Sierra pov.
"Fuck!" I yelled, holding onto my leg, trying to force myself to move. I couldn't believe that something like this had happened, and I tried to recall if everything that had just occurred was real.
I placed my hands on my face and screamed, reliving everything that had just happened. Looking around, I saw that I was still in the forest. The air was thick with the scent of pine trees, and I could hear the sound of rustling leaves as a gentle breeze blew through.
I took in my surroundings, trying to gather my bearings, and began to walk in the direction I remembered to get back home. After about half an hour, I arrived at my home and noticed how quiet it was. Standing in front of my door, I yelled out for my mom.
As I waited, I felt my head spinning, and my eyes become puffy with tears. Just then, the door opened, and I saw my mom standing there, looking at me.
"Sierra!" she cried out, running towards me to give me a hug.
"Mom," I called out, hugging her tightly, not wanting to let her go. Soon, she took me inside and walked me over to my room, where I sat down on my bed and looked up at her.
"What happened?" she asked, staring at my broken leg.
"He's a monster, Mom," I cried as tears streamed down my face. "He was trying to kill me."
My mother looked at me in shock as I told her what had happened, pulling me closer to her and holding me, saying that everything would be okay. But I knew it wasn't.
As I looked up at her, I felt so scared to be alone in my room, thinking that he might come after me. It felt like I was in a nightmare, and I couldn't escape.
"Please, Mom, stay with me," I pleaded with her. She hugged me tightly, sitting closer to me and looking up at my face.
"I have missed you, Sierra, and this time, I will not want to let you go ever again."
I saw a tear trickle down her cheek, and the warmth of her embrace made me feel safe. The sweet fragrance of her perfume filled my senses, and the sound of her voice brought back memories of our happy times together.
As I lay down on the bed, my eyes still fixed on my mom, I smiled. I didn't want to leave her anymore; I didn't want to be a mate to that beast.
"Hope you won't leave me, Mom," I said, my vision blurry. Before I could hear her say anything, I drifted off to sleep.
I woke up to the sound of yelling outside. I couldn't understand what was going on, but the commotion was getting louder. As I opened the curtain covering the window, I saw that it was already morning.
I ran to the clock to check the time and saw that it was 10am. The shouting continued, and I wondered if it was coming from the living room.
I opened the door of my room and walked out, walking down the stairs. When I reached the living room, I saw a group of people gathered as if they were having a meeting.
As soon as they saw me, they all stopped and turned to look at me. I stood frozen in my spot, not sure if I should say good morning or just keep looking at them.
Suddenly, my mom ran towards me and pulled me in front of all the people.
"Sierra, these are the people who will help us fight against the beast," she said, her voice determined.
"Come on, Sierra, tell them what that beast did to you last night. How he wanted to kill you and also broke your leg," urged my mother.
I turned to her, still confused about what was going on. Why did she want me to tell these people about the beast?
I gazed at the group of people who were seated there, waiting for my response. The room was dimly lit, and the air was thick with the scent of flowers.
I looked down at my leg and noticed that it was gone.
My mother nodded encouragingly, and I took a deep breath before speaking.
"The beast tried to kill me yesterday during the full moon. I did all I could to run and hide, but he was still searching everywhere for me so he could kill me."
As soon as I finished speaking, the people around me murmured amongst themselves. Suddenly, a man stood up and yelled, "We need to kill the beast! He doesn't belong here!"
The group erupted into cheers, and I felt a wave of fear wash over me as they all brandished their weapons.
"What do you people think you're doing?" I cried out, trying to stop them.
My mother held me back, and I looked around, feeling helpless and scared.
"Be happy, child. We are trying to save you from the beast who tried to end your life last night," he said, trying to calm me down.
As I heard one of the men speak, I was left staring at him, at a loss for words. I looked down, pondering how he must be feeling right now, and if he was regretful for his actions from last night. The full moon changed him, so I couldn't really blame him.
I felt my mother's hands let go of me as I walked over to the man who had spoken and gazed up at him.
"He's my mate!" I shouted in his face. And before I knew it, they all began to laugh.
"No one deserves a mate like him. Consider yourself lucky, girl, because the other mates who were chosen for him never returned."
Just staring at the man who said that left me feeling confused as I looked up at him.
"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to understand why he would say such a thing.
"He killed them, girl, and now we must kill him."
They all walked away, leaving me standing there with a racing heart and a mind in turmoil. Had he been lying all along, telling me that they rejected him just so he could keep me around and kill me last night?
I walked over to the couch and sat down, still in shock from what I had just heard. My mother walked over to me and placed her hands on my shoulders as I looked up at her.
"It's okay, you're safe now," she said, trying to console me.