Touch of Fate

It would all be over soon. Reigna's lungs burned with the exertion from running. The cold night air stung like knives in her chest. Her vision blurry from tears. Branches and underbrush snagging on her clothes, tangling and ripping through her long auburn hair as she sprinted at speeds she hadn’t known she was capable of until this moment. Her feet were surely a raw body mess by now. She couldn't feel them. It didn't matter anyways. She couldn't stop. If she stopped they would catch her immediately. Not that they wouldn’t catch her in the end regardless. But the more distance she put between them and her family the better. ‘HELP!’ She screamed. Her throat already ragged from her screams that she was sure no one other than the rogues pursuing her could hear. The screaming might not help her, but it kept the rogues' attentions on her. Kept them in hunter mode, focused solely on their prey. It would hopefully give her mother and siblings time to run. Please! Please let them get away! She begged the moon goddess fervently. Please! Let them be safe! Not for the first time, but probably the last, Reigna wished her father were still alive. He could have saved them all. He had been so strong and brave. He had been an Alpha. Reigna had idolized and adored him. How she wished she could be even a fraction as strong as he had been! She would rip these rogues limb from limb for daring to threaten her family! But she wasn't. She wasn't even strong enough to take wolf form yet. She was close, she could feel it in her very soul. Maybe a few more days and she would have changed. Maybe she would have been strong enough then. That didn't matter now. All that matters was that she kept running! Keep them on her trail. Lure them away from her loved ones. She was at least strong enough to do that. A howl ripped through the night air to her left. Another howl to get right answered the first. More joined in the horrific chorus somewhere behind her. She screamed again. This time it came out as an incoherent shriek of terror. Suddenly a flicker of light ahead of her caught her eye. Hope bloomed in her chest. She pushed herself to run faster through pure force of will, using every last ounce of strength she had left. The light grew as she ran towards it. Her eyes stained to make out its source. A fire! She gave another worthless cry, hoping to attract the attention of whomever might be near. More howling came from either side and behind. Closer this time. Finally she burst through the trees and brush into a small clearing that was clearly set up as a camp. Several large men and women stood at the ready around the camp. Waiting for what she was sure they thought was an unending attack. She stumbled forward, gasping for air. ‘Help!’ she croaked out. The clearing seemed to freeze in time for a moment. No one moved. Until one of the rogues crashed through the trees to her right. The large grey wolf skidded to a halt, snarling. The arrival of the obviously hostile wolf sparked the inhabitants of the camp into action. Several of them shifted immediately, uncaring of the clothes they ruined by doing so. They charged at the rogue pouncing on him and treating at him viciously with claw and fang. Others ran into the surrounding woods, likely to sort out the other rogues. One female approached Reigna slowly. Her hands raised, palms up to show she meant no harm. ‘Easy now, you're going to be okay.’ The unknown female spoke softly. Her voice rich and smooth. She was tall, probably close to 6’. Her chestnut hair braided tightly to her scalp in a French braid. Her brilliant hazel eyes shone in the firelight. She looked strong, lean muscles clearly defined under tanned skin. ‘My mother… my siblings… please’ Reigna begged, staggering forward. Tears streaming down her face. She stumbled, her tired legs finally giving out. The taller female leaped forward to catch her. She cradled Reigna gently in her arms, shushing her and telling her they would take care of everything. Exhaustion was finally catching up to her, and Reigna could feel nestle losing consciousness. The last thing she heard before she passed out was a deep, gravely voice that both sent a thrill through her soul and calmed her. Like the sound of rolling thunder. ‘Tara, keep her safe and make her comfortable. The rest of you come with me! We’ll search for her family.’