Stand Tall, Mate

SIX

AVERY

"You're the Lycan Princess they've been looking for," I stare Axel down as realisation dawns on him. "More like hunting, but same difference I suppose," I shrug my shoulders and take a step back, noticing his warriors tense up and slowly move their limbs into a fighting position as they rise from the floor, where they were kneeling just seconds prior.

I sigh and put my hands up, "look, I don't want to hurt anymore of you so just relax. Unfortunately, Axel, due to my situation. I can't accept you as my mate right now and I am truly sorry for that." I take another step back as my words start to sink into his brain.

I watch curiously as his eyes shift from black to green and back again. He was fighting for control.

His wolf doesn't seem to like that, Avery. Astra informs me sarcastically. I roll my eyes as she bares her canines to me in my mind.

I take another step back and onto the large button that shoots numerous tranquillisers towards where the men were standing to knock them out. I hear a click as all my weight is put onto the button and the rest of the men freeze in surprise and anger as sharp needles start poking through their flesh all over.

I hesitate in leaving, something I have never done, and watch as Axels furious eyes lock onto my guilted one's. That was enough for me to turn around and start running. In a split second, Axel was chasing after me.

I pray that the tranquilliser kicks in soon as my legs were growing tired. I push harder anyway as I heard clothes shred behind me. Taking large strides, I quickly make my way towards a thick based tree. I pull out two daggers and start to crouch down while sprinting full force, readying for a jump onto the tree trunk.

Within seconds, I'm close enough to do the jump. Hearing Axel gaining on me, I push myself up into the air and grip my daggers in my hands, blades facing the tree. I slam into the trunk and push my knives into the tree, holding myself up by them. Axel skids to a stop below me and looks up as I start to climb.

I hear bones snap and pop below me, but I focus on stabbing the knives into the tree and heaving myself up. I risk a glance down towards Axel and see that he has started to make his way up the tree at an alarming speed, but I notice his eyes and limbs start to grow heavy for him.

I push to move faster, swinging from the knives onto a nearby tree branch. "AVERY! This is not the end! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" The slurred voice of Axel breaks through the sound of me panting, and I hear him slip off of a branch. I quickly turn to look down and everything falls into slow motion.

Axel's unconscious, naked body is slowly falling down to the ground, headfirst. I panic. Not giving it a second thought, I jump after him, pushing off of the tree branch with the last of my leg strength. I make it to him just before he hits the ground and I twist us around so that he would land on me instead.

I shut my eyes tight, waiting for the impact of the ground. A few seconds pass before the ground slams into my back and Axel's weight falls aggressively onto me. I feel a few of my ribs break, even piercing my lung. A scream makes its way out of me as my left hip pops out as well as my back spasming at the impact.

I focus on taking small and quick breathes as pain envelopes me. I quickly push Axel off of me the best that I could, considering he was dead weight. Spasms contort my body as it tries to heal itself.

Giving myself another few seconds, I push myself into a sitting position. I give myself another few seconds before I twist my upper half and left leg in a way that would pop my hip back in. I twist more and feel the relief of my hip going back into its socket.

I expand my sternum so that my ribs push out and I grab each one individually and push them back into place, biting down on my shirt as the pain scorches my lungs. Once my ribs were set and healed enough, I rolled onto my stomach and pushed up onto my arms so that my back would pop back into place.

A few seconds it took, and pain overcome my body as my back clicked into its place. I relax my arms and let myself fall face first into the dirt. I stay that way for a good few minutes as my body mends itself.

I turn my head to look at Axel and notice his right arm in a peculiar angle. I frown as I push myself up and crawl over to him, rolling him onto his back. I grab his right arm and twist it until it the bone popped back into place. His face contorted with pain, but he didn't wake up. I gently lay his arm over his chest and sit back, sighing.

"I wish that I could give you the life that you want with me, but all I will bring you is pain and heartbreak," I whisper as I push myself off of the ground and walk away from him, tears streaming down my face. 

Before long, I had made it halfway to my destination. The sun had begun to set below the horizon, and everything was painted in beautiful oranges and reds. The longing in my heart was tenfold as I continued to walk away from my potential future. The more I walked, the harder it was to breathe. I had felt, by some miraculous fate, when Axel had woken. Which was, by my guess, a few hours ago now. 

My legs felt like lead as I walked and the previous aches throughout my body had ceased a while ago, only leaving behind a memory. The wind blew all around me, aggressively. There was a storm coming, and I couldn't tell if that was a bad thing. 

I had felt the presence of a man, just after Axel had woken up, so I would assume that he had sent somebody after me. That somebody has not made an advance on me, but I know he is there. I kept walking after I noticed, making sure that they did not know I knew they were following me. The man did not fall too far behind or linger too far forward, he was a trained tracker. A very good one. 

I heard a twig snap behind me, and I sensed the shock horror of the man that had been following me. He had made a mistake, such a simple mistake, but one that would cost him. I stopped walking and sniffed the air, pretending that I did not already know he was there. I turned in his general direction and narrowed my eyes into the darkness that had fallen around us. The sun no longer illuminating the sky. 

I close my eyes and take a deep breath in as I open my senses, keeping my Lycan scent hidden. The man held his breath, but I could hear his heart hammering against his chest. I snapped my gaze to where he was standing, half hidden behind a tree a few feet away from me. 

"Why have you been following me these past few hours?" I sigh, not having the energy to hide my knowledge. I hang my head back and look up to the sky that peaked through the thick leaves of the trees above. 

"M-My Alpha sent me to keep an eye on you. M-Make sure that you ... it sounds ridiculous out loud, but to make sure that no harm becomes you." The man steps out completely from behind the tree. I lift my head and study him. 

He could not be any older than 20, his blonde hair was swept to the side, keeping his sight clear and his brown eyes were currently looking at the ground in fear of what I might do. He stood taller than me, that much I could tell from the gap between us, but he did not hold himself how a confident tracker would. 

"You've never been asked to track a person, have you?" I questioned, coking my head to the side to watch his reaction. I see his eyes widen a fraction before he looks up at me, beginning to protest against my assumption. I hold my hand up and he stops speaking immediately. 

"N-No, I have not, your Highness." The boy speaks, with such wonder it makes me sick. I snarl at him quietly as I clench my fists at my side. 

"Do not refer to me as any Royal status, I am no more a Princess than you are a King." I spat at him. The man shakes slightly as my outburst creates a bit of fear in him. 

"Go back to your Alpha, tell him that you lost my scent and my trail. You will not find me again." I speak, leaving no room for argument. I watch as the man nods his head quickly and runs off to my left. I sigh and hang my head. 

Why would the Moon Goddess give me a mate? Why now?