Found by the Lycan King by Natalie Winter

Chiapter 5

Chapter 5

Zenovia

My eyes were only on my father, waiting to hear him slap Sid but he only had a disgusted look on his face.

Celeste added more fuel to the fire, “He is right. See this, Drake. Do you see that welt on his forehead? Your b d daughter is a b h in heat. She has no decency or honor.”

I wanted to go to my father and explain how Sid was the one who was lying but the words he said next made me freeze in my

tracks.

“To think that my blood runs in her veins...I cannot believe 1 birthed something so foul and petty. I should have never chosen a mate but waited for you, Celeste. I feel so ashamed of myself.”

Luna Celeste and Sid exchanged a meaningful look but she embraced my father and patted his back, “It is okay, you have us now. Your real family.”

To say that I was stunned was an understatement. My life had just hit a new low.

I heard my father utter those words and it was as if my heart had stopped beating. My world was slowly beginning to crumble and my mind went blank.

I should have run away, I should have shut my ears for the words that would fall on my cars were no less than blades cutting into my heart, twisting it until every last drop of blood had been wrung out. But somehow my feet were frozen

My father turned his back to me and was facing Celeste and Sid. I put a hand on my mouth to stop my whimpering from reaching their ears.

The man who was supposed to love me, the father who should have protected me at all costs added with contempt, “Celeste. Get rid of her, what the lycan king does with her is none of my business. She is dead to me."

And just like that my world finally came crashing down, leaving me shocked and breathless.

I sat frozen on the ground, holding my knees close as I digested the words my ears had heard. They kept playing in my head over and over until I could not take it anymore.

I wanted to cry, and I wanted to howl in pain but that was a luxury I could not afford. Not right now. So, I held back my tears and slowly crawled toward my cabin.

I lost my father today. I lost my family or whatever was left of it today.

There was no point in living in this pack anymore. I would cry and break down when I was away from them. Now, I only wanted to get away from these people.

I paid attention that no one was around and suddenly I felt glad that the dean had asked us to leave early. I would not have heard the conversation earlier and I would have just wasted my days here, trying to please my father and harbor a false hope that one day he would love me back just like before.

That was never going to happen. He had made it pretty clear.

Thus, I scanned the perimeter and saw that there was nobody around in the vicinity.

So I sneaked up to my cabin and quickly threw my clothes in the backpack which were not many, to begin with.

Next, I looked around and found a small iron rod and pushed the loose floorboard up where I had stashed all the money I could save over the years.

It was not much but it would allow me to afford a few days of food or rent. I recalled Sid talking about the human settlement not far from our territory and how human girls would be at the nightclub he frequented to..

I knew the name of the club and the rough direction to reach it so I hoped to enter the human city and blend in with the crowd.

Maybe. 1 could find a job as a babysitter or waitress and start a new life. After stashing all my essentials in the bag, I tightly tied my shoelaces, pulled the cap of my hoodie up my head, and then slowly sneaked outside.

I had not even made it to the outer fence of our backyard when I heard Sid call out my name.

“Rat, where are you going?”

I did not turn around and did not wait for him to curse me more. I knew if I walked back he would have me locked up in the cabin.

So. I ran outside and headed straight into the woods. I heard him angrily yelling my name and soon he had gathered everybody.

“Don't let her escape!!” Sid yelled and most men ran in the direction of the forest he had pointed at. Chapter 6

ator compel throught me and s d back tour there was no use sogging So. Fran as fast as my legs could carry m*, Ignoring de thorny vines, Inches, and loan hes that keja serate fing, at my skin ment

uday

My heart was log

and closer, custong

Zenovia, we pus

better

my feet,

ut then wolves and then angry bowds roaring the

ugh the air, making me feel as

quinted through the dense forest The commed of my pursuers bowds and growls was getting closer mers and borders in my poth

"We wan

The ground, scraping my knees and hands on the rough forest floor. I scrambled to

t of adrenaline as le

at I was not stopping, il taunter

linde rar His voice was dripping with sarcasm. “You can't outrun ut

forrver

ignored t

taunt, focusing

wible

the trees and rocks in my path as I tried to put as much distance between myself and my Nuddenly, I heard a growl behind me and spun around to see one of the werewolves lunging toward me. I screamed, ducking To the side the wolf's jaws snapped shut inches from my face. “Zenovial” Sid's voice boomed through the forest “Don’t make this harder than it needs to bet

I knew that I

uning forever. I needed to find a way to outsmart the wolves, or else they would catch me.

Ispotted at all cave opening up ahead and darted towards it, hoping to lose the wolves in its twisting passages.

As I entered the cave, I heard the wolves’ growls echoing behind ine. I could feel their hot breath on the back of my neck, causing me to shudder with fear.

"Where are you, little 12” Sid cackled, “We can smell your fear”

I pressed myself against the wall of the cave, trying to make myself as small and inconspicuous as possible. I could hear the wolves getting closer and closer, their claws scraping against the stone floor.

Just as I thought that all was lost, I saw a glint of light up ahead. I sprinted towards it, hoping that it was the way out of the

Cave

I blindly threw myself outside, hoping to find a way toward the city but I slammed into something and fell backward, landing on my butt before my head almost crashed upon the tarmac.

Suddenly my eyesight grew dizzy and I saw stars in front of my eyes.

My brain was telling me to get up, to run away, and that Sid and the others were still after me. But my head swam and I could not see straight.

I suddenly felt lightheaded and I held my head as a bolt of pain shot up my abdomen and traveled through my chest. My shoulder had collided with something hard and I felt that I had dislocated it. Blood was trickling down my head and nose

I tried to look up and could only faintly make out the appearance of some car that I had slammed into.

I groaned in pain as I heard the hurried footsteps of somebody stepping out of the car and running towards me.

A tall man rushed towards me and bent on his knees as he looked at me with concern. He was wearing shades and was dressed in an immaculate suit.

"Hey, can you hear me?” He asked as he reached for my face and gently slapped it.

I wanted to talk to him, wanted to convey that I was being pursued and people were after my life but words refused to come

out

"Ok, 1 will lift you up now, don't worry, you are going to be fine.” He said and picked me up gingerly from the ground.

When he bent to pick me up, his shades slid off his nose and I saw a pair of bright golden eyes looking at me. The same eyes that had stared at me back at school.

The Lycan King, Callahan Skalbeck, was holding me in his arms.

What was he doing here? Had he come looking for me and Cole to punish us for talking back and hitting his beta?

But then why did his face look worried about me?

The last thing I remembered was being carried by an unknown stranger before my vision tunneled and I passed out from the panic and exhaustion.

Chapter 6