Amarah's Pov
"Amarah, get up!"
From my sleep, I heard a familiar voice say something to me, but then the loud distant noise wouldn't let me confirm whose voice it was.
"Amarah, please wake up! It's me, your mother. We have to leave now." She tapped me again, not gently this time
I abruptly stood up from the bed. Mom's voice sounded urgent.
I noticed several beads of sweat were all over my face, and my body was drenched in them. My heart was beating so fast, like I had just had a very terrible nightmare.
The noises outside made my tension worse. I couldn't understand what was going on, but obviously, things were not as they used to be.
"Mommy, what is wrong?" I asked in a shaky voice. I trembled in fear as the half-moon cast its ray into my room. Mom's eyes were filled with tears, which she managed to hide from her voice. I'd never seen my mother this broken.
"Shhh," she placed her index finger on her lips.
"Everything will be fine, my baby. But we must go now. Just think of this as an adventure. You love sneaking out in the night, don't you? Now Mommy will come with you, okay?"
She dragged my wrist before I could nod and made her way towards the door. It was surely still midnight. Where are we going, and what in hell is happening out there? The little lie she told me wouldn't work on me.
Actually, it should work on a ten-year-old, but I was way too advanced for my age. I knew nothing about this was right.
A bloody scream from outside had my eyes opening in fear. Something was really going on out there. I tried to peep from the window as we were walking, but Mom was dragging me too fast. We were literally sprinting, and she said everything was fine?
My father's palace seemed empty, unlike what it used to be. Even at night, when I snuck out to get some air, the servants and guards would still be out there, switching turns to guard us. But now, no one was anywhere in sight.
The glowing sounds of pain became louder as we moved down the hallway. It was very painful to hear, and the sound of claws clashing in the air filled my ears. It terrified me so much that I held my mother's hand tightly. I couldn't even imagine what was actually going on out there.
"Mum, where is Father?" I asked.
"Your father is out there waiting for us, honey," my mother stuttered. I knew exactly when she was lying.
I managed to look outside, and my breath caught in my throat.
Our pack had definitely been invaded. I am sure of it. Those huge figures that looked twice the size of my father, who is a Gemini wolf, were outside. Hundreds of them.
I was scared, so scared that I couldn't even feel my feet. My eyes searched through the figures outside, but Father wasn't there, or maybe I hadn't seen him yet.
"Amarah, hide!" my mother screamed in a whisper. I crouched down to my feet immediately. I was standing near the window—maybe one of those creatures had seen me. I tiptoed, still crouching, to where Mom was shivering. In fear, I embraced her tightly as we wept silently in each other's arms.
"What are those, Mother?"
"LYCANS," my mother finally broke down in tears. She was visibly shaken and scared as much as I was.
I could sense the fear in my mother's tone as she pronounced it.
The Lycans... they had finally gotten us. I had heard stories about them that I considered to be fairy tales. Those dangerous creatures had finally gotten to our pack.
"Ama, I'm sorry you had to witness this. I'm sure we will get through this because you are a strong and brave little princess. They are after you, Amarah," Mom whispered to me with a voice that shattered my heart even more.
"After me, Mother? Why?" I asked. I was curious to know why the Lycans were after a ten-year-old powerless little girl, but before I could get a response, we heard a startling glow just inside the chamber.
I heard another cry of pain, followed by absolute stillness, then a bloody head rolled just right next to me. I whimpered in fear and cringed more tightly to my Mom, not daring to shout.
She shot me the "you must not move" glare, and I nodded nervously.
The Lycan looked scarier at a closer glance. It resembled our kind, but its face was shorter and it had less fur. The height was magnificent, and it moved at an incredible speed.
It darted its eyes around the room, scattering things, probably to "find us." I froze at the corner with Mom, waiting for it to finally catch up with us and tear us apart.
It kept on coming closer and closer, then suddenly stopped when a voice came from the entrance.
"It's gone, Mom..." I quivered, pretending to be okay.
She nodded and stared around the chamber. Everywhere was gravely quiet. The noises I had heard had completely disappeared.
"Come with me." She dragged my hand and made me follow her outside. Everywhere was calm and quiet as I looked around. Cold shivers ran down my spine as I saw piles of corpses heaped at different corners.
There was a bloodbath, and my feet could barely touch bare sand.
We walked past them at a fast pace, and all the while, my heart sank to my belly. A little footstep sound, and we had to increase our pace and finally break into a run. I had screamed at my wolf to run faster, but that was useless.
I was just ten, and hence my wolf had not surfaced at all.
My mother held me all this while, not turning to her wolf. I wished she did; maybe she would live.
I knew she was desperate to live, and I was too, but it seemed like the Moon Goddess didn't fate us to live. I turned around to see the Lycans behind us—not one, not two, but a group of them.
They were all coming after us, although they were still a bit far from where we were. It wouldn't be difficult for them to catch up with us because of their great speed.
We ran as fast as we could. My mom was in front, dragging my hand as she ran. I was tired, and my legs hurt. I could have pleaded with Mom to at least let us rest a little. She was also tired and panting heavily, but resting was as good as jumping to our own death.
Regardless, they were almost catching up with us, and I was ready to sacrifice myself to them. However, it would really be so unfair if I died without knowing why the Lycans invaded my pack and killed every single living creature in there. Just because they wanted me.
Skillfully, my mom diverted into the woods, and she hid me beside a large tree surrounded by grasses.
"Amarah, listen to me. No matter what happens, you are going to remain in here. Promise Mommy that you won't die, no matter what. You must live and avenge the deaths of your family and your pack. And never forget that you are a special breed. Your wolf is more gifted."
Mom held my hands passionately as she cried into them. "I love you so much, my baby."
As little as I am, I knew for sure that she was not planning to continue the journey with me.
"I promise, Mom," I stuttered as my voice trembled in fear. "But where is Father?"
"Your father fought well, and I will join him soon. Just look away until they are all gone. Then you run away through this path," she pointed to a narrow path in the woods, and then dashed out even before I could look back at her.
My eyes could only grace her beautiful white fur, as she had already shifted to her wolf. But I looked away immediately, remembering that she asked me not to look.
My heart was heavy, like it would break into pieces. I just knew I might not see my parents again.
I heard my mother growl so loudly and run in the opposite direction, hence dragging the group of Lycans with her.
She won't survive this.
The reality of that gave me the kind of pain I never thought I could bear.
I gasped for air as I ran towards the path as far as my legs could take me, and suddenly, I bumped into a boy and collapsed on the ground. He came looking straight into my eyes.
I stopped as I felt my heart freeze. I couldn't even breathe properly...
"Werewolf girl?" he said with a steady smirk on his face, like he was mocking me.
"How did you know what I am?" I asked bluntly. I was in my human form, and just like Lycans, we look like humans until we shift.
"Which other creature would be doing what you are doing right now - hiding? Although I cannot save you from Lycans, but I assure you that I will make sure you live. I kind of feel that it is not right that I leave you alone to die. And like this, you look pathetic already, Red."
I kept quiet, looking up at him. He was not as little as I am; probably he should be eighteen or more. It showed in his face and the way he spoke. From his attire, it was as if he was a prince or something.
If he was a Lycan, how dare he show up to my face when his people just massacred my entire pack?
"Should I help you, or should I not?" He smirked like he was enjoying my misery.
All I wanted was to be alive. I wanted to live for my revenge, so I pleaded with him. I swallowed my ego, and regardless of the anger that burned in my weak heart, I pleaded.
"Save me. Please."