The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 27: Run ()

"Run Zari! You have to keep running!" Zariah chanted in her head as adrenaline rushed through her muscles, her muscles pumped, pushing her to go even faster.

"Keep running Zari, Keep running!" Zariah growled within her mind as she moved even faster, her breath came out in short pants and her muscles ached terribly but Zariah was beyond caring.

Zariah could think of nothing else, with the pain from her muscles clouding her mind and the constant mental reminder to keep running despite the physical strain and exhaustion tugging at her muscles, Zariah could not think of anything else.

Zariah did not want to think of anything else, only like this with her mind clouded and her body in motion, only in this way could she prevent her mind from straying down that unwanted path.

Only in this way could she keep herself from remembering that maddening scent that stuck to her heart so tightly, quite nearly driving her mad with desire and terror.

Only in this way could she keep herself from recalling that once again, the mate bond had formed a match, a match different from what it had before.

Only in this way could she keep away the rage bubbling up within as the events from her last life replayed, events that had started in the very same way as the encounter from the previous night...a heady, unforgettable scent.

Only in this way could she forget how her heart had raced wildly at that possessive declaration, a declaration of one single word she vowed to never hear again in all her existence?

Only in this way could she push away the reality that she had been granted a mate, despite all her efforts to rid herself from the mate bond before departing Crimson Moon,

Still yet she had found herself burdened with this accursed mate bond, burdened with another bondage of fated love, that fated love that let her be played by those monsters.

Those worthless emotions that let her be ruined by a man, she and her entire pack along with her.

What was worse, Zariah was not even certain if it was real this time or another grand plot. What was to say the Alpha King did not already know she had left the Crimson barrier and had begun his grand plot much sooner?

What was to say this was not another manipulation of sorcery? A wicked, heartless trick using the greatest weakness of every supernatural creature which was the soul bond with a fated mate?

Why? Why did she have to go through this again? Why must she be forced into this bondage where the strings of her heart were pulled however the mate bond saw fit? Making her weak and vulnerable, muddled by emotions.

And so Zariah had run, as fasts as her legs could carry her, without looking back even once, she ran with every ability she had within her, as far away as she possibly could.

And he had given chase, she knew he had. That strange male that had called her his, he had chased after her as soon as he disposed of the last rogue.

But just how easy was it to catch up with the true speed of the Crimson Alpha? When all abilities of wolf had been merged with human, so long as Zariah wished to escape, who could hinder her?

And Zariah’s sudden movement had already given her the headstart, and with her resolve to get away even more firm than the Earth itself, Zariah had outrun him with ease a long while ago and yet she had just kept running.

Four days had passed if Zariah’s mind count was correct, two of which she had still felt his presence chasing her before she had finally lost him.

Zariah had kept count this time, she had done everything that could distract her from that tugging feeling of the mate bond that demanded for her to change direction and return to her mate.

Although Zariah had tried to focus on the rising and going down of the sun, but she was not so sure she had kept a good count, not when the tugging of the mate bond had turned into a mild ache soon after she had lost him and was now a pulsing pain.

Zariah cursed the existence of this mate bond, she loathed all that it was, if such a sacred bond could truly be manipulated as a weapon to be used by others, then it was a weakness...a weakness Zariah could not afford.

"Zari... that is enough." Darren’s voice reached Zariah through their shared link.

Zariah skidded to a stop when Allen’s gigantic wolf cut off her path, towering over her, it’s large orbs gazing down at Zariah in deep concern.

As the Beta wolf of Crimson Moon and Zariah’s second in command, Allen was the only Crimson Wolf whose speed was a close match for Zariah.

It took a good few minutes for the rest of the company to arrive and Darren immediately shifted, uncaring for his nudity, he hurried up to Zariah.

"I felt your distress through the bond Zari, you were in so much panic, you did not block off the bond and did not take notice of all our pleas for you to stop." Darren asked in a worried tone as he grabbed Zariah’s shoulder.

Zariah leaned her weight on Darren, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart. As much as Zariah loathed to admit it, four days of non stop running was not nearly enough to make her heart race so fast... her accelerated heart rate was for a whole other reason.

"We have been trailing you for four days Alpha!" Kaileen exclaimed, clearly panicked by Zariah’s distress.

"What happened? We caught scent of rogues and hurried after you but you had wandered too far, we encountered a group of rogues and were delayed a short moment."

"Next we know, your distress reaches Darren first through the pack bond and you are running off somewhere so we followed...it was hard to catch up and we lost you for a while and had to track you with the pack bond." Dionne explained

"We have strayed far from Royal Lycan territory in the opposite direction from where we came, thankfully you stuck to the unclaimed lands but we will have to double back quickly if we are to return in time for the Alpha King’s coronation." Allen conveyed through their shared bond.

"What exactly happened Alpha? Even a hundred rogues are no match for you, what could have distressed you so?" Nile asked in worry.

Zariah took another deep breath in before she stood upright, turning to fix Nile with a dark glare.

Zariah’s eyes blazed with rage, her hands were curled into fists and she exuded a dangerous and oppressive aura.

"What happened?! I should be asking you! Just what exactly happened?!" Zariah growled out, her Alpha command seeping out of her restraint and amplifying her voice.

Nile dropped to his knees immediately, he tilted his head to the side slightly, baring his neck in submission to appease Zariah’s wrath.

"Wherever I have erred, it is my inability...I plead Alpha to calm yourself first." Nile said in a submissive tone.

Zariah sucked in a deep breath as she noticed the surprised gazes of the rest of the company, it was a rarity for Zariah to use her Alpha command on those she cared for or anyone at all.

Usually, Zariah rarely had to use her Alpha command at all, the Crimson wolves were dutiful and loyal, they all held their Alpha in high regard and would rather die themselves than anger or disappoint her.

No Crimson wolf was willing to incur Zariah’s wrath for any reason, to them, Zariah was more than just their leader, she was the leader who had risen to the call of leadership at a tender age, forsaking her own childhood for the stability of Crimson Moon.

A wolf pack was a tightly bonded group who relied heavily on one another for companionship and guidance,

Amongst the Werewolf species, a pack without a leader was like a ship without a sailor, drifting to and fro in the wind without direction.

When the Alpha of Crimson Moon had passed so unexpectedly, leaving behind only young Zariah, it had been doubtful the young heir would be able to rise to the call of leadership.

However Zariah was the only wielder of the Crimson flame, and no one else could take the place of Alpha but her.

Young as she was, Zariah had accepted her duty without hesitation, placing the Crimson Moon Pack before her personal interests...to the Crimson wolves, Zariah was a leader of incomparable honor...most importantly, the Crimson wolves regarded her to be a savior

Due to this, Zariah had firm and unquestioned command over her pack and disobedience or insubordination was hardly a situation and usually a stern reprimand or a cold warning was enough to set any radical straight.

For Zariah’s Alpha command to slip out in such a raging tone, to her company, it was truly a rare and terrifying sight.