The Stolen Daughter of the Pack

Ava

I always believed that I was a typical girl. I spent hours buried in literature while I was a scholar at Duke University. Research, classes, and the occasional night out with pals were the mainstays of my life, but today was different.

I asked Nikolai, my boyfriend of two months to accompany me since he knew the place better than I did. We went into the woods behind campus to pick a landscape for my next painting. I lost track of time as we continued to travel until Nikolai led me to a gorgeous lake and wonderful clearing.

As I busied myself with art, I experienced an odd force in the air that caused the hair on my arms to stand on end. At that moment, Nikolai was suddenly on alert. He stood before me in a protective stance while staring at the woods.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I slowly stood beside him.

“Ava, listen to me. Whatever happens and whatever you see, you have to keep staying close to me. When I move, you move. Don't run away unless I tell you to, got it?" Nikolai warned.

I slightly tugged on Nikolai's shirt to let him know I understood, and I exhaled slowly. Just then, three enormous wolves materialized in front of us. Strangely, their eyes gleamed with intellect I couldn't understand. I instantly froze, unsure of what to do.

These were different from the wolves I had read about. They appeared to be almost... supernatural. A part of me wanted to run, but I knew if I did, I'd be easy prey. When the largest of them all strode toward us with its pointed fangs, my heart began to rush.

"Oh, my God! We're going to die!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

My body froze and all I could do was watch in terror. But just as the wolf leaped, Nikolai stood tall, a fierce look in his eyes. Before I could process what was happening, he transformed into a massive black wolf, so I stumbled back, terrified.

Soon, teeth clashed, and growls filled the air. As Nikolai fought two, one had successfully lunged itself at me, causing me to fall to the ground, screaming for help, my left arm slightly caught inside its mouth.

I thrashed, punched, and yelled in pain, fighting for my dear life. As if sensing distress, Nikolai suddenly slashed at my attacker's head and neck with its massive claws before biting down on its throat with sheer force.

He fought all three of them as if they were no match for him and when he had killed the last of them, he suddenly turned to me. He stood in front of me, staring. His eyes glowed like two burning embers in the dark.

I thought I was losing my mind. I had spent years in my cozy dorm room at Duke University, studying and focusing on my future, but this? This was beyond anything I had ever read. My boyfriend just turned into a wolf.

"Don't come near me!" I shouted when he took a step toward me.

He snarled, then shifted. In an instant, Nikolai transformed back into a man. I stumbled back, my breath hitching in my throat as I screamed again. This wasn't a nightmare. This was real.

He looked right at me and said. "Ava, please trust me. I'm not going to hurt you."

I blinked, not knowing what to think now. "What are you?" I asked.

"I'm a werewolf. I'll tell you everything you need to know, but I have to make sure that you're healing first," he explained, pointing at the arm that the other wolf had bitten.

"Why should I trust you? You're not even a doctor, Nikolai." I questioned, still terrified.

"No, but I need to check on your wound."

He took slow steps toward me and held his hand out, waiting for me to make the next move. His brows furrowed at the sight of my bitten arm.

"I promise I'm not going to do anything to hurt you, but you have to come with me because your bite wound seems to be dangerously spreading."

As if on cue, a burning sensation radiated from my bitten arm all over my body, causing me to gasp and scream in pain.