Reign | Dark #1 (18+)

31. THE PREDESTINED

Candice

A shuddered breath slipped passed my lips as tears rolled down my cheeks. I was uncontrollably shivering and dark thoughts filled my head as otherwise silence persisted. I was a werewolf — a shewolf.

How could this be possible? I needed to think but without even thinking straight I leapt forward away from them. I bounded forward at a dead run, tearing through the forest with shocking speed and grace. I was devastatingly fast. I thought werewolves were the slowest? Then I remembered that I was also a vampire. I was an hybrid.

The sun rise and I stumbled upon the tree, scared that I would burn myself. I saw a large tree a hundred miles away from me. I was too far away but didn't stop running and gaining more ground each second. Power reverberated in my bones more than I have ever felt before. I pushed forward, there was no slowing my momentum. I tumbled through the air but I didn't make it.

"No!" I roared as I felt the sunlight hit me...

I expected to hit the ground with body becoming a pile of ashes. It did not happened. And then it clicked. My werewolf genes saved me from burning.

Another sob choked me because my heart felt happy as I looked up at the sun. My vision was momentarily hazy as I find it too bright. I wasn't used to being under the sun and looking up into it. But now, I could looked up. A single tear fell down my cheek. Slowly adjusting to the brightness, I relaxed and blinked from time to time to avoid getting my eyes strained.

Without warning my wolf sworn in my head. I followed her instinct and tried to get a sense of our surroundings. And I realized rather quickly that we were following a scent. I concentrated.

Abruptly, the air whipping around our lithe frame was invigoratingly delicious. I ground to an halt, my nose high in the air, catching the scent on the wind. I pawed to the air and then without warning an arrow in my direction, which effectively my wolf of hitting the ground with a thud.

I was ready to kill the fucker who had the audacity to hurt us. I spun to face the man and I stood on my paws and ready to attack. My eyes traveled from the literally dirty white shirt to very well defined shoulders, then landed on his handsome face. Tanned skin glowing under the sunlight. He was beautiful and hard on all the right places.

His square chin and chiseled cheekbones appealed to me in a way that made my heart fluttered. Then I sniffed. The alluring and addicting smell was coming from him.

His voice dropped low as he commanded, "shift!"

Suddenly, I felt the compulsion and pull to obey him. I fell to my belly as the change came over me. I was crouched on the ground naked, my hands planted down to the earth while my muscles trembled. Blood whooshing out from the wound where he had shot me. The crossbow tore through the lush flesh of my chest. I quickly extracted the arrow then I gritted my teeth as more pain pierced through my chest. Slowly, I stood up even though the blood was still seeping down onto the ground.

Still aiming me with his crossbow, I took a few steps closer to him slowly, trailing blood soaked footprints. I halted when I heard him draw his crossbow, pulling the string into the lock and ready to release the shot. I crossed my arms in front of my chest, embarrassed and feeling vulnerable at my nudity. My hair was a mess.

I felt my wolf inside me whimpered, powerless to even move. Tears came to my eyes and streamed silently down my cheeks. The reason I was heartbroken was unclear. What the hell?

His eyes widened for a brief second. A muscle in his jaw twitched as I stared at him in awe. Why the hell?

"You're a woman," he muttered, his face twisted as if he was in pain, as he stared at me in pity.