CH 8:The Run
1730 Words
The chamber had grown silent long ago, yet the silence did not bring Nishi the comfort she desperately needed.
Instead, it pressed down on her chest like an invisible weight thick and suffocating filling the vast wooden chamber with a stillness so complete that every small sound seemed unnaturally loud in the darkness surrounding her.
The slow crackle of the dying fire inside the great stone hearth echoed faintly through the room.
The distant whisper of the cold mountain wind brushed against the tall glass windows that overlooked the endless black forest below the palace.
Somewhere high above the carved wooden ceiling, ancient timber beams shifted with quiet creaks, as though the old stronghold itself were breathing in its sleep.
Hours had passed since the four Alpha Kings had finally left her alone.
One by one, they had walked out of the chamber earlier that night each of them controlled, unreadable, their movements restrained with the discipline only rulers carried after years of command and power.
And yet beneath that control, Nishi had sensed something unsettled inside each of them.
They look confused, suspicious, and disbelieving of their bond with her. None of them had tried to touch or claim her.
None of them had spoken the word mate again. Like they didn't want a weak woman as a mate. The same reason. Only the men had changed.
But that did not mean the bond had disappeared. Nishi could still feel it.
Four different presences lingered faintly around her like invisible threads stretching across the quiet room, each one tugging softly at the center of her chest every time she became aware of them.
Even after they had gone, their scents remained around her.
Adrian’s cool scent of pine and iron.
Darius’s warm smoke and quiet heat.
Lucian’s sharp cedar and rain-soaked wind.
Ryder’s restless storm and steel.
Four dominant wolves. Four powerful Alpha Kings. All connected to her.
The thought alone made her stomach twist painfully.
She sat on the edge of the massive bed, her bare feet resting against the cold polished wood floor, her fingers gripping the thick blanket beneath her as she stared down at the dark grain of the wood, watching the flickering shadows from the fire dance slowly across its surface.
Her shoulder throbbed constantly beneath the tight bandages wrapped around her skin.
Every movement sent dull waves of pain through her body, reminding her again and again how fragile she still was after collapsing in the forest earlier.
But the ache in her chest was worse. Much worse and rejected.
The memory returned with brutal clarity.
Joshua’s voice. Joshua’s cold eyes.
The moment the mate bond had snapped violently inside her chest like a thread being ripped apart.
Her fingers slowly tightened into fists. She couldn't forget the humiliation, the agony, and the helplessness she felt at that time.
.
She had never felt so small in her entire life as she had in that moment.
A weak half-blood woman.
Unworthy and disposable to him.
Her throat tightened painfully.
And now fate had thrown four Alpha Kings into her life like some cruel joke played by a careless Moon Goddess.
Four rulers of powerful territories.
Four dominant wolves whose instincts were already trying to understand something none of them had expected.
What if they rejected her too?
No! They are definitely planning to brutally reject her and leave her to die miserably.
The thought crept slowly into her mind like a shadow sliding silently across the floor.
If those four Alpha Kings decided she was unnatural, dangerous, unacceptable then the same rejection that had nearly killed her once could happen again.
Only this time…
It would not be one bond snapping.
It would be four. Her chest tightened painfully as the image formed in her mind.
Her body collapsed beneath it.
‘I won’t survive that. I don't want to die like this.’ The certainty of that thought made her entire body feel cold.
Slowly, she lifted her head and looked around the chamber again.
The room was massive, carved with the kind of craftsmanship that spoke of ancient power and long-standing rule.
Heavy wooden pillars framed the walls, each etched with symbols she did not recognize as belonging to generations of wolves who had ruled these mountains long before she had ever been born.
A towering stone fireplace stood against the far wall, its flames now reduced to dim orange embers casting long, flickering shadows across the polished floor.
The bed behind her was enormous, layered with thick furs and dark winter blankets meant for brutal mountain winters.
Everything about this place spoke of strength, authority, and dominance.
And none of it belonged to her.
Her entire life had been shaped by decisions made by others.
Pack laws, Alpha commands, and
Male authority. Even her own mate bond had been decided without her choice.
Joshua had rejected her like she was nothing more than a mistake.
And now four more Alpha Kings were quietly deciding what to do with her existence.
As though she were a problem waiting to be solved. Her jaw tightened slowly.
“No…” she whispered into the empty chamber.
The word barely reached the walls, but the determination inside it was real.
She pushed herself to her feet.
Pain shot through her injured shoulder instantly, forcing a quiet gasp from her lips as the sudden movement pulled painfully against the bandages wrapped around her skin.
Her legs trembled beneath her. She was still weak and healing. But fear gave her strength and exhaustion could not take away.
“I’m not letting them decide if I live or die,” she murmured.
Her gaze shifted toward the cloak folded neatly over a nearby chair.
She grabbed it quickly and wrapped the thick wool around her shoulders.
The fabric smelled faintly of pine forest and cold mountain air.
It had probably been left there for her.
By a servant.
Or perhaps by one of them. Her chest tightened. She forced the thought away.
Then she moved toward the chamber door. The heavy wooden panels opened slowly beneath her careful hands.
The hallway stretched long and silent, illuminated only by a row of torches burning along the cold stone walls.
No guards or servants around that area. Maybe, they didn't think she could move.
Perfect.
Nishi pulled the hood over her head and stepped into the corridor. Each step felt heavy and painful.
But she kept moving. Down the hall. Past the spiral staircase. Toward the small side door she had noticed earlier.
It opened quietly.
Cold night air rushed toward her instantly, biting against her skin and filling her lungs with the sharp scent of pine and damp earth.
Freedom. She stepped outside. Make sure no one notices her.
And after getting far away from the palace she ran faster. The forest swallowed her almost immediately.
Towering trees rose like silent giants, their branches blocking the moonlight and leaving the ground beneath them uneven and shadowed.
Dry leaves crunched beneath her feet as she pushed deeper into the darkness.
Her breathing grew heavier. Her body protested. But she didn’t stop.
She wants to go further away from them, and her four mates. Because distance was the only thing that might save her.
‘No. Don't run….’ Moon whispers in a low tone.
‘Sorry Moon… I don't want to be tied to any man who can kick me out any time they feel bored. I want to live freely.’ Nishi said to Moon.
Moon didn't oppose her. Nishi felt relieved that she didn't have to fight against her wolf.
Minutes passed. Her lungs burned.
Her vision blurred. Her legs trembled violently.
Still, she ran.
‘Don’t stop. If they find you…’ Her inner self warns her again and again.
Her thoughts were shattered, because the night exploded with four howls.
Deep, painful, dominant, and powerful enough to shake the mountains themselves. The sound rolled through the forest like thunder.
Nishi froze. Her heart dropped.
‘They knew. They are calling us back. Nishi, let's go back.’ Moon requested him.
‘No. They must be angry at me. If they find me… they will kill me for sure….’ Nishi shakes her head.
The howls came again. Her wolf reacted instantly.
The bonds inside her chest pulsed painfully, pulling at her with a force so strong her knees nearly buckled. Her mind feels dizzy for a second. Like someone trying to enter her mind.
“No…” she whispered, tears burning. She shook her head and pulled her head back to the path.
“I’m not going back.” She murmured stubbornly.
But her body was failing. Finally, her legs gave out. She collapsed at the base of a massive pine tree, gasping for breath.
The bond pulsed again.
Then something shifted. Her wolf stirred. For the first time since the rejection.
And it felt different and stronger.
‘You cannot outrun them.’ A quiet voice filled her mind.
Nishi froze.
“Moon? What is happening to me?”
Silence lingered.
"You are carrying the Moon bloodline bound by ancient laws. Some wolves are born to be bound to multiple Alpha mates. And you are one of them. You have boundaries. You can't run away from your mates in the Pacific distance. And your distance ends here.’ Moon told her.
Her breath caught. Her mind spun.
“That’s not possible…” Nishi shook her head.
‘It is rare. But it exists. The Moon Goddess warned me just now. You have to return. Trust the Moon Goddess.’ Moon said in a hurry.
Before she could respond a branch snapped. The strong scent hit her nose. Rotten blood.
Rogues!!
Dark shapes emerged from the trees.
Six men emerged from the shadows, slowly circling her. Their eyes were glowing. They are not in wolf form.
One of them stepped forward, lips curling into a cruel smile.
“Well now…Look what wandered into our forest.” The rogue sneered.
Nishi pushed herself to her feet, pain ripping through her body.
But this time her wolf was awake.
And the rogues had no idea what they had just found.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a beautiful girl wander into this forest.” His smirk and lick his lips as his eyes roam over Nishi's body.
Nishi's blood ran cold.
***
- Writer
