It was raining cats and dogs and Valarie knew if she didn't get back to the pack in time, she would be in danger. Her sense of smell was dwindling with every second, making it harder for her to trace her way back home but the heavens showed no mercy.
She swore to herself that she wasn't going to cry but she felt her strength failing her. She wasn't a strong wolf, and so she knew if she fell into the wrong hands, it would be the end of her.
Her mother had warned her of this severally but she never paid heed. Somehow, it felt good to break the rules, and since her mum drew in her last breath, she had plenty of time to wander.
She didn't just wander for nothing though, she had a whole plan of her life mapped out but it didn't include sitting behind on pack territory, waiting to be offered a rank when she was old enough.
The grass scratched through her fur which was drenched with water, and she shook it off to reduce the weight off her. She was scared and although her wolf form did well to hide it, all she wanted to do was go home.
She knew there would be other wolves hunting, but she prayed that for that night if she ever ran into a group of sigmas, they should be those of her pack.
She could smell a presence around her, it caused her to tremble. With determined speed, she charged into the night, her feet digging into the earth as she covered the grounds, aimlessly heading home.
A loud number of feet thundered behind her and she cursed under her breath. She was already being watched and she had no idea about it.
She dared to look back and she saw them, from her count, seven werewolves were on the hunt for her and even though she knew that this was a lost race, she kept going, her eyes on the path behind her until she felt the claws graze her thigh the first time, causing her to dash to the left.
Taking the next turn, she intensified her speed, draining the last of her strength, and when the next set of claws dug into her neck, she only made it two more steps before collapsing onto the ground.
As she drifted away, she saw them form a circle around her, before they released a howl, celebrating their catch.
*****
Valarie awoke in her human form, her eyes burning from the smoke that came from the fire that was in her opinion, a little too close to her.
She immediately recognized that she was not alone and so she maintained her position, careful to not move.
She heard a lot of movement behind her, she tried to smell but it was nothing familiar, nothing like the people who had picked her.
She was in another pack territory, and judging by the chains on her hands and legs, she was now a captive.
She fought the tears that tugged at her eyelids as she evaluated her situation. The movement behind her soon stopped after what sounded like a metallic door was pulled open and then shut afterward.