Chapter 53 Running Away

Chapter 53 Running Away
"What the hell is wrong with you, Layla?" I shouted, staring at the men as they walked towards me.

"Nothing, Diana," she chuckled with a smug smile. "I don't want you near Alpha Warren, and that bastard in your stomach is going to bring him to you. I don't want that."

I scoffed, my heart thumping in my chest as my wolf growled within me. "You're not going to get away with this. Warren is going to find out sooner or later, and you're going to—"

Before I could finish what I was saying, one of the men smacked me across the face. His hand against my cheek made my head snap to the side, the sharp pain making me wince.

"Don't you dare touch me!" I screamed, looking around to see if there was anyone to help. But everyone on the street was just looking away. They clearly didn't want to interfere after seeing the Moonlight Pack crest on the men's shirts.

The other man stood close by my side while the first held my wrist so firmly that the bone started to ache.

"Get your hands off me now!" I shouted, panting out of fear.

"Enough screaming, Diana," Layla said. She signaled for the second man to grab my other arm, forcing me down onto my knees on the hard pavement. "Can't you see no one is going to help you? Why don't you just die already?"

"You're going to suffer for doing this, Layla," I groaned through my teeth, trying desperately to break free from the men's hold. "If anything happens to my baby, I'll kill you."

"Oh, look, I'm so scared," Layla muttered with a fake, smug smile. "You can't do anything to me, Diana."

I struggled against the men, but their grip was too strong. My wolf growled, trying to lend me her strength, but compared to two fully trained pack warriors, we were too weak.

I was still trying to think of what to do when I felt a sudden, sharp blow straight to my belly. My eyes widened in pure horror as I realized Layla had just kicked me in the stomach.

"No, Layla!" I shouted at the top of my voice. "Don't! Please, don't touch my baby!"

Layla didn't listen. Her face twisted into a cruel grin as she pulled her boot back and kicked me in the stomach again.

A sharp, tearing pain shot straight through my gut, making my vision go completely white. I let out a choked cry, my knees scraping against the rough street. I tried to twist my body away, bending forward to protect my stomach but the two men held my arms tight behind my back. Their fingers dug into my skin like claws, locking me in place.

"You should have gotten rid of it in the hospital when I told you to," Layla spat, her eyes full of cold hate as she raised her foot once more. "You always were stupid, Diana. Did you really think you could carry an Alpha's pup and just walk around?"

Another heavy kick landed against my lower stomach. A broken sob tore from my throat. The pain was too much. It felt like fire burning me from the inside out.

"Stop! Please, Layla, stop!" I cried, the anger in my voice turning into a desperate plea. "I'll go away! I'll leave the city! I won't ever tell Warren about the baby or the mate bond! Just please... don't hurt my baby!"

"It's too late for that," Layla laughed, her boot coming down hard one more time.

I gasped for air, my whole body shaking as I fell forward as far as the two men would let me. Cold sweat poured down my face, mixing with my tears. Then I felt something warm and wet spreading down my legs, soaking through my clothes.

I looked down through my blurred vision. Dark red blood was dripping onto the street, pooling between my knees.

Horror filled my chest. My hands shook as I stared at the blood. The shock washed over me, burning away my fear and leaving behind a deep, dark hatred unlike anything I had ever felt before.

I lifted my head, staring at her with red, tear stained eyes. "You're not my sister," I choked out, my voice thick with rage. "You are a monster. If you kill my baby... if my pups die today... I swear to the Moon Goddess, I will hunt you down. I will make you pay for every single drop of blood."

Layla took a step back, casually wiping a speck of dirt off her shoe. She threw her head back and let out a bright, mocking laugh. "Look at you," she sneered, pointing down at me. "You're on your knees in the dirt, bleeding like a dog. I am the Luna of the Moonlight Pack now, Diana. What can you possibly do to me?"

My stomach throbbed with a sickening ache, each pulse sending more blood sliding down my skin. My wolf, pushed to her limit by the threat to my unborn pups, let out a wild roar inside my mind.

Power snapped through my bones. Before the two warriors could tighten their grip, I forced my body to shift. My spine bent, white fur bursting across my skin as my bones reshaped in an instant. The sudden change threw the two men off balance.

Without waiting, my wolf turned and snapped her jaws at the warrior on my left, biting his arm and forcing him to let go with a yell. I scrambled forward on four legs, ignoring the terrible pain tearing through my stomach, and bolted down the road.

"Get her!" Layla screamed behind me, her voice crazy with rage. "Don't let her survive! Kill her!"

I didn't look back. I ran with everything I had left, my paws slamming against the ground as I headed straight for the dark tree line at the edge of the road. I could hear the heavy footfalls of the two pack warriors shifting and chasing right behind me, their dangerous growls cutting through the air.

My wolf pushed through the thick bushes at the edge of the forest, the sharp branches tearing at our fur. Every jump sent a wave of agonizing pain straight into my womb, but I kept going. I had to hide. I had to save my baby.

Suddenly, the sound of loud growls and snapping jaws erupted right behind me in the woods.

I slowed down, turning my head to look over my shoulder. Through the trees, I saw a large shadow crash hard into the two warriors chasing me. A fierce fight broke out. Bones cracked, claws scraped against hide, and loud, painful howls filled the air as the stranger tore into Layla's men.

I didn't stay to watch who it was. I limped as fast as I could toward a tree deeper in the forest, my strength fading fast. The sounds of fighting behind me died down quickly until there was only a weak, dying groan, followed by total silence.