Chapter 4 – The Night I Ran
1148 Words
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The bruises on my arms hadn’t faded when I made my decision. They never did anymore. Every mark Evan left felt like it carved itself deeper into me, into my bones, into my heart.
I couldn’t take it.
So, I packed nothing. Not clothes, not food, not keepsakes—because what did I even own? Everything in that room belonged to him, to the Alpha family, to a life that was never truly mine.
All I carried was resolve.
The night was thick with shadows when I slipped from the pack house. My bare feet whispered across the earth as I moved swiftly, every nerve alight with terror. One wrong step, one wrong sound, and it would all be over.
My chest tightened with every beat of my heart. I had grown up inside these borders. I knew every patrol schedule, every blind spot, every trail. Still, my pulse roared in my ears, screaming that I was one breath away from freedom or death.
The wind carried the scent of pine and wet soil. Somewhere behind me, laughter drifted from the pack house—Evan’s laughter. The sound made bile rise in my throat.
I pressed forward.
Just a little further. Just a little further and I’ll be free.
The treeline opened before me, the moon casting silver light on the borders. My stomach twisted with hope. One more step, and I would leave behind everything—Evan, Emma, the pack that had only ever reminded me I was an outsider.
But as I reached out, the sharp crack of a branch froze me in place.
“Running somewhere, Luna?”
My heart plummeted.
From the shadows stepped a man I recognized all too well—Marcus, one of Evan’s most loyal guards. His smile was sharp, cruel, his eyes gleaming with malice.
“You think Evan doesn’t know?” Marcus sneered. “He’s been waiting for this.”
“No…” My voice trembled. “He—he wouldn’t—”
“Oh, he would.” Marcus’s grip closed around my arm like iron, yanking me back. Pain shot up my shoulder, but worse was the crushing realization that Evan had expected this. That he knew I would try to run. That he wanted me to.
Before I could scream, another guard stepped out of the shadows. Then another. Rough hands bound my wrists, gagged me, dragged me into the darkness like I was nothing but prey.
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I don’t remember how long they kept me locked in that damp, stinking cellar. Hours. Maybe days. My throat was raw from begging, my wrists torn from struggling. No one came. Not Evan. Not Emma. Not anyone.
When the door finally creaked open, I prayed it was mercy.
But mercy never came for me.
Marcus stepped inside with a grin that made my stomach lurch. Behind him stood strangers—men with cold eyes and greedy smirks. My blood ran cold.
“No!” I screamed through cracked lips, thrashing as they dragged me out. “No, please!”
But my pleas fell on deaf ears.
Coins clinked. A transaction was made. And just like that, I was no longer Evan’s mate, no longer the Luna of this pack.
I was property.
Sold like a common slave to the highest bidder.
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The journey blurred. I remember the iron chains biting into my skin, the stench of sweat and blood around me, the harsh laughter of men who spoke of me as though I were livestock. My heart twisted with humiliation, with fury, with grief so raw I thought it would consume me.
Is this what I was born for? To suffer, to break, to be passed from one master to another?
When the carriage finally stopped, the air shifted. Heavy. Dominant. A presence so powerful it made the guards pale as they pulled me forward.
That was the first time I heard his name.
Orion.
The Alpha of Alphas. The feared one. The wolf whose reputation was painted in blood and terror. Mothers told their pups stories of him to keep them obedient. Packs whispered his name with dread, praying never to cross his path.
And now… I was being delivered to him, I prayed to the moon goddess for a miracle, anything to get myself out of this mess .
The guards shoved me to my knees before a towering figure bathed in moonlight. My breath caught in my throat. Broad shoulders. A presence that radiated power and danger. His eyes, silver like molten steel, cut through me as though he could see every secret I carried, every scar on my soul.
Even though every story told of him is about terror, I couldn't deny he is the most handsome man have ever seen.
His piercing silver eyes , his chiseled jaw , he was like a princess gown every little girl that walks to the store wants even though it may not fit .
“This one’s strong,” Marcus said, bowing low. “A runaway Luna. She’ll serve well.”
I braced myself for the blow, for the whip, for the cruelty I had been trained to expect. My body stiffened, my jaw clenched, ready to endure it all.
But instead, his voice came—low, deep, commanding.
“Remove her chains.”
I blinked, certain I had misheard.
The guards hesitated. “Alpha, she’s dangerous—”
“Remove them.”
The chains fell away, clattering to the ground. My wrists stung where the metal had bitten into flesh, but the shock of freedom made me tremble. I lifted my eyes, meeting his gaze.
And then came the words that shattered everything I thought I knew.
“You are mine,” Orion said, his eyes locking with mine, his voice like thunder rolling through my veins. “No one is to touch her except I gave the permission, and if they do let them suffer it in the most gruesome way ever .”
My blood turned to ice.
No. No, it wasn’t possible. Not again. Not after Evan. Not after everything , I can't take it anymore.
I staggered back, shaking my head, my heart hammering in terror and disbelief.
“I don’t want you , pls let me go, I would do anything you want ,” I begged with tears laced in my eyes .
“you feel it don't you, the desire to be mine and nobody else.” he said drawing me closer to him .
“It's a mistake, it has to be” I wishpered .
But even as I spoke, I felt it. A bond snapping into place, strong and undeniable, pulling me toward him just as it had with Evan.
Only this time, it wasn’t gentle.
It was fire.
And I had no idea whether it would burn me alive or save me.
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- Writer
