Chapter 2: The Midnight Escape
520 Words
The pack house was deathly silent, but to my ears, every creak of the floorboards sounded like a gunshot.
I had nothing but a small backpack filled with essentials and the heavy secret growing inside me. My wolf, usually vocal and proud, was whimpering in the back of my mind. She knew the stakes. If we were caught, there would be no trial. The Alpha of the Sun-Claw Pack believed in 'purity' above all else, and a Hybrid’s child was the ultimate sin.
I slipped through the kitchen window, my feet hitting the damp grass with a soft thud.
"Going somewhere, Elara?"
The cold, sharp voice made my blood turn to ice. I froze, my hand trembling as I gripped the straps of my bag. Slowly, I turned to see Silas, the Pack Beta. He was leaning against a tree, his golden eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"I... I couldn't sleep," I lied, my voice small. "I wanted some fresh air."
Silas took a step closer, his nose twitching as he caught my scent. My heart stopped. I had used heavy herbs to mask the smell of the pregnancy, but Silas had the keenest senses in the pack.
"You smell... different," he murmured, his gaze traveling down to my stomach. "Sickly. Or perhaps, secretive."
"I'm just tired, Silas. Let me go."
For a moment, the silence was suffocating. I prayed to the Moon Goddess that he wouldn't shift and alert the others. Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, a distant, bone-chilling howl ripped through the night.
It wasn't a wolf’s howl. It was deeper, more melodic, and filled with a terrifying power that made the very air vibrate.
The Shadow King. Damian.
Silas’s attention snapped toward the forest. "Rogues," he hissed, his eyes glowing bright gold. "Get back inside, Elara! Now!"
He didn't wait for my answer. He shifted into a massive gray wolf and sprinted toward the border to join the patrol. This was my only chance.
Instead of going back to the house, I ran. I ran faster than I ever had, my lungs burning and my legs aching. I didn't head for the main roads; I headed straight for the heart of the Shadow Forest—the one place Silas and the pack feared to enter.
I crashed through the thick brush, the thorns tearing at my skin, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop.
I was halfway across the ravine when a sudden shadow blocked the moonlight. I looked up, expecting to see a wolf, but instead, I saw a figure perched on a high rock.
It was him. Damian.
He didn't look like he was hunting. He looked like he was waiting. His violet eyes pierced through the darkness, landing directly on me.
"I told you I was your ruin, Elara," he said, his voice a low growl that echoed in my chest. "Did you think you could run from me while carrying my blood?"
My legs gave out, and I sank into the mud, looking up at the monster who was the only person who could save me—or destroy me.
- Writer
