A Sin of Her Own

Chapter 36

Titania's wolf was in full control as she darted throughout the white tipped conifers. With wolves hot on her tail, she couldn't afford to slip up: not when she had survived Mother Nature's cold grasp; for now.

The chill from the dawn air nipped at her skin; her fur too patchy and thin to keep her adequately warm, but her wolf surged her body forwards over the icy vegetation and frozen ponds. With a wolf as determined and independent as she was, it wasn't hard to ignore the pain her body was in and duck and dive to divert the wolves away from Duskfall. Her wolf hadn't forgotten the familiarity of the lands, nor its pack. However, while pertinent, these thoughts lay trapped behind a dark fog tinged with bloodlust and animosity.

The mind may forget, but her wolf never did. Not when the world had cursed her from the beginning and scarred her heart beyond recognition.

With the scent of Rosevelt wolves lingering throughout the Eastern woodland, her wolf was foaming at the mouth. The hunt was on as she led them through her lands; the fools thought they could ambush her and kill her. Pathetic bastards. Blood, kill them all were the only thoughts reeling repetitively in her head. They had woken and hunted her since the sun had started to rise and that had made her blood boil beyond words.

She had managed to injure two wolves already by tricking them into a hidden ravine; the mounds of snow obscuring the deep fall. With a flick of her tail, she continued the chase. Her wolf was itching to decapitate them all.

Ignorant wolves. Trying to kill her for defending herself against a domestic abuser. One that was expected to become Alpha. That behaviour might have been common within their patriarchal society, but it was not one Titania would adhere to at nineteen years old.

When the winds picked up their maniacal domination of the Scottish Highlands, it became harder and harder to navigate the terrain. Treacherous conditions came with the climax of the storm as grey clouds rolled in. The rain of the night previous had frozen and left an array of streams, ponds, and puddles posing a slip risk under the crisp sprinkling of snow.

Titania could see two brown blurs in her peripheral vision; one on each flank. With quick speed due to her slight frame, she barrowed unforgivingly into the wolf that was on her left side. He yelped and slipped which gave Titania access to his hind legs.

Time was precious as she could hear the growls from the wolf behind her but with sickly quick efficiency, Titania paralysed the male wolf and bit down hard through his trachea. His life another casualty of his Alpha's futile attempts at revenge.

She barely had time to relish the kill before the other brown wolf latched onto her back. His dirty claws exposing her muscle to the nip of winter. She roared, as the darkness stalked its prey. A few deep scratches wouldn't determine any outcome, instead it heightened her reflex's and need for blood. If anything, her adrenaline levels rose as her fur bristled with the pain.

Throwing the mutt off, she snapped her jaws at him. It took five minutes before he too lay beside his packmate; blood christening the virgin snow. 

Eóghan's mind went into panic mode when Brett told him the news. He had marched over to Athdara's cabin and demanded answers, which she had reluctantly given. Assigning a guard wolf to her cabin, he forced his own wolf to calm. While betrayal was of the highest sin, he had other priorities and would have to deal with her after he got Titania back.

Watching the weather turn, he stood solid in his animal hide outerwear. Despite the storm howling and snow picking up in speed, Eóghan had sent a mind link to the Duskfall wolves, and messages to the other packs, to congregate in the pack centre. Now was the time to act, especially now he knew that time was hastily running out.