I ran as fast as I could, weaving through the alleyways with sure and steady feet. I could hear them following me, their footfalls heavier than mine against the cement sidewalk with a couple of cussing noises when one or the other tripped over something that I had just jumped over.

"She is on the loose, Sir," one of the men said. "We need backup."

"Shit." I muttered, knowing full well that he was getting other people to try and collect me. I picked up my pace, pumping my arms while my heart pounded in my chest. My breath came out in pants, but I didn't stop. Stopping meant that I was dead, and I didn't want to die not until I had mated with Blake and had a kid.

Instincts, or something, took over, causing me run into a building and slam the door shut against the two men who had been chasing me. I leaned my head against the door, taking a lungful of air before sneezing at the dust that had probably been unsettled by me opening and closing the door.

"What the hell is this place?" I muttered, walking forward, glancing around warily. My whole body was tense, and I couldn't help but do a half shift.

This meant that I was on two legs, but they looked more wolf like. My whole body grew a bit in length and black fur sprouted on my body. My teeth elongated to sharper points while my face lengthened into that more of a wolf than not.

My ears had shifted their position to the top of my head while I had a tail between my legs.

Only a handful of people knew how to half-shift, and thankfully, my father was one of them so he taught me to do it when I was younger. He was proud that I had gotten it easy at a young age, saying that it would help me in many of my battles at an older age.

I growled softly and shook my head, knowing that it wasn't the time nor the place to be thinking of something and not checking out my surroundings. I had to make sure that I was safe, and I would be able to get back to where my family was more than likely waiting for me.

However, curiosity had taken over, so I walked forward, making sure to have my ears swiveled around to make sure that I was listening to everything. Though, it was quiet... too quiet for my taste. I didn't like it.

Something pulsed through the air, and I could've sworn that I saw that the air shimmered as if there was magic.

Something told me that there was magic in this area, because the next thing I knew, I was back in human form and not half shifted. "What the hell?" I muttered, stunned to see the fur on the back of my hands disappear.

"You are not supposed to be like that," a voice whispered, through the dark. "You are supposed to be as if you were a human, Shandhi," the voice added.

I whirled around, trying to spy where the voice had spoken from, but for some reason, all I could see was nothing, even though I had werewolf sight. "What the hell?" I asked. I took a deep whiff, and didn't catch any scents at all with my sensitive nose. "Am I turning human?"

"Just for this one, Shandhi," the voice whispered. "The other four pieces have been taken over." There was shuffling, causing me to whirl around. "There were supposed to be more tests."

"What do you mean by four other pieces?" I asked.

The voice chuckled. "You will have to figure that out on your own," it replied. "Now, are you ready to defeat me to get your piece?"

I huffed and turned around, squinting. "And what do you mean by that?" I asked, hoping that sh- it would keep talking, so that I would be able to dictate where the voice was coming from. Thankfully, my father had helped me with some exercises that had blocked some of my senses.

"You will have to figure that out. You ready? I'm comin to get ya."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Bring it," I replied, smirking. Got you. I thought, my body tensing while I waited for the attack.