Mackenzie Cullen

Chapter 1

Mackenzie's POV

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I could hear my stomach rumbling now; where was she? When would she be back? Harriett had left at sunrise, and now, with no moon nor stars to light the sky, there was just darkness.

"Harriett?" I say, my voice low and hoarse from dehydration. I haven't had a drink since this morning. 

"Harriett?" I repeat, louder this time, hoping she would hear me from wherever she is.

Suddenly, I hear a twig snap from behind me.

"Finally!" I say, turning on my heel. Instead of Harriett, I found myself standing in front of two huge wolves. No, they can't be wolves, they were too big, but what else could they be, then? The largest wolf had light brown eyes that scanned me suspiciously, his coat was similar to his eyes; brown, but darker. Standing at his right flank was a smaller grey wolf, also with brown eyes. But when I looked at it, bared it's teeth.

I backpedal, trying to get away from these creatures, and as I do so, both wolves let out a primal snarl. I shriek, forgetting all about Harriett and dehydration. My fight or flight mechanism kicks in, and I find myself running faster than any creature I'd seen before. The trees were rushing past me at such speed I though that if I lost concentration for even a second I could crash. I hear the pursuit of heavy paws behind me, but it was so faint that I wondered if they were actually trying to keep pace with me. I slow down for a moment, trying to catch my breath, and as I do so, I notice a small light in the forest ahead. Someone is here, they could help me, I think to myself. 

As I pass the cottage, there was a young man, more a boy, really, crouching defensively in front of the house. He had bronze hair, pale skin and golden eyes. I noticed that he had no compassion in his eyes; only curiosity and anger. I hear the wolves speed up, and realize that I was just standing there. I begin to run again, faster this time. Why hadn't he tried to help me? Almost instantly I hear another pair of footsteps join the pursuit. I quickly take a glance over my shoulder, and immediately turn my head back to face the forest in front of me. I now know why the boy hadn't tried to help me; he was on the wolves side!

 Less than a minute later, I come to a clearing. I gasp, trying to catch my breath, as I glance at the magnificent building ahead of me. It was a few floors high, with windows as walls! From what I could see, inside there was large rooms filled with expensive looking items, like computers and tv's, mirrors, oak tables and large, white sofas and matching chairs.

"Wow" I exclaim, forgetting that I was being chased. I come to a halt when I see 4 people gathered on the veranda; a small, pixie like girl with short, dark hair, and a tall, blond woman peering around the sides of two men. One had short, dark hair, and looked intimidating, with muscles that even a professional boxer couldn't achieve, and a younger man, with blond-ish, curly hair, and multiple bite marks up his arms. Everyone of them had pale skin and golden eyes, just like the boy.

Amazed by the sight in front of me, I don't notice the approaching threat until it was too late. I fall to the ground with a thud. Two, heavy paws upon my back, holding me to the ground. I could barley breath; partly because of the dirt clogging my throat, and partly because of the weight on top of me. I struggle, trying to get the wolf to fall off, but instead it dug it's claws into my skin. I hear a horrible sound: the ripping of flesh, and feel warm blood begin to pour down my back, soaking my already dirtied top and jeans. I whimper as I hear the beast lick it's lips, and feel it's warm breath down on my neck. I gasp, and begin to cough, so hard that I swear I can feel the ground shaking underneath my petite frame.  So this is it? This is how I will die? I brace myself, and close my eyes, waiting for the wolf to attack. I hear the creature's jaw open wide in anticipation, and feel a warm drop of saliva hit my exposed neck.

"Leah, Don't!" I hear a male voice shout, stopping the wolf dead in it's tracks. So, my killer has a name? Leah? So, the boy has pet wolves, and one of them called Leah? The wolf reluctantly steps off my back, making sure to rip the skin a little more just to hear me whimper once more. As soon as ' Leah ' had gone, I knew I had to run, but as I try to get up, I feel a sharp shot of pain, as though I been stabbed, ripple across my back My hand instinctively reached for the source, but when I touched it, I groan in agony. A warm, sticky liquid coated my hand, and put it in front of my face to see it was blood. I gasped in realization of what had just happened, before falling to the ground, in a pool of mud mixed with my blood.

Everything was frozen now, and when I say everything, I mean everything. The four people in front of me were all as still as statues, each one staring at me. The wind had stopped howling through the trees, and no one was breathing, not even me. How was I not breathing? I always breath, but now my lungs seemed to be refusing the oxygen. 

"Let's take a walk, Jazz" the pixie girl says, leading the blond-ish haired boy inside the house. The other two just stand there; still as frozen as statues. 

I hear fast footsteps coming at me from my left, right and behind me.

"Carlisle, she's hurt, badly" the voice from behind me says, with what sounded like genuine concern in his voice. He must have been less than a foot away, yet I sensed no danger present. I glance to my left, and see a blond haired man, no older than his early 20's, walking towards me. To my right, there was a pale skinned woman, who looked about as old as the man, also coming in my direction. I swap my gaze between both of them, noticing that each of them had golden eyes, like the others. Must be related, I think. But they don't look that much alike, really, with the exception of the eyes. 

And, even though all of this had happened in just a few short seconds, it seemed like a life time to me. I begin to feel the burn in my lungs, the need for oxygen returns, yet still, I cannot breath. As I feel the darkness of unconsciousness closing in on me, I fear not for my own life, but for Harriett's.