Free Web NovelChapter 35: A Stranger in the Woods III
But of course not.
How could a human be the luna of a respectable werewolf pack? Such an incident would cause him unprecedented shame. I never knew who or what exactly killed my mother, but the thought that my father could have been responsible never left my mind as soon as I was old enough to ponder upon this mystery.
After all, he was a prideful man, and proud men did not like having their perceived faults made visible in front of everyone.
My father made it very clear ever since I entered Stormclaw at the age of four that my mother was nothing more than a dalliance despite being his fated mate. He claimed he was merely being responsible when he took me in after my mother’s death, and my mother was the harlot that seduced him, despite knowing that nothing could come out of their union.
The Moon Goddess would never make a mistake― until she did. That fact was echoed by many of the other pack members, who believed that my father should have rejected her from the very beginning rather than have a child with her and bring her back into the pack.
My father, who should have defended me from the harsh whispers, left me to fend for myself. Instead, he doted on his new chosen mate and daughter while they treated me like a punching bag.
It made me wonder why on earth did he even bother to bring me to Stormclaw. Wouldn’t it be kinder to leave me at the doorsteps of an orphanage?
Then again, maybe he was vindictive enough to take me into the pack just so he could have the power to make my life miserable, as a final fuck-you to my deceased mother.
Well. There was no point in thinking about it now that they were both dead on the ground. I had to focus on myself.
"Miss?" Gus prompted, "So do we have a deal?"
"This is a beautiful necklace, it’ll definitely sell for a lot," I finally said, tearing my eyes away from the glistening ruby pendant. I pocketed it carefully. "Pleasure doing business with you. I hope you make it out of this place. Goodbye."
Before I could turn around and continue sprinting for freedom, Gus quickly stopped me.
"Wait― Wait... wait, let’s not be so hasty," Gus said quickly, holding up his hands. "Since we’re both trying to get out of Fangborne, wouldn’t it be better if we go together? I can help you find a new place and get a new job with some of the humans I know. That way, you don’t need to sell the necklace."
"Why wouldn’t I want to sell the necklace? You gave it to me for that reason," I retorted. "Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts."
"I saw the way you looked at it, Miss," Gus said apologetically, a pitying look in his eyes. "You remind me a bit of my younger sister when she was forced to give away her old soft toys when we moved."
"I’m not going with you. You’ll just slow me down," I retorted, glancing at his bleeding abdomen. He wouldn’t be able to jog without bleeding out.
Gus laughed admiringly, "You’re a pragmatic one for someone so young, it almost reminds me of someone I used to know. Life must have given you a lot of tough lessons."
I snorted. No kidding.
"Since you’re pragmatic, surely you can see the benefits in us escaping together. We can watch out for each other, and I can even recommend you for some odd jobs. It’s safer than going off alone― what if you escape being enslaved by werewolves, only to be caught by human traffickers?"
He had a point, but I was a suspicious person by nature. Warning bells rang in my head. He could be secretly trying to lure me to his hideout or his accomplices in the outside world, and then attempt to have his way with me afterwards and steal the necklace back after he recovered.
It was best if no one knew about my whereabouts.
But then there was the matter of the necklace.
I never expected to stumble upon something of my late mother’s, let alone something so valuable, to appear here in the hands of a rogue werewolf.
It felt like fate.
I had to know how it had landed in his hands, to begin with. Even if this man’s story was true, there was simply too much missing information to make it believable. My earlier childhood memories were blurry, but I was pretty sure that my mother and I lived in a secluded area, surrounded by trees, in a happy world of two.
Someone must have known she was dead to even come poking around to look for us, let alone steal a necklace from her dead body. Then again, if my father could find me, perhaps other werewolves could too. Maybe they would know something about her death. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Gus was my only link. I could not let him go just yet.
"Fine, we’ll go together then," I said, reluctantly agreeing as I tried to look at the positive side of things.
I would still need a place to stay and a new job, and I was pretty sure homeschooled humans living with werewolves made a poor employment prospect in the human world. I didn’t even graduate high school for goodness sake! ƒrēewebnovel.com
Gus’s face brightened, and I quickly looped an arm around his waist to haul him up. "How fast can you run?"
"Fast enough, don’t you worry," Gus said reassuringly. "Just sprint as fast as you can. I’ll keep up. My wounds will heal anyway and I’ll be with you in a jiffy."
I nodded, and we began a mad dash for the borders. Soon, I would be free of this cursed place. Gus kept pace with me, a frenzied look in his eyes.
We were going to escape.
Then, I heard a loud howl. Both Gus and I froze in horror. It could simply be a wolf on patrol, but I knew deep down in my gut that Damon must have finally realized my absence, and what I’d done.
"Fuck."
