SERAPHINA'S POV
Five of the feral beasts close in on us slowly; each of them baring their fangs aggressively.
I suck in a breath now, feeling fear crippling me on the spot. Even if I'm not part wolf, I feel the animosity oozing off each of them directed at us.
I'm stunned, just as I always am when I'm reminded by the fact that this school really is filled with wolves, and it's not just a name they call themselves.
I've seen their beast-like reactions, with the occasional half-transformation here and there, but I rarely ever get to see the fully formed wolves themselves.
They tower above like monstrous creatures, dwarfing any regular dog or wolf breed, nearly matching my own height even when they're on all fours.
"Stand back." Kamila speaks now after getting up and dusting herself.
In just seconds, her composure shifts back to the usual high-nosed, classy bitch, exuding authority not just in her words but also in her stance - down to the bored expression she wears now.
The confidence is astounding, surprising me. I guess when she's not being a complete psychopathic bitch, she's actually pretty cool. For a moment, they actually listen to her, stopping in their tracks...but it's only temporary.
They continue advancing, and she frowns.
"I don't know how any of you were able to walk in here, past the guards stationed at the gate, but I'll forgive this disrespect once you get out of my way..." She warns again but pauses once a thought passes through her mind. "...or perhaps, if you got rid of this human rat, we'd be even."
"Hey!" I look at her more incredulously.
She shrugs casually.
"You weren't expecting me to actually care what happens to you, right?" She says coldly.
She right; there's no way in hell she'd help me or anyone that isn't her mate. I'm all on my own, I guess.
I back away from them, thinking of a possible exit. The only one coming up in my mind is of course just running away and hiding somewhere they can't reach me.
Kamila makes the move to walk away, but the one in front of her launches forward, trying to snag at her arm until she retreats back just in time.
"How dare you!" She screams the moment she realizes they're not letting up on her as well.
The irony, right?
"I command you to move aside right now!"
"Kamila, it's clear they're not letting either of us through." I point out to her.
"Shut up!" She screams at me, losing her shit once she realizes her Alpha status isn't enough to send them away.
There's no time for any of this, arguing with a bunch of wolves and trying to convince them not to bite when it's already clear they will regardless. They're way too many for the both of us to take, so there's no other choice.
"We have to run, Kamila."
She scoffs at me like I have insulted her, yet again turning to face me with a look of disgust.
"Do I look like a pathetic human who cowers in the face of wolves? I am Kamila Wildheart, only daughter of Alpha Ralph of the Wildheart pack and future Luna to the-""
She's cut off right in the middle of her self-exaltation when one of the wolves jumps at her after getting tired of waiting. He goes in with his sharp claws, and I grab at her, pulling her out of the way before she loses an ear.
"How dare y-"
"Shut the fuck up and run!"
She's still in a state of confusion, and there's finally an opening with one of the wolves jumping out of his position. I waste no time dashing through, of course while dragging the whinny bitch with me.
Thankfully, she's done bitching and finally gets what's going on, doubling her pace as well just as the wolves begin chasing us.
We run into the thick forest because that's the only possible way I can think of, the only chance in which we could possibly get away from the wolves, but I failed to remember that these beasts are already one with nature.
They find a way to easily maneuver through the trees even with their slowed pace, I notice. I look ahead again, putting all my energy in pushing myself forward while my own heart pounds harder and my breaths come in fast pants.
All those years of running from bullies on their bicycles seem to be finally paying off.
"This is crazy." She complains yet again even while we're in the middle of a chase.
And just like that, she stops right there, facing them.
"Are you crazy!" I scream at her, having to stop as well because of my stupid conscience will not be able to leave her here to die.
"I'm not a weakling like you or your Omega friends, and those wolves are barely high ranking." She boasts yet again.
"Uh, this isn't really the time to talk about how awesome you are again."
She ignores me, this time, standing there while the enemy only grows closer, and just when they're only a foot away, she howls in the air loudly.
Her howl echoes with the wind that quickly picks up speed from the power oozing off her suddenly. Her clothes rip apart as soon as she morphs right there into a ginger-coated wolf, only slightly larger than our pursuers.
I gasp the moment I see her in in all her glory.
It's the first time seeing a female Alpha wolf in her full form, I realize, and dammit, I'm stunned and speechless until I eventually snap out of the trance when she lunges at them.
"Wait! You can't take on all five alone!"
It's common sense knowing when to fight and when to fucking run, but it's more obvious now that this girl didn't get schooled on a thing or two about it.
She recklessly lunges at them, swiping at the first with her claws. She flies backwards just in time for the four to lunge forward again.
The fight goes on with her just barely holding her ground for the first few seconds, until they finally get the hang of her tactics - and it turns into a beat down.
Suddenly, one sneaks from the back, striking from behind with chilling precision. Its jaws clamp onto her hind leg with brutal force, the sickening sound of bones snapping reaching my ears even from my distant point.
She howls again, but this time from her severe pain. She kicks the attacker off, sending him tumbling into his friends like ragdolls. They're momentarily down, but not for long it seems.
Kamila turns towards me, limping in my direction, until she finally crashes onto the floor from exhaustion. Defeated. Her large body shrinks slowly, leaving a naked Kamila laying on the floor.
I run for her almost immediately, grabbing her ripped clothes and covering her body with the pieces I can manage to tie together in haste, just so she doesn't have to be completely bare.
"Are you okay?" I ask, desperately helping her up once she's covered and not once does she fight me off her.
She's silent until she makes a disgruntled sound at the back of her throat, letting me know she's okay... for the most part.
But that leg...
By the looks of it, she won't be walking on her own any time soon.
"I want to say that I told you so, but now's not the time to hang this win over your head." I mumble while wrapping her arm over my shoulder and sprinting ahead before the enemies can regain themselves again.
Unfortunately, we don't make it very far, our journey abruptly halted as we reach the edge of an unexpected cliff on the far side of the dense forest. It's a dead end, with no way forward.
The wolves lurking behind us gradually emerge, their predatory presence now fully surrounding us. It's an inescapable trap, and they know they have us cornered.
My gaze shifts back and forth between the towering height of the cliff and the expanse of water waiting dangerously below. At the same time, the five formidable wolves draw nearer, their eyes gleaming with a sinister hunger.
I faintly see one of them just smirking at me, knowing I have no choice but to surrender.
But dammit, I'd be dead if do that.
"Wait." Kamila finally speaks, catching her own breath now. "Stop for the last time."
"I guess you haven't realized it yet, but they don't listen to you, Kamila." I remind her of how this whole thing began.
She ignores me now, pushing me off her and standing on her own. She winces the moment her weight is added to her injured leg, but she persists in walking closer to them regardless.
"I will compensate both you and your families heavily if, and only if, you spare my life."
"Are you kidding me?" I yell at her now. "Right after I saved your fucking life?"
She turns to me slowly now, with wicked hateful eyes that want nothing more than revenge towards me. The intensity of her resentment makes no sense.
"I never asked you to." She mutters harshly before looking away from me just like that.
I laugh bitterly to myself now.
This is it, I guess. Either I jump now, or I face them all - 6 against 1. What a way to die.
The wolves look amongst themselves, deliberating, until the one in the middle steps forward, shifting into his human self for the first time since this whole fucking chase started.
And he's naked.
It's weird being embarrassed by a boy's nakedness right when you're about to get killed, but I can't help it, I guess - blushing and trying so hard not to look at his tiny bits.
"What do you say? I'll give you much more than whatever whoever sent you is offering."
"Hmm, the Alpha princess begging for her own life; who'd have thought I'd live to see the day, huh?" He laughs, looking back at his band behind him that snicker, even in their wolf form.
"Do we have a deal?" She repeats again, waiting for his answer.
He muses on it now after laughing to his feel.
His eyes move to me, and I tense up immediately before they go back to Kamila. He stares at her from head to toe while she's barely decent in her ripped attire.
"Not until I get a free night having a taste of what that bastard Alpha prince gets to have all by himself. Then, maybe I'll consider." He smirks.
I watch her now, wondering what she'll do now that he's laid his offer. Her head drops low and her lips quiver with an anger she reels back into herself.
It takes a while before she looks at him again, more composed.
"Screw you."
"What?"
"I said screw your fucking asses." She spits in his face coldly.
The liquid slides down his face, and he fumes suddenly, erupting in waves of burning anger.
"You bitch."
He morphs back into his wolf in seconds, howling in her face and getting ready to lunge at her, and my feet moves on their own, again.
"Kamila!" I scream, running for her.
I grab her hand, yanking her away just before his blow can connect with her face. In the next second, I turn toward the cliff, realizing there's only one possible course of action left at this point.
Jump.