The wind weaved its way around Quinn's dress as she walked back home; cold and incessantly
eating away at the little warmth in her body. She felt guilty, father said he wanted this night to him
and his mate, and she was now going home to ruin it...
Should she not go home yet? The air was cold, but it was refreshing.
Quinn twisted on her heels, walking towards the east borders instead of her father's house. There
was this tree she used to call her own there, one of the tallest trees on this land. It was old, the limbs
were dry and collapsing, but every spring, it grew leaves. She didn't know how it continued to
survive through the winters, but it always did, and Quinn would congratulate it every year.
Every time she felt down and weak, she'd go there just to look at that tree, because if it could
survive, then she could too...
Quinn wrapped her arms around herself as she continued into the forest. Her steps were quick and
loud, and yet the crickets that sang didn't seem to be afraid of them. The limbs and leaves swayed
along with the wind, making howling noises that Quinn was familiar with.
The night was dark, and though the moon was bright, the heavy trees blocked its light...but Quinn
could see; clearly. She could see the healthy and low grass beneath her feet, the twigs she was
stepping on, the wild bushes and the wildflowers that adorn them, and she could see her tree...right
in the center of her path.
She stopped in front of it, looking up at its branches. It seems not everything could remain strong
forever, not even this tree.
Quinn chuckled to herself, running her finger along the bark where her name was carved. Was this
tree somehow associated with her?
Quinn wasted no time, she rushed in front of the girl, growling at the three feral animals tormenting
her. They didn't back down like they should, instead they ran at her.
Quinn had to dodge their attacks, if she were to fight back, then she'd hurt the girl laying in her
human form behind her. She needed to create some distance, killing them was easy, but she
couldn't do it at the price of hurting another.
With a breath, she positioned herself in a fighting stance, growling as she stepped forward, forcing
them to back away. They growled warily at her, not knowing what her next move would be.
When there was enough space for Quinn to move, she wasted no time, she took them all down one
by one, leaving them curled up on the ground in their human forms. She then turned to the crying
girl, quickly changing back into her vulnerable side; bare to the wind and to her innocent eyes. âAre
you alright?â
"Y-Yes...thank you. But there...another one...big; the leader.â
Quinn sniffed the air again, she knew she'd smelled four, the other one was a distant away...if her
guess was right, then he was close to the farmersâ hut.
It didn't matter if he damaged the plants, but the people that lived there...she couldn't let him hurt
them. âAlright, hurry back, I'll take care of him.â
The girl nodded, standing to her feet and running off.
As soon as she disappeared into the woods, Quinn changed forms again and ran in the direction of
the other rogue, getting there in no time.
She followed his scent through the dasheen farm, quickening her pace when she heard screams and
growls. In seconds, her green eyes found him and there were a bunch of farmers around him,
holding lamps and sticks, trying to defend themselves. You see, they weren't warriors, the farmers
were old and if they weren't, then they were omegas who had no other purpose but to provide for
themselves and the pack.
They couldn't fight, especially not this wolf. It was big, bigger than her with fur as black as night, fur
that was stained with red. The closer she got, the more pungent its scent became. It smelled of
decaying flesh, it smelled like something dead.
On the floor around it, were injured pack members...she made it, but it seems she was late.
She tackled it from behind, and it faltered, but it did not fall. A growl, deadly and threatening left its
lips as it turned to her. There was blood around its mouth, blood more than 2 days old.
The other three were weaklings, but this one would not be easy to take down. It had probably been
an alpha before it went feral.