The Moon's Legacy

Into the Night

Willow POV

I made it through the rest of dinner hanging on by a thread. Keith backed off, more because my father started engaging him in conversation he couldn't politely avoid than out of any concern for my reactions, but I was grateful for that either way.

Despite how my gut was churning, I ate every bit of the dinner that was served. I would need the calories. I had no idea how far I would need to run before I would have a chance to stop and rest. Ivy was fully on board with moving up the timeline.

Everyone finally finished. Father stood, ignoring the omegas who were clearing the table. "Alpha Keith, would you join me in my study for some brandy?"

Keith's eyes flicked to me, then over to my father. "Of course, Alpha Ellis. I'd love a nightcap." He helped me with my chair, still acting the gentleman, and leaned down so his lips were by my ear again. "I'll see you soon, sweet mate," he whispered.

Rage flushed my cheeks red, but he must have mistaken it for a blush because he just laughed before walking over to join my father as they left. I turned and hurried back to my room before anyone could stop me.

As quickly as I could, I gathered everything I'd prepared so far. I tucked it behind the door, out of the way of anyone who might look in but still easy to grab. After I changed out of my dress and into dark jeans and a black sweater, I sat with my back to the door so I would feel if anyone tried to come in. I checked my phone—it was still fairly early, all things considered—so I folded my arms and tried to take a quick nap.

Surprisingly, I was able to sleep, though I woke up lying on the floor instead of sitting. The room was dark, and the hallway was quiet. It was after midnight.

"No time like the present," I muttered.

I grabbed my pack and slipped it on, then cracked my door open and listened. There was no sound other than the hum of the air conditioning, so I slipped out, gently shutting the door behind me. The servant staircase was right around the corner, and I slipped in with no issues. I followed the steps down, stopping on each landing to make sure I didn't hear any other movement. When I reached the bottom, I breathed a sigh of relief. The door to exit the pack house was right around the corner from the stairwell exit. I was almost there.

Once again, I opened the door and waited, but didn't hear a sound. I slipped out, catching the door before it could slam shut and easing it closed, then turned. And froze.

Allison was at the other end of the hall, staring straight at me. Her eyes traveled over me, stopping on the pack on my shoulder, then back to my face. Our gaze held for a beat, then two, before she turned, dropping the folder she held into the inbox on the wall, and simply walked away.

The breath I'd been holding rushed out of me. I waited another beat before I turned and ran for the front door, thoughts spinning. Why didn't she say anything? She could have easily tried to stop me. Maybe she did care a little after all.

'No time to worry about it now, Willow. We need to move!' Ivy snapped, bringing my focus back to where it needed to be.

'You're right, I'm sorry.'

'We need to get to the pond. Hurry.'

I ran, sticking to the shadows, a part of me still waiting for Allison to raise the alarm, even though something told me she wouldn't. I stopped at the corner of one of the smaller storage sheds at the back of the territory, watching for the patrols in the trees. This next stretch was one of the most dangerous—there was no cover, only open fields. I would need to be fast.

I saw two wolves run by, right on time, and waited until they were well past before I ran. The wind whipped at my hair, my legs pumped, and my breathing came heavy, but I fell at the edge of the pond without being seen.

I slipped out of my clothes, folded them and put them into the pack, then stepped back. 'Okay, Ivy, you're up.'

The shift was quick. Quicker than it had been in years. I reveled in Ivy's strength, in how our shared body was supposed to feel when we weren't being drained.

Ivy stretched, then grabbed the pack with her teeth and headed to the muddy section of the pond. She dropped the pack behind some bushes, then bellied down, rolling in the thick sludge along the edge of the water.

She was almost fully covered when her ears pricked, catching a noise in the distance. She sank lower into the mud.

Footsteps sounded over the bank. Voices carried down to us, relaxed and laughing.

"Did you see those new trainees today? They got their asses kicked." Deep, amused. A warrior on patrol?

"All trainees get their asses kicked. It's part of being a trainee." This voice was dry, more of a baritone.

Feet scuffed along stone. "True, I guess. At least it's a slow night on patrol. Gives us a chance to take a quick break."

The second man scoffed. "So you say. I'm not getting stuck on night patrol for the next month." There was silence for a moment. "Do you smell that?"

Ivy was ready to burst from the pond and run, but I held her back. 'He doesn't necessarily mean us, Ivy. You're masking our scent already, and we're covered in mud. We have a better chance if we stay still.'

'I can take them both if I have to.'

'But if you do, they're sure to sound the alarm. We can't take that chance.'

"It's probably just some kids out here earlier. You know how they are. The scent is faint, so they're long gone by now," the first voice responded.

One of them picked up a rock and tossed it into the pond, sending a ripple of water our way. Ivy crept lower, bracing for it to wash over us.

"Hey! You two! Quit wasting time. Get back on your route!" The angry shout sounded from somewhere on the left, a good distance from us.

"See? Not worth getting into trouble with the Delta. Come on, let's get moving." The second voice paused. "And you're probably right. It was likely just some teenagers earlier."

Their footsteps faded along with their voices. I stayed low in the mud for a solid five minutes, straining to hear anything other than the night noises in the forest, before I finally gave Ivy permission to get up.

She grabbed the pack from where she'd stashed it, then aimed for the trees. Her white fur was completely covered with dark brown mud, so she blended in as she slipped through them. When we got to the edge of the territory, we paused long enough to break our pack link.

"I, Willow Blackwood, hereby reject and cut all ties with the Stonefang Pack and render myself a rogue." Though I was still in Ivy's form when I said the words, I felt the pack link break, a sharp snap right under my sternum. Ivy shook her head as if she felt it, too, then took off running again.

We ran through the night, ears pricked for the howls of wolves behind us that never came. Near dawn, we came upon another stream. Ivy dropped our pack and jumped in, rinsing herself clean. I shifted back into the middle of the water, washing the remnants of the run off myself before I exited and got dressed.

I slung the pack over my shoulder, then headed in the direction of the human town that the stream bordered. As the sun greeted us, I felt lighter than I had in years. I finally felt…free.