Chapter 2: She doesn't know anything.

“Please...” her sobs muffled beneath her throat. 

The brisk cold air brushed against her features, and the blurry vision with the lack of light was not helping her know who was there hiding in the woods.

She could hear the waves of laughter coming from afar. A moment ago, she was enjoying a beautiful bonfire with her friends & family, and now she was lost in the tracks, controlling her dreaded wails. The rustling of dead leaves scared the hell out of her.

She looked around, but the place didn’t seem familiar. How did she get there? She knew nothing about this place and never had she been here. The howling winds through the broken window dragged her into focus. An abandoned house could be her reprieve, dwelling for the time being. Someone was out there in the woods. Whoever it was, she didn’t want to let it know her spot. She cupped her mouth, stopped her silent sobs, and hid in the stray cottage. 

What is happening? Where the heck is she?

Her heart thudded fast when she saw her illusion in a shattered mirror, an unknown figure standing right behind her. 

Her back landed on his chest as his hands tightened their grip across her frame. The snarl brushing her ears was enough to send chills down her spine. He touched her hair aside, and it exposed the shoulder blades for him to have his feast. 

“Please.” Her body was shivering with fear when the illusion in the mirror seemed dark enough with red-rimmed eyes.

His warm breath touched her shoulder, and the pain took over the anxiety when his teeth pierced the first layer of the skin, making her hiss. Her skin burned, and a sense of wetness smeared rolled down her skin, and all she could hear was him enjoying the taste of her blood in his mouth. His fangs again came out, but she begged again, “Please don’t kill me.”

She shot her eyes at the mirror, and this time he didn’t bite her; instead, he said, “I am coming for you, Savannah. You are my possession.”

His words echoed, and her body trembled. It was as authoritative as his grip on her frame. All she could feel was her birthmark burning on her skin like a hot iron. Her vision blacked out, staring at the dark space as the darkness engulfed that demon who came to feed on her.

“Savannah,”

“Savannah,”

A known voice calling her name. She looked around. She was not in the same room. It was another nightmare, but it felt so real. Her body was trembling, and sweat beads covered her forehead.

“Coming,” 

“Savi...”

“Coming... in a few minutes.” She answered back in the same pitch.

“Coming in an hour,” she whispered, blowing her messed-up hair and rubbing her face with her palm, thinking it could be the effects of horror movies she had seen in the last few days. But there was something more to get excited about. First, it’s her birthday, and second, the kiss.

The butterfly in her tummy flew, thinking about the first kiss she got from her crush last night while playing truth and dare. A smile played on her face, and she sprinted towards the bathroom.

She looked at herself; her caramel brown hair reached her waist, which she instantly wrapped into a messy bun. Her hourglass body was in the perfect shade any hot-blooded man could have the desire to have her. She looked closely in the mirror, trying to find any blackheads, but found none. Her hazel eyes winked in happiness, arched brow curled up, watching her glowing skin.

She touched her lush lips, thinking of the crazy kiss she had last night, which she had desired since middle school.

“Savi...” It was the last call from her aunt Sheila.

Her eyes widened, thinking she had to rush all her admiring looks and finish the work before her aunty got upset. She finished her morning business, took a quick bath, and wore a cozy PJs and sweatshirt.

She ran down, only to find Mark, Sheila, and Monique holding a cake for her.

Her eyes turned glossy watching this birthday surprise, and she ran and hugged them all. “Happy birthday, my baby,” Sheila pecked her head.

“This is for you, Savi.”

She accepted the card and enjoyed this early morning celebration with her family.

“Your friends are coming,” Mark informed.

“Jerry, too,” Savannah bit her lips. Her excitement would ruin the secret they had.

“Yes, is this the same guy whose dad is a cop?”

“Yes,”

Sheila scanned Savannah’s excitement. Knowing this could be dangerous to get involved with humans. Sheila and her husband, Mark, live in a suburban area of Denver. Sheila found Mark on a full-moon night, and the connection was instant. Mark fell for her knowing she was a paramour (A sex she-wolf slave). He marked her and took her as his mate, releasing her from the bounds of being a paramour. It’s been twelve years since Sheila took care of Savannah since she adopted her as her daughter. Sheila buried the past of Savannah’s mother, Amara, who sacrificed herself to protect them. Savannah still remembers glimpses of her childhood, but Sheila manipulated those moments, saying her mother died in an accident because she tried to save the girls from landslides.

Today, Savannah was entering her puberty age of becoming an official wolf, but little did she know Sheila mentioned nothing about wolves or their unique role in the wolf’s clan. All Sheila knew was she had to protect Savannah, hide her identity in every way, and let her believe in the illusion that this world belongs to humans only.

Everything was fine. She was successful in hiding everything, but her heart anticipated when Savannah’s mark of carrying a paramour bloodline showed up from her teenage, a claw mark on her shoulder blade, which was easily visible to everyone.

For humans, it was easy to take it as a birthmark or some skin tissue coming up together, but for wolves and Lycans, it was an open invitation for them to take her and turn her into their toy for sexual pleasure.

But before Amara died, she handed something to Sheila to subside Savannah’s wolf. And the time has come for Sheila to use it.

“Babe, are you sure?” Mark scrunched his brow in concern.

“Do I have a choice? I need to protect her. I can’t let her wolf show up and drag everyone’s attention on her. You know they will ruin her.” She pulled her lips inside and felt the stress bubbling inside at this moment. Even after preparing herself for so long, the fear didn’t subside.

“I hope her mother’s sacrifice doesn’t go in vain.”

“She handed me this bag before she died to save us both.” Sheila’s eyes turned glossy, remembering Amara’s sacrifice.

“Even after these many years, do you think it would work? What’s inside that treasure chest?” Mark looked at the bag she had nursed.

“Not sure.” Just when she tried to open the treasure chest, her daughter came running into their room. 

The evening came, and Savannah’s friends came to join her birthday celebration, but it lost Sheila at the thought of how she would convince Savannah to accept what she was about to offer.