“SAMANTHA, SAMANTHA.” I heard a faint but familiar voice calling from a distance.

I tried to move, but my entire body was cold and numb. My eyelids were also heavy, refusing to open, despite my struggle. But the only thing I could feel was the suffocating grip of the water trying to drag me down.

I was lost, unable to find my way out.

_“Was this really the end for me? Did I endure all those years of hardship just to end up dying like a rogue without even a grave to call my own?"_

I felt a hand gently touch my skin and then another voice echoing in my ears. “Wake up, child… Wake up."

I jolted awake, violently coughing out the water from my lung. I rubbed a hand on my chest, slowly taking control of my breathing.

_“Ho…how am I still alive?"_

The last thing I remembered was Alex driving his claw through my stomach and pushing me off the edge.

_"Was this still a dream? Or did I somehow manage to survive the fall?"_

I rolled to my side and carefully placed a hand on my injured stomach.

There was a sharp pain coming from my lower abdomen, which meant that everything that had happened so far was real. But then again, how did I manage to survive an attack that was clearly meant to kill me?

_It was common knowledge among the wolves that to take down a rival, you would need to target vital organs like the heart, brain, or lungs. And Alex, with his years of experience, would have known that for sure._

"Did he really hold back?” I frowned, placing the second hand on my head.

I could vaguely remember him giving a silent apology before I lost consciousness.

_Maybe it was out of guilt or something entirely different; either way, it only proved that he did have a heart after all._

But none of that mattered anymore, because the day I had been dreaming of since my father died was finally here.

I managed to escape from that nightmare I called a home for the past twenty-five years of my life, and now I have nothing left to lose.

But for some strange reason, I still felt scared and empty on the inside, like I was missing something important.

_This normally wouldn’t happen to me unless.._

“Oh no.” I winced in pain as I struggled to stand up.

“Eliza.” I called through my mind link but got no response.

“Eliza.” I called again, but still, I couldn’t feel my wolf inside me anymore.

_“Wha...What have I done?”_

I pressed both palms to my head and collapsed on the floor, tears rolling down my cheeks.

_I should have known better than to use my wolf as bait just to save my skin, and now she was gone, and there was no one else to blame but me. But how could I have known that my plan would fail, and we’d end up being separated?_

"Eliza, whatever happens, I hope you come back to me safe and sound.” I offered a silent prayer.

My wolf was out there somewhere; I could feel it. And even if it was hard to admit, Eliza was strong enough to protect herself with or without my help.

_Unlike me_

I was nothing but an injured wolf master with zero protection and absolutely no clue about where I was going. Making me an easy target for whatever evil lurks in the outside world.

If I wanted to live long enough to reunite with my wolf again, I needed to find a new pack or maybe just a decent place to call home… Somewhere I wouldn't have to run anymore.

And that was how my journey began. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into… more months. I traveled by night and rested by day, surviving only on wild fruits and whatever prey I could get my hands on.

I traveled through many dense forests, hot deserts, and riverbanks. But the strange part was, I hadn't encountered anyone along the way.

No humans, no pack, not even rogues. It was as if the world had emptied itself of life, leaving only me.

Two Months Later

The weather was slowly changing into the worst season for any werewolf to be stranded without shelter. Animals were beginning to hibernate, trees had lost their leaves, and the gorge paths grew more slippery by the day.

The clear skies had gradually turned gray as small snowflakes began to fall. Nature itself seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for the season’s change.

It was another early winter's morning and my third day at the gorge. I had traveled all through the night, and my legs were already killing me.

Luckily, I found a small overhang to rest for a while and regain my strength, but the food I managed to gather had already run out, and I had nothing left to eat.

This wasn’t what I dreamt of when I decided to run away from my pack. By now, I should have found a new home, started a new life, and left those who called me worthless far behind.

_How did it all go wrong and so fast?_

My injuries had almost recovered, which meant that I didn’t have to worry about it getting infected or slowing me down anymore.

But on the downside, my clothes were barely enough to protect me. And the air itself was so cold I felt it in my bones.

All I could do was huddle into a corner and try to stop the shivering.

_“Why does fate have to be so cruel to me?" I cursed under my breath, "Even if I have committed a lot of mistakes in the past life, haven’t I paid enough for them already?"_

A metallic sound suddenly echoed through the gorge, forcing me into an even more disoriented state.

“That sound." I gasped, holding on tightly to my chest as if the life force was being drained out of me.

The one thing that every wolf feared the most: silver chains. But for us purebreds, the mere sound of chains was enough to trigger our pain. And if it was coming from anywhere near the gorge, then the hunters couldn’t be far off.