Blood Bound [Book Two, Lady and the Wolf] (EDITING)

Chapter Three: He Loved Her. He Didn't Love Her.

He ran for days, heading nowhere in particular. He couldn't cry anymore as the icy snowflakes slapped against his reddened cheeks, causing whatever tears that fell to just stick to his skin.

North. East. West. He had no idea where he was heading now. He didn't care. Everything he had ever loved had been ripped away from him in a single night.

Huddled by a tree, he pulled his knees to his chest and hiccupped. He wanted desperately to scream, cry, anything to let out this hurt he had been holding onto.

His father was dead – he could feel it. The life of the greatest shifter he had ever known was snuffed out like a burning log doused in water. Everyone he had ever known in his short ten summers of life were now dead.

A low howl shook the ground, and the pup lifted his head, his reddened face paling as the colour washed out of him. He had come so far and yet; they had been stalking him this whole way.

Huddling against the harsh bark of the tree, he squeezed his eyes closed and whimpered, "I'm scared! Father, help!" He knew deep down no one would come to his rescue.

He would die simply because of the monster inside of him.

He could feel them getting closer, but the crunch of snow that seemed to be right beside him made Van jump back, frightened and trembling.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you."

Her voice was soft and caring. He looked up to take her in against the misty flakes that had previously blurred her out. Blue eyes pierced him against the tree as she moved closer. Her dark hair was matted against deep crimson blood that coated her forehead, and her clothing was none like any he had ever seen.

She pulled some sort of furless black coat from around herself and knelt as she placed it over him.

He let out a small growl – the kind an animal made when cornered. This didn't deter her as she used one hand to gently brush against his arm. "Don't be scared. I'm here now. I won't let anything happen to you, Van."

How did she know his name? Everyone called him Kostya, but his mother was the only other person to call him Van.

Her accent was strange, as if she didn't know how to speak properly. His father had once told him that there were many other languages in the world and that their language was just one of thousands. Did she not speak his language, or was she speaking slowly to calm him down?

It was then that he noticed her right arm was missing from the elbow down. His golden eyes widened as he stammered, "Where-where is your arm?"

It was quite frightening to see. He'd never met anyone with a missing limb before. He didn't even know that was possible.

Her eyes darted down to her missing arm, but instead of taking offence she simply smiled. "Oh, this? I was in an accident."

The pain in her eyes made him almost regret asking. It wasn't a physical pain, but something much deeper that plagued her. It was the same look that had plagued his father when his mother had died the night they fled.

His mind now wandered from the oncoming danger as he asked, "Does it hurt?"

Her laugh was musical. "Sometimes."

The howl that thundered closer broke them from their conversation and the pup jumped up, fear washing over his pale face. The woman instantly moved in front of him, her expression turning into a scowl.

Being this close he could finally catch her scent.

Human. She was human. He had never met a human before.