Victor stared at me with a mixture of awe and fear. "Impossible," he breathed. "You shouldn't be able to shift like that without your mate bond. The Silver Moon Alphas could only… "
He didn't finish his sentence. I lunged forward with a snarl, and he barely managed to dodge. His men shifted into their wolf forms, surrounding me, but I could feel their hesitation. They were afraid.
They should be.
What happened next was a blur of teeth and claws and silver light. I fought like my life depended on it, because it did. My new instincts guided me, the legacy of warriors in my blood teaching me moves I'd never learned. I was faster, stronger, more ferocious than any of them expected.
One man went down, then another. Victor shifted into a massive grey wolf, larger and more experienced than his associates. He came at me with brutal efficiency, going for my throat. We collided in a tangle of fur and fury, rolling across the parking lot.
He was strong, but I was desperate. I twisted beneath him and raked my claws across his side, drawing blood. He yelped and jumped back, reassessing.
"Fall back!" he snarled to his remaining men. "Get reinforcements. We can't take her alone."
They retreated to their vehicles, bleeding and limping. Victor kept his eyes on me, backing away slowly.
"This isn't over," he growled. "I'll find you again, Silver Moon. And next time, I'll come prepared."
They piled into their trucks and sped away, tires screeching. I stood in the parking lot, still in my massive silver wolf form, my chest heaving.
I'd done it. I'd actually fought them off.
But Victor was right, this wasn't over. He knew what I was now, knew I was more powerful than he had thought. He'll come after me again, and next time he'll bring more wolves.
I needed to get far away from here. Fast.
I looked down at myself, at the silver fur and the size of my paws. How did I shift back? I focused on my human form, imagining my body changing. The silver light flared again, and then I was standing on two legs, naked and shivering in the parking lot.
Right. Shifting destroyed clothes. That was going to be a problem.
I grabbed my bag of food, miraculously undamaged, and ran back into the forest, not caring about the cold or the fact that I had no clothes. I just needed to get away from this place before more hunters showed up.
I ran for another hour before I finally found an abandoned cabin deep in the woods. It was small and run-down, probably used by hunters in season, but right now it was empty. I broke the lock, easy with my enhanced strength, and stumbled inside.
There was an old couch covered in dust, a fireplace full of ashes, and shelves with some leftover supplies. I found a musty blanket and wrapped it around myself, then collapsed on the couch.
I'd escaped. I'd fought off Victor and his men. I was alive.
But I was also alone, scared, and so far out of my depth I couldn't see the bottom. The power inside me was incredible, but it was also terrifying. I didn't know how to control it, didn't know what else I might be capable of.
And Victor would be looking for me. He'd seen what I could do, and he wouldn't stop until he either captured me or killed me.
I curled up on the couch, pulling the blanket tighter, and finally let myself cry. Not the broken sobs from the rejection, these were tears of exhaustion and fear and overwhelming confusion.
What was I supposed to do now? Where could I possibly go that would be safe?
As if in answer to my question, a memory surfaced. Something I heard once, years ago, about packs in the western territories that were more progressive, that treated omegas with respect. One pack in particular, The Nightshade, I thought it was called, was supposed to be different from places like Silverwood.
It was just a rumor, probably nothing. But it was the only lead I had.
I'll head west. If I could make it to The Nightshade Pack territory, maybe I could find sanctuary. Maybe their Alpha would be willing to take in a lone wolf, even one as unusual as me.
It was a long shot. It was probably foolish. But lying here hiding in an abandoned cabin wasn't a plan either.
Tomorrow, I'd start moving west. I'd stay off roads, stick to the forest, and use my power only when absolutely necessary to avoid drawing attention. I'd be careful, smart, and I'd survive.
I had to survive. Because somewhere out there was a life that was better than what I'd left behind. A life where I could be more than just a victim.
I closed my eyes, exhaustion finally dragging me toward sleep. My last thought before I drifted off was of Cassidy, safe back at Silverwood, and I sent up a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess to watch over her.
And maybe, just maybe, to watch over me too.
Because I had a feeling I was going to need all the help I could get.