The Lycan's Prey

Chapter 6

I limped towards the closest tree and leaned on it, blood trickling from my hind leg. I couldn't stop. They'd be hot on my tail at any moment. Pushing through the pain I ran upon hearing yells in the distance. Branches clawed at my skin, nature itself seeming to conspire against me. I once again was on the run.

Suddenly, a clearing emerged with tall snow covered grass ahead, a small glimmer of hope in the oppressive darkness. I pushed myself harder, pouring every ounce of strength into reaching it, I burst into the open. Bad choice. It was as if I was dangling myself in front of the hunters to easily catch.

"Over there!" A hunter shouts, and I desperately look for a place to hide. A shot fires, and I'm hit once again. I stumbled, my body betraying me. The impact sent shockwaves of agony through my being. Every nerve is on fire. I wondered if Carter was a part of this chase. He could now surely feel my pain.

I spot a fallen log at the edge of the clearing, and without a second thought, I make a dash for it, my body moving on sheer survival instinct. The hunters close in, their voices growing louder. I reach the log and press myself against it, hoping the darkness and the snow will provide enough cover and mask my scent.

The hunters burst into the clearing, their flashlights scanning the area. I hold my breath, praying to remain unnoticed. The tension in the air is palpable, and I can feel the beat of my heart matching the rhythm of their footsteps.

"Keep an eye out! She can't be far!" one of them commands sniffing the air, and the hunters disperse, continuing their relentless pursuit. I remain crouched behind the log, the pain in my leg and side a constant reminder of the fact my mate bond was used against me.

I sense him before I see him. He's in his wolf form. His yellow Lycan eyes searching. I knew he could tell where I was. But the question was, is he going to out me?

He gets closer and my breathing intensifies with each step. The pain becomes overwhelming and I realise that I wasn't healing. The bullets must have been laced with wolf's bane. It was good to know they were only trying to weaken me and not kill me by using silver, but now I was a sitting duck waiting to be captured. I feel eyes burning into the side of my head and I know Carter has gotten closer. What was he going to do?

My thoughts raced and before I could catch them I saw another slight movement from Carter. We lock eyes and he turns away running and howling as if trying to lead the other hunters away from me.

"Over there Carter is leading us to her." I hear one of the men shout and relieve surges through my body as I allow myself to slump and succumb to the pain.

~~~~~

I'm slightly conscious as I feel the pain ease. I struggle at first to open my eyes. I slowly but surely fought my way through the darkness, only to see that the snow covered grow was no more. I was in a bamboo bed with bottles of vials hanging in the air above me. Panic surged through me as I wondered if I'd been caught.

"Don't try to move." I heard a voice say. I don't listen and try to turn to see who was speaking, when I wince at the shooting pain that sears through my left side. I look down to see that I'm in bandages and covered in fur clothes. I assumed that at some point when I blacked out that I'd changed back into human form, being too weak to maintain my wolf form.

"Who are you?" I ask to stay completely still as the stranger comes to my side and begins checking on me.

"Aurelia," The stranger says.

"You're a hybrid." I state as I look at her mixed-matched eyes. One purple and the next yellow. She might be a witch and werewolf hybrid. It had been years since anyone had seen one. She however doesn't acknowledge my statement and continues checking on me.

"You were found at my doorstep, when I came home." She says simply. I looked at her in shock. The last thing I remembered was Carter leading the hunters away from my location behind the log. It didn't explain how I'd gotten here though.

"Drink." Aurelia says as she shoves a bowl filled with what I'd assume is water in my view. I took a sip and knew that it wasn't water.

"What is this?" I ask, cringing at the taste. Aurelia continues to urge me to drink the sour, acidic tasting clear liquid.

"It is for the pain." She says simply and I continue to slowly sip the concoction. I lay back and wonder what became of Carter. I couldn't believe he had really led the hunters away from me. Could he have possibly been reprimanded when and if they found out about what he'd done. I tune out my thoughts of my mate and focus on Aurelia shifting around her small hut.

She's mixing green and blue powder together and using her magic to get the mixture to blend the two together. It was amazing to actually see a magic user, use their unique magic.

I knew Aurelia was helping me, but how could I know whether or not she'd had me over to the hunters. I hated how paranoid I'd become. I often wished life would go back to normal. Many nights as the rain pours upon the tree I was under and soaked me I'd think of the way things were. I'd wake to my mother and father in the kitchen with pancakes and bacon on the table waiting for me. Then I'd head to school and talk with the many friends I once had. Now my parents were stripped away from me as they ran away from the hunters. I prayed for their safety and the hope they wouldn't be captured.

My thoughts bring me back to reality as I watch Aurelia pour the now simmering liquid into a wooden teacup and place it on the bedside table close to me, an indication she wanted me to drink it.

"What is this?" I ask hoping that this concoction wouldn't taste as terrible as the other.

"It is an antidote for the poison within your bloodstream." She replies as she goes back to clean the mess she'd made. I sit up, this time without pain and grab the cup and take a hesitant sip. Tasting the sweet blend I chug it down happily. But this proves to be the biggest mistake I've made yet as I feel drowsy and weak.

"Was that really an Antidote?" I ask before collapsing onto the bamboo bed, the light fading quickly. I try to cling to the light but the attempt is futile.