HIDDEN HOWL

Chapter Eight: The Plans To Escape

TRINITY

I lie in bed, staring at the ceiling, heart pounding in my chest. The house is quiet now—too quiet. My aunt and cousins are probably settled in their rooms by now, and I can hear the soft murmur of their voices, the occasional giggle. They’re drifting off to sleep, and with each passing moment, the tension in my chest builds. This is it. Tonight’s the night.

Tonight is the night I get out of this hellhole. I am not going to just sit here and wait to get rejected or killed.

So, I wait. I have to be sure. Every muscle in my body is coiled tight, ready to spring, but I need the silence. The stillness. I need them to be asleep before I make my move.

Finally, the house is silent. No more voices, no more laughter. I wait for a few seconds, holding my breath, and when I’m certain they’re asleep, I slip out from under the covers. My feet barely make a sound on the cold floor. My heart hammers in my chest, too loud, too fast, but I don’t let it stop me. I can’t stop. Not now.

I move quietly toward the window. The cool air from outside calls to me, a promise of freedom. I lift the curtains, taking in a deep breath as I mentally prepare myself for what I am about to do next.

Okay, Trinity. You have got this.

In three... two... one.

Shutting my eyes, I propel my body forward, and the ground beneath my feet disappears for a second. My body falls from the first floor and to the grassy floor below. My body lands on my side, on my arm to be precise. I freeze, holding my breath, but nothing stirs. No footsteps. No voices. Just the quiet of the night.

Just as I shoot to my feet, pain shoots up my arm like an arrow through the air. My lips part to let out a scream as I clench my possibly broken arm. But I do not dare let out any sound.

The pain in my arm flares, a reminder of what is to come if I stay here any longer. Actually, the pain I might sustain in the hands of these people might actually be worse. The pain is nothing compared to what I’ve endured here, in this pack. In this cage.

I made my way towards the fence, and the hairs on the back of my neck all stood. Suddenly I could feel something boring into the back of my skull.

Please don’t tell me it is what I think it is.

Slowly, I glance up at the window next to mine, and my eyes lock with a pair of cold and calculative eyes.

Amara.

Her face is framed in the window, her eyes meeting mine. My heart skips a beat, panic rising in my chest, but instead of the anger I expect, her lips curve slightly. She lifts her hand, waving—just a casual farewell.

Okay... That was not exactly what I was expecting.

I expected her to cause a scene. Inform her sister and mother of my attempted escape. But she just sat there with a wicked grin on her lips, waving at me.

She wanted me to leave.

I don’t know why, but the sight of her waving at me, not trying to stop me, only fuels the fire inside me. I was not wanted here. I was despised.

There was absolutely nothing for me here. I had a good life in the city, and I sure as hell will not lose it to stay here.

Suddenly, Xerxes’ words return to mind.

“You are not to leave pack territory until one month has passed. If you dare defy this order, you will be hunted down.”

We will see about that, Xerxes.

I’m already turning away, my feet moving before I can second-guess myself. I don’t look back, but something in me tells me she won’t follow. Not tonight.

I push myself forward, my legs aching with every step, my breath sharp and shallow. The pack border is ahead, looming in the distance, and I can see the faint outlines of the guards posted along it.

I can make it. I can do this. I have to.

The tension in my body tightens, every instinct screaming at me to keep moving, to stay low and quiet. The guards are close, but I don’t stop. I keep my pace steady, my eyes fixed on the line ahead.

I’m almost there.

A noise breaks through the silence—a growl, low and menacing.

My blood runs cold.

I don’t turn, but I can feel it—feel the presence of something behind me, something fast. A wolf.

I push harder, my breath coming in ragged bursts, my legs burning as I sprint toward the border. I’m almost there. Almost past it.

And then, suddenly, the world shifts. The growl turns into a blur of motion, and the wolf is on me.

I don’t even have time to react. His body slams into mine, knocking me to the ground. Pain explodes in my chest as the air leaves my lungs, and I gasp for breath. His weight pins me, claws digging into the earth beside me, his body pressing me into the dirt.

I struggle beneath him, trying to twist free, but he’s too strong. Too heavy.

“Get off!” I scream, but my voice cracks, panic and desperation rising in my throat.

The wolf’s amber eyes gleam as he leans closer, his hot breath fanning across my neck. His growl rumbles deep in his chest, and for a moment, I think I see something in his eyes—something familiar. Recognition.

It does not take me a second to realize whose wolf this was.

Nasir.

My blood freezes in my veins as I watch him shift into his human form above me. My heart raced, and it felt as though my face had been set ablaze.

Once in his human form, the first thing I notice is his impressive eyelashes; they were so long and full. As he stared down at me, the corners of his lips lifted into a menacing smirk that only amplified his beauty.

And then he uttered words that made me instantly realize that I was in deep s**t.

“Running now, are we?”