Image about wolf in like by Corlean Nolan on We Heart It. There's a specific spot I wanted it in the chapter but it wouldn't let me :c I'll do it later when I'm on the computer.

The song on the side is Disturbia by Rihanna. She's one of my favorite singers and I love this song ❤️

Further down is Alive by Sia, whose music I also love.

I shoved the black wolf that ran alongside me, the moon was hidden by the trees but most likely was nearing the horizon as we quickly trotted through the forest I had seen from the plains earlier that night. I focused my attention on Damian as much as possible, but more disturbing thoughts continued to nag at the back of my mind. Focus on him, ignore those thoughts, only focus on him, I meditated every time my mind led me astray.

The shadows of other wolves swept through the dark trees whose branches reached high above my head. Occasionally, I'd see eyes flash in the surrounding darkness. A shiver raced down my spine when I met a hard yellow glare from a shadowy grey wolf that shoved passed me. A scar marked her side from shoulder to flank, I wonder where she got that from...

I yipped when I was unexpectantly shoved towards a tree. I playfully snarled and lunged towards Damian who darted back into the woods. We continued in the same direction as the others, our pace slowing and quickening as we took turns tagging each other.

I fled as quickly as my injured side would allow without straining myself. I caught sight of a dark mass slinking alongside me in the corner of my vision and leapt right, just in time to avoid his lunge. He crashed to the ground and I pushed forward to put some distance between us in our chase. I panted quietly as I saw another one of his pack mates flash by.

My side began to ache so I slowed my pace and pricked my ears. Soon, I saw another flash of black just before it disappeared back into the forest ahead of me. I glanced in his direction but immediately whipped my head back to where I was going when I heard a twig snap. Another wolf's scream split the air as I crashed into the shady figure who blocked my path.

My stomach plummeted and twisted as a pair of impossibly strong arms wrapped around my flank below my ribs. I momentarily glimpsed dark, unfriendly eyes and realized, that's not Damian, before he wrapped an arm around my throat and pulled my legs out from under me in a single motion. I let out a gurgled cry as my entire body was whip lashed and he painfully dug his knee into my open wound. Disoriented from his unfathomably quick movements, even for a werewolf, I went limp and tried to make sense of the world as it danced around my vision.

My heart pounded in my ears as he chuckled at my lack of fight and muttered just over my head, "Care to explain what you and your friends are doing here?"

His icy voice reeled my thoughts back into clarity and I instantly tried to push off anything that my paws could reach. He grunted when I kicked him in my desperate attempt to find something solid. Where is Damian?! As if in reply, I heard a growl reverberate through the trees followed by yelling and a snarl.

The guy holding me down yelled something and I almost instantly felt another set of arms holding me down. How are they so fast?

I reluctantly whined in defeat as they latched onto my paws and one dug their fingers into my gashes, If they took me down this easy, there's no way Damian can defend himself forever; I have to help him. How can I escape though? All my limbs ached as they were unable to use the adrenaline that pulsed through my veins, and rang in my ears.

I wasn't expecting any reply but Brook answered coolly as if she'd done this a million times, "Wait for your window of opportunity." A wolf's shriek filled the silence as soon as her sentence ended, sending a shiver down my spine to be deepened by the fury I felt towards them.

They spoke as if I wasn't here, "What are those mutts doing here anyway? There isn't a pack for miles," a voice I hadn't heard before asked. It took all my self control not to respond to being called a mutt.

"How would I know?" the one who originally restrained me retorted. "All I want to know is when we can finally dispose of them," my blood turned to ice when he whispered that last part as he twisted four fingers around my throat in a fast movement before swirling to a stop behind my ear.

They fell into a stiff conversation, and while I could only see the pale hands that clenched my paws, I could almost feel their gazes burning holes in my pelt.

After a while, the fingers gripping my side slowly relaxed, and it wasn't long before they removed their hand to steady themselves on the ground.

"They're balance must be off if they have to support themselves," I pointed out. Brook remained silent which I took as a form of agreement.

I carefully, slowly tested what happened when I moved my paw in a more comfortable position; instantly, the hand shot back to my side where he leaned his weight into me. A growl escaped my mouth before I could silence it.

"Shut up, you."

My raised head slammed into the hard, grassless ground as they pounded me on the temple with a closed fist.

Laughter emanated from them as I waited for my vision to clear, Damian's howl of rage echoed through the forest before intermingling with the sounds of a fight. Can he see me? Or did it hurt enough for him to feel it through the mate bond... Has he been able to feel my emotions this whole time?? I don't think we're far enough along the mating process for him to feel my pain yet... I didn't know the answers, but I knew one thing for sure, I need to get to him, we have to escape.

Long moments passed as I waited for an opening to attack, most of my dizziness gone. They had both slightly relaxed, although they remained in the same position this time. I felt a little trimmer run through the hand on my open flank, quickly followed by him losing his balance and wobbling.

"NOW!!!" Brook and I mind linked each other simultaneously.

In a flash I was up, pushing him back as his companion gripped onto my legs before falling over my body head first to the ground with a sickening crunch.

I didn't even pause as I whipped around and ducked the kick a brunette aimed at my face. I barely acknowledged him as the one who had gripped my injured side while I used my downward momentum to swing back around and grab for the arm he'd swung forward to keep his balance from the missed kick. Startled, he yelped as my teeth sunk into his arm. The other... thing still hadn't risen from his crumpled position on the ground as I dragged this one down, scratching him with my hindclaws.

He screamed for help but the sound of wolves's snarls and shrieks of pain drowned him out as the battles continued in the woods.

I swung my body on top of his to keep him down, my teeth holding onto his arm for dear life. If I let go, he was as good as gone.

Carefully, I dragged him closer to the one who had fallen, a sick feeling filling my stomach. Don't be dead, please don't be dead, I couldn't hear anything over the sound of my heartbeat, wolves growling, or the harsh breathing and swearing from the one who was awake.

I huffed as he punched my eye with his free hand.

Brook seethed, "Scratch his pretty green eyes out and let the worms eat them."

Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed, but the horror and guilt at possibly killing someone was overwhelming me. Worse than that, was not knowing if he was dead or not.

I aimed a blow to his stomach and shoved his head into the dirt when he lunged forward by using my uninjured side. He moaned into my fur and I once again approached the unmoving one, dragging him behind me. "Please, moon goddess, don't let him be dead," I begged as soon as I stood at his limp body.

I looked back down, still gripping his arm in my mouth to prevent his escape, the brunette seemed to have fallen unconscious. With my left paw holding his chest down and my right paw firmly planted in the ground to hold my balance, I listened to his heartbeat, never releasing his now mangled arm.

Bu, bum.

Bu, bum.

Bu, bum.

His slow, steady heartbeat proved that he had slipped into unconsciousness. Reluctantly, I finally released my hold on him as a scream reminded me I wasn't the only one in danger.

I quickly shoved the injured body aside and moved to a black haired guy about my age laying where I left him. I paused a moment, my nose just above his throat where I'd check for his pulse. "Please moon goddess, don't let me have killed him." I moved my nose into the crook of his neck.

A pit filled my stomach, engulfing me from the inside. No, no, no, no...

Nothing.

***

***

***

Bu, bum.

Bu, bum.

Bu, bum.

I gasped as I heard it, the sound pulsing against my wet nose. I sighed in relief before my nose crinkled in confusion.

Bu, bum.
Bu, bum.
Bu, bum.

My eyes snapped open but it was too late, a hand shot up in a choke hold and threw me against the ground.

PART TWO!!!

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Bleh, dirty glasses, I'm bliiiiiind! Pity me.

Damian's POV

I streaked after Crystal, my jaw slightly ajar as I breathed in her scent, sweet as maples but strong as my morning's coffee. I smirked as I imagined her hyped up on caffeine.

Her beautiful scent intensified as I drew near, soon seeing a silver bullet skidding through the trees. I leapt around a trunk and picked up the pace so I ran alongside her, hidden by the undergrowth. I edged closer before leaping forward. I've got you now!

I drew my paws up close to my body in anticipation of landing on her shoulders, but she sidestepped just in time. Taken by surprise, I crashed to the ground as she galloped on, her gorgeous blue eyes glinting with mischief.

I lightly growled under my breath as I dragged myself up to chase after her.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the chilly air.  My heart stopped as I whipped my head towards the sound, only one thought on my mind, Crystal.

I leapt forward and raced ahead. She couldn't have gone far, especially not with her injured side... What the-

I didn't even have time to register the blur of movement before I was thrusted in the wrong direction, scrambling to remain standing.

I snarled as someone kicked my exposed flank, Tanner, my wolf, growled, "Hurry up and dispose of them, we have to get to Crystal!"

I turned around before more than two seconds had passed, confusion clouding my mind. Where'd they go? I literally just got kicked and they've already vanished! What are they, the white rabbit?!

I heard a sound behind me and whipped around but before I could even turn halfway, I yelped and lunged away when my spine was whacked with a blunt object.

Growling furiously, I did a side roll to avoid anymore attacks from my blind spot, and knew that in the small window of time my opponent had to escape before I turn, there was no chance they could evade my gaze. Continuing the flow of momentum, I smoothly regained my crouching position, mouth parting in dismay at not what I saw, but what I didn't see.

No attacker.

I could feel Tanner's fury at their cowardly behavior. What can move that fast and be that strong? I can't even pick up their scent! Wait... I was struck realization when I added it all up. How didn't I figure it out sooner?!

Tanner growled, now knowing what we were dealing with. but despite his aggression, I shoved it aside. "Forget them, we have to find Crystal!" I was already moving in her direction again, ignoring the occasional blow that left me staggering only to start my trek again.

Tanner started planning ahead, "What about when we find her? How can we protect her?"

"We need to figure out how to find the others, regroup, and-" I leapt aside as a figure stepped into my path. He grinned at me, his deceivingly young appearance would lead me to guess that he was about twenty if he were a werewolf, but I knew differently.

"Use the pack mind link, you idiot!" Tanner ordered.

I paced around the figure in front of me, his sharp, angled features highlighted by the darkness that surrounded us. Never turning my back on him, I reached out with my mind to Nick; for a moment I was disoriented when my surroundings suddenly changed yet seemed oddly familiar. It took me a moment to realize I was looking through his eyes instead of my own. He was mid-fight with another of the human-like creatures. Jason, one of our warriors, was fighting alongside him so they couldn't get hit from behind.

Before I could say anything or pull my mind back in, I was smacked across my muzzle and out of my daze. Snarling, I continued circling around my enemy. His odd white hair and pale skin stood out against the shadows, yet he radiated darkness.

"C'mon you filthy dog, are you going to fight or not?" he sneered.

Tanner snapped; my world spun out of control and I was vaguely aware of lunging towards my opponent as Tanner forcefully took full control of our body. His attack was wild and frenzied. Missing his lunge, he landed with a painful thud and received another kick that pulled his left hind leg out and rolled us across he ground. Using the attack's momentum, he rolled back up and snapped his jaws as the figure rushed towards us again. Gasping as our head was bashed into a tree, we both clenched our jaw in pain. It felt like our tongue was foreign and horribly swollen as our teeth swung into flesh.

A shrill yell rang through the woods and I realized that we had grabbed our attacker's arm, twisting it as he simultaneously shoved our skull into the tree trunk.

I struggled to regain control but Tanner fought both me and the sickening creature.

"TANNER, STOP!" I ordered. "You're going to do something we both regret if you keep this up. Have you already forgotten what happened last time?"

He sprawled forward, attempting to hold down our struggling opponent. "I'll never forget what happened," he growled ferociously, biting deeper into their arm, "I won't let it happen again."

I felt anger and fear boiling in my stomach, mingling with regret and pain at the memory of what we had done.

My head mysteriously pulsed in pain, snapping me back to the present. Crystal? I wondered. "It has to be her; I haven't marked her yet though, I shouldn't feel her pain unless... I need to get to her right now. Tanner, give me back cont- RRRRrrrrraa!!!" I abruptly groaned as a sharp knife was driven into my side from the bottom up.

Falling into the blade being held by the person beneath me, I howled in pain; icy fire igniting from the pain as I was forced to release his arm.

He hissed as my teeth slid out. Thrusting his hand which held the knife, he flung me off and pushed himself on top of me. "You're going to regret that," he hissed beneath his breath before ruggedly yanking out the knife, liquid rushing out where it had been. I grunted and gritted my teeth to keep from yelping.

My eyes widened and I struggled furiously, trying to escape his grip as he raised the dagger above his head before bringing it back down ferociously.

My life flashed before my eyes, my mother playfully swatting me away from her fresh baked brownies, stick fighting with Nick and Keith as we played pirates when we were young, fishing by the lake, training to become Alfa, the feuds with my father, being told I'd never be Alfa, trying to be strong as him and his 'men' insulted me, made a fool of me. Is that all my life ever was? A sick mess where I was promised everything, only to have it snatched away?

The flashback continued at its quick pace; Nick, who never turned his back on me, telling me of Father's plan for him to find his mate, Nick asking me to come with him... finding Crystal, my beautiful mate.

As the knife came down, I closed my eyes and I knew one thing:

I have had everything I could ever want.

Don't kill me if you want to read the next chapter.
MWUHAHAHAHA, leverage.