Hiyo guys :) You know the drill. Chapter starts after the dotted line. Me being weird is before that. Feel free to skip. I honestly dunno what's gotten into me, I think it may be the hormones. *shrugs* I'm gonna go eat some chocolate. byeeeee xx

This chapter is being dedicated to chocoholic_bookworms

This is because you take time to hit that little vote button, and every time I see it my heart leaps out of my chest in joy. Knowing that there is someone out there like you, waiting for my update, means so much to me.

I love my story and I love it even more knowing that others do too xx

Thank you to everyone who has clicked on Challenge Accepted, who has voted, commented, or even ghosted. It's knowing that there are amazing people like you wanting to read this story that makes me want to write more, to give you a little piece of my characters' world.

I hope you enjoy it :)

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I was on top of a cliff, feeling the wind rip through my hair, lashing it around my face. I stood at the edge, arms out by my sides. My eyes were closed, feeling the buzz of nature all around me. I was free.

Then, I was falling. Down and down, with no end in sight. My mouth opened in a soundless scream. Hands clawing for something, anything, to grip on to stop my descent.

The dream ebbed away, snapping me back to reality. I jerked up in bed, eyes opening wide. My hands instantly patted the bed. Feeling the soft, springy mattress comforted me; I wasn't falling to my death from a great height after all. I was in bed, in my room.

It was just a dream, I told myself.

My breathing finally became even, and I was vaguely aware that Hunter didn't make an appearance in this dream.

Not that I wanted him to, I reminded myself sternly.

I scanned my room, looking for something- I wasn't quite sure what I hoped to find, but it was something.

Finding nothing out of the ordinary, I shrugged off my blanket and moved to the window. Looking out, I caught nothing that disturbed the peace, only trees swaying in the light breeze. However my neck tingled in awareness. Something was compelling me to go outside. After careful deliberation, I decided to go. I darted a quick peak at my alarm clock: 3am. There was no point trying to sleep again when curiosity was burning me up from the inside.

I rifled through my hamper of dirty laundry, reaching for my pink robe. The clothes needed a wash so it wouldn't matter if I somehow got it dirty. Pulling it on, I silently made my way out of the house. Once outside, I slipped on my brown rubber boots and walked to the tree line.

The sky was a deep purple, a sign that dawn wasn't far behind. The chilly wind whipped through my hair and seeped to my bones, reminding me of my dream. I shuddered, pulling the lapels of my thin cotton robe closer around my shivering body. The trees did nothing to block out the wind, but the leaves rustling in the breeze alleviated my budding fear.

"This is a mistake," I told myself. "I need to turn back." Talking to myself calmed my nerves only slightly, but I ignored the part of me that wanted to run back to the house screaming bloody murder. I was braver than that. At least, I hoped I was. I ploughed on, moving deeper into the woods, following my gut.

Something creaked in the distance. I froze, head cocked to the side, listening. When I didn't hear it again, I carried on moving.

"Must be my imagination," I whispered, shrugging it off. I heard it again, and goose bumps rose to cover every inch of my skin. Listening closely, I realized it was a cat meowing. Maybe it was stuck and needed help?

There wasn't much I could do but I couldn't just leave it. I changed direction, walking towards the sound.

My feet picked up speed the closer I got to the piercing, panicked cries. I needed to save this cat, whatever it took. "Here Kitty kitty," I called out. It meowed again, almost as though it was replying to me, and I took off, following it.

I didn't pay much attention to my surrounds as I stomped my way to the cat. I skidded to a halt in a large clearing. My feet almost carried on without me, and I grabbed on a nearby tree for support. I found the cat alright, but it was surrounded. Surrounded by three large wolves. The blood drained from my face. "Oh crap," I whimpered.

The largest wolf stood in the center, his dark fur a shadow against the leafy backdrop. Two smaller - but not by much - wolves flanked his sides, one grey and the other white. The contrast between them was huge; almost as though the printer lost colour mid job, leaving them with such distinct coats.

I clamped a hand over my mouth to muffle the noise, but it was too late. What have I done?

The wolf in the middle spun around at the sound of my voice, hollow eyes locked onto mine. A low, warning growl reverberated from his chest. He stalked towards me with determination, paws padding silently on the fallen debris. My eyes widened as I took a step back. The black wolf followed.

My heart thudded loudly in my chest and I knew without a shadow of doubt that the wolf could smell my fear; I could imagine it oozing out of my pore, just demanding to me noticed.

I was anchored to the ground, knees locking together. Even if I was the least bit tempted, I knew my legs would fail me if I tried to run.

"Meow," the cat said. I glared at it. His deep black coat shined in the rising dawn. His large, owl-like eyes were fixated on me, curious. I tried calling it, but it stayed put. "Come on you stupid cat! Are you trying to get killed?"

He meowed in response. I had the attention of all three wolves and yet the dumb cat still refused to budge. I was mildly aware that these wolves were not displaying the normal behavior. For one, they hadn't attacked me yet. That was a good sign.

"Sorry buddy, you're on your own," I whispered, turning tail and running for my life. If the cat wasn't going to leave, then I sure as hell was going to.

I sprinted, jumping over fallen logs and ducking under low branches. Misjudging the size of a rock, I tripped over it. My momentum carried me forwards, and I fell face first into the squishy, wet mud. I groaned, stunned from the impact.

"Eugh," I muttered. I reached a palm up to swipe at the dark matter on my face, forgetting in that moment that my hands were also coated. All I managed to do was massage the mud deeper into my pores. "If I wanted a facial, I would have gone to a bloody spa." With a shriek, I dropped my hands and started wiping my face on my robe to get all the crap off.

A rustle alerted me to the fact that I was not alone anymore. I looked up to find the dark wolf advancing on me, another hair-raising growl erupting from his mighty jaws. He was huge; easily topping my height on all fours when I was standing. The two smaller wolves flanked his sides, yellow eyes transfixed on my; their prey.

I was going to die; I could feel it. I stumbled to my feet- if I was going to die, I'd rather do it standing. My knees and palms stung from my previous fall but I ignored it. My life was more important than some superficial scrapes. Plus I've had worse, case in point, my face.

Sweat pooled under my armpits and trickled down my back. I shuddered as a gust of morning air slammed into me, almost toppling me to the ground. The wolf advanced further, until I felt his warm breath fan my face.

In my whole 18 years of life, I had never been more afraid. Even Silas slowly, methodically, slicing into my flesh didn't compare to the level of stress I was feeling in this current moment.

I stared into the deep abyss of my soon to be killer's eyes. There was something different about the wolf, something eerily human. He looked at me like one would gaze at prey; unsympathetic, no remorse.

Taking one last breath, I shut my eyes, unable to watch the wold end my life.

But the death blow never came.

I scrunched up my face and opened one eye to peek. The wolf was still inches from me, fangs exposed, but he didn't attack. His ears perked up, listening to some noise my human ones couldn't catch.

Then I heard it, a loud, deafening warning growl. And it didn't come from the one in front of me.

The trees whistled as a blur of black darted through and slammed into the wolf in front of me. They tumbled to the ground with a cacophony of snarls and gnashing jaws.

My slow eyes, unable to lock onto the fast fight, looked for the black cat. When the two paler wolves joined the fray, I decided to take my chanced without the kitty and make a break for it.

I walked backwards, no taking my eyes off angry wolves. My feet barely made a sound against the wet mud as I inched myself away.

"Meow." I let out a strangled scream and looked down. The cat walked beside me, his yellow eyes a stark contrast against his black-as-night fur. I had no idea how the cat managed to follow me. "Shoo! You're not in danger anymore. Go away." I felt foolish talking to the cat, and even worse by telling him to get lost, but no one was around to see my embarrassment.

A light sound of moving padded feet rooted me to the spot. Something was behind me. The cat meowed again in warning. I took off, running as fast as my burning muscles could go.

Don't look back.

I stumbled, regained my footing, and carried on. My ankles protested and the wind lashed my face. I refused to slow down.

I shot a quick look over my shoulder. The gray wolf was stalking me, his slim body only visible between the gaps of the trees. Miscalculating, I slammed into a tree, my head reeling off from the impact. Warm, thick blood cascaded down my face from the open gash, pooling into my eyes and temporarily blinding me. Shaking my head to remove the ringing, and using the tree that just turned my brain to mush to steady myself, I continued to run. Or rather, stagger, away.

But the wolf was faster. He rammed into my back, like a deranged bull, and catapulted me into the air. I felt the rush, like that of a roller coaster coming down. The crash, so unlike the landing of said roller coaster, knocked the breath out of me.

My eyes rolled back into my head as I fought unconsciousness. I definitely had some broken bones, and my ankle felt like someone set fire to it when I tried to move.

I watched, face plastered to the ground, as the gray wolf advanced. A wheeze left my numb lips. I was going to die for sure.

Before he could reach my splattered self, he was knocked back by the black wolf. The one who stopped the other one from munching on me. He didn't get up.

This time, he was the only one coming towards me. I couldn't fathom why this particular wolf saved me from the others, but I wasn't going to question it. I wasn't afraid, even though he was taller than the other black one, stronger. He limped, dragging his left hind leg behind him, stopping only when it faltered under his weight. He was hurt, that much was obvious, but he didn't stop coming. The pain was evident in his eyes, in the low whimpers he tried to hold back.

I watched him warily; half worried he was going to collapse on me. His startling green eyes bore into mine with awareness, like he knew me, like he was relieved that I wasn't a shredded carcass of chewed bones courtesy of the other black wolf's pack.

Those eyes, I've seen them before. But where?

The wolf fell, exhausted, next to me. His silky soft fur brushed against my scarred cheek. I raised a palm and touched it, resting it in the thick coat.

I wanted to question it, demand answers, but the pain attacking my body intensified. Slowly, consciousness seeped away from me, and I fell into the comforting arms of the darkness.