Bab 10: RUN

She was moving as fast as her legs would go. She thought she had lost him it had been a while since she had seen his face when she glanced behind her. If he caught her, she knew a fate worse than death awaited her.

She was being forced to marry a despicable man. Her stepmother in her desire for wealth and power sold her out. Using her as a pawn in her schemes. The man's name was Cyrus O'Brian, he fancied himself the next King over all mythical creatures. When in reality he was an arrogant cruel psychopath.

He was a successful shrewd businessman and as he gained notoriety and wealth so did the fabrication of his family's history. He claimed to be a descendent of one of the original Ossory wolves of Ireland and a Merrow-maiden. This union allowed some people of his bloodline to shift to any land or sea creature. Although this ability hasn't been witnessed for years, he claims to be the first in centuries.

Rhian was no stranger to myths and legends she was a werewolf; the daughter of the Crescent Moon packs Alpha. She was also an investigative journalist, which is what got her into this whole mess. Being the daughter of the Alpha resulted in a very comfortable lifestyle. Her mother passed away when she was a child. Her father was all she had and she was the apple of his eye. To say they were extremely close was an understatement. He adored her very rarely stopping her from doing exactly what she wanted. So, when she told him she wanted to go to Northwestern University for journalism despite his reservations and desire for her to take over the family business he didn't stand in her way.

If she'd only known the events that would transpire while she was away at school she might not have gone. The pack council had insisted on her father finding a new Luna. As it happens, a neighboring pack with whom they were aligned had just lost their Alpha. The Alpha's son was still a child and was not ready to step into his father's shoes. A treaty was proposed that Rhian's father would marry the pack's Luna Eliza and the two packs would merge. Werewolves only have one mate their entire lives, so it was a mutual benefit marriage, not one of love. The alliance of the two packs would better the future of both packs.

Things went well in the beginning. Her stepmother couldn't replace her mother but she appeared nice enough when Rhian visited, and she was kind to her father. Rhian adored her new brother. She had always longed for a sibling and this was her chance and she didn't intend to waste it. Chase was a sweet 11-year-old boy and always sent her letters and drawings while she was back at school.

She was in the middle of finals her senior year when she got a phone call no one ever wants to get. Her father was dead she needed to return home as soon as possible. Rhian was heartbroken and devastated. What bothered her most was the change in the demeanor of her stepmother. She seemed cold, calculating, almost excited that Rhian's father was dead. If Rhian only knew just how bad things would get.

Her stepmother was both cunning and conniving. She had convinced the pack council to allow her to lead until her son was ready. He was after all fourteen now and it was only a matter of a few years before he would be ready to take over. She could remain as Luna until he was able to find his mate. Rhian quickly saw a completely different side to her stepmother. Out of the blue, she had begun working closely with Cyrus O'Brian. Rhian did not like him from the moment she met him. He oozed sleazeball especially when he wouldn't take his eyes off of her at her father's funeral. It only got worse from there as he continued to frequent their home visiting her stepmother. She feared being cornered in a room alone with him.

She secretly began doing her research into not only Cyrus' background but also her stepmother. What she discovered was shocking enough to destroy her pack's reputation. She attempted to meet with the council of elders behind her stepmother's back however Eliza discovered her request for a private meeting. That is when things became dangerous and Rhian began to fear for her own life.

Her investigation had found suspicious circumstances surrounding her stepmother's previous husband's death. She also spoke to a family member who was very doubtful of the circumstances that surrounded his passing. They suspected foul play. The final straw was when she got her hands on her father's autopsy report. He had trace levels of aconitum napellus in his toxicology report, otherwise known as wolfsbane. Deadly if ingested by a werewolf.

Eliza refused to let her power plans be ruined by a snooping "child" and devised a plan that both appeased the desires of her ally and destroyed the only person who had discovered her sinister plans. She suggested the alliance of power to the pack council. Depicting the cooperative efforts as a way to strengthen the pack. Similar to her second marriage the benefits of the union for the overall good of the pack far outweighed the consequence of Rhian not finding her true mate. Besides Cyrus would agree to nullify the marriage agreement should Rhian find her mate.

Her deceptive suggestions were seemingly only meant to strengthen and benefit the pack. They had no idea that she had already agreed to Cyrus' terms. While yes, he would publicly agree to allow Rhian out of the union should she discover her mate, he had no intention of ever allowing that to come to fruition. He planned to keep her locked away never allowing her the opportunity to see anyone but himself, never having to worry about her discovering her mate. Therefore, he would fulfill his end of the arrangement.

Her stepmother's plan might have worked except Chase was in no way like his mother. Rhian was able to sneak a message to Chase to visit her in secret. She explained the situation and what she had learned. While he was apprehensive to believe his mother was capable of murder, he still agreed to help Rhian. He snuck up to her room after dinner one evening. He was able to bring her a rope and created a diversion so she was able to sneak out of her window. The plan would have worked exactly as they expected but Cyrus showed up a day early to claim his bride. She had a few hour's head start but she was hoping to be at least a day ahead of the search parties. She was running in her human form hoping to avoid the awkward nakedness she would have to explain after she shifted back.

As soon as her feet touched the ground she ran. She sprinted as if her life depended on it because it did. She ran well into the night hoping to create a large lead enough that anyone tracking would lose her scent. She had finally attempted to rest and get a few hours of sleep before she took off again. The adrenaline that fueled her still running high her sleep was restless. Just as the light was beginning to peak across the horizon, she sensed her pursuers. Without even attempting to hide her tracks she took off sprinting again.

She felt as if she had been running again for hours. She wouldn't be able to maintain this pace and hoped she'd reach civilization soon. It would be easier to mask her scent and allow her to rest properly. She no longer saw glimpses of the men hunting her down. Not that it stopped her from continuously checking over her shoulder.

**CRASH**

She wasn't looking where she was going and she ran directly into something. They tumbled to the ground and she was knocked to her back. She sat up to look at what had toppled her. She scrambled backward in an awkward crab walk when she realized the object she hit wasn't an object, but a wolf. Had someone run ahead? She didn't recognize this wolf. As the panic cleared her mind and she was able to focus her thoughts she was overwhelmed with a sudden feeling of safety. All the tension and fear relaxed from her body, she felt herself losing consciousness. The last thing she remembered before collapsing was her wolf saying one phrase. One phrase that would change everything.

"My mate!"