Page 52 of The Unwanted Mate of the Lycan Kings (Unwanted #1)
The pitch-black forest it nearly impossible to see through as I brace my hands in front of me, almost running into trees. Trying to navigate my way through, I stumble blindly through the forest, staggering over broken tree branches and then falling face-first over a fallen log.
My hands smack the ground, breaking my fall, and a shriek leaves my lips at the falling sensation. Shaking myself, I peer around. The shadows in the trees are freaking me out, and every rustle of the bushes makes my heart thump harder as I push up off the ground to take off running again.
I can feel sweat dripping down my back as I struggle to weave through the dense foliage. The thick canopy of the forest blocks the moonlight, shrouding the forest in a cave-like darkness. This makes it difficult for me to make out the shapes of the trees and other obstacles around me.
I can feel the icy chill in the air, and it causes my lungs to burn with each breath, and my teeth chatter. I’m drenched in sweat, which is making its way down my back as I trudge through the underbrush. My heart is pounding as I try to quickly but cautiously find my way out of the forest.
I hear a twig snapping somewhere close, an eerie reminder that I’m not alone in these woods. I take a deep breath and steady myself, peering around, listening for the direction it came from. When I don’t hear it again, I proceed cautiously, trying to keep as quiet as possible.
After about an hour, I move to a brisk walk.
My legs and lungs are burning, and everything aches.
I am covered in grazes and lash marks from falling and being whipped by the branches.
Yet something at the edge of my mind nags me.
The deeper I get, the more unease settles over me, like I have forgotten something. Something important.
Coming to the river, I step off the bank, and I am plunged into the water.
The water is freezing and steals my breath.
I gasp as I try to catch my breath, feeling like I am being dragged further and further away from the riverbank.
Spluttering and coughing, I swim to the other side, crossing the river without further issues.
Coming to the shallows, I am drenched and trudging to the river’s edge.
I look at the stars, trying to get a sense of the direction I am heading when it finally hits me.
That nagging, uneasy feeling settles in my gut as clarity washes over me.
Shelley told me to head west...and the moment I look up, I curse.
Seeing the stars and constellations above me, I realize that I have been heading in the wrong direction all this time.
I am not heading west, as Shelley had said, but instead, I am heading north, the one direction she specifically said not to go in.
Cursing, I look back to the west where I should be heading, but to go that way, I’d have to backtrack and risking being caught.
Reluctantly, I walk along the river until I come to a huge waterfall, and I am forced to go even further north.
Yet, the further I walk, the worse the sinking feeling in my stomach gets, making me stop.
Goosebumps lace my skin, and a violent shudder runs up my spine.
When I hear movement in the forest, I know I shouldn’t have ignored my gut instincts.
I freeze, my heart pounding as I frantically look around.
I can sense the presence of something sinister in the shadows.
I hear a rustle of leaves and the sound of heavy footsteps, and I know I am surrounded.
The sound of wicked laughing and snarling fills the air, and I realize I am being ambushed.
My eyes dart between the trees, searching for those that have snuck up on me.
The laughter cuts off abruptly, and all the noise seems to bounce off the trees, not allowing me to figure out which direction they’re coming from.
Hearing a twig snap, I spin around, looking behind me, when I spot glowing red eyes among the trees.
I gasp and take a step back before hearing a noise in the other direction.
Turning in horror, I spot another and another. I count the eyes tracking me, twelve pairs of glowing blood-red eyes are peering back at me from every direction. I’m surrounded. I’ve walked into a trap, and from where they are standing, I know I’ve been herded.
When they step out from among the trees, I find they’re all wearing similar outfits to the guards back at the castle, and I pivot, trying to watch all of them at once.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” comes a husky voice, and I turn in the direction of where it came from.
“I knew tonight would be a good night. I sensed you the moment you stepped out of the river, and we’ve been following you ever since.
” He chuckles, and the other men laugh sinisterly.
The man sniffs the air and closes his eyes, and a guttural groan leaves his lips when he does.
My heart beats like a drum in my chest. “Oh, we’re going to have so much fun with you,” he purrs.
A hand grazes my ribs, and I spin, slapping the man’s hand away, only to feel another tug at my shirt. My breathing becomes more erratic as panic sets in. I turn to run, but there is a wall of bodies blocking my path. I’m trapped, and my heart races as I realize the danger I’m in.
“Don’t touch me,” I snarl, backing up only to bump into another one.
“I wonder if she can take all of us?” he purrs, gripping my hips, his fingers pressing into my skin. “I bet she can...” he purrs next to my ear when the other men suddenly start tugging and pulling at my clothes.
“No!” I cry as horror washes over me. I try to push him away, but he’s too strong. He traps me against his body, his breath hot on my neck, and my skin crawls with fear.
Panic rises in my throat as I struggle against him, desperate to get away. But he holds me in an iron grip as the men laugh and leer. I’m powerless against them and realize I’ve made a terrible mistake. I am tossed on the ground so hard that my head bounces, and everything goes dark.
When I come to, I’m being rolled over, and I peer up at the sky. The stars and moon mock me as I feel my jacket being ripped off and my shirt torn down the middle.
Hands grip my breasts and force my body down into the mud. I start to scream as a hand covers my mouth, muffling my cries, when I feel my pants yanked down my legs. This causes me to be ripped away from the man who is covering my mouth with his hands.
I let out a bloodcurdling scream that seems to echo off the trees, and a fist slams into my mouth as punishment.
Blood seeps from between my teeth as I blink back tears, and the same hand covers my mouth and nose.
I struggle, desperately needing air, but at the same time praying that I pass out so I don’t have to feel them raping me.
My lungs scream for air as I’m slowly starting to lose consciousness.
When I feel hands grab my legs, pinning them to the dirt while another undoes his belt and drops his pants.
He grabs his cock in his hand, and I fight to get free of the hands holding me down as he lines himself up at my entrance.
Hot tears stream down my face, and my eyes flutter from the lack of oxygen.
My heart gallops faster as my vision starts to blur.
I can hear the laughter of the men as they watch me struggle helplessly, knowing that I’m unable to stop them.
I can feel my mind slipping away as I start to realize that there is nothing I can do but wait until it is all over.
Closing my eyes, I fall limp, waiting for the onslaught of pain. Hands tug and pull at my body as the man orders his friends to pull my legs wider. His thighs brush the backs of my legs when I feel him prodding at my entrance.
“Don’t worry, love. I promise when I’m done, the rest will have a turn,” he tells me, and I don’t doubt the vile man.
He laughs for a second before his laughter abruptly cuts off.
I wait for the pain, but instead, I hear a low growl coming from the side of me.
Then another. This makes my eyes fly open to see the man between my legs turning his head in the direction it came from.
The next second, the hands covering my mouth lift, and the man gets to his feet. The second he does, white fur flies past my face. The vicious sounds of flesh tearing reach my ears, and the man screams as I hear a sickening crunch.
The hands holding me down suddenly lift, and blood splatters across my face.
That’s when I see Gnash has the man who was between my legs by the throat.
He shakes his head viciously, rolling onto his stomach.
I nearly choke when I spot Hunter. He’s mauling another while Shadow rips into a third, but he takes a heavy boot to his ribs.
He whimpers, skidding across the dirt into a nearby tree before jumping back up and ripping into another man just as Lyon tackles the man who kicked his wolf.
Getting to my hands and knees, I scramble, searching for my pants when my hands come into contact with a pair of boots.
Glancing up, I spot Zeke standing over me.
“I’ll deal with you once we get back to the castle,” he snarls.
I nod meekly, just relieved they’re here.
He steps over me, grabbing a man who is attacking his wolf.
Finding my pants, I quickly try to pull them up my legs, but the fabric is drenched from the river, making it difficult to pull them up.
Then I see Gnash crush another vampire’s head between his powerful jaws, I notice Regan walking toward me.
He whistles, and Gnash lifts his head and peers in my direction before running straight at me. I gasp, seeing he is about to collide with me, but he jumps clean over me and rips into a man who was coming up behind me. Yanking my pants up, I am fighting with the zipper when a set of hands grab me.
“Head home while we clean up this fucking mess!” Regan snarls, setting me on my feet.
“Regan...I’m...”
“I don’t want to fucking hear it, Zirah.” He shoves me, and I stare at him in shock, but it only earns me a growl. “Get moving!” he snaps, turning to help his brothers. Gnash rushes over to me. Escaping the fray and trail of body limbs, I start running back to the castle with Gnash on my heels.