Chapter 25

My lunges were burning and my legs felt like they were about to give out. The wolves were hot on our trail and we were out of options to slow them down. “I think I see some light up there! We might be near the edge of the forest!” Gray was yelling. We were both out of breath and maybe there’s someone out there we could get help from. We pushed past the final line of trees and saw nothing. It was a plain. There was a small cottage in the center but we would never make it. I hurt a crack and a thump and I stopped to look behind me. Gray was on his stomach with a wolf on his back.

“It was cute you thought you could get away little one. Now that we’ve had a good run I think we’re just going to end the fun here” the wolf said. It was the black wolf from before. I would never forget that voice. But I thought I killed him. I cut the artery. No one survives that. “You foolish girl!” Another wolf yelled. “We aren’t regular wolves!” Another said. Then the black wolf turned back into a human. “Thats right we’re not are we? Even shunned and rejected by our packs, we are still werewolves. Now how about you be a good little girl now and come here so I can kill you quickly?” He finished and held out his hand again. I looked back to gray and he was panting on the ground trying to get up but another wolf put his front paws on his back.

“Try to keep them busy” it was like a thought in my mind. Was I going crazy? Like actually crazy? I can tell when I’m talking to myself it’s my own voice but this was a softer male voice. “I’ll explain everything just try to keep them busy. I’m almost there!” The voice said again. I had no idea what was going on but I’ll try to hold on if I could. “I’ll make you a deal.” I said out loud. I have Got to be going crazy if I thought this was actually going to work. The man’s eyes had a hint of curiosity in them, “Alright I’ll bite cutie, what kind of deal?” He said. I can’t believe that worked! “You said you’d take me back to wherever you came from. If you let my guard go, I’ll go with you.” I said starting to stutter. He burst out laughing, “This fool is your guard? You must be a lorn born lady or something! Oh honey we could protect you better than this guy!” He finished but continued laughing along with all the others. “You could keep me safer than he could?” I asked with a straight face. The man looked me straight in the eyes and walked closer as if trying to seduce me with his voice alone. “Oh we absolutely could. But why would we? Have you already forgotten you tried to kill me back in there?” He pointed to the forest and continued, “besides we already have you that offer before you ran.” I held his gaze and walked closer. What I said stunned even me, “How was I supposed to know you could actually protect me? You came out of the forest as wolves, looked like you had every intention of killing us. And I didn’t know you.” I was surprised by my confidence and I decided to go with it and square off with him. “So now that I know you might be able to protect me and do something beneficial for me, maybe I’ll take you up on your offer. What’s your price?” I finished and he jumped back laughing again with all the other wolves.

“You make a fine point. You’re more clever than you look doll face! Let me make you a counter offer. You come back with us. Alone. And naked. No fighting. We let your guy go, but you belong to us. All of us. And we can do whatever we want to you.” He finished and I had no idea what to say next. Then a smell wafted through the air and I took a deep breath in, it smelled like smoke again. I heard a flapping that sounded like a bird. A voice came back into my head, “almost there but you should get your friend out of danger and by you.” I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t know if it was real or not and if anything I could save one person to take the news and a message back to Queen Aster. “Tick tock gorgeous,” he started throwing up his hands and came over to grab my chin while licking his lips. “We aren’t that patient. What’s your answer?” He said in a deep voice that gave me chills. A part of me wanted to give into it. But I couldn’t. “Will you let me say goodbye to him?” I asked. My voice was starting to crack. He smiled and let go of my chin. He walked over and grabbed gray from the ground. “Why not?” He said in a sarcastic tone. Gray didn’t look right. He’d been silent for this whole thing and he looked dazed. “So do we have a deal?” The man asked. I held my head up and said, “Deal.” He clapped and turned back to a wolf telling the rest of the pack to get ready. Gray snapped out of something and walked over to me.

“Immyria what just happened? Why did you say that? I was on the ground and then all of the sudden there was a pressure on my back and I couldn’t do anything! You can’t go with them!” Gray was visibly upset. “Gray I don’t have time to explain stay close to me.” Was all I said and we started walking backwards from the pack. I felt a dramatic change in the wind before I saw something coming from the clouds. It was dark but it was coming fast towards us. “A WYVERN!” One of the wolves yelled. The wind was starting to whip around us. The sky looked like a storm was here and it started raining. When the wyvern was close enough it opened its mouth to let out a monstrous amount of fire at the wolves and caught the edge of the trees on fire. The wolves ran back into the trees and the wyvern circled us.

I head a scream behind me where gray was and I turned to look at him. The man I was talking to had gone back to a wolf and while we were distracted he’d circled us and found a way to bite gray from his bicep to his shoulder. Once he tasted grays blood he did one good tear and ran back to the woods. Stopping only to give me a quick look before disappearing back into the forest. I ran over to gray and started binding his arm, “Gray are you alright?” I asked quickly. He just groaned and nodded his head. After a moment the wyvern landed behind us and let out a loud cry towards the forest and turned back to us.

I stood up in front of gray and watched the wyvern. It was a dark purple on the body scales and it had a golden underbelly. It walked on two back legs and its two wings like front legs. It studied us for a moment and walked closer, shaking the ground below us. It lowered its head and smelled us. I also smelled him. He was the Smokey smell I’ve been smelling. I’m sure of it! It was far too strong to not be him. He lifted his head to look at gray and saw that he was injured. He grunted and in my mind I heard him say, “Both of you get on. It’s time to leave.” I wasn’t sure where we were going but it was better than here in all aspects. We were soaking wet from the rain and gray was injured on top of it. I grabbed gray and the wyvern lowered his wing for us to walk on. We got up and the wyvern ran to take off and started flying in the opposite direction we came from. “Please take us to the main city to get help.” I whispered to myself. “Where else do you think I’d take you?” The wyvern entered and said into my mind again. From that point we were silent until the ride was over.