Dark Before Dawn

“Chapter 4: Escape,”

────── ☽ ⋅ D A W N ⋅ ☾──────

A FEW YEARS LATER.

I found myself standing behind the coffee shop counter, my fingers tapping impatiently on its smooth, shiny surface. A woman in front of me was taking forever to decide if she wanted her coffee with or without caffeine. I was so tired of making fancy coffee drinks that I felt like I might lose my mind. I let out a quiet sigh as I watched her mumble to herself about her choices. I knew I was extra grumpy because I hadn't slept well, and my wolf side was restless. It had been over a week since I'd let her run free in the woods.

The big problem was that there wasn't enough open space in the city for me to run safely. To get to the real woods, I'd have to drive for an hour. Between going to school and working, it was hard to find time for such a long trip. When I first moved here and felt desperate, I briefly thought about going to the nearby dog park. But I quickly realized that wouldn't work out well for the humans or my wolf side.

"You know what?" the woman suddenly said, making me clench my teeth even harder. "I think I'll just have a medium chai tea latte instead." I gave her my best fake smile, the one I use for customers. Inside, though, I was imagining jumping over the counter and choking her with my bare hands. My wolf side growled in agreement with this idea.

But, I knew better than her, so I quickly punched her new order into the computer screen. "Is that all for today, ma'am?" I asked in an overly sweet voice as I looked up at her. She smiled and nodded as I told her the price, completely unaware of how close she'd come to being in real danger. I felt relieved when she gave me the exact amount of money and then walked away.

I slumped away from the cash register, wiping sweat from my forehead. My eyes drifted to the clock on the wall. Only three more hours until I could leave work. I knew I'd have to make the long drive out to the wildlife area, even though I had a mountain of homework waiting for me at home. If I didn't let my wolf side run free soon, I might end up attacking some innocent person just for looking at me the wrong way.

"Dawn?" I heard my boss, Arlo, call out. I bit the inside of my cheek, reminding myself to keep my attitude in check. I needed this job to pay for the awful apartment I was renting. A week after moving to the city, I'd left the apartment that the pack had given me. I didn't want any connection to the place and people who had so cruelly f****d up my heart and life.

I turned towards his office door and saw him standing there with a serious look on his chubby face. "Can I talk to you for a minute, please?" he asked. I nodded, but inside I was groaning. In my experience, when someone asks if they can talk to you, it's never about anything good.

"Arwan, can you watch the register for me? I'll be right back," I said to the new girl who was making fresh coffee. She smiled and gave me a thumbs up, and I tried hard not to roll my eyes. I frowned as I walked into the tiny office and sat down in the uncomfortable chair across from my boss. He looked at me in a way that probably wasn't appropriate for work, but at least he had never tried to touch me. If he had, he would have been in for quite a surprise, and my wolf side would have given him a swift bite on his backside.

He leaned back in his chair. "So, I got a phone call," he said. I tensed up when I heard this. I had a strong feeling I already knew where this conversation was going. "It was from a detective named Beau..."

I almost laughed out loud. A detective? Couldn't he have come up with something more original?

Arlo kept talking, "He gave me his direct phone number and asked me to have you call him back when I saw you next. He said it was an urgent matter that needs your immediate attention."

I tried not to make a face. The moment I had been dreading ever since I was allowed to leave pack territory was finally happening. I had done everything I could to hide my tracks, hoping they would forget about me, but of course it couldn't be that simple.

"Is there something going on that I should know about, Dawn? Any problems at home or school?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. That was my spark to think that indeed, humans were so nosy. They seemed to love drama.

I thought carefully about how to answer his question. I imagined saying, "Well, now that you mention it, Arlo... Yes, there is a problem. My ex-mate won't leave me alone, even though he rejected me and chose someone else. Oh, what's that? You didn't know werewolves were real? Well, one thing to make it real is when you see your head tumbling like a turd in the wind seconds from now."

Instead, I put on a tight smile. "Not at all. I had some trouble with an ex-boyfriend a while back. This must be about that. Restraining orders aren't as effective as they used to be," I said shortly.

He nodded awkwardly and cleared his throat. "Well then, I'll give you a moment here to call him back. For future reference, you should really think about getting a cell phone, Dawn. The work phone isn't meant for personal calls," he added, sounding a bit judgmental as he got up from behind his desk and slid me a piece of paper with a phone number scrawled on it in messy handwriting.

I glared down at the number, waiting until he left the room and closed the door before I reached for the phone. The phone rang a couple of times before I heard the soft click of someone picking up.

"Hello? Creed speaking..."

A strong feeling of remembering old times washed over me when I heard the voice I knew so well. It took a few seconds for my brain to understand that he was picking up Beau's personal phone.

"Creed, how come you're answering Beau's phone?" I couldn't stop myself from asking. The reason I had called in the first place suddenly disappeared as my mind filled with questions.

"Dawn? Is it really you?" He sounded shocked to hear my voice. This was probably because I had cut off all connections to everyone when I left, trying to hide my tracks. I didn't want to force them to choose between following their alpha's orders and protecting their friend. It wasn't fair to put them in that position.

I moved closer to the phone. "It's me, you big dummy. Have I been gone for so long that you've forgotten about me?" I joked, trying to lighten the heavy feeling in the air.

There was a long, quiet moment, followed by a deep breath out. "Dawn, I'm so happy you're alive." I could hear how relieved he was. "I was worried you might be dead. I've missed you so much. You can't imagine how good it feels to hear your voice." I had to fight hard not to explain why I did what I did, because deep down, I knew he already understood my reasons.

"Where are you? Are you safe?" These were the questions I had been expecting to hear.

"I'm safe. I'm going to school and working hard to pay for a tiny, not-so-great apartment. Oh, and by the way, that truck you let me borrow is a real piece of junk. So, thanks for that."

He let out a soft laugh, and I found myself smiling for real for the first time all day. My wolf side seemed less worried. That part of all shifters always felt happier when we had friends around. Our wolf sides weren't meant to live alone.

Talking to Creed made me think of home, my real home. I missed the mountains where I grew up. I missed the house I lived in as a child. I missed all the familiar things that made me feel comfortable. The feeling of wanting to go back home grew stronger and stronger. I knew it was a mistake to call Beau back. I should have left things as they were, but as usual, I acted without thinking.

He let out another long, relieved sigh. "That's good to hear. Really good."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "How are things going for you?"

"They're good. I'm going to become a beta soon. The ceremony is happening this weekend." I had always thought he would be the one to get that position. My father had trained him well, after all.

"That's great news, Creed. The pack will be better off with you as beta," I said honestly.

"Thanks. It'll be hard work, but I’m confident I’ll be used to it, soon enough." I could hear how proud he was.

"Beau has been doing well since he took over his father's role." As soon as he mentioned Beau's name, the warm feeling of connection disappeared. I remembered why I had called in the first place, and it made me feel tired and empty.

"Speaking of Beau, could you put him on the phone, Creed?" I asked in a calm voice. I knew I sounded too calm, and that wasn't good.

He was quiet for a moment, like he was thinking about what to say. "He's busy with Anastasia right now."

Hearing her name sent a sharp pain through my chest. I tried not to think about the last time I saw them together at the announcement ceremony, but the images flooded my mind anyway. My wolf side growled loudly in my head. She didn't quite understand that we had been rejected and that there wouldn't be a happy ending for us.

I gripped the phone tightly. "I don't have time for games, Creed. He called me, and I'm calling him back. Either he talks to me now, or he never talks to me again. You have ten seconds to put him on, or I'm hanging up." I snapped, no longer in the mood for friendly chat. I would never have spoken to any of them like that before, but I had been on my own for two years. Not having to answer to anyone had changed how I saw everything. It gave me the chance to grow up and make my own mistakes without someone always watching over me.

They thought I was going to come back after college was over. That was the only reason I had been allowed to go in the first place. That, and the fact that Beau's parents were afraid I would ruin their plans to make our pack great again. They couldn't trust that the connection between their son and me had been broken enough to keep him focused on the female they had chosen. The moment I left, I had promised myself that I was never going back to that place if I could help it. I would live in hiding if I had to, but I was never going back.

Creed was quiet for a moment, surprised again. "Uh... Yeah, hold on a second." My heart started racing as I realized I was about to talk to my mate. No, scratch that, my ex-mate, and I hadn't spoken to him since he rejected me. I felt my hands start to sweat.

"Dawn," his voice came through the phone, and the pain in my chest grew as if the rejection had happened just yesterday.

I clenched my teeth for a moment before speaking. "How the f**k did you find me?" I needed to know. I didn't care if I sounded disrespectful. My anger about the situation wouldn't let me act any other way. Respect was earned, and he had done nothing to earn my respect.

There was a pause. "I contacted a nearby pack. They did some looking into the matter of our missing she-wolf," he replied, not giving away much information.

"I have permission to be here, Beau. The pack threw me here, didn’t they?" I snapped at him, reminding him that his father had helped me arrange things to be the way they were.

"It's been two years." His voice became sharper. "You haven't checked in once. That was not part of the deal, and you know it." He sounded clipped, even a little angry. I knew he would be upset that I hadn't stayed in touch as I had promised his parents, but then again, no one had tried very hard to contact me until now. I had hoped that was a sign that they were letting me go my own way.

I could only guess this was his way of giving me space after everything that had happened between us. The guilt of rejecting me had probably kept him away for a while before he could no longer ignore his wolf's need to search for me. It didn't matter that he had his chosen female. She would never be what I was to him.

"You left the apartment that my father rented for you, and you didn't leave a number for anyone to reach you or a new address. Nothing. You disappeared into thin air without a word. I spent a lot of time and money tracking you down, Dawn." His words sent a shiver through me. This wasn't healthy, and it certainly wasn't right. He had tied himself to another female, but still, our connection lingered like a broken radio signal. It’s just incredibly f****d up.

"Yeah, there was a reason for that, Beau. I didn't want you to reach me. I didn't want to be found. I wanted to be left alone. The only reason I'm calling you now is to tell you not to look for me anymore. Be content knowing that I'm alive," I said flatly, knowing that I was pushing him closer to the edge with my attitude.

He let out a warning growl through the phone, but it didn't have the same effect it would in person. "You are still part of this pack. I'm your alpha now, and you will respect me. You have been allowed more freedoms and leeway than anyone else. Maybe more than you should have, given how things have turned out. Others think you’re given special treatment."

"Well, f**k all but I didn't ask for any special treatment, Alpha!" I snapped back at him, using his title to mock him.

"I didn't have to let you go, Dawn. I could have stopped you from leaving." He threw it in my face, reminding me that, as Alpha, he had the power to control my life as long as I remained connected to the pack.

"Yeah, but you did let me go, didn't you? You had a choice, and you chose," I said harshly. We both knew I wasn't talking about my little time away anymore. I heard his breath catch a bit, and I could tell my words had affected him because a faint familiar sting bloomed in my chest. I pushed the pain down.

"Dawn, I'm—"

"Save it," I interrupted. I could tell he was going to apologize, but I was so tired of all the apologies he had given me. They didn't take away what had happened. They were only weak attempts to soothe away the pain he had caused.

I rolled my eyes at him through the phone. "Look, is there a reason for this call, Beau? Other than to remind me, of my place in life?" I said, pretending to be bored as I tried to ignore the need to apologize for my behavior. The wolf part of me only knew the order of things; the alpha was above everyone and required our complete obedience. Disrupting that order was often met with punishment, which could sometimes be severe.

I could tell that I was getting under his skin, but he held back his anger. "Yes. There is a reason." He was all business now. "We are having a pack meeting this weekend. There are important matters and changes happening that the whole pack needs to discuss and hear about. You are still part of this pack, so I expect you to be there."

"No," I said without hesitation. I wasn't going to go back there. I knew if I did, I would never be allowed to leave again. He wouldn't allow that. His wolf wouldn't allow that. I would be forced to spend the rest of my days watching as he shared what was supposed to be our future with someone else.

"Excuse me?" His voice rumbled a little.

"You heard me. I said no, Beau. I won't come home this weekend, next weekend, or ever again. Consider this my resignation from the pack." And from you, my mind added. I could feel my body shaking as I came to terms with what I had just said to him. Beau let out a loud growl that made my wolf whimper inside. She wanted to submit, but my pride wouldn't allow it.

"If you don't come home, then I'll come to you. I'll drag you back kicking and screaming if I have to, Dawn. That's a moon oath." His voice was shaking with rage at my disrespect.

I smiled, feeling a sick kind of satisfaction at causing him such distress. I looked at it as payback for breaking my fragile, young heart before it even had time to dream of a future with him. "Good luck trying to find me. Goodbye, Beau."

"Don't you dare hang—"

I hung up the phone on him. The phone rang again within seconds. I knew it was him, but I ignored it, pushed myself out of the chair, and walked quickly toward the door. I only had an hour, maybe a few hours at most, to get ahead of Beau and the thugs he was going to send to fetch me. I needed to get home, pack up what I could, and disappear.

As I left the small office, I was hit with the sound of elevator music and customers chatting. The noise did nothing to calm my racing heart. I was still high on the rush of telling Beau off. I spotted Arlo leaning against the back counter, staring at poor, unaware Arwan and her backside as she took care of the customers.

He must have seen me as I left his room because he straightened up and turned towards me. "Is everything okay?" he asked. I nodded my head before I reached behind me and started undoing my apron.

He watched me move with a raised eyebrow. I unwrapped it from my body and put it down on the counter with a tight-lipped smile. "Yes. Everything is fine. So, fine that I got bored as hell.”

“Wait, what are you talk—”

“I’m resigning."

────── • ☽ •✧⃝ ✧• ☾ • ──────

TO BE CONTINUED.