"Where are they taking us?" I heard Denie's shivering voice behind me. She was clinging to my hand so tightly that my arm turned white from the lack of blood flow caused by her grip.
She was terrified, which was understandable. Once again, I felt deeply sorry for dragging her into this mess.
"They are taking us to their Alpha," I replied.
"Their Alpha? How do you know? And what does it even mean?" she asked perplexed.
"That's what he said." I replied slowly.
Denie frowned. "Who said?"
"The wolf. Didn't you hear him?" I asked worried that fear had perhaps wrecked her brain.
"Lana." She called my name seriously, and I could feel her odd gaze on me.
"That creature never spoke a word… it just growled at us this whole time."
"What?" I exclaimed in disbelief. She couldn't hear them, but I could.
How? What sort of illusion was this?
My head ran wild with conviction while my heart harmer in my chest as the wolves quietly led Denie and me through the forest. Strangely, it wasn't from fear but anticipation.
I knew this was dangerous and stupid… That I was probably making a big mistake by following these creatures and even looking forward to wherever they were leading us. But something inside me told me I was exactly where I needed to be and had to see this through.
As we walked, the tree trunks got bigger and the forest became darker the deeper we got. I always believed my sight was far better than any typical human's because it was sharp even in the dark, but now, I was having difficulty seeing where I was going. Denie was undoubtedly having it harder than me.
She clung tightly to my arm, indicating she couldn't see anything. It must be challenging for her to walk blindly in a lion's den, knowing anything could happen within the next second.
My anxiety grew more with each passing minute until we finally came to a clearing where a pack of more giant wolves we had not yet seen was gathered. They were all as large and fierce looking as the one who led us here.
At the very center of the gathering stood a stunning wolf with fur as black as midnight and eyes like a burning flame. It was larger than all the others around him with its gaze fixated on me.
"Alpha." I heard a voice I knew came from the golden brown she-wolf beside the one she just called 'Alpha' in my head. She was significantly smaller than him in size.
Denie and I were roughly shoved to the ground a few feet from him.
"Bow, filthy humans!" The wolf who captured us growled. "You are in the presence of the Dark Wood Pack and our great Alpha." He continued, "We are werewolves whose ancestry and civilization can be traced back farther than your foolish human history can remember. We are powerful creatures of the night that could easily end your sorry life in a blink. It would be best if you remember that."
I felt a thrill run through me.
Werewolves?
We had heard rumors and stories of them growing up of course. But tales were nothing compared to witnessing their tangibility. Never in my wildest dream had I thought they weren't just myths.
"Alpha Cedric." The dark wolf bowed. "I found these two filthy humans roaming in our forest," he informed.
"Why didn't you just kill them on the spot?" The golden wolf beside the Alpha said dryly. "You could have easily ripped their throats out where you found them, why bring them here?"
"They have trespassed our lands, Beta Yasmine, and I brought them here to face judgment. Also… This one can hear us in our wolf form," explained the dark wolf who brought us here.
Surprise gasps and murmurs Immediately filled the air.
Words like "impossible, she's only a filthy little human", were thrown around.
"Are you sure about this Ben?" asked the golden wolf.
"Yes, Yasmine! Collins and Mika also witnessed it," he said, referring to the other two wolves who were with him when he found us.
The golden wolf known as 'Beta Yasmine' nodded at three other wolves standing close to us and they instantly began to circle and sniff us like animals.
Well… technically, they were animals! Savage ones!
A frightened shriek tore from Denie's throat when one of them came too close to her.
I felt myself tremble as their hot breath fanned over my skin in fright and disgust, but I dared not show any reaction. My intuition told me they would not hesitate to attack if we made the slightest wrong move.
My eyes met once more with the largest of them all. The color of his fur was radiant under the moonlight. His sparkling captivating golden orbs that resembled burning flames under the midnight sky stared hungrily back at me and for the first time that night, I felt raw terror.
He had been quietly watching thus far. I thought that was bad enough until he suddenly made a move, stalking predatory toward us. Other wolves bowed their heads and moved to pave his path as he did so.
Denie's grip on my arm became so firm that her nails almost dug into my flesh. She was terrified more than ever and was trying to warn me of the threat approaching.
I couldn't blame her because honestly speaking, this one looked wilder and terror-stricken than all the others.
He was the capital example of… Danger!