We walked in silence through the corridors of the park house, my mind racing ahead to the forest, to where Lysandra would be waiting, to freedom. When we reached the edge of the woods, Frost used, turning to me with that too–perceptive gaze.
Are y
you okay?” he asked.
I nodded, unable to trust my voice. How could he still care about my wellbeing when he served a monster? When he participated in Kaius’s cruelty?
“It is private, I don’t really want to talk about it, okay? I managed finally,
“If you do need someone to talk to, I will always be available,” he offered, his sincerity making my chest ache with an emotion I couldn’t name.
We continued deeper into the forest, the familiar path from our previous run. The morning was quiet save for birdsong and the soft rustle of leaves beneath our feet. I counted each step, measuring the distance from the pack house, waiting for the right moment.
A sudden sound–a branch snapping, perhaps deliberately–made Frost tense beside me. His head turned sharply toward the noise, his body alert.
“We need to head back,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“No!” The protest escaped before I could stop it, more desperate than I’d intended. I took a breath, steadying myself. “I do not want to return back to my room; I need this; I want some spare.”
Suspicion darkened his features. “Come,” he commanded, reaching for my arm.
I stepped back, just out of reach. Tll wait. Frost, trust me.”
After a long moment, he nodded reluctantly. One minute. I’ll be back. Wait here.”
The moment he disappeared among the trees, I ran. Not toward the pack house, but deeper into the forest, toward where Lysandra had told me to go. My lungs burned and branches whipped at my face, but I didn’t slow down. Every second
“Hey there.”
- ed
I nearly screamed when Lysandra stepped out from behind a large oak, her movements fluid and predatory despite her friendly tone.
“You are smarter than I thought,” she said, a hint of approval in her voice.
“Which direction is the way out?” I asked, not wasting time on pleasantries. Frost would notice my absence any moment
“Straight to the point, I like that. Come with me.” She turned, leading the way through a part of the forest I’d never seen before. The undergrowth grew thicker, the trees taller, casting deep shadows even in the bright morning
“What if there are soldiers in the pack borders?” The question had been haunting me since we’d made our plan.
“Oh, there are,” she replied casually, as if discussing the weather. “But I am also assigned patrolling duty, so I could slip you out easily without anyone noticing.
Her confidence should have reassured me, but something in her tong set off alarms I couldn’t quite place. Still, I had no choice but
to follow.
“I did make a very messy distraction; it should take them a while to sort it all up, so nothing to worry about,” she added, picking up
pace.
We continued in silence for several minutes, my nerves growing more frayed with each passing second. Behind us, I thought I heard a howl–Frost, perhaps, discovering my absence.
“We aren’t going fast enough; he would catch up with us easily.” Pan edged my voice as the howl came again, closer this time,
Lysandra stopped abruptly, turning to me with unexpected intensity. You know what? You’ll have to ride me, Lana; that’s the pel way we could go fast enough.”
Before I could respond, she began to change. Her boily contorted, blue hair melting into sleek for the same unusual color. Within seconds, a massive wolf stood where Lysandra had been–larger even than Frost had been during our forest run, her blue coat gleaming in the dappled sunlight.
Swallowing my fear, I climbed onto her back, gripping her fur tightly as she took off at a sprint. The forest blurred around us, trees whipping past at impossible speeds. Wind stung my eyes, bringing tears that mingled with those of relief. We were actually doing it -escaping.
After what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, Lysandra slowed, approaching a clearing I didn’t recognize. She lowered herself, allowing me to slide off her hack before she shifted back to human form.
The soldiers are over there,” she said, pointing to a barely visible path in the distance. “I am expected to guard this part. The moment you walk out, you are no longer in the pack territory. Just as I promised, you will be free, and in exchange, you here.
I nodded, tears of gratitude stinging my eyes. “Thank you, Lysandra. I know you did this for your own reasons, but still.. thank you.”
She merely smiled in response, gesturing for me to go ahead. I took deep breath and stepped forward, crossing the invisible boundary that marked the edge of Kaius’s domain. One step, then another. Freedom with each footfall
veins as recognition
I made it perhaps twenty paces before a figure emerged from the trees ahead of me. My blood froze in my ve
dawned.
“You miss me, Elowen?” Dorian’s voice, once so familiar, now sent terror coursing through me.
I turned to run back, only to find Lysandra gone. Betrayal hit me like a physical blow. This had been a trap all along. She lured me into the Mistwood pack’s territory…
Durian lunged forward, grabbing my arm with bruising force. “Let go of me! I shouted, twisting and kicking, fighting with every ounce of strength I possessed.
My foot connected with his shin, making him grunt in surprise and momentary pain. I wrenched free, managing to put a few feet between us before he recovered,
“You got better,” he remarked, a cruel smile spreading across his face as he stalked toward me.
1 backed away, searching desperately for an escape route, for a weapon, for anything that might help. My back hit a tree, stealing my
last chance at retreat.
Dorian’s fist struck my cheek with enough force to snap my head to the side. Stars exploded behind my eyes, pain radiating from the point of impact. Before I could recover, another blow landed in my stomach, driving the air from my lungs. I crumpled, gasping for breath that wouldn’t come.
Through the haze of
[ pain, I became
e aware of other presences. I lifted my head, trying to focus through the blood trickling into my
ryes.
2/3
ONE 08
Kaius stood at the edge of the clearing, watching impassively as Dorian continued his assault. Beside him was Frost, his expression as cold and rentate as I’d ever seen it.
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