FATAL CLAIM

Prologue

DYLAN

'Did you really think any of it was real?' she cocked her face upwards to stare at me. She was chained up on a chair with silver, but it was as though she didn't feel it. 'You're pathetic.' Her eyes glowed red as a cruel smirk graced her lips. Those lips that had been on mine. The face that I thought was the prettiest in the entire world. And the heart that I thought was filled with the purest love, yet little did I know; that it was filled with venom and hatred.

'Why?' I clenched my jaw. 'Why did you do it?' I roared, my fangs began to appear and my eyes were glowing an electric golden.

Suddenly, I found myself surrounded by dead bodies and battle all around me.

'Hello love," She whispered into my ear. Before I could react, she stabbed me with the dagger in my chest. My blood seeped through the shirt as I fell to my knees.

Caterina...

I jerked awake as beads of sweat ran down my face. Damn it! She had left me feeling weak. I couldn't protect the people who trusted me from my own mate.

It had been six months since our bonds were broken yet I couldn't help myself from thinking about her. She had ruined my life, yet I still felt like I could hope for some good in her.

Today was the biggest day for my Alpha and Luna, I wouldn't let my rotten mood get into the way of their special day. I was Adrian's best man and knew I had to keep a happy face on. I'm sure he knew I wasn't okay, but he respected me enough not to pry too much. I was really happy for them, he finally got the peace he had deserved all these years.

There was an urgent knock on my door, I groaned as I got out of bed.

"What?" I growled into Ric's face after opening the door.

"Rise and shine-"

"It's 4 a.m.!" I snapped sourly.

"I know but there's been a slight... Setback," He smiled with a guilty look on his face.

"What did you do?" I ran my hand through my hair.

"Come, I'll show you," he waved at me to follow him. I got my shoes and followed him out of the mansion.

"Don't tell me you blew something up again," I glared at his back.

He ignored my comment and kept walking. He stopped once we reached the borders, I raised my brow at him questioningly as he paced around.

"I let down the barrier for a while-"

"Why?!" I snapped.

"For the guests. Why else?" He shot me a deadpanned look.

"And I did put up the barrier again but I felt someone out there," I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"If they're out there, why am I here?!" I grumbled in annoyance.

"It's Adrian's wedding, do you really think he's going to take well to rogues around the borders," he snapped.

"Fine, I'll go scout the borders. Just don't annoy me for the rest of the day," I threw my clothes near a tree as I shifted my form.

My wolf purred at the feeling of the dirt under my paw, it had been a few weeks since there was any trouble, so I barely shifted my form out here. I only shifted in the training room, but I had to admit, it felt good to be out here after so long.

I ran around the boarder to catch an unfamiliar scent but there was nothing. I returned to where my clothes were and changed back. I shrugged my clothes on, but I felt a movement in the corner of my eye.

My guard went up as I looked around cautiously.

I caught a dark figure running through the forest and I quickly ran after them. As I got near, the person smelled like a human. I jumped and pushed the person down. We both tumbled down the path and I pinned the person down.

"Get off me!" A soft voice groaned.

"You're a girl," I said in surprise.

"No shit Sherlock," She said with an edge to her voice. I moved away, but stayed close enough to tackle her if she tried to run.

I sniffed the air as I smelt something odd. She was definitely a wolf but she reeked of humans. It's not like I didn't interact with human, but it seemed as though she had just spent days living with them. But she wasn't rogue either which was odd.

"What are you doing out here?" I questioned.

"Finding someone dumb enough to bring anything of value here," she shrugged.

"You're a thief?"

"I prefer to be called moonlighter, but whatever," She said as she dusted her back, although I didn't see a point in doing that. She was wearing a pair of dark green jeans and a black shirt, she wore a hooded robe with it, that was covered in dirt.

"Then why are you here? You're trespassing," I explained.

"I just needed some money to make it out of town," she sighed in exasperation.

"But-" There was howling of wolves in the distance and she backed away.

"Look, I don't want to come into your land. I have to go," she looked around wildly.

"How do I know I can trust you?" I took a step towards her.

"You can't," She smirked before she threw something on the ground causing blackness around us for a few seconds. I waved my hand to swat it away, once it began to fade, she had disappeared leaving me standing in the middle of the woods.

She didn't seem harmful. But who was she?

"Dylan?" Ric called out from afar but I stood there unmoving staring at the spot she was at just a few moments ago.

I bent down to check something she had dropped. It had caught my eye as it glinted sharply in the light rays of light that were breaking out into the sky. It was a necklace with a weird, crystal pendant on it. I shook the pendant and some black blue powder moved in it.

I had a feeling she would be back for whatever this was.