Chapter 3
1087 Words
Lily’s POV
I don't remember how the punishment ended. The pain was too much. Everything went dark after the thirtieth lash.
When I wake up, I'm lying on a floor. I don't know how long I lay there. Minutes? Hours? My back burns like fire. I try to move, but my muscles scream in protest. But somehow, I find strength I didn't know I have.
I push myself up slowly. My legs shake as I stand. I shouldn't be able to walk after what happened, but I do. Something drives me forward. I keep walking and I find myself in front of the Alpha quarters.
I don't know how my legs carry me to Aiden's quarters. The lobby is empty. But suddenly I hear voices. I stop moving.
"Yes, Father. I understand."
It's Salena's voice, sharp and clear. She's on the phone. I press myself against the wall, holding my breath.
"Of course, I'll send her to you," Salena continues. She has been with Aiden for more than two years. I want her gone. You can use her for your needs."
My blood turns to ice water as her words sink in. She's planning to send me away, probably to her father's pack where everyone knows how Alpha Jackson sexually treats omegas.
"The doctor informed me about her pregnancy. I want her gone. Tomorrow night, I'll have the guards put her on one of the supply trucks heading to your pack. No one will notice one missing omega."
I hear footsteps getting closer and quickly slip back down the hallway toward my room. My heart is pounding so hard I'm sure the entire packhouse can hear it. I need to get out of here tonight, before her plan can be put into motion.
Back in my room, Nova is sleeping. I move as quietly as I gather the few things I can carry. Some clothes, and food. Everything fits into my backpack. I don't know where I am heading to but I want to leave immediately.
I want to wake Nova up and say goodbye, but that would only put her in danger. She might try to stop me or worse, she could get in trouble for helping me escape. It's better to leave without a word.
I slip out into the night with the moon casting silver light across the packhouse grounds. I stick to the shadows, moving carefully from building to building. After spending two years sneaking in and out of Aiden's room, I know the guard patrol patterns by heart.
The pain in my back makes every step agony, but I force myself to keep moving. The pack boundary is just beyond those trees ahead of me. I will be crossing to the human world.
"Stop right there, omega!" a gruff voice suddenly calls out behind me.
Two pack guards step out from the trees with their eyes glowing yellow in the darkness. M
"Where do you think you're going at this hour?" one of them asks.
I back up slowly, trying to think of some excuse. "I couldn't sleep after... everything. I am just taking a walk to clear my head."
The second guard grabs my bag and tears it open. "A walk? With all the things you packed in this bag? And look at this, bread, dried meat… These are supplies from the packhouse kitchen."
"She's stealing from the pack," the first guard says. "That's a serious offense."
"I didn’t steal them. I just…"
But they're already dragging me back toward the packhouse, and I know my fate is sealed. If they take me to Aiden and Salena now, I'll never get another chance to escape.
"Please," I beg them with tears streaming down my face. "Please just let me go. I swear I'll never come back."
They throw me into the pack prison.
When dawn breaks, the guards drag me out and take me to the same town square where I was whipped yesterday. They push me down to my knees in the center while one goes to call the Alpha and Luna.
I kneel there wondering what my fate will be. As minutes pass, the crowd gathers at the pack square. I can hear their whispers and feel their stares, but I keep my eyes fixed on the ground.
Then Aiden arrives with Salena at his side, his face as hard as stone.
"What is the meaning of this?"
One of the guards steps forward respectfully. "Alpha, we caught this omega attempting to flee the pack in the middle of the night. She had stolen food supplies from the packhouse kitchen."
Salena smiles. "Stealing from the packhouse? Yesterday, she disrespected me. This girl needs to learn her proper place."
Aiden looks down at me, and for just a second I think I see something flicker in his eyes. Pity maybe… But it's gone so quickly I must have imagined it.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" he asks.
I look straight into his eyes. This is the man that held every night these past two years. The man I once loved, the father of the baby growing inside me.
"I have nothing to say to you." I say.
Salena steps forward. "My father's pack has excellent methods for dealing with omegas like this one. We should send her there. She will be properly... educated."
This is it. Her plan is finally coming together. She'll send me to his father’s bed, knowing I’m carrying Aiden’s baby. How will my baby survive? What will happen to us there?
Suddenly, a deep, commanding voice rings out across the square. "What the hell is going on here?"
The crowd parts like water as a tall figure steps forward with absolute authority. He walks with confidence and I can feel power radiating from him with every step.
"King Xavier," Aiden says. "This is pack business."
"Any business involving a wolf in distress is my business," Xavier says. He stands beside me, looking down at my kneeling form.
"This omega has broken pack laws," Salena says. "She has stolen provisions and tried to run away."
Xavier's gaze moves over me slowly. "I claim this wolf under my protection," he announces.
Aiden's face darkens with anger.
"You cannot…"
"I invoke the Ancient Right of Protection," Xavier continues, his voice ringing across the square.
"As King of all the packs in the Northern Territories and Eastern Territories, I have this right. Any wolf in need may claim my protection, and I grant it to this omega."
- Writer
