Whispers Of The Woods

Chapter 2

My eyes squinted against the harsh fluorescent light as I fought to open them. My head pounded as though I'd been hit on the head several times. A tingling sensation came from my wrist which was wrapped tightly in white plaster.

What was going on? Confusion soared through me as I attempted to sit up, only to be frozen by a low growl. It came from beside me.

"Don't move too fast," a deep voice grumbled. It belonged to the man that sat at the foot of my bed. He looked familiar.

That's when my memory came rushing back. The wolves and shapeshifters. I had thought it was a dream, but now reality was crashing down on me. Fast.

My heartbeat quickened as I pulled my knees up to my chest. My hands shook as I wrapped them around myself, afraid of the creature that was now staring at me

His piercing green eyes left goosebumps on my body. He looked at me with an intensity that no person had ever looked at me with. It terrified me.

"What is your name?" He questioned.

Silence. I held back my tongue as I lowered my head. There was no way I'd speak to this sorcerer. Ever. A low rumble left his chest at my blatant disrespect.

"I won't ask again, human. Either you tell me or I'll get one of my wolves to get it out of you. And trust me, they bite." He warned.

Slowly, I raised my head to stare up into his eyes. His body became slightly rigid as I stared up at him. He was absolutely breathtaking. Yesterday my fear had held me back from noticing the man's face. He had an angular face with strong cheekbones sculpted for a Greek god. His jawline was sharp and his eyes were calculating. Despite his outwardly beauty, he was a monster in disguise.

"Elizabeth," I lied. I'd given him my foster mother's name.

"What is your name?" He repeated.

"Bethany," I blurted out.

"If you lie once again, you'll be saying goodbye to that tongue of yours. Now, what is your name?"

"Octavia," I reluctantly admitted. I cast my eyes downward as he grappled with the information I'd provided him.

"What were you doing on my territory, Octavia?" He raised his eyebrows in question.

That confused me. What did he mean by territory? Was the forest not a public space owned by the government? Now I think I'm really going insane. My furrowed eyebrows and lack of answer must have given him the answer as he sighed.

"You don't know a thing do you?" He clicked his tongue as he stared at me with his cold gaze.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't worry your little head over it."

"Will you at least tell me what you are?" I begged.

"You'll find out soon enough," he grumbled as he stood to his full height. Was he going to leave? "You are to not attempt any escape. If I find out you tried to leave, there will be hell to pay for."

"What do you mean? Where are you going? Will you please let me go-"

He slammed the door, cutting me off. I heard the loud click of the door being locked before silence fell over the room. Had he just locked me in? Great.

It's as if life couldn't get worse I had to go and get kidnapped. By shapeshifters at that. It was either they were real or I was hallucinating. I pinched myself only to be met with a burning pain. Yeah, this was so not a dream.

I pulled my hands through my curls, tugging at the strands of hair in frustration. I should have been home yesterday. My foster parents wouldn't blink an eye if I didn't return home, but after a few days they would probably get curious. Or so I hope. What if they never report me missing and I'm stuck here for the rest of my life?

God, if only I could somehow escape this nightmare. That's when it clicked. My eyes landed on the large window that overlooked the world outside. There was a large pathway that led out of the house into the forest. There were several other houses scattered around the area. Surprisingly, there weren't any people outside at the moment.

This was my perfect chance. It's as if the universe finally had mercy on me. Without another thought I stood up and made my way across the room. The window was surprisingly easy to open. Once I pulled it open, the cold wind from outside left goosebumps on my body. I looked down only to realise my room was four story's up.

The only thing holding me back from jumping straight away was my fear. But I would have to suppress it for now. Swallowing, I swung my legs over the ledge. A thick pipe was connected to the wall, going all the way down. Without a glance towards the ground I tightly gripped the pipe and wrapped my legs around it. Slowly, I began to lower down the building.

That was fairly easy, I thought once I landed carefully on my feet. I didn't look around before I broke out into a sprint towards the trees. No one followed me. I must have ran about two minutes in until I felt an eerie feeling of being followed. That's when I noticed the flashing eyes of the wolves in the trees.

A loud earth shattering growl echoed through the woods. My feet froze as I skidded to a halt. With my heart lodged into my throat I turned around, only to be met with the flashing green eyes. They were as striking as those of the man from earlier that had warned me of the consequences of escaping. It must have been him.

Oh dear lord, I've gone absolutely mad. The fact I'm not passing out from the idea of shapeshifters surrounding me is truly astounding.

The wolf's fur was a charcoal black, resembling the curls on my head. He was the largest wolf compared to the others that surrounded us. It appeared to me that he must have been some sort of leader of this pack.

I stepped back instinctively when he began to move towards me. His steps were slow and calculating as he tilted his head at my movement. It was as if he was daring me to run. In a reckless move, I swiftly turned around and forced my feet to run. I'd barely made it a step before a large body collided with mine.

A cry left me as I landed awkwardly on my front with my injured wrist taking the hit of the fall. Tears of pain left my eyes as I tried to escape the wolf's grip. What had I gotten myself into?

"Please, let me go," I begged. "I swear I didn't come to your territory on purpose. Please."

My cry's were left unheard as he moved off my body, only to grip my shirt with his teeth. He was tugging on the fabric, a silent message to get up. Silently sobbing, I moved to my feet. I clutched my wrist against my chest as he nudged my legs forward in the direction of the house.

There seemed to be no escape. How will I possibly run from this madness?

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