One

Cleo’s POV

Deep in the forest of goddess only knows where…

“Come on we have to keep running. Daphne they are going to catch up if we don’t. Please get up” My lungs burned as I screamed for her to move.

“Just go I’m slowing you down as it is. You stand a better chance on your own”

“I didn’t bail on you when that fight kicked off and I’m not bailing on you now. So get up”

“Bitch you started that fight”

“But did I bail on you? No because sisters stick together. Ride or die bitch so please come on” Daphne rolled her eyes and sighed knowing I wouldn’t carry on unless she was with me. Not only was she my sister, but she was also my best friend. She had stuck by my side for the last few months, and I would stay by hers no matter the consequences. Placing her arm over my shoulders I took the brunt of her weight enabling her to move that little bit faster. She had broken her leg when a group of rogues chased us. We were running so fast that neither of us saw the cliffs edge until it was too late. We managed to lose them for a little while, but Daphne’s leg hadn’t the chance to heal before they found us again.

Together we pushed further into the forest. Ducking under low branches and climbing over fallen ones trying our best to keep going. Using my heightened senses, I could hear them drawing closer. Each snapped twig and crunched leaf had my heart rate rising until all I could hear was the thumping of it in my ears.

“Cleo look out” Daphne’s scream bounced off the trees as a brown wolf with matted fur came into view. Quickly manoeuvring my body to shield her from its attack I hadn’t noticed the grey one come up behind us. Slowly we became surrounded, each of them circling us, foaming at the mouths as they eyed us up. Keeping my eyes on the rogues I slowly lowered Daphne to the ground. My wolf Freya was snarling away in my head. She wasn’t big enough let alone strong enough to take them all on, but like me she was fighter and wouldn’t go down without a fight.

“Daph when I shift run” I didn’t give her time to argue as I shifted into my wolf. The snapping and rearranging of bones had become quicker and easier over time. Just as Freya’s rusty coloured paws hit the ground, the brown wolf pounced. Freya was quick and had fortunately seen it coming. Jumping to the side she swiped her paw dragging her claws down its side. It whimpered in pain as it began to bleed, it’s whine setting the others into action. I didn’t have time to check if my sister got away all I could do was hope that she had done as I asked.

Growing up we heard a lot of stories about the possibilities of what could happen should we ever cross paths with rogues. You could be lucky enough that they just pass you by without issue, but then there were others that would rape you before leaving you for dead.

The grey wolf tackled us to the ground, its teeth sinking into Freya’s back leg. Seeing me struggle to get him off spurred another to jump on my back. I could feel my energy draining as clumps of fur were ripped from me, my blood pooling underneath me. I thought this was it, this was how I was going to die and silently cursed that old witch for being wrong. That’s when I felt the ground shaking. The purest white wolf I’d ever seen emerged from the trees. Its roar was both deafening and frightening. It was so quick that it had killed the rogues within minutes. It was when he shifted back into his human form that my eyes bulged. Put the fact he was covered in blood aside; he was drop dead gorgeous.

“Shift back” his command had Freya retreating, something that shouldn’t have been possible. He wasn’t our alpha. I watched as he knelt beside me his hands moving the hair that hid my face from him. That’s when my heart sunk. His touch left what felt like tingles on my skin. The sparks, my mate had found me.

Six months earlier…

“Happy Birthday” Daphne woke me up by jumping on me and squealing in my ears. Pushing her off we both laughed. We had both been waiting for this day for so long. Daphne was a year older than me, but now I was seventeen, we would finally be able to leave this place. My sister and I grew up in an orphanage, our parents were killed when we were younger. Daphne blames herself; she thinks that if she hadn’t run off that night to play with her friends they would still be here. Thing is they played right on the border of our pack, so when my parents found her, a hunter shot them. “Have I got the best afternoon planned for you. First, you’re going to shower because I’m sorry, but you stink. Then when you’re ready we are going to the end of town and getting our futures told” the way she wiggled her eyebrows had me laughing.

We had walked past the witch’s voodoo shop every day on our way home from school, and each time we promised when I was old enough, we’d go. At first I thought she was just a crazy old she-wolf, but now I’m older I know the truth. She was a witch granted sanctuary within our pack, and in return for being allowed to stay it was said she cast a protective shield around the territory. We were allowed to come and go as we pleased, but those that meant us harm weren’t allowed to enter. It was a good thing really because we hadn’t been attacked for as long as I could remember. The morning was quick to pass and soon enough we were on our way to the witch.

“I’ve got a feeling my future is going to be glamorous. Perhaps I’ll open a bakery and finally put my skills to use” she really should. Daphne was an amazing baker; she was always baking for the other pups in the orphanage. There was even a day last year when an omega had asked her to make some cakes for her pup’s birthday after our guardian told her of Daphne’s skills.

“Well, I just hope she tells me I’m going to spend my life laying on a beach being fanned and fed grapes by a sexy man” truthfully, I just wanted out of here. Growing up an orphan in the Crystal Springs pack wasn’t nice. Sure our guardian was ok… sometimes. But the rest of the pack looked down on you like you were nothing more than a burden.

As we arrived and stood out front of the shop, an icy cold shiver ran down my spine. The shop itself looked old and run down. Like a structure that had once welcomed visitors but now wanted nothing more than to see its final day and rest. Daphne nudged me forward, she was scared and offered me up for bate when this was her idea. Opening the door, the bell up top rang out into the silent street, making me jump out of my skin having not noticed it were there. Taking a few steps inside and my jaw fell. The floors were polished wood, and the walls were cream with gold embellishments. From the outside you’d think the place was derelict, but inside… wow.

“Hello dear, you must be Cleo, it’s nice to meet you I’m Agatha”