Her Forbidden Mate

Heavy pants escaped from the girl's lips as she ran frantically through the thick, dark bushes, pushing through leaves that rustled under her feet. With each step, the dried leaves cracked and crunched beneath her. The sound of men's voices and dogs barking echoed from behind her. By the sound of it, her pursuers were not far behind and were gaining on her quickly. The girl tried to pick up her pace, but she was already exhausted. She tripped on a tree branch and fell to the ground. She turned to glance behind her and saw that the flashlights and voices were even closer now. "Sh*t," Camelia cursed under her breath, the wound on her leg stinging painfully. She stood up and continued running, hot sweat trailing down her forehead even as the cold air cut through her skin. She regretted her decision to leave the house earlier that evening. Her mother had forbidden her from ever going to the main town for as long as she could remember. Werewolves never associated with humans except on a few occasions, because some humans hunted werewolves. Being a werewolf meant she couldn't associate with humans, even though she had always wanted to. Earlier that evening, she had chosen to defy her mother. She had begged the older girls to take her with them when they were heading to the nearby human town for shopping. She had only left the group for a minute to buy a pair of boots, and those evil minxes had taken the opportunity to leave her behind in the mall. Now she was on the run from hunters trying to kill her in the middle of unfamiliar woods. She had no idea how they discovered she was a werewolf, but escaping was her only priority. She could think about that later—if she survived. She tried shifting into her wolf form, but it seemed that her stupid, weak wolf was just in the mood to get them both killed that night. She fell to the ground for the second time, scraping the wound on her leg even more. She bit her lip hard to suppress the pain as she slowly crawled to the back of a tree and leaned against it. The rustling of the trees and the voices were closer now, making it impossible for her to move from her hiding place without being spotted. She was completely worn out and certain she would die that night. Camelia rested her head against the tree, some of her blonde hair sticking to the side of her face. The thought of being murdered by angry hunters before her nineteenth birthday had never crossed her mind when she had made the foolish decision to follow those girls. She said her last prayers to the moon goddess and mustered the little strength she had left before starting to run again. She would rather die attempting to escape than sit back and wait to be shot. One of the hunters heard the rustling of bushes and immediately shouted, his voice blaring. "It's over there!" he yelled at his companions, and they immediately charged toward her direction, some even firing gunshots and bolts. Luckily for her, none of the bullets hit. She silently thanked the moon goddess for her protection as she continued running through the dense forest. However, her relief was short-lived as a sudden, powerful grip seized her from the side, yanking her forcefully behind a towering tree. She felt herself pinned against the rough bark, her back pressed firmly against it. A strong hand covered her mouth, muffling any sound she might have made. "Shush," the man hushed her immediately as she struggled against his hold. "Those hunters are close. Make one sound, and we both die." His voice was cold and hard, sending a chill down her spine. Camelia stopped moving. She knew she didn't stand a chance against this man. Even if she somehow managed to free herself, there was no way she could escape those hunters. She would just have to wait for her death, she thought. But to her surprise, the hunters passed without noticing them, as if they were invisible. The strange man finally let go of her when the hunters were far off and started walking away. Camelia looked toward the direction the hunters had gone, then back at the man, who was almost out of her sight. She immediately jogged toward him, catching up quickly. The man glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and picked up his pace, and she did the same. "Thank you for helping me back there, sir," Camelia said, but the man did not respond, nor did he slow his pace. "What pack are you from?" she asked. She couldn't sense if he was a werewolf since her own wolf was too weak to sniff his scent, but she assumed he must be one, since he knew her pursuers were hunters. "I'm from Blood Moon Pack," she added, but the man still did not reply. Camelia didn’t mind his behavior. She continued talking. "How can I repay you for saving my life?" she asked. The man stopped walking and faced her. Due to their height difference, she had to crane her neck to look at his face. By the moonlight, she could see some of the man's features. His face did not look friendly—he looked cold. "Stop following me, girl," he shot her a deadly glare. "Those hunters are far gone, so you can run along now." Camelia blinked her blue eyes at him. "I would, but… um," her eyes fell in embarrassment as she fumbled with her fingers. "I don't know how to get to the main road. I think I'm lost," she confessed. The stranger simply smirked wickedly. "This is quite a funny situation," he said with a cold chuckle. "A werewolf lost in the woods." He commented and resumed walking, with Camelia following behind him. "I'm Camelia," she introduced herself, not bothering to ask for his name. She rubbed her arm for warmth as the cold breeze seeped into her skin. She looked at the stranger's back, wondering why he seemed upset, but she did not ask or speak at all. She quietly followed him, his boots squishing on the moist ground, blending with the sound of the cicadas. The man suddenly stopped, and Camelia stopped too, wondering why. "Move straight ahead, and you'll get to the main road in no time," the man said, then began walking in a different direction. Camelia stared at the stranger's back until he was out of sight. She sighed before beginning to walk again. The stinging in her leg had only increased, and she could only hope to get back home to her mother, who must be worried sick. Her eyes narrowed. Those evil hellcats had better be ready to feel her wrath when she got back.