Chapter 9: Escape Into Darkness
301 Words
The stranger's warning was a catalyst. Lyra knew she couldn't stay a day longer. Clara was getting suspicious, Damien was getting volatile, and her power was becoming too volatile to suppress.
It was a stormy night when she made her move. Thunder shook the heavens, and heavy rain masked her scent and footsteps.
Lyra slipped out of her storage room, carrying nothing but her father's pendant and the silver dagger. She moved through the packhouse like a ghost, avoiding the drowsy guards.
She made it to the western boundary line—the edge of the territory where the cliffs overlooked a roaring, black river. Freedom was just beyond the treeline.
"Going somewhere, mutt?"
Lyra froze.
From the darkness of the trees, Beta Marcus and five elite warriors emerged. Beside them stood Clara, wearing a raincoat and a look of pure glee.
"I knew you were going to run," Clara gloated. "You've been acting like a beaten dog, but your eyes... your eyes gave you away. Father, kill her. Toss her into the river. Tell Alpha Damien she tried to attack us."
Marcus stepped forward, his claws extending. "You've been a nuisance for ten years, Lyra. It ends tonight."
Lyra didn't shrink back. She smiled. It was a terrifying, beautiful sight.
"You're right," Lyra whispered. "It does end tonight."
Nyx. Now.
Silver light exploded from Lyra's body, blinding the warriors. The sheer force of her aura sent Clara flying into a tree. Marcus gasped, his wolf recoiling in absolute terror at the ancient power radiating from the omega.
Before they could recover, Lyra turned and sprinted toward the cliff's edge. She didn't look back. She leapt into the abyss, plunging into the freezing, violent depths of the river below.
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