I’m the one in control tonight Sebastian and I suggest you accept that. The wolf laughed, it’s hectic pace unhindered by the collision with the tree as it continued forward, taking a large part of the trunk with it. It ran straight, never halting for any obstacle that was in its way, destroying them as they came into contact with him, unswerving in its determination to take the quickest path to its mate despite Sebastian's struggles.
****
It was at times like this when Erica could finally understand the meaning of the saying that even wolves have their limits. She had been running for two days straight, all through the night and right across the day. Her limbs were finally beginning to feel the strain, her muscles felt weak and rubbery as though they wouldn’t support her next step. Her lungs were starting to burn, each breath feeling like a chore that she would rather not do. Despite this she kept running. She knew that Sebastian would be much faster than she and that if she stopped even for a brief second he might be able to make up the distance between them. Her only hope lay in the possibility that he had agreed not to chase her, if that was the case then she only had to contend with his wolf at night. Unfortunately she couldn’t simply call and ask if he were willing to postpone the claiming as that would waste valuable time that could have been spent running. Another factor that prevented her from trying to make contact with him was the thought that he might have been angered by her abrupt departure and could in fact now be in accord with the wolf. If that were the case then she had no chance for escape. She was however hopeful that Sebastian had agreed to simply let her go as she couldn’t feel his presence nearby and if he were running through the days then surely he would have caught up with her by now.
Tonight was the last night of the full moon, she could feel it beginning to wane and while she was thrilled that her long run might now be at an end, she was also very nervous. Sebastian's wolf had to know that this was the last chance it would have to claim her for at least a month, it would be pushing him even harder to reach her and it had the power of the instinct to support its actions and increase its stamina and speed.
Her surroundings had changed drastically since the first night she had ran from her cabin. The air was distinctly colder as she had headed north, zig zagging the entire way, hoping that the frostier air and bewildering trail would hide her scent from her pursuing mate. She was still well hidden within forests, large pines surrounding her on all sides as they stretched endlessly towards the sky. The ground crunched under her feet as she moved but she didn’t have time to enjoy her surroundings as she rushed onwards.
Her pace was halted abruptly as she felt metal bite into her skin. A loud wail spread through the woods as the trap snapped shut. Erica howled as blood flowed from the wounded leg that was now caught in the painful device before she found herself thrown back into her human form. What should have been simply a mildly painful wound for one of her kind, burned and the pain ripped through her like nothing she had ever felt before. Her eyes watered with the pain as she looked towards the dangerous contraption, noting the distinct sheen it had in the moonlight.
Silver? Her mind raced, before her fingers reached for the device intent on freeing her trapped leg. The skin on her fingertips sizzled at the brief contact and she pulled her hands back to her body. The pain in her leg was beginning to spread, almost paralyzing it its intensity. Disregarding the pain that was to come, Erica reached forward grasping the sides of the trap in both hand. Her palms burned but she pulled regardless, her strength draining from her the longer her skin stayed in contact with the dangerous metal. Silver had long been deadly to her people and the instinct had yet to find a way to overcome this weakness, leaving her vulnerable. The human myths were almost right when it came to the tale of the wolf and the silver bullet. While a silver bullet wouldn’t kill a wolf, it would drain them of strength to the point that they were practically helpless, making it easy for any passing stranger to take their head. Most wounds they could heal from, but decapitation was the surest way to see a wolf dead.
The sound of cracking twigs gained her attention and she turned her head in the direction the sound was coming from. If it’s a person then maybe they can help me.
“Hello?” she called loudly determined to gain attention that could help her escape the trap she had unwittingly fallen into in her haste to escape her mate. Thank God the instinct adapted so that I’m not lying here bare assed naked, she mused before calling out again. “Hello, is anyone there? I need help.”
The faint sound of twigs breaking escalated as bodies moved through the under brush and she sighed with relief as three people came into sight. The scent that met her nostrils was undeniably male and as they moved closer to her, her eyes confirmed what her nose knew. The men were all dressed in a similar fashion, dark clothing, sturdy boots, with large guns thrown over their shoulders. The weapons were slightly unnerving but she reassured herself with the knowledge that humans were allowed to own them in this country and there was nothing odd about them carrying them so openly.
A bright light was suddenly shined in her face and she closed her eyes against its intensity. “Um, excuse me would you mind helping me out of this trap. I was just going for a walk and accidentally stumbled into it.” The men didn’t respond to her request but she could hear them moving about and quickly became aware that she was surrounded. She opened her eyes despite the bright torch pointed at her and watched as one of them examined the blistered skin on her leg. “I think I might have wandered into some poison ivy,” she chuckled increasingly uncomfortable with the men that encircled her.
A rough hand grabbed her wrist pulling it forward. “If you’re what I think you are then you should expect no help from us.” The other two men, apparently satisfied that she wouldn’t be going anywhere, came to crouch beside the man who held her arm. The flashlight was moved from her face to shine on her arm. Another hand rolled up to expose the skin on her forearm.
“If you’re human then this shouldn’t hurt.” Another voice told her before waving a small round coin attached to a string in front of her.
Human? How can they know that I’m different? She finally noted the silver colour of the coin and horror washed over her. Hunters! Her eyes darted to the exposed skin of the man’s neck. A tattoo of a bullet resided against his flesh. With her strong eyesight she easily made out the small words that were etched into the shell of the bullet. For the wolf. As soon as she had identified the men in front of her, her heart began to race and her fear quickly multiplied.
The small coin was pressed harshly against her bare flesh and the skin beneath it sizzled in response. The fresh wave of pain once again brought tears to her eyes and she watched the men that surrounded her smile with cruel satisfaction as they finally removed the coin from her skin.
“It’s been a while since we caught a genuine werewolf,” One of the three chuckled. “Don’t worry, we’ll take real good care of you.” The smile that came across the stranger’s face wasn’t comforting.
Sebastian, you can catch me anytime now. She scanned the trees, hoping desperately that he would emerge from the trees. A cloth was placed against her mouth and as she breathed her mind became increasingly fuzzy. I guess my plan to escape went a little too well, she sighed. I escaped my mate only to end up in the hands of lunatics. Just great. Her mind went blank as she fitfully fell into unconsciousness.
Chapter Twelve
The moon had finally disappeared from the sky and as he lay against the cool grass staring up at the sky, watching the breaking dawn Sebastian felt a sense of satisfaction course through him. He hadn’t caught her. She had escaped him. His body was exhausted and he felt as though to move even a finger would require too much effort. He had fought against his inner wolf every step of the way and while the wolf inevitably won the battles, strengthened under the influence of the full moon, he had wasted time having to deal with Sebastian's futile struggles. Each morning, though his limbs were visibly shaking with strain, he had stood from whereve
r he had transformed back into his human body. Scenting the air he had found the direction that his mate had ran in and turned in the opposite, walking miles each day until the moon once again gave control of his body to his wolf. His struggles had apparently paid off as his mate had escaped the claiming.
I can’t believe you let her escape! the wolf howled. Contained as it was behind strengthened bars within his mind, Sebastian felt no worry as it continued to demand his attention, choosing instead to lie against the grass and gather his depleted strength. The sun felt warm against his skin, helping drive away the cold that had seeped through his body from exhaustion. Relaxing though it was his mind couldn’t help but wander to Erica.
I hope she isn’t as worn out as I am.
So now you start thinking of our mate? It is a bit late to do so now, the wolf groused.
I’ve always been thinking of her, it is just that, unlike you, I’m not so selfish as to put my desires before her needs.
And what of our needs? Should they just be ignored?
You don’t seem to be capable of thinking ahead. Things will be different next month.
You seem pretty sure of that.
She had reasonable doubts, all she wanted was time to get to know us. That isn’t a hard request to fulfil.
She already had time to get to know us.
Three days isn’t enough to overcome a lifetime of insecurities, especially when you would prove her concerns to be true.
I see no reason to agree to that silly request of hers. She’s our mate, where she goes then it is only natural that we follow.
I’ve had enough of you, just be quiet so I can get some sleep and then we’ll head back to collect Dylan and Wyatt.
Are we not going to get Erica?
No. She can have this time to herself. If we leave her alone then it will only work in our favour. She’ll know that we did what she asked of us and that might go some way to gaining her trust.
And what if I want to go and get her now.
You can want all you like. The moon is no longer full. I’m in control now and what I say goes, so just be quiet so I can get some sleep.
Closing his eyes, Sebastian allowed his body to finally succumb to the lure of sleep. After two days and nights of constant running with no chance of rest he was in desperate need of it. When he finally woke, the sun was still in the sky, though it was much higher than the last time he had seen it, telling him that he had slept a great deal of the day. His body however was in a much better condition now that he had rested; his muscles were no longer protesting the even simplest movement and he found that he could now stand. He was further pleased when he found that he could move his limbs much easier than he had anticipated and immediately began walking in the direction of his home.
A thought occurred to him as he walked and he quickly pulled his mobile from his pocket and dialled his brother’s number. After a few brief rings Ryan answered.
“Hello?”
“Ryan, it’s Sebastian.”
“Hey, how are things with you?”
“I’m good. I’m actually on my way back home.”
“So you’re finished with whatever you needed to do?” his brother questioned.
“Yes I’m all done. I was just wondering exactly where you were. I didn’t want to show up at the cabin only to find that you were at the estate.”
“Nope, we’re still in the cabin. I didn’t know if you wanted anyone else to know about your little crisis so I figured it was best for us to stay here. Besides the kids didn’t seem to quite understand what was going on so I figured it would just confuse them more if we moved.”
Thank god for that. I completely forgot to tell him not to go back to the estate. Dylan and Wyatt aren’t stupid; if they stayed at the estate then they’d wonder where we were. “That’s good,” he replied, still unprepared to enlighten his twin as to his thoughts while Erica was still adamant about the need for secrecy. “How are they? Have they been alright?”
“Easiest favour you’ve ever asked of me,” Ryan replied confidently and Sebastian could practically see the grin that would have crept onto his brother’s face.
“Really?”
“Yeah, they pretty much took care of themselves. I didn’t even have to do all that much. But that doesn’t mean I’m not keeping you to that promise. Remember when the time comes that I want your help, I expect no questions.”
“Have you got something in mind already?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean I’m not confident that the time won’t come.”
Sebastian laughed at his brother’s reasoning. “You act as though I wouldn’t have done it anyway.”
“I know you would agree to helping me, but the important factor here is the lack of questions. I mean it Sebastian. None. Not even a hint of a question.”
“Fine.”
“How much longer do you need me to be here?”
“I’m not really sure where I’m exactly, probably a good few hours run away though in my condition it might take me longer than it normally would, I’m exhausted. I’ll see if I can find a city or something and find a method of transport that’s easier on my limbs, hopefully I should be back by tonight. If not then I’ll be home tomorrow.”
“I guess I’ll see you later then.” The phone went silent as Ryan hung up.
Surrounded by trees on all sides, Sebastian came to the conclusion that the wolf had ran through the countryside, reducing the possibility that humans would see a lone wolf on the hunt. Unfortunately this meant that he was probably a fair distance from the nearest town.
“I’d better move faster if I want to get home today,” he sighed wistfully, longing for a real rest, before quickening his pace to a gentle jog as he began his search for civilisation.
*****
The sound of voices floating around her sensitive ears forced Erica into a state of wakefulness but as the last moments of consciousness flooded her mind she knew she didn’t want to open her eyes and be confronted with the harshness of her current reality. With wakefulness came pain, her mind was almost overwhelmed with the feeling as it regained control over her body. Her wrists, ankles and neck burned and the air was saturated with the smell of her burnt flesh. Her stomach rolled in response and she had to force herself not to lose the contents of her stomach. Despite refusing to open her eyes, she knew that she was seated. Discreetly flexing her wrists, she found them confined and as she moved, more flesh was burned, telling her that she was held captive by silver. Another few slight movements of her ankles and neck told her that they were in a similar condition, bound by the same metal.
As she had examined the shackles that kept her bound, the voices that had woken her had moved closer without her noticing. A hard slap to the cheek caused her eyes to open in shock. Glaring briefly at the man who had hit her, she recognised him as the one who had burnt her skin with a silver coin, marking her as a wolf. He was large, his body heavily muscled as though he had spent a great deal of time acquiring the extra body mass. His hair was cut so short that he was practically bald, though from the dark bristles that covered his scalp she guessed that his hair if longer would be black. Her eyes darted to the other men in the room, finding that their hair was cut in a similar fashion. Resisting the urge to growl in anger, her eyes quickly scanned her surroundings, searching for a way out.
The room she was being held in was dimly lit with a single light bulb over head, otherwise it was completely empty of furniture, though filled with humans. She counted at least eight that she could see and her nose told her there were more beyond this room. There was only one door that she could see and two men with large weapons guarded that exit. Her eyes continued their scan, noting that the windows had been boarded with dark wood, preventing sunlight from entering. And stopping others from seeing what these mad men are doing, she added ruefully, aware of what would likely happen to her in this room. Though her people were hunted less vigorously than they had been in previous time periods, they were by no means
left alone to live their lives in peace. A group of individuals continued to hunt and kill them throughout the ages, their membership seemingly undepleted despite all those that they had dealt with over the years. Lunatics will always find each other, she grumbled, trying to hold on to her sense of humour despite the fact that she knew they would likely kill her.
They’re going to kill me anyway so there’s no need to be polite. “What the hell are you staring at?” she hissed. “Is there something you want?”
The man in front of her smiled, his grey eyes shining with barely suppressed glee. “Of course I’m staring. We caught a genuine freak of nature, a monster from legend. This isn’t the sort of thing you see everyday.”
“I would have thought you’ve seen plenty of my people in your line of work, murderer!”
His cold smile didn’t falter. “You would think that wouldn’t you. I’m not the murderer here, you are.”
“It doesn’t look like it from where I’m sitting. I’m not the one guilty of kidnapping and bodily assault.”
“We’re keeping you from hurting others. If you were out there then things would be different. You’re a killer.”
“You don’t know me, you can’t make judgements like that. I’ve done nothing to you.”
“No?”
“Of course not!” Erica argued. “I’ve never met you before so how on earth would I’ve been able to do anything to hurt you.”
“You personally might not have done anything but you’re an abomination, a monster. Who knows what you’ve done to others.”
“Nothing!” she screamed angrily. “I’ve never hurt a soul in my life. Just because I’m different doesn’t mean I’m dangerous.”
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