Whispers of the wild

The wind howled through the Shadowfell Forests; its unpleasant sound catering to the favored tune of Sienna Hawthorne’s spine. She leaned her back onto the rough surface of a distorted tree whose branches reached out towards the ground, breathing heavily and in excruciating pain. Her hair was dark, and blood clotted it, her pain was not in her body but in her heart, the pain of betrayal that was sharper than any sword s***h. Her world had shattered. Alaric Grey, the alpha she once wanted to believe in, the one who gave her a second chance at life had turned her away. Worse than that, he had believed the lie. He had allowed his council, the council of the wise elders, to sentence her. A brave man who became a mere outcast. They accused her of plotting with the humans, she had defected the pack. The irony settled in her chest like a hot burning ember. “Run,” he had breathed into her ear when the council had condemned them. His eyes had been guilty, cold. But he didn’t stop them. He didn’t defend her. “Bloody hell, Alaric,” she whispered between gritted teeth, punctuating the words with a tightened grip on her hands. A twig breaking under foot somewhere in the bushes brought her back to reality. Sienna’s senses had become acute but the tiredness blunted them. She had not eaten anything for days and even a previously inexhaustible spirit was slowly eroding. But she wouldn’t die here. Not like this. He could see her hunching down further and felt a tension in her muscles as she waited for what was to come next. The growl that reached her ears was low, dangerous and a sound she recognized all too well. Rogues. These three ancient wolves appeared out of the darkness as if aroused by the ambient light of early evening. Sienna swore softly. Rogues were brutal, savage beings with no regard for the law or fellow compatriots. It’s been said that they hunt down loners, outcasts, those who are no longer welcome in the pack, like she was. “Perfectly,” she murmured, withdrawing the dagger from her boot. “Just what I needed.” The first wolf attacked immediately on sight. Sienna tried to dodge, her actions not as swift as they used to be, but very accurate. She cut her sword through the body of the monster, hitting the shoulder and the blood gushed out on the ground of the forest. The wolf barked but did not move backward. None of them would. Another wolf attacked him from behind. Sienna turned and managed to avoid being gnawed by the creature. Her body protested, especially her injuries that were sore. She was fast but not that fast to beat her competitors. The third wolf attacked her and pushed her to the ground. The force of the blow winded her and she could barely draw a breath as the thing pressed down on her. Teeth lightly touching her neck, Sienna saw stars before her eyes. The end, she thought, would be quick. Then, a terrible and wild sound of a lion reverberated through the jungle. The wolves paused for a moment, their eyes shifting to the noise. Within a blink of an eye, pressure off Sienna disappeared and the wolves vanished into the darkness as they came. A man stood over her, his large form blocking out the light. He looked like a powerful man—an evil and muscular man that she could not help but notice. He had the darkest hair and eyes like liquid gold, and he stared at her with them as he knelt by her side. “You are fortunate that I arrived when I did,” the man bellowed at me. “Those rogues would have skinned you alive.” Sienna’s breath caught in her throat and she looked into his eyes. “I didn’t ask for your help,” she said angrily, struggling to sit up even though her body screamed in protest. She had no plans of being any man’s damsel in distress. The man laughed, showing sharp teeth on his face. “I’m Kane. And whether you asked or not, you’d be dead if I hadn’t intervened.” Sienna narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?” Kane’s smile dissipated and his eyes were sharp. “I want you to live. But this has to be so much stronger if you are to survive in the wilderness.” She snorted, removing the blood from her lip. “I don’t need a lesson in survival.” Kane’s face contorted and then he grabbed her arm and dragged her up from her chair. The way he held her hand was very tight as if he owned her. “Oh, you will. Your life is about to get much more complicated, Sienna Hawthorne,” said the woman who was now standing in front of her. “How do you know my name?” He spoke softly and leaned in even closer to her. We are linked, Sienna and you. You just don’t know it yet.” The atmosphere in the room was tense. Sienna stepped back, wrenching her hand from his grip. I don’t care who you are, rogue. That’s what I am not looking for – a savior. In the darkness Kane’s eyes shone. “I’m not here to save you. I’m here to teach you. If you need to live long enough to reclaim what is yours, you’ll need me.” “And what’s in it for you?” Sienna demanded, her voice full of doubts. Kane smiled again but this time it was much more sinful and malicious. “Let’s just say we both have personal grudges to solve with those who turned their back on us.”