Chapter 2 The struggle

"You are not alone," Kade's voice resonated in her head, but the sound of it did nothing to alleviate the isolation that held her heart. The group was gone, Tyler had thrown her away, and now she was a stranger in the actual world she had battled for.

Hunger knotted her stomach. For days she had not eaten correctly. The environment was more harsh than she had expected and her declining abilities were insufficient to restore the vigour she required to endure this. Every snap of a twig, every ruffle of leaves drove her heart pounding and made her hyper-aware of how really vulnerable she was.

"Lois, concentrate," she said to herself, attempting to push off the sinister ideas invading her head. Survival was her only option. She had to show somehow that she wasn't weak, that she wasn't a failure.

Uneven terrain caused her feet to trip and almost fall; she caught herself just in time. Wiping the grime off her face, she wondered, "What am I doing?" Running through the woods alone, with no one to trust and nowhere to turn, she had never thought this.

Lois started to shiver as the night fell and the air became cooler. She required warmth, shelter. Her body froze, though, at the gentle crunch of leaves behind her. A low growl vibrating the air made her senses prickle with dread. It was too synchronised, too exact; not the sound of an animal.

Out of nowhere, a troop of rogue wolves sprang from the shadows. In the moonlight, their eyes shone icy, unfriendly, and unrecognisable.

Lois's heart skipped a beat. Tyler had forwarded them. They came to complete what he began.

Surrounded by rogue wolves, Lois stood still. Their growls permeated the atmosphere, flooding her with a wave of rage and dread. Every instinct shouted at her to flee; she could sense the weight of their bad purpose. Her body was sluggish, feeble; her powers had diminished, leaving her only desperate.

She grumbled under her breath, her voice unsteady but resolute, "I won't go down without a fight."

Though the weariness in her limbs threatened to betray her, she bent her knees, prepared to confront them. The wolves drew closer. Their eyes shone, their teeth keen, and their hunger was obvious.

Lois hardly dodged in time as one of them lunged for her; the rush of air passing her by had her heart racing. But it didn't seem sufficient; she threw her arm out, pushing it away with the remaining energy.

The wolves appeared to automatically corner her as one unit. She strained her teeth in an effort to concentrate. They can't have me, she decided. But she was exhausted, far too exhausted. She sensed the slight tug of her power, a flicker deep within her, but it was hardly a spark.

Swinging a broken branch from the ground at the closest wolf, she seized it. It staggered back at the blow, but not enough to send it away.

"Come on," she begged herself, feeling every bit of her determination fading away.

Stumbling back, the rogue wolf blinked in astonishment as a shadowy person appeared. Lois could feel the air surrounding him crackling with power; it was such a strong presence that it made the wolves run.

Trying to concentrate, she blinked and looked up at the towering, authoritative guy who had only saved her. Everything else vanished the once his gaze fixed on hers. yet not harsh, his gaze was keen; yet strong, it was also sympathetic.

The man, with his deep, silky, powerful voice, stated, "You are not alone."

Her heart pounding, Lois swallowed. He was huge, his muscular, robust physique exuding an authority she could sense down in her bones. Wind had dishevelled his dark hair; his sharp, slightly sparkling eyes with an unsettling intensity never left hers.

He moved closer, his strong presence disarming her more before she could speak.

"Are you alright?" he enquired, his voice softer now as though he could feel her inner conflict.

Lois's throat was tight. Raw from all that had occurred, her feelings erupted within her. She said softly, hardly able to say the words, "I... I don't know."

Kneeling before her, his motions controlled and elegant as though he was used to commanding attention. "You ought to be." You are in my domain now.

A flash of awareness danced in her head. Who is this guy? The force around him was an Alpha's, raw and uncontrolled, unlike anything she had ever experienced.

"I'm Kade Blackwood," he said, his voice strong but clearly kind. The first of seven Alpha Kings.

She gasped. Alpha Kins?

Lois, you are meant for a higher goal than you could have ever thought, Kade said, his gaze fixed on hers. His remarks carried weight, an unassailable certainty.

Lois's heart skipped a beat as uncertainty and bewilderment clouded her mind. What was he referring to? She had only just begun to accept her treachery. How could this great Alpha, this stranger, be connected to her fate?

Lois said softly, shaking her head in an effort to concentrate, "I don't get it."

"You will," Kade answered, nearly calming his voice. "First, though, you must believe me."

Lois stood motionless, Kade's words' gravity hanging in the air like a storm cloud. Though his voice was steady and unrelenting, it sliced through her thoughts like a knife as her mind could not grasp what he was saying.

"The Shadow Mark," Kade said again quietly. It's within you. It always was.

She shook her head, attempting to wipe the fog that appeared to cover her. "No." It cannot be.

Kade, however, looked grave; his eyes were dark pools of certainty. His presence was overpowering as he moved closer. Lois, I have known it since the very first sight of you. That's why Tyler was afraid of you. That's why he turned against you.

Lois's stomach turned. Suddenly feeling vulnerable, her breath froze in her throat and she stepped back slightly. Shadow Mark. Every second the name tormented her; it was a force she could not control and had never really grasped. Kade was now informing her it was linked to her actual life.

"I, " Lois gulped, the words clinging on her tongue. "How can you tell?"

Kade stepped forward once more, his jaw tightening. I have observed its impact on others, on individuals very similar to you. The Shadow Mark is a power either to destroy or to empower. But you... you are unique. You are the key.

Her mind whirling, she shut her eyes. Did Tyler know this? He exploited me. Applied this. The treachery pierced deeper than she had thought. How could she have missed it? She had loved him, trusted him totally.

Looking up at Kade, she murmured, "I don't want this." This was not anything I requested.

Kade's look softened, yet his voice stayed strong. "I understand. Lois, you are not only anyone. You were selected. Tyler will now come for you. He will do all in his power to seize your strength.

A combination of dread and uncertainty made her heart race in her chest. "What should I do?" she enquired, almost breathless with the query.

Kade's touch was soft yet strong as he put a hand on her shoulder. "You live." You learn to manage it. Lois, you will be more than only a weapon. But only if you are ready to battle for it.

Her stomach knotted. Tyler's troops were approaching. She was a target and had no clue how to protect herself.

Kade whispered gently, his eyes fixed on hers, "You are not safe." "Not any more. Not with what you carry within.

The burden of Kade's remarks bearing down on her breast, Lois walked about the little area. You are not safe. Repeated in her head, the words gradually grew increasingly louder. She wanted to shout, to lash out, but the anger, her rage, was growing inside of her, pressing against the walls she had constructed.

"How can I manage it?" she said, turning to look Kade in the eye. "You make it sound like it's something I can just... use."

Kade's brow knitted in response to her observation. He was no longer the calm Alpha, the guy who had rescued her from the rogue wolves. Now, he gazed at her with a combination of worry and resolve, as if to force her to grasp something she was not prepared to accept.

"You are correct," he answered slowly, his voice strained. You can't just control it overnight. The strength within you should not be taken lightly. You will have to train, understand how to access it. Most crucially, you will have to believe in yourself.

Lois scoffed, her throat producing a sour sound. "Trust myself?" After all that's occurred? I can't even believe the pack, much less myself.

Kade's face grew serious, and for a brief time Lois noticed something raw, something vulnerable behind his usually calm front. He moved closer to her and spoke very quietly.

I understand it's difficult, he remarked. Lois, you must accept who you are if you want to live. You are not weak. You have never been weak.

His words made her chest constrict. Though it seemed false, she couldn't refute the reality in his gaze. He wasn't saying what she wanted to hear. He was informing her what she need to hear.

What if I can't manage it? she enquired, her voice softer and more hesitant.

Kade was unflinching. We will assist you then. We will battle for you. It will be difficult and not fast, though.

Lois gazed at him for a long time. Throbbing under her skin, she could sense the draw of the power within her. It was there, waiting, ravenous.

Kade's palm grazed her arm, a touch both grounding and risky. Lois, you have a decision. You can either let it rule you or you may take charge of it.

Her heart raced as she battled the need to push him away, to close him out. The delicate but strong link between them awakened something deep within her that she was not prepared to confront.

The noise of activity in the trees, however, caught them both to attention before she could answer. Lois's muscles stiffened up as her awareness sharpened. It had been too long of silence.

Kade, his stance stiff, glanced towards the edge of the woods. "Stay nearby." Tyler's troops are approaching.