Riven's POV
Before I could even take a deep breath, I tasted blood thick on my tongue. .
I really didn't mean to run this far, especially not this fast and as I turned my head behind me, the snow was already painted red in my own blood and in that moment I realized if I stopped, I wouldn't be seen breathing by dawn.
The wind felt like a deadly sharp blade, slashing across my skin, my face, lungs, eyes, literally everywhere and to make matters worse, my clothes were very thin, definitely not the one to wear for winter.
In fact, I was hardly dressed, just a torn shirt painted in my own blood, feet bare, almost turning purple from the icy ground, my knees trembling, buckling with each step I took but I still didn't stop.
Inside my veins I could feel the drug burning hot and fiery. Earlier, we were forced to drink the drug; a black, thick liquid that tasted bitter and disgusting, and it was meant to mask out our scent and it was the only thing keeping me from getting caught.
But unfortunately, it was wearing off rapidly.
The way the wind sniffed my skin, as though searching for something made me know it was going to happen soon and I was starting to smell like myself again; a weak, omega prey.
The woods shuddered from the impact of a loud, guttural howl behind me, it sounded mocking. I didn't stop, my feet slamming even harder on the icy ground as I ran, cracking open making my blood spill, my thighs raw and chafed.
"Don't stop….just…just until morning" I muttered under my breath, my teeth clattering against each other. "Just…just hide 'til morning…."
As I ran through the branches, they lashed at my arms, spiky thorns digging deep into my skin, tearing it as blood dripped from my forearms but I didn't care about the pain, not now.
They had marked me like a fucking property and I still reeked of burnt skin, wolfsbane and silver, despite the drug. The brand on my skin was still fresh, a dried crust of blood around the skin.
To them, I wasn't a living person anymore, I was merely a prey or more like a bounty to be hunted down.
Then, as I ran deeper into the woods, that deadly howl rang out again, sending shivers down my spine. It was closer this time around, then, a loud, mocking voice yelled out. "Riven! Little bitch boy! You can't outrun us no matter how hard you try, Omega whore!"
Suddenly, my legs gave out and I fell, my knees hitting against something harder than ice or stone. I breathed hard, dragging my body up as I crawled forward on all fours like a fucking dog.
I didn't stop, didn't even look back, not even when the air around me stiffened.
Not even when the animals went quiet and the trees froze as though they had held their breath.
Because deep down, I already knew what this meant. Growing up, I heard stories, rumours by the other slaves about the Hunter's Territory.
No one dared to cross last this line, not even Alpha's or Betas and especially, not Omegas like myself. This land belonged to someone or something more deadly and mysterious.
But, it was too late to turn back now, I had already crossed the territory and didn't care.
I managed to claw my way through a tiny pathway, gasping, my breath hitching in short, choking sounds and finally, when my body couldn't take it anymore, I collapsed beside a fallen tree, my chest heaving, mouth parted as I desperately gasped for air, fingers digging deep into the snow.
The deadly pain I felt in my stomach was guy wrenching, it felt like I had been stabbed a hundred times. I doubled over, clutching my stomach as my torso locked up.
"Ahh…goddess, fuck!" I cursed under my breath, writhing in pain. "Fuck….fuck fuck!!"
For the third time today, this was happening…again.
The phantom pain that made it seem as though something was tearing through me. I closed my eyes, gagging as I pressed my head into the ice, almost burying my body in the cold just to at least stop the pain and the fever that followed.
"Please….pl…. please, not now"
But the metallic scent of blood was already strong around me.
That raw, addictive sweetness, the one I was punished for having because according to them, Omegas were never meant to be, labeled as freaks of the earth.
I bit down on my lower lips to suppress the pain, then dragged my body towards a pile of mud and cow dung just beside me. Then, I scoop some in my hand, smearing it over my face, arms, throat…. everywhere.
"Stop…..stop bleeding…just…just stop…." I cried, my hands falling to my sides.
I couldn't help it…it wasn't my fault.
I let myself fall back, into the snow this time around, the memory rushing back before I could even help it.
Before I escaped that night from that lab, that fucking ritual ground, something was done to me…. something that left me bleeding for days.
I wasn't given an explanation of what happened to me, no one even tried to check if I was still alive.
And now, my belly hurts in ways I couldn't understand, when I touched it, I flinched in pain and I noticed it had begun to swell.
I was a boy, it couldn't be. So, I just told myself it was just the bruises, the beatings I had received and the lack of food for days.
But deep down, I knew something was wrong.
Just then, I was snapped back to reality from the trembling ground beneath me.
It wasn't the footsteps of the people after me or from wolves, no.
It was from something much bigger and intimidating.
My heart pounded in my chest vigorously as I broke into cold sweat, slowly turning my head towards the sound.
The air grew dark and ominous, making it almost impossible to breathe properly.
Then, through the trees, a cold, calm voice rang out. "Little boy…. you've crossed the line"
I stood still, my feet feeling like they were on sharp blades. It seemed like the ground would slice me open if I took a step. A figure emerged from the trees, moving calmly and with certainty. He wasn't fast, and he wasn't trying to be quiet, but his presence was undeniable.
As he took slow strides towards me, birds fell from tree branches, still and frozen to death. His scent was suffocating, hitting my nostrils and burning my lungs.
His long, fur-lined coat was dark as night, with blood stains at the bottom. His boots were silent on the ground, not snapping a single twig or crunching in the snow. By his side walked a massive wolf, as big as a horse, with silver eyes and black fur. The wolf's tongue darted in and out, tasting the air.
He halted about ten feet away from me and said in a bored tone, "Thought you might be a fox, but you smell like something more valuable."
I tried to move away, but he came closer. The wolf let out a low growl. I backed into a tree, and he looked at me with a cold gaze, his eyes scanning me up and down. He wasn't curious or interested; he was calculating.
"What's your name?" he asked, but I stayed silent. "Right," he said softly, "slaves aren't given names, are they?"
Then, in a flash, he was on me. One moment he was standing, and the next, he was pinning me to the ground, his hand pressing hard on my chest, making my ribs hurt badly.
"Get off me!" I growled, trying to scratch his arm, kick him, and bite him. But he didn't even react, not even when I made his arm bleed.
"You're feisty, little boy," he said in a calm voice, "that's kinda cute." Then, his hand moved down to my hip, and I held my breath. He wasn't trying to touch me inappropriately, but he was checking me, maybe for weapons or secrets.
His fingers stopped right above my belly, and he leaned in, sniffing the air. I froze. "You smell... off," he whispered, his voice low and menacing.
I tried to push him away again, but he didn't move. He grabbed both my wrists with one hand and pinned them above my head.
"Please," I whispered, "don't touch me."
He didn't say anything. His hand stayed on my stomach, not pressing hard, just resting there. He looked at me like I was something from a different time, like I was cursed or didn't belong.
"You shouldn't exist," he said quietly.
I whimpered and my eyes rolled back. The pain hit me again, a dull ache that grew sharper by the second. My stomach tightened up, and my body curled up without me even realizing it.
And then, under my skin, I felt something move inside me, followed by a thump, then another thump, this time more louder.
The man widened his eyes, his words stuck in this throat as he suddenly jerked back as though he had been burnt. Then, in a low, shocked tone, he spoke up, his voice almost a whisper.
".....What the fuck was that?"