Protective wolf (Annabelle)

"With this mark, I will be able to track you no matter where you go," he revealed. I cursed internally. If this was the meaning of redemption, then I didn't want it.

 The moon goddess should have done better to save me from this monster. "I still have fifty-five minutes to kill you," he finally said, causing me to regain my senses as I took to my heels, falling over as I heard the tribe members laugh.

Quickly, I scrambled to my feet again, enduring the pain, as I heard his voice from a distance. "Get ready. As soon as the crimson moon passes, find her and kill her or better still..." his voice faded with the distance, as I embraced the darkness of the pack walls.

With the mark, he will know whether I was dead or alive, but given this chance, I would try everything possible to survive.

Without food and water and having bled so much with all the torture, I didn't know for how long I was going to survive, but I kept going, feeling the cold breeze of the night and only the red rays of the light to guide me.

Not knowing how long I had been running, weakness consumed me. My injuries were worsening, along with my headaches and body pains, but now was my only chance.

After the passing of the red moon, even the rogues would not be friendly. I knew many packs, but they must have received the message and would only inform Alpha Zachary about my presence.

Darkness mixed with weakness, and my eyes grew blurry. Before I realized it, pain, weakness, darkness, and betrayal overwhelmed me, and I fell, unable to rise.

"She's mine," a voice pulled me out of sleep, my eyes opening hazily. The Crimson moon had disappeared, but my body still ached. However, that was not the issue.

The stench of decaying flesh assaulted my nose, and I instantly recognized them as lone rogues.

Due to not being affiliated with any tribe among the rogues, they usually sought shelter under trees and could go for months without coming into contact with enough water to bath.

That was the reason for their rotten scent. "No, I saw her first, she's mine," one of them said. The sight of him made me want to puke.

"We can share, but I will go first," the second one said, lunging at me as I moved to the side, causing him to fall into the bushes beside me. I tried to get up, but my knees felt weak, and I felt feverish all over.

Most probably, my wounds must have caught some infections which I could cure with some herbs. But as I finally got to my feet, a wave of dizziness overtook me as the second one grabbed my arm.

"Let me go," I said between gritted teeth. He laughed deviously, exposing his rotten teeth. From the looks of it, he must have been a starving lone wolf for years.

"You don't get to decide. I haven't had sex in three years," he shrugged. I pulled my hand away, but with a force that sent me to the ground. He smiled and pulled down his pants.

My mouth opened to scream before I remembered the last words Alpha Zach said. The crimson warriors must be looking for me by now.

"Stay away from me," I said between gritted teeth. They both lunged at the same time, and when I tried to dodge, my legs twisted, causing me to lose my balance.

Pain seared through my legs but they pinned me to the floor, and their stench caused my stomach to gag.

"Stay away from her," a familiar voice said. Shock spiraled through me when I recognized it but both rogues were simultaneously pulled away from me and smashed into a closest tree, rendering them unconscious.

"You?" I shivered at the sight of him. "I won't let you capture me."

"As if you can resist if I wanted to." He knelt before me and pressed the back of his palm against my forehead. His actions were gentle.

"You are burning up. Must be a fever. Take this."

He took out a liquid from his pocket and forced it down my throat. "I got it from a healer to help you gain some strength and help with any internal injuries."

The medicine had a bland taste, but I could feel my strength slowly returning. I wondered if I was dreaming, so I pinched myself, only to feel a sharp pain. "Why are you helping me?" I asked him, and he stared back at me.

"I don't have time to explain. Go to the Luna Echoes Tribe. They will accept you there," he replied.

"Against Alpha Zack's orders?" I questioned, my voice rising, but he just smiled and said, "You have no reason to trust me, but it's not safe here. There are more rogues, not just the rapists, but deadly ones."

As I heard footsteps approaching in the distance, I tried to stand up but stumbled due to my twisted ankle, letting out a wince.

"Damn it," he cursed, then quickly added, "I'm going to shift, but don't be afraid. Climb onto my back, and I'll take you close to the Luna Echoes Tribe."

Despite my fear, I hesitated. What if he was leading me into a trap to gain a reward from his Alpha?

Before I could make a decision, he had already shifted, and that's when I realized he wasn't a werewolf like the others. "A Lycan?" I murmured as the steps drew closer.

He crouched down in front of me with a low growl, prompting me to climb onto his back. Without hesitation, he dashed through the woods with such speed that the previous footsteps faded into the distance.

Lycans were similar to werewolves but faster and larger. Rumor had it that the only surviving Lycan was the enigmatic Lycan King. Could this be his son?

The journey to the Luna Echoes Tribe spanned about twenty kilometers, and I dozed off until I felt the brush of bushes beneath my feet.

"Anna, you have to continue from here. I can't go any further, it's just two kilometers away," he said.

He had transformed back into human form, his waist adorned with makeshift leaf coverings. "Okay," I replied, attempting to stand, but he halted me. "Wait."

I complied, watching as he scanned the surroundings before gathering herbs, chewing them, and applying a paste to my injured ankle. The pain subsided quickly, and I felt immense gratitude towards him.

Everyone in the Crimson Moon Tribe was hostile, except for him. "Thank you. I hope to repay your kindness someday," I expressed.

He remained silent, turning to leave. Before he departed, I remembered something important to share. "But Alpha Zack, he will track me because of the mark."

His lips tightened briefly, followed by a sigh. "I can only do this once in a lifetime."

"What?" I asked, curious. But he sighed and grabbed me by the throat. The next thing I knew, his fangs sank into my neck, sending searing pain through me.

I gritted my teeth as tears slid down my cheek. "What the heck are you doing?"

My plea fell on deaf ears until he finished marking me at the other side of my neck.

"I'm a protective wolf. My mark can't override the Alpha's, but as long as you don't see him again, his influence will be dormant."

A protective wolf? Do they even exist? "Does Alpha Zach know about this?" I asked. He shook his head. "If he did, I would be dead by now."

He was right. Protective wolves were rare, and if they did appear, they were often killed because they posed a threat to Alphas, like what he had just done. It was clear that no one knew what he was.

"I have to go back, but promise me, Anna, that you will live," he said, pleading. I nodded. "I will," though I was beginning to trust him, wishing he could have stayed longer.

My body felt weak, but a two-kilometer journey wouldn't kill me. "Good. I will lead them away," he said before disappearing into the bushes in the opposite direction.

It seems that they were still tracking us based on Alpha Zack's mark, but I hope this plan works and I am no longer being tracked by him.

After a two-kilometer journey, I arrived at the Luna Echoes Tribe, a pack I had never visited before in all my travels through the tribes. As soon as the warriors guarding the gate saw me, their eyes widened in surprise.

"You should leave," one of them said, regaining his composure.

"Please, I was told I would be accepted here. Once I recover, I can contribute a lot," I assured them. They shrugged, and one of them sighed, "Don't plead with us. The Alpha is on his way."

If there was any hope left, I prayed that this would be it – a place to finally call home. "Alpha, the she-wolf is here," I heard one of them say.

My attention turned to the person they were referring to, and my breath caught in my throat, my knees trembling.

"No, it can't be..." I whispered, just before everything went dark.