Crown Of Storms | ✎

2 | Lie To Survive

A N D R O N I K A

I'VE FELT PAIN BEFORE, but nothing ever like this.

The scars on my body are proof of the pain I've had to endure over the years of being a hunter, but no amount of pain I've ever felt could even be close to what I feel right now.

My mom rushes to my side and tries to soothe me, but she can't. I don't want to hurt her so she really needs to get away from me.

I want to tell her to stay away but the pain is holding me back from talking, I can't do anything except feel each bone in my body breaking.

"Shhh. It's okay my dear. I know it hurts, but you must try to be quiet..." She want's me to be quiet? She does not know the pain I am going through!

The bones in my face are beginning to change and in a voice I can't believe came from me, I roar, "Get back!"

Jumping back in fear, my mom looks terrified and I wish I could help her, but I'm not in control right now.

Cautiously, while watching me, she walks to the window and looks outside. Whatever she saw must be bad because her head snapped towards me in panic.

"They're coming..." She says and that's all I needed to know what was happening.

My screams woke everyone up and now they're coming. The hunters are coming and I'm going to die.

The pain wouldn't stop, but my senses became extremely heightened. All the hunters were so far away from our house, but I could hear them coming, the crunch of leaves under their heavy footsteps.

Whispers of how a wolf found our territory were among them all, but they're definitely going to be surprised to see that no wolf found them... Just that someone they trusted has become one.

"Rayoon & Nika are in trouble, we must help them."

"There's a wolf by Rayoon's house! We need to get there now!"

"It must be an alpha from the way it sounds."

They were getting closer, I could hear them talking so loudly it was as if they were standing right next to me.

The hunters think my mom and I are in trouble, so it is best if they continue to think that. They can do whatever they want to me, but I will not allow them to hurt my mother.

Using as much strength as I could muster, I push the pain as far as I can inside of me so that I can speak.

"Mom..." I croak, my voice coming out rough and strained.

"Yes, yes. I'm here." She tries coming towards me but I shake my head as a growl slips from my lips.

"Go to them... Tell them that you... Didn't know what was happening... Lie to survive." It was such a struggle for me to say as little as I did, but I needed her to listen to me.

Shaking her head, tears begin falling from her eyes as she says, "No, Andronika..."

Before she can say anymore, a terrifying growl rips through my throat as that unknown voice inside me speaks again, "Go!"

And that she did. She ran out of the room and I used my heightened senses to listen and make sure she's safe.

The horrific pain is starting to come back and I don't know how much longer I can hold it in.

The urge to finish the change is so strong, but theres too much of an internal battle between the hunter in me and the wolf.

The hunters are getting closer and I can hear my mom running towards them. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and get ready to open them again when a vision happens.