Ten
1178 Words
Lila
My heart thumped hard against my chest as he stared at us—green eyes piercing through my soul. I was frozen to the spot and so was Emma. The last thing we thought of was being caught by the Alpha of all people.
A voice echoed in my head. One created from terror. The words left me petrified.
We were going to die.
The Alpha walked towards us and as he came, another man stepped out of the car too. He wasn’t as intimidating as the Alpha, but he was enough to take the both of us out.
I felt Emma trembling, and the thought of her using magic struck me. If she did, we were as good as dead.
“What are you guys doing out here?” He asked.
I was speechless, unsure of what to tell him. What could I say that would let us make it out alive from this situation? Honestly, I didn’t know.
“They were trying to escape,” a familiar voice replied from behind me.
My heart squeezed in fright as the man Emma had knocked out with magic rose to his feet. He groaned and rubbed the back of his head.
“Really?” The Alpha asked, his tone filled with surprise. “And you were sleeping on the job, Dominic?”
The tall man appeared before the Alpha and dropped to one knee bowing in respect. My eyes couldn’t even follow him. He was too fast.
I was freaking out. What if he had seen Emma use her magic? If that was the case, then we were as good as dead. I tightened my grip on Emma, my plan becoming sweaty as panic swarmed my chest.
“I’m so sorry, Alpha. They knocked me out. I don’t know how but they did,” he said.
The Alpha looked at him, a blank expression on his face. And then, his eyes came back to us. My body grew stiff at the sight of his eyes.
“Well, would you believe that?” The man behind the Alpha said with a soft chuckle. His arms were folded and he seemed to be amused by the drama unraveling.
“Is this true?” The Alpha asked.
I didn’t know what to say? Could I lie? No. That would only make things much worse.
I nodded vigorously. His eyes fell on the man still on his knees.
“You may leave, Dominic,” he ordered.
“Thank you, Alpha,” he said with a bow. And before I could blink, he disappeared, a whoosh of wind brushing my cheeks.
The Alpha closed the space between us until we were only a few feet away. My legs were shaking and I feared they would give out soon. I could feel a cold sweat break on my forehead even though the night breeze was chill.
“You’re tougher than you look,” he said.
I was surprised by that. Was it a compliment? I would take it as that.
“Kaiden,” he said again.
I cranked an eyebrow in confusion.
“Huh?” The words blurted out before I could hold them. Luckily for me, his blank expression didn’t change.
“My name is Kaiden,” he said.
Kaiden. It wasn’t as tough as I expected.
“Now. You both were trying to leave,” he continued. “You are fine to leave. This area is crawling with the gods knows what. And if you feel it’s safer than here, you can leave. But if you stay here, you will become one of us. The choice is yours.”
“What?” The man behind him called. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Kaiden.”
I was surprised that he called the alpha by his name. I was guessing he was someone close to him. Probably his beta.
Kaiden’s green eyes held mine, unyielding, as his words echoed in my mind, stirring a mix of fear and something I couldn’t name.
The night air bit at my skin, but it was his presence that made me shiver. Emma’s hand trembled in mine, her breath shallow, and I prayed she wouldn’t try another spell. Not now, not with Kaiden so close, his aura like a storm ready to break.
“Shut up, Alex,” Kaiden snapped, his voice sharp, cutting off the man behind him.
Alex—that was his name, the one with the folded arms and amused smirk. Probably his beta, bold enough to call the Alpha by name. Kaiden’s gaze never left us, his expression unreadable.
“I’m serious. You’re free to go. The woods are crawling with dangers—gods know what. If you think it’s safer out there, leave. But if you stay, you’re one of us. Choose.”
My mind raced, his words sinking in like stones. Stay with Lycans?
Aunt Greta’s stories flashed through my head—Lycans tearing witches apart, their claws dripping with blood. If they learned what we were, we’d be dead before dawn.
But out there?
The forest held its own terrors—whatever burned Winthoven could still be hunting us. I glanced at Emma, her blue eyes wide, searching mine for an answer.
Kaiden’s offer felt like a trap, a test to see if we’d run and prove our guilt. Yet his voice carried no malice, just a cold certainty that made my stomach churn.
Could we survive out there? No home, no food, my magic still drained after those spells. The village’s ashes still haunted me—bodies, flames, the stench of death.
Staying meant risking exposure, but leaving meant facing starvation or worse. My heart screamed to run, to take my chances in the dark, away from these predators who’d kill us if they knew we were witches.
“I’m leaving,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. I turned to Emma, grabbing her arm. “Come on, we can’t stay here.”
Emma didn’t move. Her feet stayed planted, her face pale but resolute.
“Lila, we don’t have anywhere to go,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “We’ll die out there alone. This place—it’s safe. They saved us, didn’t they?”
I stared at her, disbelief flooding my chest.
“Safe? Emma! Have you lost your mind?”
She shook her head, her jaw set.
“We’re alive now, aren’t we? I’m staying. It’s our best shot.”
I felt like she’d slapped me. Emma, my only friend, choosing to stay in a den of monsters?
My throat tightened, but I couldn’t stay—not with Kaiden’s eyes boring into me, not with the truth of their nature I wasn’t ready to face.
“Fine,” I snapped, my voice sharp with betrayal. “I’m taking my chances out there.”
I turned, storming into the darkness, my heart pounding as I left Emma behind with the pack.
The forest swallowed me, its shadows cold and unforgiving, but I kept moving, driven by fear and the need to survive.
- Writer
