Claimed By The Alpha Queen

Chapter 2: The First Step Away

CHAPTER TWO

THE FIRST STEP AWAY

TALIA

I didn't look back.

That was the first rule I made for myself.

If I looked back at the palace, at the place I had spent most of my life, I knew there was a chance I would turn around. I would remember everything waiting for me there. The crown. The responsibilities. The people who depended on me.

So I kept walking.

For the first few minutes, I couldn't believe I was actually doing it. My heart was beating faster than usual, and every few steps, I caught myself wondering whether someone would come after me.

No one did.

I slowed down.

The quiet around me felt strange. I was so used to people being nearby that having nobody beside me almost made me uncomfortable.

I took a deep breath.

"You're really doing this, Talia."

I smiled to myself.

There was something almost funny about hearing my own voice say my name without a title attached to it.

Not Your Majesty, not Alpha Queen. Just Talia. I liked it.

I continued walking, letting myself take in everything around me. I wasn't rushing anymore. There was no reason to. Nobody was waiting for me at the end of the hallway. Nobody was reminding me that I was late for a meeting.

For once, I could move at my own pace.

And that simple thought made me feel lighter.

I stopped for a moment and looked back. The palace was still visible in the distance.

I stared at it. I had spent years believing that leaving would be impossible. Yet there I was, standing outside it with nothing but a few belongings and a decision I had made for myself.

Part of me felt guilty. Another part felt relieved. I couldn't decide which feeling was stronger.

I turned away.

"I'll come back," I whispered.

I meant it. I wasn't abandoning my life forever. I wasn't abandoning my people. I just needed time away from the woman everyone expected me to be.

I needed to remember the woman underneath all of it. I kept walking.

As the distance between me and the palace grew, my thoughts became quieter. I started thinking about simple things instead of responsibilities.

What would I eat?,where would I sleep?, what would I do all day?

The last question made me laugh. I didn't know.

And strangely, I was beginning to enjoy not knowing. Normally, every part of my day was planned. There was always somewhere I needed to be and something I needed to do.

Now I had nothing. It felt almost irresponsible. It also felt wonderful.

I continued until I finally stopped to rest. I sat down for a moment, looking at the small bag beside me.

I opened it. Then I froze. My heart dropped.

"No." I searched through it again.

Nothing.

I checked every pocket, still nothing. I stared at the bag in disbelief.

My identification. I had left it behind. I almost laughed.

Of all the things I could have forgotten, it had to be that.

I leaned back and sighed. "Great job, Talia."

For a moment, I considered turning around.

It would be easy.

I could go back, retrieve it, and leave again.

But then I imagined walking back into the palace.

Someone would see me. Someone would ask where I had been. Someone would ask why I had changed my mind.

And before I knew it, I'd be back in my room, back in my old clothes, back to being the person everyone expected.

No. I couldn't do that, not yet.

I picked up my bag. "I'll figure it out."

That was another thing I wasn't used to saying.

I'll figure it out.

Normally, I was supposed to already have the answer.

This time, I didn't, and somehow, that was okay.

I continued on. The farther I went, the less familiar everything became. I didn't recognize the surroundings anymore, and that should have frightened me.

Instead, I felt free.

I wondered what Mira would say if she could see me now.

She would probably tell me I was being reckless.

Then she would probably smile. I smiled at the thought. I missed her already.

I reached into my bag and found the small note she had slipped inside before I left.

I unfolded it.

There were only a few words. Don't forget who you are. I stared at the note for a long moment. Then I folded it carefully and put it away.

"I won't." I continued walking. By then, I had stopped thinking about the palace.

I was thinking about the life ahead of me. A quiet life, a normal life.

A life where I could wake up and decide what I wanted to do.

Maybe I would meet people, maybe I would make friends, maybe nobody would ever know who I really was.

The thought made me smile. For once, I didn't want to be remembered. I wanted to be unknown.

I wanted someone to meet me and see Talia before they saw anything else.

I kept moving until the light began to change. I looked ahead.

The road continued farther than I could see.

I tightened my grip on my bag and took another step.

Then another.