IRIS

Running through the forest used to be so magical, everything about my nature felt at home. Feeling the wind as it brushed every inch of my skin and seeing the beautiful image of green bright trees everywhere felt so euphoric. It was so unreal yet perfectly beautiful, it was home but today I didn't have the pleasure of enjoying my home because I was running away from it.

I had to let my perfect place go along with everything that came with it. Today I was going to become something I despized so much with every ounce of my soul, today I was going rogue. I had no home, no friends and no love. 

Love... I believed in that word so much it was so painful letting it go. Love is what led me to this... so much hate and betrayal. Alexander was my everything, now he was my distraction. He chose her over me, that raven girl. I will be back and I will be back to destroy them all. 

I heard the war that I had started behind me, there was so much death and blood. That's what I wanted but it wasn't supposed to end like this. The sounds became distant as I jumped from tree to tree, making sure noone would trace my footsteps. After all werewolves were the perfect hunters, this is why the trees were a perfect cover. I had to use lightning speed so they wouldn't track my scent as well and I did cover myself in mud but you could never be too safe. 

I felt it... the separation of my bond to the pack as I crossed over to another territory. I was rogue now, a wildling and an imposter to every other territory that I was going to enter. However I was still close enough to be hunted by them so I kept running. 

There was a time when I thought I would always be loved and appreciated. There was a time I thought my beauty was enough for him to never let go. Let's be honest I was so much more than that raven girl he fell for but I guess I underestimated him and the mate bond. 

I scoffed as I chewed on the raw flesh of a deer I had caught. I bet I looked like a perfect rogue now, my clothes were ripped and torn. My hair was covered in mud it looked more brownish instead of red. Let's not talk about the filth that covered my skin. 

My eyes closed as I rested at the top branch of a baobab tree. I had to go far enough they wouldn't find me and that meant crossing through the dead lands. People rarely survived there but then again I wasn't really human now was I. I let my exhaustion take over until all there was is darkness. 

My eyes snapped open when I heard the joys of birds chirping. I jumped off the branch and let gravity pull me to the ground. I landed perfectly and sniffed around making sure I was the only inhuman species around. 

It really just took me about seven and a half hours to make it to the deadlands. For a normal human being it would take about maybe three to four days or even a week if they took breaks in between their journey. It was also really quite easy to find the place and I hated it already. It looked like a literal desert, the sun was bright and hot. 

I breathed in deeply as I stepped out of the forest and into the deadlands. I was aware that at this point I was exposed and prone to any dangers that waited ahead of me. But that danger right now to me was better than the danger that I left behind. I was a natural leader by birth and I was ready to fight anything that came my way. 

I could feel the heat on the ground, it entered my boots, I felt as if I was walking on hot coal. No wonder humans died before they could reach anywhere on this land. I had no option but to walk, running would lead to quick dehydration. 

At first I had hope, maybe I could find some sort of water out here but the red sand went on and on. I had never hated the color red so badly, it was driving me insane. I couldn't believe I had run to save my life only to end up dying of dehydration out here. I fell on my knees, I thought I could last hours but unfortunately I couldn't take it anymore. The deadlands were worse than a desert, it was literal hell.

I stood up again, no way in hell was I giving up that easily. I took a deep breath and swallowed my saliva. I needed to stay alive if I was going to take my revenge. My legs felt like giving up on me but I took more steps forward because there was no going back. 

It felt like ages as I continued to stumble forward. My skin had sun burn and it hurt like a bitch. I couldn't even heal myself properly because I was so weak. This was no place for a werewolf at all. I regretted not thinking this through but it was too late to go back now even if I wanted to. I would just get lost, once you are in the deadlands there is no going back, at least I knew that one rule. Everywhere looked the same from now on, moving forward was the only way. 

My skin felt so dry and my lips were cracked. They felt sore, I took off my torn blouse and tossed it away. My bruises hurt when they brushed against that material. I coughed, my senses were becoming weak but I could smell it... It had to be water. 

My pace suddenly increased, I fell to the ground but I got up again. I was almost there, just one more... step. Suddenly there was a sharp pain at the back of my head and everything went black. 

"You are one lucky girl" a feminine voice said but it sounded quite far inside my head. 

I tried opening my eyes but everything was a bit blur for a few minutes until my eye sight finally focused on an old lady with extremely snow white hair. She looked very beautiful for her age and that only meant one thing, she was a werewolf. I didn't need to smell her scent to know that. 

She stood up with a silver cup and a straw. "here, you should take this" 

I narrowed my eyes at her but I didn't refuse the offer. I needed the water and if she wanted me dead I would have been dead by now. However I knew that she was a threat, the woman hit me behind my head earlier on. 

I cleared my throat after I drank the water. My body was starting to heal perfectly. I assessed my situation, my hands and feet where tied to a chair with chains. My body was covered in deers blood mixed with my blood from my sunburn wounds and I was covered in dirt. I also smelled like shit, I almost groaned. 

"where am I?" I asked the woman

She smirked as she played with a silver dagger in her hands "you are in the deadlands. Welcome to Roman's territory little wolf" 

'who the fuck is that, am I supposed to care?' I thought to myself as I raised an eyebrow