Illicit

Ch1- Vengeful Father

-January 17th, 1999-

"Lynn? Neil? Where are you guys?" I cried out, sobbing. 

These woods were frightening, the trees' shadows seemed to cling to me as I walked, and my wild imagination was making it worse. I could swear that I felt eyes on me, and I let a shiver run down my spine. I kept trekking through the forest, looking for my friends who had ran away, when I heard a cruel laugh escape someone's lips.

"Macey Helson. I haven't seen you since you were born." A figure stepped out from behind a tree and I wondered how he could've hid there. The tree looked as if it could barely hide someone my size, not someone like the stranger who stood in front of me. He wasn't overly buff, but muscular enough to not have been able to cache himself behind the skinny willow tree. This sent my wolf instincts into a frenzy. 

"Who are you?" I asked warily.

"None of your concern, but for now, you'll have to come with me," he replied.

"What, no! I won't go anywhere with you!" I declared proudly.

"Then we'll have to see just how fast you can run, pup," the strange man threatened, and I took that as a chance to turn around and sprint with all my strength towards the sound of water. I was a better swimmer than a runner, and I decided to use that advantage. Sadly, I couldn't shift into my wolf, since most wolves only could when they turned 13. I ran as fast as I could, trying not to focus on his swift movement and silent footsteps as I avoided roots and dodged trees. The chase went on for a while, I'm not sure how much time passed before I smelled my mother's scent. That encouraged me, and I used my senses to track back towards my mother. Screw the water!

The stranger was still very much on my tail. The only reason he hadn't caught me yet was because I was swift for a pup. My heart was beating frantically, trying to make up for the loss of oxygen that my sprint resulted in. Me having asthma didn't really help either. It wasn't really common in werewolves to have minor flaws like that, but I was an exception, and I was constantly made fun of for that reason. 

When I finally caught sight of my mother, who was looking around presumably for me, I used the last of my depleting energy to launch myself into her arms.

"Macey!"

I ran into my mother's arms and inhaled her vanilla scent. She held me close to her, and relished the hug. I had tears streaming down my cheeks as she buried her nose in my hair. Suddenly, she stiffened, and let out a warning growl. My pursuer revealed himself and stood there smugly.

"Well, well. What do we have here? You two mutts aren't allowed on our property." he stated, smirking. I whimpered at his words and clung to my mother desperately, regretting my decisions from earlier.

"I'm sorry for trespassing, Ian. We'll be leaving your territory without a fight," my mother tried to reason, and I was surprised that she knew that vampire's name. 

"No can do, Tyra. I have direct orders to bring your daughter back to the palace." Ian sneered. "And since it's an order from the king, I have no choice but to carry it on." My mother shifted into her beautiful silver wolf with the white star on her eye, revealing her with genes. She howled for help from nearby werewolves from our pack, the SomberLake pack. Her cry echoed through the woods, and I faintly heard another wolf reply to her song. My father. He was coming. I instantly felt safer, until Ian and my mother lunged for eachother.

I couldn't do anything except watch with horror as I knew I'd do more harm than good if I intervened. My mother managed to do some damage on him, leaving tears on his body as her claws dragged down them. I let out a whimper every time Ian managed to get a grip my mom, but she'd weave out of his hold just as easily. I started believing that my mother would win this fight, when suddenly, Ian dispersed into thin air. My mother, startled, back away towards me. I couldn't help but let out a warning cry when I saw him materialise behind her.

"Goodbye, my dear Tyra," he whispered, and bit into her neck, his fangs revealing. My mother shrieked out in pain, and I lunged for Ian as a last resort to protect my mother. However, Ian was not to be underestimated. He merely used his foot to boot me away, not taking his fangs out of my mother's throat. I was thrown against a tree and couldn't move, my spine being damaged, and laid there helplessly as my own mother was drained in front of me.

A ferocious growl interrupted Ian's meal, and he quickly retracted his fangs to face the wrath of my father. 

His eyes were full with pure hatred, and he glared at everyone and everything. When his gaze landed on his mate, dead on the forest floor, he howled. A pain-filled, grief-stricken cry to his mate who was now gone. My dad then recovered fast, and sprung at Ian with unbelievable speed. Before I passed out due to excessive pain in my back, I witnessed the brutal murder of Ian Wells, one of the vampire king's sons.