Chapter 5. The Encounter and the Necklace

Warning: This chapter contains discussions of abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

Lillian’s POV

“Lillian!”

I was curled up in pain when the door opened to reveal Nick. Slowly, I lifted myself from the ground, bracing myself for what was going to happen.

Nick came into the room and stood watching me for a moment.

“Is there something you want?” I whispered.

He wasn’t making any attempt to touch me or hit me. He pointed at the door. “You can leave before my dad comes.”

“I can leave?” I raised my brow.

I didn’t understand what he meant—that I could leave.

“If you want to leave, this is your chance, Lillian. I want to help you.” He sounded sincere, but I couldn’t trust Nick. Still, he didn’t seem like he was lying to me.

He held the door. “You can leave the room.”

I glanced at him, then back at my room, wondering if it was truly safe to leave the house.

Nick nodded at me.

“I will lead you out of here. Trust me.” He stretched out his hand toward me. I knew I shouldn’t be a fool and take it, but he looked convincing.

I grabbed his hand, and Nick smirked as he led me out of the room.

We ran out of the house, and Nick escaped the pack house with me. I ran as fast as I could, as my life depended on it.

He led me into a small forest outside the Nightstalkers Pack and stopped running.

“You’re safe now, Lillian. You can leave, and nobody will come after you.” He let go of my hand.

I stared at the thick woods around me and shivered a little. I had planned to escape the Nightstalkers Pack when I turned eighteen, and this was it—but I didn’t know why I was suddenly scared.

“Can I really leave, Nick?” I asked timidly.

He nodded, a smile plastered on his lips. “Yes.”

I couldn’t believe Nick had agreed to let me go. I never thought he would set me free. I decided to forgive him for everything he had done to me.

“Thank you, Nick. I will never forget your—”

He waved my words off and chuckled.

He turned away from me and gestured for me to go ahead. He laughed and tucked his hands into his pockets.

I didn’t understand what was so funny—until I saw his friends lingering nearby. They spoke loudly about who would capture me first and claim me for the night.

I heard Nick making a bet with his friends.

My heart sank into my stomach. This was just a chase-and-catch game to him. That was why he had brought me out of the pack house.

“Fuck, she’s running away.”

“This is more fun!” I heard Nick’s voice before I fled in terror.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, and I felt a change within my body. My bones were cracking, and my body was enlarging. I groaned as pain shot through me, and I saw myself growing bigger than my normal size under the glow of the moon.

I couldn’t run anymore. I slipped and fell to the ground.

My head hurt, and my body was getting weak.

“I told you she couldn’t run.” Nick panted, placing his hands on his waist as they stood before me.

“We got her at once. What should we do? Foursome?” One of his friends, with long black hair, laughed.

I lay on the ground, defenseless and helpless. I could feel the changes in my body draining every bit of strength I had left.

They tore off my dress, hit me with their fists, and groped me, driving me completely to despair. My body became fully exposed to them.

“N-Nick,” I sputtered, but he paid me no attention as I pleaded with him.

I felt a surge of force through me, and suddenly my shift accelerated. I could hear my bones crack as my wolf emerged and took over.

My white fur glowed under the moonlight, streaked with blue and white, and a force repelled Nick and his friends, pushing them about ten feet away from me.

Seizing the chance, I fled desperately.

Nick and his friends transformed into their wolf forms and chased me relentlessly. They wanted me back, but I wasn’t going to give them that chance.

I ran faster with the help of my wolf, going deeper into the woods, away from the pack house.

I stopped running when I heard their retreating footsteps and their curses fading away. They couldn’t come any farther because of the dangers in this forest.

I crouched down and shifted back into my human form. The only thing left on my body was the necklace. I clutched it in my hand and caressed it gently with my fingers.

I broke down into tears.

I cried for the humiliation I had endured in front of Nick and his friends. I cried because I was sick and tired of everything that was happening to me.

I cried until I could no longer hear my own voice. My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.

Before my eyes closed, I saw two similar faces—tall, around six feet four inches.

They approached me. I wanted to resist, but I had no strength left.

Who were they? What did they want from me? Were they rogues who had come to take me? Or had they been sent by Alpha Jenkins?

At that moment, I didn’t care anymore.

I had reached the point of giving up on everything.

One of them crouched down beside me. His hand touched my forehead as if checking for a fever, and he took off his jacket and covered me with it.

My eyes closed.

That was probably a dream—no one had ever treated me that way.