I run. Fast.

I feel my wolf getting a tiny bit stronger as I run through the forest, the fresh air filling my lungs. I haven't left that tiny cell in ten years and now I am free.

It's honestly too good to be true. I know I have to keep moving or they will find me. I continue to feel my wolf get stronger and begin to surface as I continue to run, trees whipping past me.

After a while, I stop for a moment and feel myself begin to shift as my wolf takes over my body completely. I scream out in pain, my bones cracking and popping and I feel my dirty rags rip to shreds. God, it was just as painful as the first time it happened. Hopefully it gets easier the more I do it. I quickly dig a hole and paw in the shreds to hide the evidence of me being here before covering it up and taking off again.

My wolf lets out a happy growl and runs faster. It feels nice to let my wolf out again after I first shifted.

I shifted about a year ago, I think, in my tiny cell and they screamed at me and I shifted back out of fear. I then got beaten and tortured and that made my wolf disappear.

I haven't felt her in so long which is understandable due to everything that has happened. But now I know she's still there which is good.

I continue to run, having no clue where I'm going but that doesn't matter. As long as I get away from that horrible place, I'll be fine.

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I've been running for maybe about an hour, I'm not really sure. I feel like I haven't gotten anywhere.

The rogue base must've been hidden out in the middle of nowhere because honestly, I haven't come across a single wolf pack territory yet. Or at least I don't think I have.

All I know is that I'm not on the rogues land so either it's neutral land or a wolf pack's territory, both of which I find terrifying. I can feel my wolf starting to get tired but I know that the rogues will have discovered that I'm missing so I need to keep moving. I can't get caught. I won't let myself get caught. I can't go back to that hell hole now that I'm free. God only knows what Zane will do to me if he does catch me. I shiver at the thought. I must keep running.

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I think I've been running for what seems like hours now and I'm exhausted.

To be honest, I'm can't believe I'm still going.

I'm surprised I'm still alive even today after everything that I've been through over the years. I know if I had been human then I definitely would have died a while ago.

I continue to run, although I feel myself starting to slow down once again, my wolf growing more tired by the second.

At this point, I don't know how many territories I've crossed. My wolf senses have gotten weaker, become almost non-existent from being locked in my cell with silver chains and wolfsbane injections for so many years so I'm finding it harder to tell. Either that or packs have gotten better at masking their scent nowadays, but I highly doubt that.

I can't tell how many I've been through, I'm just glad I haven't been caught by anyone yet.

I slow down a bit more to catch my breath when suddenly something flashes past in the corner of my eye. Whatever it is, it was gone as quickly as it arrived. Inhaling deeply, the faint smell of wolf hits my nose.

Oh shit.

Panic sets in and I instantly pick up my pace but I am quickly tackled to the ground by another wolf. I whimper, trying not to struggle too much because I know from past experience that if you struggle, you'll get beaten. There are always consequences for your actions.

I close my eyes, another whimper escaping my throat and feel the weight suddenly disappear from me. I get up and slowly back towards a tree and the wolf gives me a funny look.

Suddenly, two more wolves appear and stand next to the other wolf. I whimper again and continue to back slowly away until I hit the tree behind me.

Losing my balance, I fall over and decide it's best to just stay on the ground as I'm absolutely exhausted. I look at the wolves and they stare back at me. The one that tackled me has a chocolate brown coat, while the one on its left has a sandy blonde coat and the one on its right has a pure white coat.

The one in the middle with the chocolate brown coat takes a step towards me and I whimper in fear, bowing my head in submission. I slowly look up after a few minutes to see that the three wolves have shifted into three fully clothed gorgeous men. Holy moly, they are good-looking. Better looking than anyone in Zane's band of rogues that's for sure.

They all are super tall, all knocking nearly 6 feet if not taller. Two of the three men have blonde hair while the other has brown hair. All three of them have stunning eyes, each of them a different colour and oh man are they ripped. Their bodies are absolutely beautiful.

They give each other confused looks before looking back at me. I notice that they are talking to one another and I begin to get really scared. Why must I be deaf? It makes life so much harder sometimes.

I watch their lips in an attempt to try and make out what they are saying but I come up short. They are talking slightly too quickly.

Suddenly, a pitch-black wolf emerges from the trees behind them and runs over to them. A shiver races down my spine and the air begins to smell of a sickly sweet musk.

Oh shit. I now know that this is a wolf pack's territory and that is the alpha.

Trust him to be the scariest-looking wolf out of the four of them.

He disappears behind a tree for a moment before emerging fully clothed. He walks over to the others and proceeds to talk to them for a moment or so. Again, speaking slightly too fast for me to make out what they are actually saying. The alpha then turns and looks at me and something inside me flutters.

I feel drawn to him. Connected to him in some way. A feeling that I can't quite put my finger on.

He's absolutely stunning, almost godlike if you will. I take in his features for a moment. He has gorgeous dark brown hair and captivating grey eyes. He's taller than the other men and somehow even more muscular than them. I continue to marvel at his incredible stature and physique for a moment before I am bought out of my trance by his movements.

He begins to walk up to me and instinctively I howl, beginning to shake with fear. He stops and holds his hands up in surrender. I try to move back but then remember I'm already pushed up against a tree. I look around in panic.

I'm screwed.

He begins to walk towards me again, this time more annoyed. I think he has been trying to talk to me because he definitely seems pissed off. Again, I look around frantically, trying to find somewhere else I can move to but come up short. I'm truly stuck.

Shit. Now would be a great time to be wearing hearing aids but the stupid rogues crushed mine. Maybe then I'd be able to explain myself or at least know what they have been saying.

Suddenly, he is right in front of me, causing me to jump and let out a yell. I continue to shake vigorously and suddenly feel myself begin to shift back into my human form out of fear. I scream out in pain once again as my bones begin to crack and pop and my fur disappears.

Within seconds, I am lying in a ball on the forest floor, completely naked. Out of habit, I try to cover as much of my body as I can but that's not at all what I'm worried about right now.

This alpha is way too close.

He quickly takes off his shirt and I wince, expecting him to beat me as he brings it close to me. But instead, he simply lays it over top of my body. I stare at him in a state of shock and panic. Why didn't he hit me?

He moves to touch me again but I quickly shuffle back against the tree now that my wolf isn't taking up as much space.

He gives me a sad look and I stare back at him, confused. Why is he sad?

I look down at myself and suddenly remember that he can see some of my cuts, bruises and scars peeking out from under the shirt he laid on me.

Maybe he feels bad? But why would he? Why would an Alpha care about me? He should have beat me. Hell, if he had any sense in him, he should have killed me by now for trespassing.

Suddenly, he raises his hand to touch my face and I snap out of my thoughts. Heat races through my cheek where his hand hovers nearby it and something flutters in me again. Oh god, he's going to hit me.

I scream and tears start to pour from my eyes. He very quickly drops his hand but at this point, I'm too far gone.

I'm having a full-blown panic attack, shaking all over and hyperventilating.

Dizziness washes over me and I know I'm probably about to pass out but I honestly don't care. I've had enough and just want to escape the world for a bit.

The last thing I see before everything turns black is the alpha's worried face, staring right at me.

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Hey Guys,

I hope you enjoyed that chapter! What do you guys think is going to happen? What do you think of Acacia's character so far? The next chapter will be up in the next day or so and in the meantime check out my other books!

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- Allamy xx