Underestimating a Woman with a Strong will
1022 Words
Chapter 18: Underestimating A Woman With Strong Will.
Aria's POV.
I stood there, mouth as wide as it could get, realizing something.
They really underestimated me.
Gosh, they didn't even see me as useful enough to fight with them in battle.
The war was announced, and suddenly everyone's preparing, everyone's leaving, everyone's transforming, and I'm just standing here, useless. My head dropped, defeat washing over me. The hope fizzed out of me, like air out of a canned drink.
I was done. Finished. Useless.
Or was I?
I didn't know these intruders, but I knew one thing. I couldn't get that hurt if I went with the army. That would only happen if I went separate from them. So all I needed to do was to stand among the men, somehow, and follow them without a trace.
Which was nearly impossible.
There wasn't a way to stand amongst them and not have them know that there was a much smaller, much paler entity amongst them. I had to be dumb to think that.
I could dress up and act the part, but that would take time and effort, and before then, I would have ended. Not to mention the fact that the likelihood of it being believable was already slim enough, since everybody knew everybody else and I would just be a quiet nobody amongst them.
But I still had to go. Regardless. My resolve strengthened.
I proceeded to my room to change, quickly, before I went to battle. I didn't care how hurt I was going to be. I didn't care what it was going to take me. I wanted to fight for my people, my mates, especially since they'd taken me in and shown me family.
I couldn't walk away from that. I couldn't sit here and fold my arms whilst they fought and got hurt in battle.
I couldn't.
I just couldn't.
When I changed adequately, I walked out of the house, standing at the doorway and watching the men walk towards the borders, everyone to their separate assignments.
I followed behind a lazier group, the bulky walking easily like their home wasn't at stake. I was strolling far behind them, and then closed in on them, giving only a couple metres of space and taking my time to stay within or behind trees and grass. Their heads were bobbing and they were walking with a lazier motion, like they were just walking into a bar or something, like this wasn't an actual war.
I breathed, infuriated.
These people were supposed to be ready for action, not asking themselves who the latest Beta was, that was what all the guys wanted. Not raving to themselves about their s****l fantasies with already mated wolves. This was entirely disgusting, especially alongside of the reality of when this conversation was happening.
I shook my head, disappointed, but I followed anyway. By the time we got to the borders, there was a signpost, a line of trees lining a small field that led inward into the territory.
I just hid under the tall grass and waited as they stood at their posts, looking forward and almost bored. They were just standing there and hadn't even transformed, just conversing under the night sky.
Waiting was boring.
That was when I realized it.
They were back up.
I shook my head, disappointed. Tired of sitting there after a couple minutes, I crawled to other parts of the border, looking for anywhere there was action, anywhere I could get a good fight.
To one end, I saw fighting and heard growling. There, wolves clashed, teeth barred, and growled at each other, tearing and hitting and dragging. I moved towards them with a scared assurance that this was a bad idea.
But I moved regardless, nearing the fight as much as possible and reasoning my next line of action. I had a couple of options, but the most obvious one was running away and leaving unscathed.
That was not the option I was going to choose.
I moved towards the side, willing myself to transform. I stood up, revealing myself to both wolves. They stopped, the appearance of a female was enough distraction.
I wanted so badly to change, bracing myself for the pain and arming myself to jump at them. A wolf turned from the scuffle and looked at me. Our eyes locked as I waited for the transformation.
It didn't happen.
I just stood there, stuck in time, as the wolf drew away from the fight and moved towards me. The growl was low and satisfied, like it had found something better to do than fight with its own.
I couldn't breathe.
My heart stopped, the thumping only a faraway dream now. The wolf's eyes were a weird kind of grey, with yellow flecks in it. I didn't know how exactly to explain it, but there was something entrancing about it. I couldn't look away.
Soon, we were meters apart and it continued to near, a smile evident on its face. His brown fur blew easily in the wind. The fight close to us felt like a separation, a different place entirely.
The cloud of it all was stolen away the minute it hit me. Its skull collided with my abdomen and I fell, holding my stomach. The pain radiated outward , spreading to my ribs and chest. It continued to walk towards me, walking around me to examine its prey.
As it lowered its head to my leg and bit, I screamed, loud and guttural, the pain excruciating. I didn't know what else to do.
I stayed there and it pulled at the skin and pulled and pulled, opening up the wound. I continued to scream, unsure what exactly was going on. And then I heard a loud thump and the wolf was off of me.
But the pain remained, horrible and throbbing. Growling filled my ears, signs of a showdown around me. I couldn't look up. Blood was seeping out of me quickly. I felt dizzy, like the starry night was more like a cloud above me.
And soon, it was pitch black.
- Writer
