Riiinnnnnnggggggg!!! Riiinnnnnnggggg!!!

My alarm clock screamed at me, telling me it was 7:30 and time to get up. Today was September 22nd, meaning the Running was tomorrow..TOMORROW! Oh my gosh, I'm so nervous! What if I'm caught? What if I never see my family again? What if he is a total jackass and abuses me?!

'Elenore, calm down', my wolf, Nikita, says calmly. 'We will be okay, Ellie, I promise.'

I've always trusted Nikita, ever since I was little, and she told me not to jump off the top of a maple tree in the woods with my best friend, Mahala. Mahala's wolf, however, didn't warn her, and she broke her left leg when she hit the bottom. If I've trusted Nikita for this long, I know I need to now.

'Okay, thank you Nikita', I thought gratefully.

'You're welcome Ellie', she replied.

Every day, except Saturdays and Sundays, I went to work at the Market in town at 8:30 where the poorer people sold their baked goods, fruits, vegetables, and crafted items in stands on the sides of the road. My mother's, brother's, and I's stand sold Cucumbers, Watermelons, Kiwi, Potatoes, Corn, Tomatoes, and Onions at a fair price, so we got pretty decent earnings at the end of the week.

I walked into the bathroom to do my business and take a quick shower. I rubbed the Shampoo on my scalp, relaxing under the hot water coming from the pipes. Then I moved onto the Conditioner and Body Wash, which was Green Apple and Vanilla scented. I absolutely loved that smell.

Once I was done, I dried off and changed into my everyday clothes, which consisted of a soft light-blue cotton dress that ended at my knees and had a sweetheart neckline with small embroidered flowers along the sides and hemline. I did my basic makeup in the mirror on my Vanity in my room, with only a little powder and mascara. I left my hair alone with its dried natural waves.

As I was walking out of our cottage, I grabbed an apple off the the counter and headed to my best friend Mahala's house, seeing it was only 8:10 and she lived only 4 houses down. I walked up her stone pathway to her small cottage, which housed herself, her mother, father, and one younger brother. To the left of the pathway were small Orchids, and to the right was a small pickett fence. I knocked on the door , waiting for her little brother to answer the door since both her mother and father worked in local businesses in town. Joshua, Mahala's 12 year old brother, answered the door with a bored look on his face.

"You know, you don't have to knock anymore, Ellie. You've known us for like all my life..just walk in!" he stated with a look on his face like he was stating the obvious.

"I know, Josh, I was just raised to be polite. Unlike you!" I replied, gripping him in a headlock and giving him a noogie, laughing the entire time. He shrieked and jumped to get away before Mahala came walking down the stairs, laughing at the scene before her: Me giving Josh a noogie, him squirming to get away, and us both slowly going to the floor.

"Okay, Ellie, lets go!" Mahala yelled, grabbing my wrist as she pulled me out of the doorway. Joshua huffed and slammed the door behind us poutingly.

Still smiling, Mahala and I started our random chatter, talking about anything from Chickens to the cute local boys. Mahala, or Haley as most of us called her, was 5'6" with long wavy blonde hair. She had green-blue eyes with light eyelashes and eyebrows on her thin, oval face, with light freckles splashed on both cheeks. She was thin like me, but was way more clumsy.

When we were almost to the stands in town, she suddenly got quiet. 'Haley's upset, Ellie.', Nikita says in my head. 'I know that, Nikita. I'm her best friend..but thanks', I added, trying not to seem snarky.

"Haley, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Haley is usually never quiet, unless something is wrong or she's upset.

"Yea, it's just..the Running is tomorrow..and I'm really scared, Ellie. What if someone catches me, and they're horrible? What if I never see you again?" By now, she started to tear up, to I quickly pulled her into a tight hug. Haley was 18 as well but just a few months older than me, so tomorrows' Running would be our first. Whispering, I cooed, "Everything will be okay, Haley. Don't worry, I'll always be there for you" over her shoulder.

Sniffling, Haley pulled back, nodding. Wiping under her eyes and smoothing her hair back, we walked into the area the stands were in. Many different smells hit us, like fresh bread, cookies, and cakes, as well freshly cut Roses and Lillies. I've always loved this part of town, because there's no people in business suits looking down on you, or salesmen closing their shop doors in your face based on how you're dressed.

I spotted my family's stand on the left side of the road in between 2 other stands, Isaac in the middle of making a sale and my mother adding more Tomatoes to the rack.

"Oh hi Haley! How are you, dear?" my mother asked with a pleasant smile on her lips.

"Fine, Ms. Burns, how are you?" Haley replied politely, even though she didn't need to act so formal around my family. My mother laughed lightly, also noticing Haley's formality.

"I'm good, honey, thank you for asking", my mother chuckled, before turning and talking to Isaac about something.

I quickly went behind the counter to start working, Haley joining my side, since she usually comes and helps out instead of being home alone with Josh. Noticing there were few potatoes left on the rack, I went to the back of the stand to get another box, my back facing the display and customers.

Suddenly, the air seemed to get colder and the people got quieter. A chill swept up my spine and goosebumps invaded my exposed skin. 'What's going on?' I thought to Nikita.

Seconds seemed like centuries before she replied slowly, cautiously.

'Alpha Connall.. He's here.. And behind you.'

Alpha Connall? As in, the strongest, biggest, most feared Alpha Wolf in all Wolf territories? The Wolf who murdered his own mother, father, and grandfather for the Alpha position? And he's...behind me?

Ever so slowly, I turned around, only to be stared down by the one and only..

Alpha Connall