LEAH

"Grace, stop it."

I looked up at my daughter who was trying to plop a berry in her mouth.

Her face was smeared in dirt, yet she looked radiant. She had had no care of the world. But what did I expect from my three-year-old daughter to think?

She barely understood her own identity so how I expected her to understand that we were now rogue. I sighed as I looked at her, she had one of her toothy smiles in place as she plopped another Berry inside of her mouth.

"But why mom? These berries are too tasty."

She said while pouting. I couldn't help but laugh at her. She is my everything. My only reason to go on each and every day. To fight from this cruel world to provide her the life that she deserves.

"Honey, the berries might be sweet. But too much of these berries are not good for your health."

I told her. She simply nodded her head as she obliged. She left the tree and came back to me. In my arms.

"If you say so, Mommy."

I looked up at the sky to see it was getting dark. We need to find a place quickly. To shelter ourselves.

"Let's get going Grace. It's getting dark. We need to find a place."

I said the word that I just muttered in my mind. Grace nodded her head. I got up as I place my duffel bag on my back. And the sword on one side of my waist. I took Grace hand. As we started walking down the path that was not really provided by the forest.

We were following the pole start to reach towards the city. In between humans. Never in my life I thought that I will be living in between humans. But that is the only place where we could be saved. No pack will want rogues in them.

"How far we need to go?"

Grace asked me. She has always been quite smart for her age. Never troubling her mom in the toughest of her times. I don't know what I did to deserve to have her.

"Just a couple more nights Grace. We will surely reach the city soon. I know you don't like being in the forest. Me neither. But I promise you, Mama will keep you safe."

It was not just a promise I was giving. It was more of a vow I was giving to myself.

Grace nodded her head and we started walking.

We had walked for a very few miles. And it was already dark. Though I didn't show it on my face, but I was panicking from inside. I wasn't worried about myself, but I was worried about my daughter. We are in no man's land. The rogues are supposed to be here. And for them, my daughter and I are going to be an easy meal. Though I know I'm fully capable of defending myself, but with Grace being with me, it makes the job tougher?

"Mama it's really scary."

Grace whispered to me.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. We aren't going any further today. I think we should camp here."

I told her.

I inspected the area, and the soil was quite wet. This was not right as we couldn't camp in here.

Wet soil meant that our smell would travel faster and the faster smell travels; the more rogues will be attracted towards us?

"Can you walk a little more, darling?"

I asked her.

"Don't worry about me, I'm perfectly fine."

My strong baby. She never wants to be a burden on her mom as she knows full well that we are not in the best place.

I nodded my head as I took her hand and quickened our pace.

Just a little further.

Just a little further.

I kept chanting in my mind.

Soon I heard a loud howl.

"Aaahh!"

Grace screamed. As she hugged me tightly.

Fuck.

She shouldn't have screamed like that.

The howling grew louder. I pulled Grace behind me making myself a shield.

My bad luck.

I took out the sword from my waist. As directed in the direction from where, the sound of the howls was coming.

"Show yourself."

I said in a strong voice as I tightly held onto Grace arm.

Don't show your fear. Don't show them that you are scared of them. Look directly in their eyes. Show them who is the stronger one? Even if you think you're about to lose the battle, never give up. Not till your last breath.

My dad's last word resonated in my mind. This was going to be my first fight, but I knew this wasn't going to be the last. From past two days since we have been on a run, I have mentally been preparing myself for this and today was the day. It was going to be either kill or die.

And I have come through one hell.

And I'm not ready to die. Not today at least.

"Mama?"

Grace tucked over my greased and dirty sweater.

I looked at her and smiled. Though I wasn't sure she could see me through the dark.

"Trust me, my sweet."

I said as I started looking ahead once again.

"Show yourself."

I demanded once again.

And soon two wolves emerged from the dark.

Both of them were taller than me. Their eyes were pitch black. They weren"t normal wolves. They were werewolves.

Just like me.

The only difference was that they could shift and I couldn't. Not now at least.

And maybe never.

As both of them stood below the moonlight, I could see them. One of them had brown fur coat and the other one had grey fur coat. They were strong I could see by the muscles and their stance, and they knew very well how to fight.

This wasn't good for me.

They weren"t rogues that I could kill easily. They were part of the pack. If I were to kill a member of a pack that simply meant getting a whole pack against you.

I had to play it smart.

This was not the time to fight.

Not with sword but with words.

I showed them my sword up high before placing it down on the ground. This was my act of surrender.

"Mama."

Grace whispered from the back.

The wolves head whiplashed in the direction of the voice.

Stupid werewolf hearing.

Their eyes narrowed at Grace and I did my best to hide her behind me. If they were part of a pack, then they would never attack a child. But that wasn't the same for me. And I will never think of using Grace as a shield.

Both of the wolves looked at each other. They were deciding whether to trust us or not.

This was my chance to prove it.

"We mean no harm to you, we're just passers by making our way to the city. Kindly let us pass. We apologize, we didn't know we were near the boundary of a pack. I assure you, my daughter and I mean no harm to your pack mates."

I said softly. But I don't think the brown wolf was quite convinced as he looked down at the sword that I placed on the ground.

"It was just for protection. I thought you were rogues trying to attack us. I was just trying to protect my daughter like any sane mother would do. Kindly understand us. I am saying the truth. I was just trying to find a safe place to rest from my daughter and myself."

Suddenly, both of the wolves changed back into two men stark naked.

It was not unknown in our culture for men and women to be seen nude because after we should shift back from our wolf forms, we are nude itself. So it didn't fluster me.

The grey wolf turned man walked behind the bush to pick out two pairs of what I assumed were boxers to cover their male modesty.

"What brings you to the Blood Moon pack?"

The brown wolf turned man asked me. He expelled an aura of a Beta.

Double fuck.

First of all we were about to cross the territory of the Blood Moon pack and secondly the beta of one of the most feared packs in the world is standing in front of me. God knows how I'm still alive along with my daughter.

They are not known to show mercy to rogues.

I kept my fear at back of my mind as I looked the beta in his eyes. I have promised Grace I will keep her safe and I will keep my promise at all costs.

"I apologize. I was completely unaware that I was about to cross a packs territory. We mean no harm. We were just looking for a place to shelter ourselves for the night. We're coming from the No man's land and am traveling with a 3-year-old child makes things extremely tough."

I said coming straight to the point.

"You don't smell like rogues."

The other one asked us.

Damn! We are this close to escaping, we can't be caught now.

They could smell our aura, no denying. I had to tell them the truth.

"We are on a run. My daughter and I are running away from our past pack to the human settlement."

I told them by keeping a straight face.

I close my eyes from with memories from making their way back to me.

Don't go back there.

Please don't go.

It's all over Leah. It's all over.

"It's really unheard-of females with a child to run away from their pack."

The beta asked me.

"I have no need to tell you the reason."

I said straightforward.

"Quite bold you are."

The beta said.

"Kindly let us leave it is already dark now."

I spoke.

The beta looked towards me and then his glaze travelled towards Leah.

Maybe he was contemplating letting us breathe or not.

"I don't know the reason why. Maybe because of this child? But you can stay here tonight. In the pack house, it will be safer..."