SCARLETT

Running may have been a stupid idea, but I didn't care. I needed to try and get out of this place... or at least find something that was recognisable so I could tell Roman the rough location. I had no doubt his warriors were working tirelessly to try to locate me and the other clan packs Nyx worked at.

There was a chance I was going to get caught. But I had to at least try. I couldn't use my gift on anyone else since I'd already done it, and I was running on mostly empty. The food I'd been given was gross and hadn't given me much energy, and I was getting little sleep. My head pounded as I ran.

Gifted wolves gaped at me with wide eyes and open mouths, all looking absolutely terrified for me. They knew my fate if I was caught.

The dungeon.

It's where gifted wolves go to rot, Margaret had said.

Rotting meant that Roman wouldn't be able to find me, and I wouldn't be able to help the other gifted wolves. But, I had hope that I'd be able to get out of here. I was fast on my feet.

I swivelled my head as I sprinted across the grass, seeing the guard I'd used my gift on still on his knees, tears rolling down his cheeks as he wrapped his arms around himself, the guilt still consuming him. The guard next to him had let go of Margaret, but was glaring at her as if to say, don't you even think about running.

She was laughing at me, her fist to her mouth to cover her beam. She clearly found my attempt funny, and I would have too, had a gifted wolf not stepped in front of me and shook their head, holding their hands out in front of them, pushing me to the ground with a forceful gust of wind.

I landed with a loud thud, my shoulder screaming under the pressure, a hefty grunt falling from my lips.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, scowling up at them and attempting to clamber to my feet, only for them to blast me again, my hair blowing back and knotting.

"You can escape," I was told, although the young man's face was masked with remorse. "If we don't try and stop someone from escaping, we get punished. I'm not going back to the cells. I'm not doing it!" He appeared panicked, and he leaned forward to grab me by my wrists, yanking me up.

Fuck, I couldn't use my gift to force him to let me go. But that didn't mean I couldn't use my strength. Pushing him off me, I grappled with him. I was doing this for him, and I couldn't tell him. Guards were ascending.

"Seriously, let me go!" I yelled, socking him in the face, flinching when I watched my fist connect with his nose, thick blood pouring from his nostrils. I felt awful for assaulting the guy, but getting caught was not on my agenda.

"I'm sorry, but you need to let me go! I'm doing this for you!" I gritted my teeth as I rushed past him, turning back and furrowing my eyebrows at his hunched form, the blood still trickling down his chin and creating a crimson-coloured puddle on the dead grass.

"There's no hope for gifted wolves," the man huffed back at me, shaking his head, his eyes dead. "Nothing you can save future generations."

I didn't reply because he was wrong. Future generations of our kind weren't going to know the pain and suffering we did. They'd be accepted. They'd be able to live in peace. I was going to make sure of it.

My heart was thumping inside my chest and I could hear the pounding of boots behind me as the guards gained on me. Unlucky for them, I'd been running my entire life, and I was a whole lot smaller than them, making me agile. I skidded around a large oak tree, heading for the thick forest that led further into the forest - indicating the perimeter of the territory.

However, I skidded to a stop when Nyx appeared before me, his head cocked and a small smile on his face. He clapped his hands, shaking his head and releasing a booming laugh. Gifted wolves surrounded him, moving out to crowd me so that I couldn't slip past them.

It angered me that they were helping him. I knew that they didn't want to be punished, but if they were to just let me go, I could get them out of here.

"You control the weather, huh?" asked Nyx with a chuckle, his long fingers running through his dark slicked back hair. "That was quite impressive." He stepped closer to me, circling me as if I were his prey, and my nostrils flared with frustration. I wanted to kill this guy, but I knew there would be someone to replace him in a heartbeat. We needed all packs associated with him to be destroyed - not just him.

"You're a sick fucking man, Nyx," I growled, desperate to shift. I was far too weak, though.

"Is that so?" he jeered, chuckling. "So you're the little sprout we were after all those years ago... didn't we end your carers pathetic little human life? What was her name? Patricia? Paula?"

"Pearl," I spat, absolutely seething.My fists were clenched by my side and I used every bit of strength I could to stop them from shaking.

"Pearl. That was it. What a fool she was for trying to protect you. For putting your life above hers. I bet she regrets that every single day. She died for a gifted wolf." Nyx bellowed with laughter. "Absolotuely pathetic."

Then, I snapped. I grunted, flinging my body toward Nyx, my fists flying and my body working on auto-pilot. Everything was blurry. I was controlled by my rage. There was no logic inside of my body, just the pure need to cause Nyx as much pain as he'd caused everyone else. Although, that was impossible.

I got a few good hits in before I was tackled to the ground by a few guards, my face being smushed into the ground as I yelled profanities. Gifted wolves all glanced at me with worry, bowing their heads and pretending not to notice me - clearly uncomfortable with seeing one of their own meet their fate of what I knew was going to be death.

However, I heard more yelling from above me, and I craned my neck to see Margaret flailing as he was also grabbed, baring her teeth and shoving at the guards who held onto her painfully. "Get off of me you sack of potatoes," she spat at them, raising her eyebrows at Nyx, silently asking what was going on.

"Margaret, I know what you're like. You've had more than enough chances, and I have no doubt that you had a part to play in this little failed escape plan." Nyx linked his fingers together, having dusted the dirt off his tailored black suit. "You've encouraged others in the past, and it's evident you've done it again. So, you will be subjected to the same fate, I'm afraid."

Margaret popped her mouth open in shock, shaking her head, her chest heaving. "What? No! I had nothing to do with Scarlett running! She was an idiot all on her own!"

Nyx hummed, sighing. "It's a shame, really it is. Your gift would have been so useful, but you're just not worth the trouble anymore." He turned to the other gifted wolves who were clearly eavesdropping. "Let this be a message to you all. No matter your gift, you only get a certain number of chances here! Act out of pocket, and you're done! There's no changing it!"

Margaret and I were dragged in the direction of the cells by the guards, except we moved past the derelict building, my eyes skating over it, silently wishing to be inside there again. Although I was trapped in a cell, I actually felt somewhat safe.

Roman, they're taking me to the dungeon. I tried running. I'm sorry.

Pushing the words out caused me to crumple to my knees, but I was hoisted back up by the guard and he cursed at me to continue, threatening to cut out my tongue if I didn't get a move on. I doubted they would do that, would they? Margaret never mentioned that.

"This is wrong! This is so wrong! I'm not getting the punishment for someone else's mistake!" Maragret yelled, her eyes suddenly turning a deep red shade, scaring the shit out of me. She was weak, but it was clear her desperation to stay away from the dungeon was taking over her body.

"Don't you dare!" warned the guard, quickly grabbing a rock from beside her and smacking Margaret over the head with it, causing her vibrating body to collapse into a heap on the floor, still and lifeless.

"Did you just kill her?" I spluttered, nausea wafting through my body.

"No. She doesn't deserve such a painless death. She'll wake up down in the dungeon." A wicked smirk played on the guard's lips. Fuck, what an evil and sadistic man. This was why we needed to destroy all of Nyx's resources, because it was clear he wasn't the only one with a desire to control us. All the clans needed to be burned to a crisp - hopefully all the horrendous individuals would burn along with them.

"I'm not going in there!" I yelled once we reached a small hole in the ground, covered by some sort of weird trap door. It looked creepy as fuck, and I knew one I was down there, I wouldn't be coming out.

"There's no choice in it,sweetheart." The guard simply laughed at me, finding it humorous that I believed I had a choice in the matter. "Nyx's orders. We follow them. You're of no use to us if you're not going to stick to the program."

"I will," I muttered, knowing full well it was a lie.

"Nyx doesn't think you will, and that's enough reason to dispose of you in his eyes, so down you go."

We were pushed down, and the guards dragged us through the narrow hall, the place smelling of death. I wasn't sure exactly what death smelled like, but whatever the notes were, they were here filling the trench and wafting up my nostrils. It made me want to vomit.

A large bolted door was opened, an electric fence surrounding it that had been momentarily switched off with the a remote the guard had, and then, we were thrown in and the door was slammed shut behind us.

"Enjoy yourselves, ladies," one of the guards chuckled, and I could hear the sounds of their boots slowly disappearing, meaning we were alone.

Only,we weren't alone, because my eyes widened and my mouth popped open in shock as I took in the skeletons of the gifted wolves that had been here before us, and had all died a horrible and painful death.

Their fate was dreary... and we were next.