My heart pounded so hard I couldn't hear over the whooshing in my ears. Six wolves broke cover and closed ranks around me. I did not stand from my kneeling position. Fear rising up to choke me as they growled and snapped in my direction. Just as quickly as the fear rose it descended. A profound sadness taking its place. Seeping out of my pores filling the air around me. I did not have first hand experience with werewolves other than Maddie and Avery. All I knew my wolf had taught me. Genetic memories that are passed down from generation to generation. From wolf to wolf. An instinct.

I knew I was about to die. I had obviously stumbled into another packs territory. I would be considered a rouge wolf to be killed for trespassing. I locked eyes with a grey wolf. He had black stripes in a band around his belly. A harsh growl erupted from his throat, his teeth bared and lips curled. His fur standing on end. My eyes filled and tears spilled over. He stopped growling and looked a little startled. Actually, they all feel silent. The grey wolf with the belly stripes suddenly spun and darted behind a tree. When he emerged he wore black shorts. His light brown hair shaggy and his dark brown eyes pissed.

"Alright, rouge. You are coming with us." He jerked me up so hard that he almost pulled my shoulder from the socket. I sucked in air but made no sound. I was shocked that I wasn't dead already. Seeing the surprised expression that flitted across my features the huge man tightened his grip and pulled me with him roughly.

We walked for half an hour before we stepped out of the treeline. When we cleared the trees I could see a small village of some sort to my right. The man pulled me to the left. The mouth of a cave loomed ominously 25 feet or so in front of me. A deep, dark unknown that made my fear and adrenaline spike. His hand once again tightened painfully around my upper arm. I was so thin that his hand wrapped all the way around it. I wouldn't make it very far if I ran like I really wanted to do. Didn't mean that I was going to make this easier on them. Where ever they were taking me.

I suddenly dug my heels into the soft earth and yanked my arm. He yanked me back and twister my right arm behind me till the bone splintered. Another spiral fracture, I thought. I was blocking Lyra so she wouldn't feel it too. Again, the only sound that escaped me was a gasp and a sharp intake of breath. The tolerance that I have for pain after years of experiments is almost at the level of being numb.

"Move!" The man shoves me forward and I stumble. He plants a foot on my ass and kicks me forward. Dirt and decay fill my nose and mouth as I fall into the cave opening. He grabs me by my hair and looks directly into my eyes.

"Charlotte! Submit! He won't hesitate to end us!" Lyra suddenly screams at me breaking thorough the barrier I had made with what little energy she had remaining. I hold his stare a second longer before I drop my gaze. It is an odd feeling to submit to someone when I have never had to do it. His fist met my face with the force of a Tsunami. Fast, hard and devastating. Two punches from his big hand was all it took to break my nose, my cheekbone and my eye socket. I gladly welcomed the darkness that swallowed me whole.

*FLASHBACK*

The plan was a fairly simple one. Something too complicated would have been harder and had more risk involved. All Maddie had to do was be fake hurt. Then we decided that she would have to be for real hurt or no one would believe her. They told me not to worry about what they were going to do. They kept that part of the plan between them. The more fear that was felt the better. The guards in this hell hole are werebears. Mountain sized men standing 7 feet tall. For some reason fear made then come. The more fear the better for this to work. Avery just had to be scared. Maddie and I had giggled over her fake affront. She knew she was easily scared.

The point was to fill our common room with the stench of fear. The werebears would come. When Maddie's screams filled the room that was my signal. Fear reared it's ugly head and I let it have free rein for a moment then amping it down. I watched as men ran in from all over. 8 werebear guards in all. Avery and Maddie's fear filling the air.

I slipped out of the room and down the hallway. I encountered no one as I made my way through the twisting halls. My feet making a soft patting sound as I raced down the corridors that I knew so well. I came to the door with a numbered lock. It had taking my several months of sneaking peaks as the numbers were entered to memorize them. We were only brought outside twice a month and then only in the warmer months. They had gotten comfortable with their years of experiments and had stopped changing the codes. I entered the correct number sequence and heard the locks disengage. I opened the door. Taking just one moment, I looked. The way was clear. Heart in my throat, I raced for the treeline.

*********