Chapter 4: A Path of No Return
1112 Words
The humiliation of Benjamin’s rejection and Kayla’s betrayal still burns inside me like a slow, cruel fire.
My feet move on their own, guided by nothing but instinct and the desperate need to escape. The scent of pine and damp earth fills my nose, grounding me in the present even as my mind spins in circles.
“Camila!”
The voice startles me, and I freeze in my tracks. I don’t need to turn around to know who it is. I can feel his presence in my bones.
“Why are you following me, Benjamin?” My voice is steady, but inside, I am anything but.
He steps closer, his boots crunching against the fallen leaves. “You shouldn’t be wandering alone at night.”
I let out a dry, humorless laugh. “Oh, now you care?” I finally turn to face him. The moonlight casts shadows over his face, but I can still see the tension in his jaw, the flicker of hesitation in his gray eyes.
“I never wanted to hurt you.”
I scoff, crossing my arms. “Then maybe you shouldn’t have.”
Benjamin exhales, raking a hand through his dark hair. “It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. I didn’t know Kayla was my mate until recently.”
The words sting, but I keep my face blank. “And what about me? Did I mean nothing to you?”
His silence is answer enough. I swallow past the lump in my throat, nodding to myself. “That’s what I thought.”
“Camila—”
“Don’t.” I lift a hand to stop him. “I don’t need your pity, Benjamin. And I don’t need your explanations. Just… go back to her.”
Something flashes in his eyes—regret? Guilt? I don’t care anymore. I turn and walk away before he can say anything else.
The night stretches before me, endless and uncertain. But one thing is clear—I can’t stay in this pack anymore.
By morning, I reach the edge of the pack’s territory. My legs ache, and exhaustion weighs heavy on me, but I don’t stop. The border looms ahead, an invisible line that, once crossed, will change everything.
I pause for a moment, taking in the sight of my home one last time. Memories flood my mind—growing up here, training under the old healer, finding my place as the pack’s doctor despite being an Omega. I had fought so hard to carve out a life for myself.
And now I am leaving it behind.
I take a deep breath and step forward. The moment my foot crosses the boundary, a shiver runs through me. I am rogue now.
Alone.
Free.
Days pass in a blur. I move through the unfamiliar land, surviving on small streams and whatever food I can scavenge. I push forward, unwilling to let myself break. I have nothing, but I refuse to be nothing.
One evening, as I rest near a quiet brook, I hear the snap of a branch behind me. My muscles go rigid.
I am not alone.
“Who’s there?” I demand, my voice steady despite my racing heart.
A figure steps from the shadows—a man, tall and broad-shouldered, with piercing blue eyes that seem to see right through me. His dark hair is tousled, and there’s a dangerous air about him, something untamed.
“I could ask you the same thing,” he says, his voice smooth but edged with caution.
I don’t lower my guard. “I’m just passing through.”
He tilts his head, studying me. “You’re rogue.”
I lift my chin. “And?”
He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he steps closer, and I catch the faintest hint of something familiar—something powerful.
“You don’t belong out here alone,” he says after a moment. “Come with me.”
I narrow my eyes. “And why would I do that?”
A small smirk plays on his lips. “Because if you don’t, you won’t last the night.”
I should run. I should fight. But something about him keeps me rooted to the spot.
And deep down, I know he’s right.
This is only the beginning of something far bigger than I ever imagined.
“What do you want?” I ask, keeping my distance.
He exhales and runs a hand through his dark brown hair. “I saw you leaving early. Thought you might need company.”
“I don’t.”
He doesn’t move. “Where are you going?”
I cross my arms. “Away.”
Lucas nods like he expected that answer. “I figured.”
I wait for him to say something else, but he doesn’t. Just stands there, looking at me with that unreadable expression.
“I don’t belong here anymore,” I say after a moment.
His jaw tightens. “That’s not true.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Really? Because it sure feels that way.”
Lucas steps closer, but not too close. “Benjamin is a fool.”
The words take me by surprise. I study his face, searching for a hint of pity, but I find none. Only quiet certainty.
“Doesn’t matter,” I mutter. “What’s done is done.”
Lucas tilts his head. “And you think leaving is the best option?”
“Do you have a better one?”
He doesn’t answer right away. Then, “I think you shouldn’t have to run.”
I shake my head. “I’m not running. I’m making a choice.”
He watches me for a long moment. “Then let me come with you.”
Shock courses through me. “What?”
Lucas shrugs like it’s the simplest thing in the world. “If you’re leaving, you shouldn’t do it alone.”
I stare at him. “Why would you do that?”
His expression darkens. “Because this pack isn’t what it used to be. And because I don’t think you should face whatever’s out there by yourself.”
I swallow hard. The idea of having someone by my side is tempting, but I don’t know if I can trust him.
“I don’t need protection,” I say.
“I didn’t say you did.”
I sigh and glance back at the trees. Leaving alone was already a risk. Leaving with someone else? That complicates things. But maybe… maybe it’s what I need.
I look at Lucas. “Fine. But if you slow me down, I’ll leave you behind.”
A small smirk touches his lips. “Fair enough.”
- Writer
