forbidden Forest was rife with danger, as both humans and creatures had made it a hideout. She finally saw the smoke rising from a chimney, but she was not there for the proverbial witch in the woods. She was the witch in the woods. She was a Vengeful Witch coven hopeful on her second initiation attempt. Her target was Oak City’s very own mayor. Hotchkiss was known for his illegal dealings, but the citizens swallowed all of his empty words and magical retreats. They did not have a choice, half of them enchanted and the other half living in fear. The Wolfless Pack protected him and gave him elixirs for strength. The term "wolfless" was a misnomer here because they did turn into wolves, but were not guided by inner wolves. Conscience-less. Corrupt. Enough was enough! Something roared inside Riva’s head. It had been making noise for a long time, pulling at her to take action. Even if she were not part of the Coven’s group of initiates, she would still target Hotchkiss. Killing him served two purposes: to rid the city of an evil mastermind and win herself a place in the Coven. Sweat trickled down her forehead and the valley between her breasts. The forest was cool, otherwise, but the pressure roasted her. As she neared the three-story facility where Hotchkiss kept his drugs, weapons, and money, Riva reached for the dagger sheathed in a strap around her leg. She gripped the spelled weapon, held the handle tightly, ready to strike. Her steps became more cautious. The wolves would hear even the slightest rustle if they knew what to listen for. She had been sprayed with a potion disguising her scent, but she could not do anything about the noise. Nimble-footed and precise, she edged closer. She would have to scale the walled fortress about twenty feet high. The walls were lined with jagged glass, and the tops had sharp spikes. She would have to jump over it when she reached the top. Trained in martial arts and gymnastics, Riva was confident she could make the jump. Going up the wall was another matter. The metal gate was not a means to enter the facility quickly, either. It could electrocute anyone who attempted to open it. It could only be safely opened from the inside by someone who controlled it. Suffice it to say that she studied her target very well but did not wholly ready her for reality. Riva sheathed the dagger back into place. She wore leather gloves and tight leather pants, and her black hair was tied back into a ponytail. Wearing combat boots reaching halfway between her feet and knees, she was ready. Despite that, she knew the climb would be painful. She took a deep breath, ensuring she did not make an audible sigh. Then, she started gripping the jagged glass to scale the wall. The edges poked a little through the thick leather of her gloves. She climbed slowly, feeling every gash from the shards tearing at her pants. Some were sharper than she thought, the thick glass deceptive. In some parts, the glass served more like footing. In others, they tortured her. Still, she forged on. Every time she reached out, she risked getting a gash from the wall. Finally, she was almost at the top. Riva smiled in triumph. She was about to grip the spikes to jump over them when she heard a low growl. “s**t!” The guard wolves might have heard her. Now, she was caught right before jumping over the wall. Her heart hammered. She knew that was not a good idea. Werewolves could hear heartbeats from a few miles away. They could smell her blood. Why did she not think about that? The growl sounded very close, too. They knew that she was right there, and they could easily trap her and tear at her. The Forbidden Forest had not only become known for its illegal activities. It was also notorious for disappearances. It was a place where the wolves ruled. Riva cursed again, but she knew she had to admit defeat and fall to the ground where she came from. Jumping over the wall to the facility’s interior would be suicide. She could either die or become a prisoner. She shuddered more at the thought of the latter. It was better to die than become trapped within enemy lines. Riva jumped. She fell half-crouched on the ground, but it did not deter her. She quickly rose and started running. Her heart thudding and lungs pumping, she ran as fast as possible. The care and precision had flown out the window. She had already been heard. She heard the growling behind her. It sounded too close. A fresh wave of curses flew out her mouth. Then, she fell. It was a split second, and she managed to get herself off the ground with a press of both palms on the muddy grass, but it was enough for the wolves to catch up. She felt two pounce at her at the same time. She yelled in pain as a paw directly connected with her arm. She would not be surprised if she dislocated it. Broken it. Riva fell on the ground, grateful that it was slightly mushy and not a concrete path. However, she could still die at that very moment. At least four wolves surrounded her, growling. Through her blurred vision, she saw that the largest of the four stood in front of her. Its eyes were amber and seemingly contemplating what to do with her. Then, it snarled at the rest of the pack. It was an authoritative rumble, sending off the other three away. The witch realized that she was alone with the Alpha. “Kill me now!” Riva ordered the large, white wolf. She was still on her back, and her arm felt off – in agonizing pain. It must be a fracture. Even at her best, she did not think she would win the fight over the lone wolf. She estimated that the freak of nature was easily eight or nine feet long. It had already bared its fangs, sharp and ready to dig into her flesh. It made a low growling sound. Suddenly, the witch came to her senses. She could get away from this. She scrambled to get up, unsheathing her dagger. On her feet, every bit of muscle hurting, she slashed at the wolf with her dagger. Strangely, the wolf did not seem interested in attacking her. It turned away, but Riva’s senses had become too heightened, and her frustration had reached a peak. She had failed another initiation, but she could still return to the Coven with the head of the Alpha. She jumped the wolf on its back and stabbed it near its neck. It howled. It bucked her off, and she fell again. The witch quickly recovered, her intensity of purpose making her forget the pain of her possibly broken arm. However, she had enraged the wolf, which now came at her at full speed. The Alpha pounced. It bared its sharp canines and took a bite on that sensitive place between her neck and shoulder. She screamed in agony. The wolf did not pull out his teeth right away. Its canines lingered as if savoring the painful connection. Then, it pulled out, leaving Riva anticipating another onslaught. She realized she was getting ready to die, her chest racked in involuntary sobs. Through her hazy vision, she thought that she saw the beast had turned into a man. She thought that a flash of grey eyes would be the last thing she saw before death took her. Another blink showed her that it was still in its wolf form. Its eyes lingered on hers as if sending a message. Amber turned grey and went back to being amber again. Then, the wolf left.
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