Lacuna

Chapter One

The lovely River played by Sean O'Donnell ^^

Chapter One

Run.

Escape.

The only two thoughts that occupy my brain.

I have to get away from here.

In my wolf form, I'm fast. Very fast. But my wolf is small compared to most. Three of my strides make up one of any of my pursuers. 

They think I'm weak. And they're right. But they also think I haven't been watching them fight. Every day they train with each other. It's bloody, but being able to watch and learn is a defense either way. And I've been watching every second I could between my "sessions."

You won't escape us. The leader sends through the pack link.

It's a forced pack link, as I didn't willingly join this pack, if you can even call it that. It's a very large group of rogues, thrown together in a chaotic mess led by Jerard Bane. The one that first raped and marked me. Forcing me into his group.

They're closing in, River! My wolf, Callan, warns me.

Reality sets in. I'm not going to be able to run from them forever. I'm going to have fight, or die trying. And I will die before I go back to the hell I have been living.

Digging my claws into the soft forest floor, I whirl around and launch myself at the nearest attacker, a lower ranking rogue that I don't know the name of.

He doesn't expect it, and my jaws clasp down on his jugular. I give a sharp shake of my head, and the sound of his windpipe ripping open fills my ears. His larger body falls limp and blood pools on the ground around his head. I felt the pack link shatter the moment he died.

I've never killed another wolf before. But I don't have the opportunity to really feel affected by it because another member finds us. He takes one quick look at his fallen pack member before snarling, baring his teeth at me.

I know this wolf. He's Jerard's second in command of sorts. Jerard's most trusted friend. He's had his way with me many times.

He leaps at me, aiming for my throat. But I manage to dance out of the way, my thin and nimble demeanor being more agile than his large and burly frame.

He's experienced though and his jaws clamp onto my leg, causing me to let out a painful yelp. I kick at him, digging my claws into his hide while waiting for him to give me an opening. Any sort of opening.

It takes a few moments of agony, but he finally exposes his neck. I take the opportunity and bite down into the side of his neck. Hard. I can feel my teeth slicing through major arteries.

A disgusting gurgling sound bubbles out from his throat right before he goes limp and releases my leg from his jaws.

Run River!

I do just that. Behind me, I can hear the furious howls of the rogues, promising vengeance. But I don't stop.

It isn't until I smell the fresh, clean air free of the taint of the rogues that I finally quit running. I shift back into my human form and rest against the trunk of a tall spruce tree. My entire body is exhausted. I had been going solely on adrenaline and the need to get away. But that adrenaline is long gone.

The need to rest is overwhelming. My eyes begin to get heavy, and soon the world grows dark.

~ ~ ~

"Who is he? Doesn't he know better than to fall asleep unprotected like that?"

"Hush Malek. Can't you tell that he's been through a lot? Just look at his poor body."