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She should have known that fate had never been good to her and would not start now.

It took Violet approximately fifteen minutes later to realize she was fucking lost. She was a fool to have trusted the map.

Whether it was the network that wasn’t good or the coordinates were totally wrong, it didn’t erase the fact she had no idea where she was.

As if that wasn’t enough, the intense feeling that someone or rather something was watching her had not subsided one bit. So when she heard a sudden howl in the distance, she froze up.

By chance, had they discovered her disappearance? No, that was not possible. No one had seen her leave. Not even her own roommates would discover she was gone until morning.

But Violet was not ignorant to think aside from the security men at the entrance, there weren’t werewolves patrolling the territory. This was a huge school after all, and the walls stopping her from escaping seemed to stretch on forever—if only she had gotten to them.

So Violet calmed her breathing in case someone was there, knowing Werewolf hearing was sharp, and even the smallest sound could give her away. She remained crouched in one of the darkest corners, sheltered beneath an ancient oak tree and surrounded by thick bushes.

Unlike the dormitory ground, there was no light in the silver glade, and Violet was both happy and unhappy for it.

This way, she couldn’t be spotted easily, but at the same time, she couldn’t see well, not without her phone’s torch on.

Neither was there a moon in the sky to illuminate the path.

And it just unsettled Violet the more, knowing wolves had better eyesight. So yes, she was in deep shit.

As much as time was running out for Violet, this was not the time to be hasty. Violet wasn’t even sure that she was breathing anymore as she waited and waited.

Not long after, a wolf emerged from the shadows and her heart nearly stopped dead.

Violet couldn’t see much since it was dark, but the low, guttural growl and the pair of glowing gold eyes were unmistakable, freezing her on the spot. The sound from its throat was deep and menacing, such that it seemed to rumble through the very ground beneath her.

It began to sniff around, and the hairs on her arms stood on end as a chill coursed down her spine. Violet knew at that moment that it was tracking her by scent. So this was what all the scenting was about. They could uniquely identify her, and the fact she was trying to escape the academy ground.

As quietly as she could, holding her breath, Violet reached for a nearby rock and hurled it in the opposite direction. The wolf’s head snapped toward the noise, and it bolted off, chasing after the distraction.

Violet seized the moment and ran out, her legs burning as she pushed herself faster and faster, knowing the wolf must have heard her by now.

However, as if it couldn’t get any worse, from her left, another snarl erupted, closer this time, sharper and angrier.

Oh God, no.

Her stomach dropped as she realized what she was hearing. It was not just a wolf, but wolves.

The gods help her!

From the way they growled, Violet could tell they weren’t just tracking her. They were hunting her. They were the predators while she was the unfortunate prey.

Violet had no idea what they would do to her, but something told her she didn’t want to find out. She had underestimated the academy’s defenses, and now she was paying for it.

The wolves’ growls grew louder, closer, their heavy footsteps crunching through the underbrush as they gave her a hot chase. If anyone had told Violet she would be running through the woods this early morning, she would not have believed it.

The branches tore at Violet’s jacket, leaves and dirt scattering as she pushed herself faster than she thought possible. She didn’t dare look back, not when she could feel them closing in, hot on her heels.

Perhaps it was a cosmic joke from the gods, because Violet managed to see the West House from a distance. She followed it out of the woods, the light from her way illuminating her path enough to spot from the corner of her eyes she was being chased down by about four wolves.

Violet ran more strategically this time, deliberately heading toward obstacles only to swerve at the last second, forcing the wolves to adjust course and buying her an extra breath of escape.

Although a niggling feeling told her if the wolves truly wanted to capture her, they would have done it already. Violet had seen uncountable times they had the opening to do so, but they only seemed content with giving chase.

In truth, they had only chased her back in the direction of the West House. But the fear of those wide jaws with frightening teeth left Violet no room to pause or question their motives. Instead, fear propelled her onward, driven by instinct rather than reason.

The West House came right into view, and Violet barreled toward it, her lungs burning and her legs screaming in protest. Somehow, she reached the safety of the house, slamming the door shut behind her and collapsing against it.

Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath, her heart hammering against her ribcage. At that moment, Violet didn’t care if the house prefect caught her. The fact she was back here was a sheer reminder of her woeful failure to escape.

Violet sat there, trembling, listening for any sign of the wolves outside. But there was nothing. No wolf barreled into the door aggressively, wanting to storm in. There was nothing at all. Just silence. An odd one.

Perhaps it was some unspoken boundary or a fear of the Alpha within; she didn’t know. All Violet knew was that she was safe. Not that it comforted her in the least. By tomorrow, Asher would know what she had done, and that alone scared her as shit.

With that fear still lodged deep in her bones, Violet rushed back into her room. As soon as she shut the door, she stepped away from it, watching it as if expecting wolves to barge in at any moment. When nothing happened, Violet released a sigh. That was a close one.

Dragging her weary body toward her bed, Violet stopped suddenly.

The room had changed. She couldn’t exactly explain or point to, but the air felt different, and carried a strange charge.

At once, Violet’s skin pickled, her instincts screaming at her that she wasn’t alone.

——

Congratulations! Violet made it to the second round of the character contest. But she needs your points now more than ever to make it to number one on the second round in just a day and a few hours. Help her win the competition and get a mass release reward!