My Runaway Luna (ENGLISH)

Follow me

Chapter 5

The night stretched on as we ran—Isaiah and I—through the thick, dense forest, with only the moon and the faint glow of fireflies to light our way. The sound of footsteps and heavy breathing echoed in the silent woods, but it wasn’t just my own. The guards were close. Too close.

I kept my focus on the path ahead, weaving through the trees, praying the underbrush would mask our footsteps. My legs burned, my lungs screamed for air, but I didn’t dare stop. The fear of being caught—dragged back to that cursed place—kept me moving, even when I thought I might collapse.

I heard the sound of a twig snapping in the distance, followed by a voice, low but urgent.

“She’s close. We can’t lose her.”

The guards. Their bloodhound-like instincts were impossible to outrun. They knew exactly where to look, and it seemed they could smell the very fear in my veins. Isaiah, who had been leading us through the forest, abruptly stopped and turned to me. His face was hard, but there was something in his eyes that betrayed his own panic.

“We need to split up,” he said, his voice sharp with urgency. “They’ll follow us if we stay together. I’ll lead them in the opposite direction. You keep running. Don’t look back.”

I felt a surge of panic rise in my chest. No. I can’t lose him. “I can’t do this alone!” I protested, my voice frantic.

“You can,” he said, his grip on my shoulders tightening for a moment before he let go. His eyes softened for just a second. “You’ve been running alone your whole life. You’ve made it this far. You can make it further. Now go.”

I hesitated, my heart a twisted knot of fear and uncertainty. But I knew there was no choice. I couldn’t risk both of us getting caught. And, deep down, I knew Isaiah was right. I had been running alone for so long, hadn’t I?

“Go,” he repeated, his voice hardening as the sound of the guards grew louder.

Without another word, I turned and sprinted deeper into the forest, my breath coming in short, shallow gasps. My mind raced with thoughts of Isaiah, wondering if he would be okay, but there was no time for that now. The farther I ran, the more the woods seemed to close in on me, each tree and branch becoming a blur as I pushed myself harder. Behind me, the sounds of pursuit continued, growing closer. They were relentless. I could hear the thundering footsteps of the guards and the low growls of something else—something much darker. My heart skipped a beat as I realized they weren’t alone anymore.

They’ve sent the wolves.

My pulse quickened as the unmistakable sound of snarling filled the air. The wolves were faster than men, more cunning, and they were trained to track prey like me. My legs pumped harder, and I veered off the trail, trying to lose them in the thick underbrush. But the trees seemed to blur past me as I ran in blind panic, the sound of paws on the ground growing louder with each passing second.

I couldn’t outrun them.

I was losing hope, but then, something shifted. I spotted a narrow, rocky path just ahead, barely wide enough for me to squeeze through. I made a split-second decision and turned sharply, hoping the wolves wouldn’t be able to follow.

I was wrong.

They were right behind me now, their hot breath on my heels. I could hear the crack of twigs as they charged through the trees. One of them snarled loudly, and I stumbled, losing my footing. I was falling—sliding down the jagged rocks—when I hit the ground hard, the world spinning in a dizzying blur. I gasped for air, my vision blurred by pain and exhaustion.

This is it.

But just as the cold, sharp teeth of the wolves were closing in on me, I heard a shout. A voice—familiar, urgent.

“Cordelia!”

I didn’t have time to look up. A hand grabbed my arm and yanked me upwards, pulling me away from the snapping jaws of the wolves that were now growling in frustration behind us. Isaiah’s grip was firm, his strength surprising as he dragged me along the rocky path, his breath coming in heavy bursts.

“They’re close,” he said, looking over his shoulder. “We need to keep moving.”

I didn’t argue. There was no time for words. My heart was pounding in my chest, my body trembling from exhaustion and fear, but I couldn’t afford to stop. Not now. We kept running, and soon, the ground beneath us leveled out, the trees opening into a small clearing. My legs burned, and I was out of breath, but Isaiah wasn’t slowing down. He pulled me toward a thicket of bushes and trees near the edge of the clearing.

“Stay low,” he whispered, pushing me down onto the ground.

We crouched there, hidden in the shadows, our bodies pressed against the earth, hearts pounding in sync. I could hear the wolves just beyond the clearing, their growls growing louder as they circled the area. I held my breath, praying they wouldn’t catch our scent.

But they did.

A sudden, sharp bark echoed through the night, and the wolves were off again, their paws padding across the ground with terrifying speed. They were closing in, but they didn’t stop. They passed by the thicket where we were hiding, running straight toward the opposite side of the clearing. Isaiah and I remained frozen, not daring to make a sound. My heart was in my throat as I waited, every muscle tense with anticipation. I could hear the wolves sniffing the ground, searching, but they didn’t seem to catch our scent. After what felt like an eternity, the growls began to fade, the wolves moving deeper into the forest. The sound of their pursuit slowly dwindled to nothing.

Isaiah let out a long breath, his grip on my arm loosening. “We’re not safe yet,” he said softly, though there was a glimmer of relief in his eyes. “But we’ve bought ourselves some time.”

I nodded, still trying to steady my breathing. Every part of me wanted to collapse, to give in to the exhaustion that had been building for so long, but I couldn’t. Not yet. “Thank you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Isaiah glanced at me, his face hard, but his eyes… his eyes were soft.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. “We’ve only just started running.”

We stayed hidden for a long while, not daring to move, not even daring to speak. The night had fallen completely now, the air thick with tension, the sounds of the forest around us so quiet, it was as if the entire world was holding its breath. But I couldn’t hold mine any longer.

I looked at Isaiah, my heart swelling with gratitude, and for the first time since I had fled the mansion, I allowed myself a small, shaky breath of relief. When I ran away from him the first time, I thought I could never see him again, but God had another plan, and here he is, saving me once more.

Maybe… just maybe... I could escape this fate.

But deep down, I knew the truth.

The chase wasn’t over yet. And soon, the alpha would come for me—whether I was ready or not.