Run! The Lost Princess of the Black Wolves

Chapter 13 - Don't be afraid

Chloe's heart raced as she found herself back in the silent streets of her hometown. Confused and disoriented, she tried to gather her thoughts. How did she get here? And why? It didn’t make sense! She had just been in bed, at Emerald Lake pack, but now she was out in the city in the middle of the night...? It had to be a dream. And it had to be that woman, bringing her back to this place. The woman in the mirror.

Her eyes scanned the dark alleys and abandoned buildings as she searched for any sign of her. This was the same spot where she had seen that woman the first time, and now she seemed to haunt her, day and night. Why was she summoning her?

Chloe instinctively knew she was being watched, and this time, her fear turned into fury. She could feel the hairs on her arms stand on end, but no! She was not going to be afraid. Not this time. This time, Chloe would be on the offensive. She refused to be a victim... No, this time, she would be the hunter, making the woman her prey.

With adrenaline coursing through her veins, she stalked through the shadows, her senses on high alert. She would find her! She would question her. And she would finally learn the truth behind this twisted game of cat and mouse.

Suddenly, as she turned a corner, she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye and she froze before quickly darting into the nearest alley, letting her claws grow long on her hands. Intently listening for any sound, she waited for any indication of her stalker's presence... And then, she heard it. The soft sound of footsteps, coming closer and closer.

With fierce determination, Chloe prepared herself. This woman, whoever she was, would regret ever crossing her! Her heart pounded in her chest when she leaped out from the shadows, ready to confront the source of the footsteps once and for all - but before she could even register what was happening, a dark hood was thrown over her head, cutting off her vision. Strong arms dragged her to the ground, and she struggled and kicked with all her might, desperate to break free.

The terror in her grew. Not only couldn't she free herself, she couldn't shift into her wolf form either. Why wasn't it working? Overwhelmed with panic, she realized she couldn’t even sense her wolf. As if she didn't exist? But just as she thought all was lost, her wolf's voice resounded in her mind.

"Chloe, this isn't real," it whispered urgently. "It's just a dream. Wake up!"

Chloe's eyes snapped open, and she gasped for breath, her heart racing. The hood and attacker were gone, and she was washed over with relief… But it was short-lived. She wasn't in bed. This wasn't her room. Not at home, and not at the Emerald Lake pack mansion.

Instead, as she looked around, she found herself in the heart of a dense forest, surrounded by trees and vegetation that she couldn't place or identify. Neither the scent nor the sight of her surroundings were familiar to her... However, the air was thick with a strange scent, similar to smoke from a lit fire.

Damn it! Another dream. Why couldn’t she snap out of it?

Chloe shook her head, trying to clear the dizziness from her mind. She had to get a grip. This was probably going to be another nightmare. But the fact she was here had to mean something, right?

Vigilantly, she started walking, her senses on high alert, following the scent of smoke. As she moved quietly through the undergrowth, she found a little clearing in the midst of the trees, where she saw a cloaked figure seated by a small fire, surrounded by flickering candles.

The figure looked up, and their gazes met instantly, Chloe's heart skipping a beat as she realized who it was. The woman from the mirror! The one she had been looking for.

Without warning, the cloaked woman sprang to her feet, stamping out the fire with a swift kick.

"Hey! Wait!" Chloe shouted, surprised at the woman's speed as she darted away into the darkened forest, evading her every step.

Chloe put all her efforts into chasing after her, but it was like trying to catch a ghost - the woman weaved effortlessly through the trees, slipping away at every turn. Exhausted and breathless, Chloe leaned against a tree, trying to make sense of what was happening.

Abruptly, a shadow flickered in the corner of her eye, and her instincts kicked in. She spun around, catching a glimpse of the cloaked woman as she disappeared once again. Determined to catch her, Chloe took off after her, her mind full with questions and uncertainty. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

However, just as she was gaining ground, she stumbled and fell, her face plunging into the moss. Something was wrong. She never fell during a hunt! Shaking off the confusion, she stood up, only to find herself face to face with the cloaked woman again. Without hesitation, the woman threw some kind of powder in her eyes, and Chloe fell to her knees, writhing in pain. Panic surged through her as she realized her vision was getting blurry. What if she was going blind?

“Calm down, Chloe,” her wolf soothed once again. “It's just a dream, remember? It seems like a dead end. Wake up.”

"Wake up, wake up, wake up," she rubbed her eyes, and suddenly, they felt normalt again. However, upon opening her eyes, she groaned with frustration. She had hoped to wake up, for real, but no... This time, she found herself in a dimly lit barn that she had never seen before. Why couldn’t she just wake up in her own bed? This was exhausting!

“Help me,” she reached out for her wolf.

"I think this is important... Try to not be afraid," it whispered back before withdrawing.

“No!" Chloe pleaded. "Help me, please! I want to wake up, I don’t want to do this anymore…”

But this time, her wolf remained silent, and Chloe was left all by herself.

Exasperated and confused, she rubbed her hands over her face before she scanned the unfamiliar surroundings. It was a musty old barn, with creaky and outdated agricultural equipment scattered about, including a rusty plow and a worn-out millstone. However, amidst the old gear, an old scythe caught her eye. Its sharp blade gleamed menacingly, and she couldn't resist admiring it. It could become handy if she still couldn’t shift...

Just then, she heard hushed whispers of two strangers emanating from the shadows, and she quickly crouched behind a stack of hay, her ears strained to listen in on their conversation.

"What do you think he'll do with him?" a young man's voice asked.

"Kill him, of course," a woman's voice replied, her tone dripping with contempt. "Nolan's not one for mercy."

Nolan… Chloe's mind raced. And who else were they talking about?

"But he could give us valuable information," the man argued. "He could tell us the whereabouts of our enemy and what their next move is."

"True, but Nolan will probably kill him anyway," the woman stated matter-of-factly. "He hates his guts. That's what happens when you snatch someone's mate."

Chloe's heart skipped a beat. Mate?

"They're not proper mates yet. He hasn't marked her," the man added thoughtfully. "I wonder what he's waiting for."

"He's grown soft on her," the woman sneered. "I preferred the old Nolan, who wasn't such a wuss."

Chloe's mind raced as she tried to make sense of the conversation. Who were these people? And what was she doing here?

Carefully, she sneaked out on the other side of the barn, her senses on high alert. Even if it was a dream, every cell in her body told her this was a dangerous situation. If these people were talking about the same Nolan she knew, something really bad was going to happen. He was a madman, a maniac. Completely insane! Now, he was up to something, and she was starting to think that she was here to find out what it was.

Suddenly, a familiar voice pierced through the haze of her thoughts. "You're letting her go, you hear me? Let her go!”

The voice belonged to Marcus... Marcus! What was he doing here?

“She'll never love you,” Chloe heard him continue. “Just let her go."

Creeping along the wall of the barn, Chloe peeked around the corner, only to find a large wooden frame holding a naked man suspended in cuffs, his limbs spread apart like a spread eagle. There was no doubt. It was Marcus.

He was totally nude, his toned body covered in dirt and blood. Chloe trembled as she noticed Nolan standing in front of him, his eyes seething with hatred and anger.

"She's mine," Nolan growled. "She will always be mine!"

"She'll never be yours," Marcus sneered, looking smug despite his vulnerable state. "She's too strong for you."

"Of course, she's strong," Nolan chuckled, his voice dripping with scorn. "She's my mate. And she'll carry my pups. Together, we'll rule the west..." Nolan moved closer, his voice lowering to almost a whisper. "But first, I need to get rid of you."

Before Chloe could even think, let alone act, Nolan extended his claws and slashed Marcus's throat. The blood was spurting and gushing out of the wound, killing him instantly, and Chloe's scream echoed through the air, shattering the world into pieces.