CHAPTER 2
1002 Words
*CHAPTER 2*
THE ESCAPE
*LYRA*
I didn't stop walking until I could no longer see the lights of the packhouse.
The rain wasn't pouring down heavily anymore, but I was already soaked through.
I didn't care, I just kept moving.
Away from Kael.
Away from the humiliation, away from everything that reminds me of him.
My wolf cried out inside me, broken and grieving.
The mate bond, or what I thought was the mate bond, burned in my chest like an open fire.
How could he do this?
How could he choose her over me?
I pressed my hand against my stomach as I walked, protecting the secret growing inside me.
The baby,Kael's baby.
A child he would never know of.
I tripped over a root and grabbed a tree to stop myself from falling while breathing hard.
*Think, Lyra thinks.
I couldn't just wander through the forest forever. I needed a plan.
But my mind was blank, numb. I couldn't think straight.
All I knew was that I had to get far away before anyone came looking for me.
If anyone even bothers looking for me.
The thought made me more heart broken.
I stood up from the tree and kept walking.
The forest seemed like a forever journey. Dark and silent, except for the sound of my own heavy breathing and the whilst from the night birds.
Hours passed or maybe more.
I lost track of time.
My legs could barely hold me up. My feet were bleeding.
But I didn't stop.
I had to keep moving.*
Finally,
I broke through the edge of the forest and found myself standing in front of a narrow road.
Empty, silent as a graveyard.
No cars. No wolves.
Just me staring at the endless road.
I stumbled on my feet, dizzy and disoriented.
Where am I ?
I didn't know. But the sign says,
Somewhere past the Storm-fang border. Somewhere in neutral territory.
I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering.
*What now?
A pair of headlights appeared in the distance.
My heart jumped.
A car.
I stepped back immediately, ready to hide in the trees.
But then I stopped.
*This might actually be my only chance.*
The car slowed down as it approached, and I held my breath.
It was an old pickup truck, rusted and worn.
The driver was a middle-aged man ,with kind eyes. He looked out the window.
"Are you alright, miss?" he called out.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
He stared at me for a moment, my torn dress, my bare feet, my shaking hands and his expression softened.
"Do you need a ride?" he asked me.
I hesitated.
*Can I trust him?*
But I didn't have any other choice.
I nodded.
"Get in," he said gently.
I climbed into the passenger seat, my whole body trembling. The heat of the truck's heater warmed me up immediately, and I felt a little relief.
The man didn't ask questions. He just put the truck in gear and started driving.
We drove in silence for a long time.
Finally, he spoke.
"There's a bus station about twenty miles from here," he said quietly. "I can drop you there if you want."
I nodded. "Thank you."
He glanced at me. "Are you running from something?"
I didn't answer.
He didn't push.
"I've got a daughter about your age," he said instead. "She ran too, once over a bad situation. It took her years to find her way back." He paused. "Whatever you're running from... I hope you find peace and somewhere safe."
My throat tightened. "Me too."
We didn't talk after that.
When we reached the bus station, he pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine.
"Here." He reached into his wallet and pulled out a folded twenty dollar bill. "Take it," he said.
"I can't”
"Take it," he said firmly. "Please."
I took the money, tears rolling down my eyes. "Thank you."
He nodded. "Good luck, kid."
I came down from the truck and watched him drive away.
Then I turned toward the bus station.
An attendant sat behind a glass window, half asleep.
I approached slowly, holding onto the twenty dollars in my hand.
"Where to?" the attendant asked without looking up.
"South," I said. The only place I could think of.
He glanced at the twenty, then at me. His eyes paused at my torn dress and bare feet, but he didn't comment.
"Crescent Bay," Leaves in fifteen minutes. He said.
That's thirty dollars.
Uhm, I only have twenty with me.
He sighed and scratched his head. Then he waved his hand. "Get on the bus. I'll cover the rest."
I stared at him. "Why?"
"Because you look like you need a break." He passed me a ticket across the counter. "Now go before I change my mind."
I grabbed the ticket, my hands were still shaking. Thank you.
He just nodded and went back to his paperwork.
I walked outside and found the bus parked at the station. The driver was a woman with gray hair and her eyes barely glanced at me as I climbed on.
I found a seat in the back and rested my head against the window.
The bus hummed to life and pulled out of the station.
I watched the town light fade into darkness.
And for the first time since I'd walked away from Kael, I let myself cry.
Quietly.
Desperately.
My hands rested on my belly with tears rolling down my face I whispered…
*I will protect you, and I will keep you safe
Kael Stormfang will never take you from me.
The bus moved on into the night.
Toward a future I couldn't imagine.
Toward a life I would have to build from nothing.
But I will survive. Because I had to
And I wasn't just running for myself anymore.
I was running for my baby as well.
And I would do whatever it took to keep us both alive and safe.
- Writer
