The Hybrid Luna's Fate

Chapter 5-The Border

Chapter 5

Adeline's POV

The place was quiet now. No one was hovering around the door or knocking every two minutes.

After the incident with Xavier, I had bolted back to the room and locked myself in, not daring to come out.

It had been more than a day since, and I hadn’t eaten anything except the Skittles and KitKats a guard brought up, claiming Xavier sent them. Don’t get me wrong,they did offer me real food, but I refused. I didn’t trust anything made here.

Within the past twenty-four hours, I hadn’t slept. My mind had been running in circles, planning and discarding scenarios for my escape. I had been peering through the window looking for the most quiet path to escape from.

Now, it felt like I was ready to leave.

Earlier, I overheard Xavier telling the guards he had a meeting at the pack house.

A meeting meant distraction.

Not long after, I watched the guards drift away to have breakfast, laughter echoing faintly down the hall. Now was my perfect time to leave.

It was now or nothing.

I pressed my ear to the door one last time. Silence. My chest rose and fell quickly. I counted to three.

One.

Two.

Three.

The door creaked open, and I slipped into the corridor. My heart thundered, but I forced my legs to move, faster and faster until I was running outright. The air was cool against my skin as I darted past the doorways and down staircases.

I finally burst through the front doors. Freedom was ahead.

I didn’t care if anyone saw me. I didn’t care if the floorboards groaned beneath my feet or if my hair whipped wildly behind me. I just needed to get away.

I ran through the open yard, lungs burning, then veered onto a narrow, quiet path I’d noticed before. It wound around the side of the grounds, hidden by trees. My breaths came ragged, my legs ached, but adrenaline drowned it all.

The path spilled into the forest.

And I kept running.

Leaves crunched beneath me. Mud splashed up my legs. My bare feet caught on twigs, but I pushed harder.

The further I got, the lighter my chest felt. Adrenaline rushed through my veins.My hair flew around me like the wind itself carried me forward.

Just a little more. Just a little further.

I thought of home–my bed, my mom’s cooking, Raven and Alex, the familiar streets. Safety. Sanity. Far away from Xavier and his pack of lunatics who thought they could convince me I was one of them. That I was his mate. That I was… a werewolf.

I wasn't going to fall for the illusions of these people.

I wanted none of it.

Branches parted ahead, and I saw it…..the border.

Hope surged through me like fire in my veins.

The line shimmered faintly, glowing under the sun as though the very air itself marked the edge of his territory. Beyond that glow was freedom. Beyond it was mine.

I steadied myself, drawing in a sharp breath.

Then I sprinted.

But the moment I crossed the line—

“f**k!” I cried, stumbling forward as if slammed by an invisible wall.

I hit the ground hard, dirt scraping my palms. My head throbbed, my chest constricted until each breath felt like swallowing glass.

I tried again, dragging myself forward, but the invisible force yanked me back, ripping through my insides. Pain shot down my spine, curled around my ribs, clawed at my heart. I screamed, but the sound broke, torn apart by the agony.

Tears blurred my vision. I clawed at the earth, nails snapping, desperate to move even an inch. But the harder I fought, the deeper the pain sank.

What’s happening to me? Why can’t I move?

The ground spun. My body trembled. The pain wasn’t just physical, it was like something inside me was being unstitched.

And then I heard it.

Footsteps.

At first faint, but growing louder. Steady. Familiar.

My body went cold even before my senses confirmed it—his scent filled the air, sharp and intoxicating, wrapping around me until I wanted to choke.

Xavier.

“How…..” My voice cracked, weak from the strain. “How did you…..”

His shadow fell over me, and then his voice, rough and low, rasped through the trees.

“Are you always this stubborn?”

I ignored him, dragging myself forward again even as agony tore through me. I bit back another scream, choking on the sob that followed.

“Stop, little wolf.” His tone deepened, commanding, laced with authority that made my body twitch against my will. “You’ll only hurt yourself.”

My head snapped toward him, fury blazing through the tears on my cheeks. “What’s happening to me? What have you done? Why can’t I move?”

He crouched, his blue eyes locking onto mine, sending more chills to my spine. “You can’t because of the bond. You can’t leave… or else you’ll get hurt.”

His hand pressed against his chest as though steadying his own heart. His jaw tightened, and for the first time I realized–he was in pain too.

“And I would too,” he added hoarsely.

The words hit me like another blow. He felt it. Every ounce of this torment, he was feeling it too.

“I don’t want this,” I gasped, shaking my head. “I don’t want any of this. Please, just let me go.”

Xavier’s expression hardened. His voice dropped, steady, unyielding.

“This isn’t your choice to make, Adeline. It’s fate. It’s our destiny.” His icy blue eyes pierced deeper, and his lips curled into something sharp, dangerous. “And I never lose what I want.”

Before I could react, his arms slid beneath me. I thrashed weakly, but my muscles refused to obey. My body felt heavy, drained, as though the bond itself had decided the fight was pointless.

Xavier lifted me effortlessly, his grip unrelenting. My body sagged against him, betraying me, while my mind screamed for freedom.

The trees blurred around us as he carried me back, further and further from the border, further from hope.

And still, the strangest part was the scent that clung to him. It filled my lungs, soothed the ache and made my eyes heavy. Against my will, I inhaled it. Once. Twice. My body eased.

At that moment, I gave up. Not just on moving, not just on fighting–but on escaping too.

The last thing I saw before darkness swallowed me was his jaw set firm, his gaze forward, carrying me as though nothing in the world could pry me from him.