Layla

Lunavia was named after the moon to honour her in how she protected all wolves and gave them strength.

Layla loved walking beneath the moon. More than just her wolf nature, even in her human form, she felt an affinity to it more than any wolf she had ever heard describe it to her. Layla knew that she was blessed by the moon more than any wolf she had ever known.

She might be an Omega, but she had never met any other wolf as fast as her, not an Alpha or Beta, her black hair fanning out behind her in waves as she sped through the forest. It was harder to run in the city though. There were sharp corners and tall walls and buildings that sprang up all over the place.

The forest was so much more accommodating to wolves. Layla still loved being in the city. Even if she was alone there, she was happy. She had lived all her life in the forest, but she found that the city could be just as beautiful. There were different scents all over the place, but her nose had no trouble picking them all apart.

She was an Omega, so she was shorter than most wolves, but she was built for running, slender and slight. Some believed that Omegas were built for specific purposes too, but Layla had fled those traditions.

In Lunavia, those old ways held no sway any longer. A wolf was a wolf, no matter what they fell as, and they could choose their own fates.

Layla had chosen hers.

She wandered through the city, touching her fingers to the walls lightly as she passed them, trying to get to know the city. This part of it seemed abandoned, but she had just wanted to explore it al. She darted through the buildings, putting on bursts of speed every now and then.

When she did that in the forests, it would have startled the smaller animals. There wasn't much here to startle.

She imagined what this place would be like in the daylight. She would have to come back and see.

For now, she wondered whether the sunlight filtered through the buildings like they did through the treetops in the forest back home, falling on her skin and giving it the tan color it had. Would the buildings block out the sun, the way the mountains did, making them ocool and colder?

There was so much to learn about this city, and Layla was excited to see everything she could.

She knew that she should be finding a place to spend the night. She would be getting tired soon, and she knew that she had to rest. She'd been walking and running for a while already, and she'd soon have no more energy left. She was a wolf, so she had reserves to run on. She was also stronger than many Omegas she knew, but she still had to rest, especially after all the running she'd been doing already that day.

Her human form tended to get faster quicker.

Just as Layla was about to turn around, she caught a scent in the air. Her human nose wasn't as strong as her wolf one, but it was still pretty impressive.

Another wolf. She sniffed again to be sure. No, there were three. Three wolves were surrounding her. She walked slowly, trying to pinpoint their exact locations. They weren't far away. It seemed like they had formed a triangle around her.

A part of her told her it was just a coincidence. There were lots of wolves in the city, even in the abandoned parts, and it didn't mean that she was being followed.

The greater part of her instincts told her that she was. More than being followed, she was being hunted. In the forests, where packs had properly marked out territory, this would never have happened. There would never be a stray wolf on her family's land. Even between pack territories, wolves didn't easily venture there. This would never have happened out in the forest.

But here she was in the city, and she had no idea who these wolves were. She took in a deep breath and used the last of the strength she had to break out into a run.

She immediately heard them give chase. They were done being quiet now. They knocked things over as they ran toward her, tightening the triangle around her.

For a moment, Layla felt absolute terror rush through her. She couldn't tell what the wolves were, but more likely than not they weren't Omegas. That meant either all Betas or at least an Alpha among them.

Alphas were rarer to find. Most packs had only two or three, with one Alpha ruling the pack. Omegas were the rarest. Layla had been the only one in her pack. But this was the city, and Layla had no idea how things were run here.

They might even all three be Alphas. There was just no way for her to tell from this distance, so she ran. Even as she ran from them, she knew how hopeless the situation was. She'd been exploring all day, running for a while. She was tired already.

Even as fast as she was, she wouldn't be able to outrun them...

Especially if they'd been hunting her. For a moment, she wished that she hadn't left home. She quickly shook that thought off. There were dangers everywhere, even to them, even as strong as they were. She would rather brave the unknown dangers here than be back at home stuck with an unwanted mate.

Layla put on a burst of speed and turned a sudden corner. She found herself caught in a dead-end alleyway. This wouldn't have happened in the forest. There were no dead-ends to run into. She hadn't accounted for the buildings that just sprang up everywhere.

She turned to run but found that all three had followed her into the alleyway. She had nowhere left to run.

Layla could clearly see three Betas. It wasn't exactly great odds. An Omega against a Beta was tough enough, but against three was almost unheard of. Well, in any other pack but hers.

Layla had been taught to fight since she was young, and she was one of the best fighters in her pack. Even with the pack hierarchy against her here, she liked her odds.

She may have been too tired to run very long, but she wasn't too tired to fight.

One of the Betas had a knife in his hand, silver most likely. It was the only mineral that slowed down their healing. If it was just a normal knife, it was useless. She would heal in seconds. She would heal as he cut her skin. It had to be silver.

The one with the knife lunged at her. Layla quickly jumped out of his grasp. She moved better in her human form, and she was grateful that she had decided not to shift ito a wolf for the fight.

She attacked the second he came at her. Clawing at his face, she slashed and drew blood. She wasn't an Alpha, so her claws wouldn't do as much damage, but he would still take a while to heal from the mess she made on his face. She hadn't blinded him though. She hadn't wanted to take it so far.

The first one came at her again.

Layla jumped out of his grasp and clawed at his arm, forcing him to drop his knife. She quickly picked it up and flung it at him, piercing his arm. That wound from silver would take longer to heal.

She was about to turn to the third when he was already by her side. He didn't attack her though.

He simply pressed a dart into her skin.

Layla stared at it for a moment and then collapsed, her body going numb beneath her. The three wolves converged on her, muttering and swearing

"Look what she did to my face!" the one howled, clutching as blood dripped down his nose.

"It doesn't matter," one of the others grunted.

"You won't need to look pretty to have your way with her."

They all looked down at Layla. The one she had scratched the worst began tearing at her clothes.

"Careful!" the third yelled, the one that had pricked her. "Don't damage her skin. I want to enjoy everything."

Layla felt panic grip her as fear rushed through her body. She was entirely helpless. there was nothing that she could do to stop them from advancing on her. She felt tears streaming down her face.

Layla felt her clothes being torn to shreds, and parts of her body being exposed. She prepared herself for the worst. Suddenly, everything stopped.

She heard the men scream as another wolf fought above her. Layla couldn't tell anything about him, but she knew that she was safer. After a moment, all she heard was silence and then footsteps coming toward her.

"Please," Layla whispered, the last of her energy draining out of her, "help."

As she lost consciousness, Layla felt the drug pulling through her system, and she sensed the familiar fragrance of Wolfsbane.