The Wolf Prince's Mate

Chapter 25

"They grow here," the voice sent me jolting.
You pick one up and within an hour another one will be regenerated. Pretty, but worthless in this realm.

My eyes bulged, as the man in ruined clothing sat himself on a rock speckled in rubies less then 10 feet away from me, his face hidden within the shawdows. "Worthless?" I asked,confused.

The man cackled. "Yes," he hissed. "Worthless to us. Our currency is a more rare metal, Platinum and certain grades of gold. Certain stones such as Taaffeite and red Dimond are valued above all else. Pitty huh? They are quite...beautiful."  The strangers voice was low and grimly. As if he hadn't drank anything in ages. He was probably a smoker... and as harmless as he seemed I made sure I was quite a distance away.

"What is a beautiful human girl doing in Viara. Are you lost little mouse?"

"No... I came to explore," I did my absolute best to maintain a steady demeanor.

The man stood up abruptly. He took a step further his face now slightly visable. And at that moment I no longer felt quite at ease about the man's prescence. It wasn't that he was ugly. It was the crazed animalistic look in his eyes as he gazed at me. And the scratches within his clothing and skin. The man...he wasn't a wondering homeless person. He...

He sniffed the air closing his eyes in bliss. You smell of Royalty, beauty. You smell of
Lycan. You smell of power...yet you hold none. Easy....easy...easy pickings!" He sang before he cackled in his shimmy voice. "You smell of fear. I can hear your heart beat. Frantic like the heart of a small bird," he hummed, his eyes closed in a happiness as he swayed his head side to side to the rhythm of my...my heart? 

I stumbled backwards as his eyes flew open and he advanced. "Paleaseee, just tell me how to get home."

"Your not going home girly, should have not wondered these woods at night. Lucky it was me who found you. I'll deliver a quick death. I'm far too hungry to play with my food tonight. I can promise you that, now just stand still and be a good little girly."

Food! Stand still so he could kill me, was he out of... There was no need to finish that exclamation. The man was clearly unhinged.

My eyes windened as his tongue darted across his lips. His eyes darkening in an abnormal way as his face. I blinked. Because surly my eyes had miss seen that..his face began to shift... An-And it was still shifting. His face stretched as hairs began to sprout from his grimy skin.

I screamed.

Darting into the darkened forest I struggled through the underbrush. My heart pounced in my ears as the adrenaline pumped through my system. Fight or flight, this was life or death. Eaten alive by a homeless man on bath-salts. Not how I planned my day to go.

From behind I could hear the crunching of leaves as feet pressed forward. I let out another scream, paying that someone would hear me. He was following me, not only that but he was gaining closer.  I did my best to lose him. I truly did. But no matter where I turned his steps were always right behind me. And as I made a move to dash under a large hanging branch I was thrown to the side, landing painfully on my side. I groaned in pain as I moved to gain my footing only for a foot to land painfully on my back. I was grabbed by my hair, my head forcefully pulled backwards. "You! You girly... making so much noise. I told yah. I'm not the worst monster you'd come across." He breathed onto my face. His rancid breath that smelt of rotten flesh washed over me, and I gaged.  "Your alerting all the creep little critters out there of your whereabouts. "

Well no shit Sherlock, that was the plan! "Let my go!" I dug my nails into his arm in a desperate attempt to get the man to loosen his grip.

The man's face began to shift and ripple as his eyes darkend. Bone began to crack. I watched in terror as I struggled up from the  forest group. Covering my mouth with the back of my hand I cringed as the man's spine snapped. Tears streamed down my face as I registered the pain in my right leg I limped to the nearest tree.  I hoisted myself up to the first branch before I howled in pain as razor sharp teeth tore into the flesh of my ankle, dragging me down. "Nooo," I howled as I was fell hard unto the grass floor.