Anabella the heroine

Chapter 2: THE ROGUES

THE ROGUES

I never thought wolves could run so fast through trees or move so powerfully across an open plain.

Damian's strong body tightened and moved beautifully as he raced through the dark forest while jumping over fallen logs and slipping under twisted branches.

With each step, the world around us became a blur of colours. The cold wind stung my eyes as I held on tightly to his rough fur.

Behind us, the cries of our pursuers grew fainter, echoing off the trees.

Damian kept running hard until we reached a high ridge covered in clouds and darkness. He stopped just before a gap in the trees. Below us was a stunning valley, lit by the soft glow of lanterns.

Without saying anything, he changed back into his human form. I turned my head as I heard those familiar but unsettling sounds of bones cracking and reshaping in the air.

When Damian stood before me, he was naked, his body covered in scars from old battles.

He was almost human, but he didn’t seem bothered by his nakedness and didn’t try to cover himself. Instead, he walked over to some clothes hidden under a fallen tree and got dressed quickly while speaking, still not looking my way.

“Don’t say anything until I say you can. Don’t look at anyone. And don’t ever run.”

I was shocked.

“Why would I run?”

“Because they can smell fear,” he explained calmly. “And most of them don’t want you here.”

Now fully dressed in black jeans and heavy boots, his clothes fit comfortably with his wet skin and His hair was damp and messy on his forehead, and his eyes shone with a mix of elegance and wildness, like he had just emerged from the heart of moonlight and battle.

"Why not?"

I asked, feeling unsure but curious.

“Because you’re Silverclaw.”

My body tensed as I tried to understand his words.

“You still haven’t explained what that means.”

Damian looked into my eyes.

"It means power, It means you weren’t meant to stay in a human town, and it means you are the last surviving member of a pack that once ruled this land."

That shocking news hung in the air as he stepped closer.I walked behind, my heart pounding as we entered the village, and I saw wolves, some fully human and others caught halfway through shifting, stopped to stare at us.

The conversation stopped, overwhelmed by a tense silence while walking.

When we reached the large doors of the lodge, made of wood with silver knobs.

Inside, the air was thick with the smell of incense and warmth from a fire in the centre of a large circular hall.

Elders sat on stone and oak thrones, their faces showing their age and wisdom.

In the centre of the room, a silver moon symbol marked the sacred ground.

Damian brought me to the middle of the circle and stood next to me, with his arms crossed while looking firm.

An elder stood up from her seat; she was tall with white hair like snow, and her eyes shone bright like broken glass.

"You brought her here?" the elder asked; her tone was sharp."To our pack?"

"Fate", Damian said, his voice heavy with certainty."The mark showed itself tonight.

"I lifted my wrist, and the crescent moon on my skin glimmered faintly, beating in sync with my heart.A murmur of strong agreement moved through the room."

She should not live,"Another elder said

"Silverclaw was destroyed. Destroyed by their own arrogance."

"She is," Damian responded coldly."And she's under my protection."

"Is she even a wolf?"

The senior elder said, eyeing me suspiciously.

Regaining my calm, I stepped forward with a shaking but firm voice."I didn't ask for any of this. I didn’t even know what I was until tonight."

The old woman narrowed her eyes and looked intently at me.

"Your scent shows a connection to bloodlines that have been dead for a long time. We need to question you.”

"What do you mean, question?"

Before I could finish, the ground under me started to glow. I stumbled back, my heart racing as the sigil flared under my feet, white and silver, swirling with intricate runes that moved with an ancient force.

A beam of light broke into the air, covering my whole body and Pain flared across my chest, the burn on my wrist.

Images flooded into my consciousness: horror-filled visions of flames, snarling wolves tearing at one another, a silver crown left among ashes, and the haunting face of a woman whose eyes were wide with desperation calling out my name, Anabella! Escape!

The light disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared. I fell down to my knees, struggling to breathe and feeling confused and overwhelmed.

Damian was next to me, gently holding my shoulders in the room which had been filled with whispers and was now silent.

Even the fire in the hearth seemed to quiet down. The older woman finally spoke.

"It is true. The blood of Silverclaw is in her veins." "She is the last."another elder said in amazement.

"And she will bring war."

"No," Damian stood tall, protecting me. "She will bring balance."

I looked up at him, his words hitting me like a wave. He was no longer a stranger or just the Alpha and He was my only protection against a world that wanted to destroy me.

For a reason I didn’t fully understand, the burn on my wrist flared again, not in pain this time, but with a powerful energy.

Deep inside me, something old and strong had awakened.

“You need to shift,” he said.

I sat up, still groggy.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re going before the pack. You’ll be judged in wolf form.”