Chapter One –  The Beginning

As I lay on the forest floor, looking up at the trees surrounding me, the dark, gloomy gray sky above me, I knew that I didn’t want to die. Not now.

Even though this pain was unbearable, even though I was far from home and in the middle of nowhere, with no chance of being saved.

The wolf had come out of nowhere; if it was a wolf. It was so big, so strong. It came from behind, and got my leg.

I was yelling in pain as the thing shook its head roughly, breaking more than a few bones on my leg, and that’s when I heard the howls. More came from out of nowhere, growling, snarling, biting the thin air. The wolf that was at my leg had then decided to move to my stomach, despite the continuing howls and snarls from his pack.

That’s when I lost most of the feeling in my body; the only thing I felt was pain. Pain and weakness; no way out. I just closed my eyes, knowing that this wasn’t going to be slow.

I was so confused. I didn’t threaten any puppies, did I? Did I stumble upon a hunt for a deer? Did I even look like a frail foe to them? For a girl my age, I was average. Fair height of five feet and a half, and not too much skin, though I did need some work on my legs.

I heard another growl, a tug on my skin, and then a yelp. They were now fighting, and I was feeling so faint.

Just as soon as they had come, they left. I heard a struggle between them, too afraid to look, and then I heard nothing.

So now, here I am, lying in pain, trying to get the image of what my intestines looked like, splayed across my chest, not inside my body. I was feeling fainter by the second. I began to try to call out. “Help. Help.”

Something loomed above me and I screamed before I could see what it was. An ice-cold hand came over my mouth to stifle my screaming, and I stopped, getting a first look at the guy. His hair was a golden red orange, his skin was a perfect pale, soft tone, and his eyes…. His eyes were a pure black. I couldn’t see any color.