Chapter 1 The Killing

Eva's POV: "Hunter! I found food!" I shouted, my voice trembling with excitement as I ran back to camp. I was so hungry I didn't have the strength to shift into wolf form—otherwise, I'd have made it back much faster. The small piece of rabbit meat I held in my hand was something I'd stolen from a member of the big pack. When the disaster hit, we lone wolves had no Alpha to lead us, and we couldn't understand the warnings of the seer wolves. So, we didn't have enough food stored up. I often think about how I wish I could go back in time. I would have paid more attention to the seer wolves' warnings, stocked up on food, and made sure my mate and my friends were prepared ... "Ah!" As I pushed open the camp gate, I heard Emily's blood-curdling scream, followed by the warm spray of blood splattering against my face. What I saw next froze my blood. My friend Elizabeth was holding a bloodstained dagger, and blood was gushing from Emily's neck. And George, the mate I loved, was tearing into Emily's thigh, his teeth sinking deep into her flesh. "What have you done?!" I screamed, rushing forward to press my hands against Emily's bleeding neck. "E ... Ev ... care ... ful ... " Emily gasped weakly, struggling to speak. Her voice trailed off as the life drained from her. How could this happen? How could this be happening? My eyes burned with fury as I glared at George and Elizabeth. I never imagined they would do this to their own packmate! They wanted to use Emily as food! "Eva! Get a grip! If we don't kill Emily, there won't be anything left to eat!" George snarled in his wolf form, his fangs still dripping with Emily's blood. The sight made me sick, twisted, and unnatural. "She's our friend! We grew up together!" I howled in despair. If George weren't my mate, I swear I'd kill him myself! Elizabeth was still holding the bloody knife, the crimson stains dripping down the blade. I glared at her, refusing to let them feast on Emily's body. Her white robe was splattered with blood as she crouched down, her clean, beautiful face framed by her flowing hair. I could never understand how she managed to look so pristine in the middle of the apocalypse. She always carried herself with that air of nobility and grace, and yet, now, she revealed her true nature. Beneath her white robes, an evil aura—the unmistakable scent of a witch—radiated from her. "Eva, my dear friend. Don't blame me. In this world, fools are meant to be food." With that, she let out a wicked, chilling laugh. "You! You ... you're a witch!" I howled in fury, my voice raw with pain and shock. I turned to George, my heart breaking. "You knew all along!" "Of course! George loves me more than anything. All I need to do is snap my fingers, and he's my most loyal wolf." Elizabeth smirked, her voice dripping with triumph. No ... I couldn't believe it. My friend, my closest companion, was an evil witch, and my mate was in league with her. She must have used some kind of black magic to seduce George. "To be honest, Eva, I loved Elizabeth before I ever met you. I knew she was a witch from the start." George, now towering in his massive wolf form, his fur black and matted, no longer gleamed with its usual shine. "I love her. Who says a wolf can't fall for a witch?" Elizabeth used the dagger to tilt my chin, a cruel smirk on her face as she took in the disbelief in my eyes. She knew I was too weak to resist—food was scarce, and I'd been starving for far too long. "Fool," she sneered. "From the beginning, you were just a pawn in our game. We kept you alive because we needed you to find food and shelter for us. You didn't disappoint us. You worked so hard ... Hahahahaha!" Without thinking, I lunged at Elizabeth, but she flicked her wrist. A black magic blast sent me flying, crashing hard into the wall. "Hey, babe, don't kill her just yet. I want to eat something fresh," George's voice called out. What?! George wanted to eat me too?! Struggling, I lifted my head to look at him. His eyes were filled with bloodlust, the crazed look of a wolf gone wild. I couldn't believe it. I was his mate. How could he want to eat me just because he craved fresh food?