four.

Twenty years ago: Flashback - Lena's Pov

"Lena, baby, wake up! We have to go!" I jolt awake off the wooden cot as my mate bursts through the door of our wooden cabin.

I don't even remember what day it was. We've been held up in this cabin in the middle of the woods for weeks. On the run. From what? I don't know. Shadow things that aren't even remotely human.

I know my mate loves me and he wants to protect his family but I couldn't go on like this much longer.

My hand reaches down to rub my belly. It was almost time for me to have our cub.

Our little saving grace.

I didn't see the blood dripping from my mates left side and hands. Why was there so much blood? My mate doesn't look at me, instead he starts pacing around the room.

"W-What happened, Drew?" I sobbed out. I rushed over to him. My mate doesn't answer right way. He turns to look at me with a horrified expression then he scurries and trips all over the room packing our bags. It's like he's seen a ghost!

Wait...a ghost. 

My mate goes to run pass me but I catch his bloody shirt tightly in my palm. "Drew, stop! Baby, look at me! Talk to me. Where did it find you?" I whispered. My hands traveled down his side.

It was multiple small holes in his shirt where the blood was seeping through. I held my breath with my hand shaking while I raised his shirt. His skin had holes the same size as his shirt. I knew exactly what did this and so does he.

"No.." My voice broke as I ran my fingers over his skin. "No, that's not possible!"

My mate wraps his palms around my cheeks. "We have to get you out of here." He says gently. His eyes poured deep into mine, sweat dripping down his brunette locks. "I don't care about me. I want my family safe."

I sobbed gripping his arms. "We'll still be safe, baby. We have time to save you. Drew, please don't." I begged him.

Drew was marked by a Chainsman. Chainsmen are species that's been prying the earth for thousands of years. Being marked by one means it'll hunt you until it's claimed your soul.

Drew knew the consequences which was why he was sending us away. "The both of us can't keep running, baby." He grips my cheeks tighter while he tilted my head back. "I love you." His voice breaks while tears splashed my cheeks. "You gave me the best thing a man could've asked for."

His hand slides down to my pregnant belly. I was due any day now. Why couldn't he wait a few more days?

"She'll come for me one day, I know it." My mate's voice rasps. My forehead wrinkles in confusion. She?

My eyes travel down to his hand as I feel it caress my belly.

What did that even mean?

End of flashback: Tequila's Pov

Patience.

That's the word I was going with. I held my breath for a few minutes. The gas station was pitch black and I was locked inside with God knows what. I tried pushing the bars to the front door opened but they wouldn't budge. The only light shining was..

Was the lights coming from outside of the store. "Darius!" I shouted loudly. Why was he just standing there? Why couldn't he hear me? I clutched both my fist, beating on the door. "Darius!" I screamed this time.

He just stood there pumping the gas.

Loud shatter like glass breaking sounded behind me. I turned around and the doors to the coolers were popping out of place and shattering to the ground.

"What do you want?!" I screamed out.

My heart pounded against my chest. I didn't understand what the hell was going on. I reached into my back pocket to grab my phone. I held the flashlight button then turned the phone around.

The store was completely wrecked. Liquids and foods were scattered everywhere. The only thing that was still standing were the shelves.

I walked forward with my hand shaking a bit. "You shouldn't have come." An eerie voice screeched from the room in the back. I pointed my phone to the room but my light wasn't bright enough to see inside.

"You want to stop me?" I told the creature growling. "Give me your best shot." I could tell my wolf was ready to be let out. She was biting at the surface.

The eerie voice screeched again. A sound of water flowing came from the room and suddenly a wave of black liquid came pouring from the room down to my feet. I tried turning on my heel to run away when I feel a hand-like figure catch my left foot.

"You and that bitch was supposed to die a long time ago!" The eeried voice had grown louder.

My eyes travel to the right side of the door. A pair of finger-like hands grabbed the frame. The tip of it's fingers was dripping out black liquid onto the floor.

"Looks like your plans failed. I mean it was what..twenty years ago?" I asked tilting my head.

I wasn't afraid of dying. 

I was afraid that mama was. The creature then came from out the room screeching. Its floating on thin air. The creatures face was hooded in the darkness, a small white glowing light was shining in the middle of the creature's chest.

What the hell was this thing?

"Let. Me. Go!" I growled reaching over to a piece of glass that landed on the shelf when it shattered. I crouched over and stabbed the hand that was grabbing my foot. Black liquid splattered out.

I managed to free myself. Quickly, I turned and ran to the door. My hands starting beating the glass. "Darius!" I screamed his name again.

A demonic laugh escaped the creature's mouth.

"What do you want?!" I said turning on my heel.

"We just want the box, little girl." The creature said floating from side to side.

My heart beat fastened. I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. I never seen anything like this before.

Wait, the box? My memory traveled back to me talking to mama before I left.

Mama watched me as I walked towards her. I went to place my hand on the lock but mama stopped me. "No, don't open that."

"What? Mom it's just a old wooden box." I shrugged at her.

"It's not just a box, Tequila!" She rasps and I grip her hand tightly. "Y-You have to give this to your father. Please don't fight me with this. You have to promise you'll find him. He'll know what to do then." She says quietly.

I could feel my body start to tense up a bit.

The creature chuckled. "Ah, so you do know where the box is, hm?"

I shook my head. "Even if I did know where the box was, you think I'd give it to you so easily? I'm not going down without a fight." I growled.

"You're not making it out of here alive." The creature said as it was now

hovering over me. I then felt myself being lifted as it grabbed my throat tightly and lifted me from the ground. I scratched and clawed at it's hands.

"Drop her!" Darius shouted. I turned my head a bit and he stood there with a wooden bow with an arrow attached to the string ready to strike. The arrow didn't look normal at all. The tip of it was dripping a black liquid the same as liquid from the creature.

What the hell?

"Darius run! Just tell..tell my mom I love her and that I tried!" I shouted. I could feel my air start to leave my body as the creature's hand tightened its hold on me.

"You honestly think we're gonna give up when our mission just started? Hell no!" Darius growled. I tilt my head to side the same time he shot the arrow in the creature's chest where the light was shining.

The creature screeched loudly and lessened it's hold on me. I took two seconds to catch my breath before I grabbed the arrow that was in it's shoulder and pushed it in deeper.

The creature released me and I fell to the ground with a thud. "Tequila, duck!" Darius shouted and that's what I did. Darius reached behind him and pulled another arrow out and shot the creature in the chest again.

I held my throat as my eyes widened. The creature screeched again before it's entire body literally blew up and black liquid splashed everywhere.

A few seconds passed but it felt like hours as I sat there staring at the pool of liquid.

"W-What the fuck was that?" I whispered staring at the now melted creature.

I feel a pair of strong hands pull me to my feet. Darius turned me around to face him. "Darius I-"

"There's no time, we have to go." He growled. Darius yanked me towards the doors. Broken glass and the black liquid crushes beneath our feet as we ran.

I ignored the pain in my ankle as I limped towards the car. I got inside slamming the door behind me. Darius was quiet as he sped off onto the road.

"You want to tell me why the hell you couldn't hear me screaming in there? I called your name twice and you just stood there!" I said turning towards him.

Darius grunted ignoring my outburst clutching the wheel tightly. "We have to get off the road. That thing..more of those fuckers are coming after you."

After me? Were these the creatures mama warned me about?

"Tequila, you have to breathe and focus. I know you're scared. But you don't have to be, I'm going to protect you." Darius grabbed my hand tightly.

Immediately, I pulled my hand from him and his eyes connected with mine. "You didn't answer me. What the fuck was that thing back there!?"

"I don't know, Tequila!" He shouted back.

"Stop the car." I said, which made him scoff. I reached for the door handle. "Stop the damn car or I'll jump out!"

Darius pressed the brakes and my hand pushed at the dashboard to stop myself from going forward. I opened the door and stepped out with Darius right behind me.

"Get back in the car, Tequila." Darius said calmly. "We don't have much time." I faced him. He was holding the bow and arrows in his hands searching our surroundings.

I could feel tears prick my eyes. "You said you didn't know what that was but you killed that thing like you seen it before. Now, what the fuck is going on?"

Darius was hiding something, how can I trust him when he won't even communicate with me?

Darius lowered his head toward the ground. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, girl."

I took a step towards him. "Try me. We can't fight off these things if you don't communicate with me, Darius."

Darius took a deep breath. "They're Chainsmen they've been lurking and hiding on our lands for the past twenty-one years. Funny, they come out in plain sight when you begin looking for your father." He mumbled.  

I gave him a blank stare. I understood now what he was saying. I was scared, not for me but for my family and pack members. "They want me dead, why? What the hell happened all those years ago?"

Darius shook his head, "It's not my place to tell, ight? We need to get moving before-"  

A loud screech sounded around us, cutting off his sentence. My eyes widened as I turned my body in direction. The screeching was coming from everywhere. Oh no, they found us!

Turning towards the car, I went to run towards it before Darius roughly grabbed my arm. I scrunched my face up at him. Why was he stopping me? We should be running for our freaking lives.  

"Driving the car in the open like that will get us killed. They will know it's you. We'll have to continue in our wolves and find shelter. But we gotta hurry." He says urgently. "Let's take what we can, is your leg okay to shift?"

I nodded my head and we both rushed towards the car. He popped the trunk and I quickly snatched the wooden box and placed it carefully inside my bookbag.

I had to worry about getting clothes later, knowing carrying everything else will only slow us down. Darius turned away and we both started to undress. I could feel my body heat up and my bones began to crack. I hated shifting because the pain while transitioning is unbearable.

I turned on my four paws then came to face with Darius's large form. His wolf was a dark brown color and he was merely a few inches bigger than me.

Darius clutched his bags between his teeth and nodded his head forward.

It was time to go. I bit the straps to my bookbag then we both took off into the woods.

Please Moon Goddess, protect us.

➖ ✴ ➖

To be continued. ❤️