Episode 2
1368 Words
The forest floor was wet and cold beneath Sarah’s bare feet. She didn’t know how long she had been walking.
Her dress was torn, her hair stuck to her face, and every breath felt heavy, like her lungs had turned to stone.
Behind her, the lights of the Whitemoon Pack were fading.
Her home.
Her family.
Her Alpha.
All gone.
The mark of her bond still burned on her skin. It pulsed like a wound that wouldn’t close.
Every time she remembered Nova’s voice, cold, final, unforgivin. the pain deepened.
“You are not my mate,” he had said.
The words echoed in her mind like a curse.
Sarah stumbled over a root and fell to her knees. Mud splashed across her arms.
The rain had turned the ground slick and sharp with stones.
She wanted to stop, to curl up and sleep, but she was afraid that if she did, she would never wake again.
A growl rumbled from somewhere in the distance. Her heart jumped. Wolves. Maybe rogues. Maybe worse.
She pushed herself up, leaning against a tree. Her body trembled, but she forced her legs to move.
The forest was thick with fog, and the air smelled of wet leaves and danger.
Her wolf was silent inside her. weak, frightened.
She whispered, “Please, don’t leave me too.”
For a moment, she thought she heard an answer, faint and broken: I’m here.
It was enough to make her keep walking.
The storm eased near dawn. A pale light broke through the trees.
Sarah found a small clearing and fell to the ground beside a fallen log.
Her body ached from the cold and hunger. She pulled her knees close, trying to stay warm.
Images of Lydia’s fake tears haunted her. The way the pack had looked at her, disgust, pity, betrayal.
The Alpha’s eyes had been the worst. Once they had made her feel safe.
Last night, they had made her feel worthless.
“I didn’t do it,” she whispered into the silence. “I didn’t.”
The forest didn’t answer. The only sound was the soft drip of rain from the leaves.
Sarah buried her face in her hands. “Moon, please... I don’t want to die like this.”
But she also didn’t want to live as a lie. Seen as a betrayal.Not anymore.
A single tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it away and looked toward the east.
The sky was turning orange. A new day. A cruel one, maybe, but new.
By midday, her strength was almost gone. She followed the river, hoping it would lead to a road or a pack border.
Her hands were scratched from pushing through bushes.
Her stomach growled, but there was nothing to eat except wild roots she didn’t recognize.
A rustle came from behind her. Sarah turned quickly, heart pounding.
Two glowing eyes watched her from the shadows.
A wolf. large, dark, and wild.
Her breath caught. Rogues.
She backed away slowly. “Please,” she whispered, voice shaking.
“I’m not here to fight. I am not a threat. Please just let me go”
The wolf snarled, baring its teeth. Then another appeared behind it.
Sarah’s legs trembled. She picked up a branch, though she knew it was useless.
When the first wolf lunged, she swung with all her strength.
The branch broke, but the sound startled the animal enough to make it pause.
Then she ran.
Branches whipped at her face. Her heart pounded so fast it hurt.
The wolves chased, their growls growing louder. She could almost feel their breath on her heels.
She broke through the trees and stumbled down a muddy hill.
The ground disappeared beneath her feet.
She fell.
The world spun. Pain burst through her body as she hit the rocks below. Then everything went still.
The sound of rushing water filled her ears. She was lying beside a stream.
The wolves stood at the edge of the slope, growling but not coming closer.
They sniffed the air and turned away, disappearing into the woods.
Sarah lay on her side, gasping. Her body hurt everywhere. Her vision blurred.
Maybe this was how it ended, not by claws or poison, but by silence.
Her eyes fluttered closed.
Time passed. She didn’t know how long. The air grew colder, and rain began again.
She could barely lift her head. The world around her faded into mist.
Then came the sound of footsteps, steady, purposeful.
A shadow moved through the fog. A tall figure knelt beside her. A man’s voice spoke, deep and calm.
“Easy now,” he said. “You’re safe.”
She tried to open her eyes. All she saw was a pair of grey ones, sharp, steady, and strangely gentle.
“Who…” she whispered, her voice too weak to finish.
“Hush now, Don’t talk,” he said. “You’re injured.”
He turned to someone behind him. “Get the healer. Now.”
A second voice answered, “Yes, Alpha.”
Sarah blinked, confused. Alpha?
The word echoed faintly. She wanted to ask where she was, but her lips barely moved.
Has Nova come back for her? What will she face this time ? This thought circled her mind.
Though she was so weak, she hasn't eaten, she could she feel pains from her bruises but Sarah couldn't move,or say a thing.
The man touched her wrist, checking her pulse. His hand was warm despite the rain.
“You’re lucky we found you,” he said quietly. “Rest. You’ll be safe in Silvercrest territory.”
Silvercrest. She’d heard that name before. A pack known for its honor and strength. Her foggy mind struggled to process it.
Safe.
The word didn’t sound real.
Her eyes closed again as darkness pulled her back under.
The last thing she felt was his touch, firm, protective, nothing like the one that had cast her away.
At the healers place, Sarah layed still on the bed like a long of wood. Paled, thin, bruises all over her.
Sarah began to move, slowly, her eyes tightened, her hands clutching tight to the bedsheet, like she's struggling for her life.
“No. I didn't. I didn't do it. Stop. Please. Am not a threat. They are behind me. Help! Help”.
Sarah screamed from her sleep. Breathing heavily. She was having a bad dream.
When she opened her eyes, sunlight streamed through a window. The smell of herbs filled the air.
She lay on a soft bed, wrapped in blankets. Her body hurt, but the pain was dull now, bearable.
She tried to sit up, but a voice stopped her. “Don’t. You need to rest please”.
She turned her head. The man from the forest stood near the door, arms crossed.
His hair was dark, his face calm but strong.
There was something steady in his presence, like a mountain that couldn’t be moved.
“Where am I?” she asked weakly.
“Silvercrest packhouse,” he said. “I’m Alpha Damian.”
Sarah blinked. “You saved me?”
He nodded once. “My patrol found you near the river. You were barely breathing.”
She swallowed hard. “Thank you. Alpha?...”
“Damian. Alpha Damian” he replied.
Damian’s gaze softened slightly. “You’re safe here,” he said. “No one will hurt you under my watch.”
Her throat tightened. The words hit something deep inside her, something she thought she’d lost.
Safe.
She hadn’t felt that in a long time.
Damian turned toward the door. “The healer will bring you food. Rest while you can.”
As he walked out, Sarah let her head fall back onto the pillow. She stared at the ceiling, her heart heavy but alive.
She didn’t know who this Alpha was or why fate had brought her here.
But for the first time since her exile, she didn’t feel completely alone.
Outside, the rain stopped. Light poured through the window, bright and soft.
The storm had ended,
and with it, the last pieces of her old life.
Her mate had broken her bond,
but the moon was still watching.
- Writer
