CHAPTER 5 - No Way Out
1389 Words
Sable
I don’t rush.
That’s the first rule.
Rushing gets you caught.
So I wait.
I sit on the edge of the bed, still as possible, counting the seconds between footsteps outside my door. The new guard isn’t as disciplined. His pacing is inconsistent, too slow. He's distracted.
Not as good Xavier.
Perfect.
I tilt my head slightly, listening harder.
Footsteps.
Pause.
A shift in weight.
Then silence.
I move.
Quick. Quiet.
My hand wraps around the handle, twisting slowly until it clicks. I pause again, listening.
Nothing.
I open the door just enough to slip through.
The hallway is dim, lit only by low lights that barely touch the walls. Shadows stretch long across the floor, giving me just enough cover.
I close the door behind me without a sound.
Then I walk.
Not fast.
Not slow.
Controlled.
Like I belong here.
Because panic draws attention.
Confidence doesn’t.
The guard is at the far end of the hall, back turned. He glances over his shoulder once, bored, uninterested.
A mistake.
I take advantage.
Two steps forward.
Three.
Then ...
I move.
Fast.
Silent.
My arm hooks around his neck before he can react, pulling him back just enough to throw him off balance. My other hand presses hard against his mouth, cutting off any sound.
He struggles.
Of course he does.
But it’s sloppy.
Untrained.
I tighten my grip just enough.
“Don’t,” I whisper.
He freezes.
Smart.
I let him go with a shove that sends him stumbling forward.
“Stay down,” I add quietly.
He doesn’t turn.
Doesn’t move.
Good.
I don’t wait.
I keep going.
Down the hall. Around the corner. Past the stairs I memorized earlier.
Every step is calculated.
Every turn intentional.
My heart is steady.
Too steady.
Like it knows this isn’t over yet.
I ignore it.
The back exit comes into view.
Two guards this time.
Expected.
I slow my breathing.
Adjust.
Then I grab the first thing within reach, a small metal tray from a side table and toss it hard in the opposite direction.
It clatters loudly against the wall.
Both guards turn instantly.
That’s all I need.
I move.
Fast. Precise.
I slip past them before they can even process what happened, pushing through the door and into the night.
Cold air hits me like freedom.
I don’t stop.
I run.
The forest swallows me whole.
Branches scrape against my skin as I push deeper, faster, farther from the pack house.
Then I shift.
It happens mid-stride, bones cracking, muscles stretching, the world sharpening all at once.
My wolf takes over smoothly.
White and black fur slicing through the darkness, powerful limbs eating up distance with ease.
This is where I belong.
Not in cages.
Not under watch.
Here.
Free.
I run harder.
Faster.
The ground blurs beneath me, the scent of trees and earth filling my senses, guiding me forward.
Don’t stop.
Don’t think.
Just run.
The borders aren’t far.
I remember the layout.
I remember the paths.
Almost there.
Almost...
Something hits me.
Not physically.
But it’s enough to make me stumble.
A presence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Commanding.
Alpha.
My body reacts before my mind does.
I slow.
Just for a second.
My wolf hesitates, instincts screaming something I don’t want to hear.
No.
That’s not possible.
I shake it off violently and push forward again.
Faster.
Harder.
It’s in my head.
It has to be.
Because the only person who ever felt like that....is dead.
I killed him.
I know I did.
My pace doesn’t falter again.
I’m almost at the edge now.
Freedom just ahead.
Then ...
“Running again?”
The voice cuts through the night like it’s always belonged there.
My body locks.
Mid-step.
Every instinct I have freezes.
Slowly,
Too slowly,
I turn.
And there he is.
In flesh.
Standing like he has all the time in the world.
Like he knew exactly where I’d be.
Like he’s been waiting.
No.
No.
That’s not...
It can't be.
My wolf snarls, low and vicious, but it doesn’t hide the shock ripping through me.
This isn’t real.
It can’t be.
He takes a step forward.
Calm.
Controlled.
Terrifying.
“Look at you doing what you're good at. Running” he says.
My heart slams against my chest.
I don’t think.
I don’t process.
I react.
I lunge.
My wolf launches forward, teeth bared, aiming straight for him.
He moves.
Effortless.
Like he expected it.
Like I’m predictable.
My claws miss him by inches as he sidesteps, his body twisting just enough to avoid the full force of my attack.
And then, he shifts.
It’s faster than mine.
Cleaner.
More powerful.
One second he’s human, the next, a massive black wolf stands in his place.
Midnight black.
Dark. Immense. Dominant.
His presence crashes into mine like a wave.
Alpha.
My wolf recoils instinctively.
But I don’t let her.
No.
Not him.
Never again.
He steps forward, his gaze locked on me, power pressing down, trying to force me lower.
Submit.
My body trembles.
My legs almost buckle.
But I fight it.
I push back with everything I have.
No.
A growl rips from my throat, defiant, furious.
I charge again.
This time, it’s not reckless.
It’s deliberate.
I feint left then go right, aiming for his flank.
He moves just as fast, blocking, countering, his size overwhelming, his strength undeniable.
We clash.
Fur. Teeth. Force.
I go for a dirty hit, low, sharp, aiming to throw him off balance.
He dodges.
Of course he does.
His movements are precise.
Controlled.
Like he’s done this a thousand times.
Like I’m not a threat.
That only makes me angrier.
I push harder.
Faster.
But it doesn’t matter.
Because he’s stronger.
And he knows it.
The moment comes too quickly.
I misstep.
Just slightly and that’s all he needs.
His weight slams into me, knocking me off balance, forcing me down hard against the ground.
Before I can recover, his teeth clamp down on the side of my neck.
Not enough to kill.
But enough to remind me exactly what he is.
And what I am to him.
Power surges through me.
My body freezes.
Submission.
Forced.
My wolf whines, low and unwilling, but she gives in.
I hate it.
I hate it.
I hate it.
No.
My mind is screaming.
This isn’t happening.
This isn’t real.
He’s dead.
I killed him.
I remember it.
I remember.
Then what is this?
What is he?
How is he here?
My body betrays me completely now, going still beneath him.
Defeated.
Controlled.
His grip doesn’t loosen.
Not immediately.
He holds me there, making sure I feel it.
Every ounce of dominance.
Every inch of power.
Every reminder that I lost.
Then slowly,
He releases.
But he doesn’t step away.
He stands over me.
Waiting.
Like he knows I won’t try again.
And the worst part?
He’s right.
My chest rises and falls heavily as I force myself to shift back, my human form returning in a rush of heat and exhaustion.
Cold air hits me instantly.
Too sharp. Too exposed.
I freeze for half a second, the reality of it settling in.
I’m naked.
Of course I am.
My arms move instinctively, crossing over myself, not out of weakness but out of reflex. The night air bites against my skin, raising goosebumps I try to ignore but it’s not just the cold.
It’s him.
Standing there.
Watching.
Unbothered.
Unaffected.
Like this is nothing.
Like I’m nothing.
My jaw tightens, and I force my arms to drop slightly, even though every instinct tells me not to.
I won’t shrink.
Not in front of him.
Not ever again.
“Get up.”
His voice is quieter now.
But no less commanding.
I don’t move immediately.
But my body…
It listens anyway.
I push myself up slowly, unsteady, my mind still spinning, still trying to catch up to something it refuses to understand.
I keep my gaze on the ground.
Because I don’t trust what I’ll see if I look at him.
Or what I’ll feel.
A hand grips my arm.
Firm.
Unyielding.
And just like that, I’m being pulled back towards the place I just escaped.
I don’t fight.
Not anymore because right now, I don’t even know what I’m fighting and that terrifies me more than anything else.
- Writer
