Ember
My feet pounded the earth as I sprinted through the forest, the pack's howls echoing behind me. I knew they would be hot on my tail, and I had to keep running if I wanted to escape them.
The stunned look on Pete's face as I ran away from our mating ground flashed across my eyes. My parents' voices calling my name filled my ears and soon hot liquid was streaming down my face. Was… was I crying? Of course I was crying, I was scared, alone and with a pack of angry wolves chasing me down like I stole from them.
I couldn't believe how quickly my life had taken a dark turn. I didn't have a lot of friends and I was constantly bullied and harassed but even that was better than being hunted for disregarding the laws of mating.
My family had gathered the whole pack for my mating ceremony and I had let them down. I was a source of constant embarrassment for my parents but even for me, this was too much! Regret washed over me as I realized it was me- just one girl, against thirty members of a furious pack.
The stars, the full moon, everything seemed to be mocking my current situation. I ran like my life depended on it, because it did. I had to get as far away as possible for the pack to lose my scent, but my legs were starting to tire out.
I couldn't transform into a full Lycan mood because I was not strong enough. My chest heaved up and down, my eyes burned as I ran as fast as I could but my legs were getting feeble each passing second. I stumbled over a hidden root. I felt myself falling, the ground rushing up to me.
"Help!", a yelp escaped from my lips as I crashed to the ground. The rush of pain to my brain was overwhelming, my head felt like it was set ablaze and a stream of red liquid oozed from the corner of my head. The pack's howls grew louder, closer and I tried to move but I couldn't. I felt rooted to the spot and I sensed that I was losing consciousness.
A lone shadowy figure circled around me. My voice hitched in my throat and fear gripped me. I tried to scream for help but couldn't, and all of a sudden, everything went blank.
Carin
It was past midnight and I found myself in the woods, scavenging for a midnight snack. My stomach growled with hunger, and my senses were on high alert as I searched for my meal. The scent of fresh blood wafted through the air, teasing my taste buds.
As I walked, I could hear the sound of panting, labored breathing, and the stamping of several feet on the ground. A human, perhaps? My ears perked up, but I didn't alter my course. I wasn't interested in playing the hero tonight. My hunger was greater and moreover, I had pressing concerns.
The sounds grew louder and I could sense the desperation coming from the human. Still, I didn't intervene. I had lived for centuries, and experience had taught me to stay out of issues that weren't of concern to me.
Just as I was about to dismiss the sounds altogether, a loud yelp pierced the night air. "Help!". The cry was raw, fearful and impossible to ignore. My head snapped towards the sound, and I set off in a sprint. My long strides ate up the distance and soon I was standing before the still figure of a girl.
I stood frozen for a moment, my eyes fixed on the girl's pale face. The pool of blood around her head seemed to grow larger with each passing second and instincts kicked in. I hurriedly picked her up, cradling her in my arms. The howling of wolves surrounded us like an ocean and if I wasted any more time, we both would be wolf food.
As I held her close, I could feel the warmth of her blood seeping into my clothes, and my fangs ached with a familiar hunger. But something about her limp form quieted my instincts. I couldn't quite explain why, but I felt a sudden urge to protect her, to keep her safe.
I carefully lifted the girl into a more secure position, supporting her head and neck as I examined her injuries. The wound on her head was deep, but I could feel her pulse beating steadily beneath her skin. She was alive, for now.
The wolves had closed in and were surrounding us like warriors in a battle. One thing I knew about wolves? They were fast, but I was faster. In a split second, I sped out of the forest, holding the girl like an ill gotten trophy.