A Taste of Freedom
1095 Words
"A Luna Ball?" Maisie screeched.
"Oh, my Goddess, this is amazing! Think of all the handsome men, the dancing, the gowns!"
She twirled around the room as though she were already dancing with an imaginary partner.
"Whoa there, Cinderella."
Natalia grabbed her arm and pulled her down onto the bed beside her.
"This isn't some magical fairy-tale ball, Maisie. Alpha Greythorn announced that I'm expected to mate with a second-born Alpha from another pack so he can come here and lead Goodhaven."
Maisie's mouth fell open.
"Mated? An Alpha? To lead Goodhaven?" She shook her head. "No, Natalia. I don't understand. You're our True Luna. You're supposed to lead the pack."
"Apparently Alpha Greythorn believes we're still too weak to survive under a True Luna alone." Natalia struggled to keep the bitterness from her voice. "He thinks a True Luna and an Alpha ruling together will better protect the pack. Which means I'm expected to mate with one and hand over everything I've spent my life preparing for."
The words hurt even as she spoke them.
"Oh, sweetie."
Maisie's expression crumpled.
She wrapped her arms around Natalia and held her tightly.
"I'm so sorry. Your entire life has been shaped around becoming the leader of this pack, and now they're trying to take that away from you."
The sympathy in her friend's voice was enough to break what little composure Natalia had left.
Tears slipped silently down her cheeks.
A sudden beeping interrupted the hug.
Maisie pulled her phone from her pocket and glanced at the screen.
"Oh! It's Spencer."
She looked up with a grin.
"They're having a party down at the east lakeside and wanted to know if we wanted to come."
The younger members of Goodhaven loved any excuse to gather. The parties were rarely anything scandalous, but they offered a chance to escape parental supervision, dance badly, drink too much, and enjoy being young.
Maisie's brothers, Spencer and Darius, were usually responsible for organizing them after finishing work on the farm.
"Oh, please."
Natalia clasped her hands together dramatically.
"I need to get out of this house."
Maisie laughed.
"Then we'd better initiate the emergency escape plan."
The girls exchanged mischievous grins.
Within minutes they were racing downstairs, loudly announcing that they intended to take tea to their rooms and spend the evening relaxing after such an exciting dinner at Alpha Greythorn's estate.
Natalia could hear her mother complaining about the noise before they had even reached the kitchen.
Meanwhile, her father simply chuckled behind his newspaper.
She had never figured out whether he knew about their frequent escapes.
If he did, he had certainly never stopped them.
After making tea and carrying it upstairs for appearances' sake, they quickly changed clothes and slipped into the hallway.
Because Maisie's room was located near the staff quarters, it provided the perfect route for sneaking out unnoticed.
Moments later they slipped through the rear entrance and sprinted toward the garages.
A golf cart waited there.
They climbed in and sped off into the night.
Fifteen minutes later they arrived at the east lakeside.
Music drifted across the water while groups of young wolves gathered around bonfires scattered along the shore.
The atmosphere immediately lifted Natalia's spirits.
"I'll grab us drinks," she said. "Find somewhere to sit."
Maisie nodded and disappeared into the crowd.
Natalia wandered over to one of the coolers floating near the shoreline and retrieved two beers before heading back.
She found Maisie sitting with Spencer and Darius.
"Hey, Natalia!"
Darius stood and kissed her cheek.
"I'm glad you came. We haven't seen you in ages."
"Thanks for inviting me," Natalia replied with a smile. "Trust me, I needed this tonight."
The brothers exchanged confused looks.
Before either could ask questions, Natalia noticed Maisie giving them a warning glare.
Thankfully, they got the hint.
"Sooo," Maisie said, wiggling her eyebrows, "what exciting entertainment have you two planned tonight?"
Both brothers burst out laughing.
They pointed toward a motorboat floating just offshore.
Trailing behind it was a massive inflatable ring attached by a thick rope.
"We got that set up earlier," Darius explained. "Anyone brave enough can take it for a spin."
Maisie narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"It looks like a death trap."
"It is absolutely a death trap," Spencer agreed cheerfully.
Natalia was already on her feet.
"Me first."
Several nearby groups turned to stare.
"Natalia," Maisie warned, "are you sure that's a good idea?"
Natalia ignored her completely.
For the first time all day, she felt something other than anxiety.
Excitement.
Adrenaline.
Freedom.
She grabbed Spencer's arm and dragged him toward the boat.
Laughing, he helped her settle onto the inflatable ring and explained the basics.
"Kick your legs if you want me to go faster."
He pointed toward the shoreline.
"Wave your arms if you want me to slow down."
Then he climbed into the boat.
"You ready?"
Natalia grinned.
"Oh, yes."
The boat surged forward.
The rope snapped taut and the inflatable jerked across the water.
A delighted scream burst from Natalia's lips.
Cold spray hit her face as she bounced across the lake, skimming over waves and spinning through Spencer's turns.
For the first time since dinner, she wasn't thinking about Luna Balls.
Or Alpha heirs.
Or destiny.
She was simply having fun.
Cheers echoed from the shore as she whooped and laughed into the night.
The adrenaline rushing through her veins was intoxicating.
She kicked her legs harder.
The pull increased immediately.
Spencer accelerated.
The shoreline became a blur.
As they approached the far side of the lake, Natalia glanced toward the forest.
Something moved among the trees.
A figure.
Her heart skipped.
Moonlight filtered through the branches, illuminating the face of a man standing perfectly still in the darkness.
Watching her.
The rest of the world seemed to fade away.
His lips moved.
One word.
Soon.
Natalia's breath caught.
Confused, she twisted around to look back toward the boat.
"Spencer—"
The turn came without warning.
The inflatable struck a wave.
Natalia was thrown violently into the air.
For one terrifying moment she was weightless.
Then she hit the water.
Hard.
She skipped across the surface before being hurled toward the shoreline.
Pain exploded through her body.
Rocks tore at her skin as she tumbled out of the lake and into the trees.
Everything became a blur of dirt, branches, and impact.
Her hand slammed against the ground.
Her shoulder struck a rock.
She rolled again.
And again.
Then—
CRACK.
Natalia collided with a tree trunk with bone-jarring force.
The world went black.
- Writer
