HER SECOND CHANCE : A CURSED ALPHA

CHAPTER FOUR : ESCAPE “YULIA!”

“Marcel…I feared you would refuse to see me. I know you must be angry about my foolish behavior earlier,” I said softly, when I saw him walking down the stairs.

I deliberately avoided his gaze as I put on the perfect shy act.

Marcel’s eyes widened in shock at my submissive attitude.

Then, he shook his head immediately, stepping away from my father and closer to my cell, but still a few feet from the silver gate.

“It’s okay, Alina. I know you acted on impulse, so I don’t blame you.

But you hurt Nate, so you’ll need to apologize to him,” he said Nate’s name so protectively that it made me want to rip his throat out.

A second later, I watched as the guard sent to bring Yulia walked into the dungeon.

My heart pounded anxiously when I saw Yulia materialize behind him with a tray of food.

Her head was bowed in submission as she stepped closer to where Marcel stood beside my dad, ignoring me completely.

My father nodded seeing her, and then his gaze shifted to Marcel and then... to mine with a warning look.

“I’ll take my leave now. I trust Alina knows what to say. She understands the importance of this alliance,” he said, holding my gaze with darkness swirling in his unfeeling eyes.

I gave a sickly sweet smile while muttering, “I do, Father,” watching him disappear fully from the stairs.

“Yulia, serve the food,” I commanded watching as

Yulia handed Marcel his plate of pie, with her head still down in submission, and then, she moved closer to my cell.

The gate was locked, so she passed my plate through the gap, as the silver burned her flesh and she flinched slightly. But I kept my tongue from saying ‘sorry,’ not wanting to alert the guards to our familiarity.

The guards! s**t, I completely forgot about them.

My gaze subtly shifted to them, knowing I needed to find a way to get rid of them, or they might interfere with my plans.

I turned to Marcel, my eyes downcast with a shy, dejected look as I spoke.

“Marcel, please, can you dismiss the guards? My actions earlier already brought enough shame to you. I’d rather not discuss it here with others. It might ruin your reputation,” I said, and Marcel’s eyes widened in agreement, ordering the guards away.

My gaze flickered to Yulia, and sensing my gaze on hers, our eyes clashed.

I flickered my eyes towards the keys attached to the back pocket of one of the guards, and then to hers hoping she understood what I meant.

“I still need to apologize to you for earlier,” my meek voice interrupted, grabbing Marcel’s attention.

“We’ve known each other for years, and I should have known better than to overreact as I did earlier.

I was even foolish enough to reject a man like you,” I choked, watching as he scooped a spoonful of pie and ate.

I paused, half expecting something to happen, knowing Marcel’s allergy usually kicked in right away... yet nothing.

My fingers trembled, watching him take another spoonful, yet…He wasn’t reacting!

I took a deep, steadying breath, knowing I had to stay patient. Then I continued, “Actually, earlier, my wolf was hurt at the sight of you having s*x with Nate. She couldn’t take it, and that’s why I overreacted.

But now, I’m back to my senses, my father made me see how bad my actions were. And you are my fated mate, after all, and my wolf will always long for you, no matter what… even if you broke my heart.

Yes, I was hurt earlier seeing you so intimate with Nate, but now I understand your love for Nate clearly.

As long as you still accept me as the Luna to your pack, I’ll take…” And just at that moment, Marcel’s choking sounds came as he coughed loudly.

My heart thundered, wondering if that was it, and the pistachios were finally taking their effect.

But then, he calmed down, giving me a small smile, “I knew you were a smart girl Alina. That’s why I chose you to carry my heirs and be my breeder,” Marcel said with a smug, satisfied smile, immensely pleased with my words as he continued eating.

I looked at where Yulia stood, a breath of relief leaving me, knowing she did not fail me.

At that instant, Marcel coughed again, and I knew it was time to act.

“Yulia, pass Marcel the juice.

The pie must be rough in his throat,” I said softly, ensuring my expression looked worried enough.

Marcel smiled gratefully at me and accepted the glass of juice she handed him from the tray.

Yulia’s gaze finally flickered to mine the instant the glass touched Marcel’s lips, and her mouth curled into the briefest smirk.

That was enough to tell me my plan was in motion. Yulia had done what I expected her to do. She had not placed the pistachios in Marcel's food; that would have been too obvious. Rather, she placed them in the juice.

I watched Marcel gulp the juice, and his face grew deathly pale almost immediately.

A satisfied smile played on my lips watching his hands move to his throat, tightening and clawing around it and he gasped in pain and fear.

Then, his gaze darted to me, pleading for help, but he must have seen it in my eyes. The cruel taste of victory because betrayal glinted in his gaze as his eyes rolled to the back.

Yulia stood stiffly watching Marcel fall to the hard ground with a thump.

And then, her lips curled, slowly, when her eyes met mine. That was until a full-blown smile burst on her face.

“How were my acting skills?” She muttered slyly.

My lips curled into a smile matching hers as I replied, “On point.”

“Did you get the keys?” I asked, watching as she dipped her hand into her large pocket almost immediately and brought the bunch out. “And they say omegas are the dumb ones,” she mocked, moving to open my cell gate, careful enough not to burn herself.

Yulia freed me in no time as we moved out of the dungeon immediately.

I kept my shoulders straight when I passed some pack members who were littered around the pack house.

I knew my father must have kept my imprisonment a secret to protect his reputation, so they had no idea that I was supposed to be locked up, which was good.

I breathed heavily, as my body grew weak and exhausted from running…still having the drugs flowing in my system. But the second we stepped

closer to Yulia’s cabin, the pack alarm echoed loudly around the entire place, alongside the commissioned voice.

“The Alpha’s daughter has escaped. She is a traitor. The Alpha had ordered for her to be captured alive!”

“s**t!” Yulia cursed in panic, and I froze in fear.

Her gaze snapped to me, knowing we were on the verge of being caught.

My eyes sighted her car some feet away, as we ran towards it knowing our lives depended on it.

But my body was far too weak, already passing its limit.

I could feel the thumping, along with ‘howls’ of wolves which echoed all around knowing they must have started searching for us now.

“Just a few more feet, Alina!” Yulia growled, seeing me slow down. But I could feel it…the way the ground swirled beneath my feet.

I tried to call out to my wolf for help, but she was non-existent, I couldn’t feel her at all. And my human body was too weak to run anymore. I knew clearly that any second now, warriors would burst in on us.

I half expected Yulia to run and leave me there, after all, seeing that I was slowing her down. I would not be killed if I were caught, not when my father still needed me.

But as for her, my father would not hesitate to kill her, because she was seen as a nobody in the pack.

But Yulia slowed down for me, taking my arm around her shoulders, and she ran dragging me alongside. And finally into her deadbeat car.

The moment she pushed me in, and I landed on the seat, with a pained groan, my eyes caught something in the side mirror.

It was warriors in their beast form chasing after us. Yulia’s hands clenched around the steering wheel tightly as she sped up into the night, but deep down I knew it…We were too late.

I could only pray to the moon goddess to help us survive this as my breathing slowed down, and I could barely keep my eyes open again, as I succumbed to darkness.

“Drag her out,” a loud voice roared as my eyes snapped open.

I stared in confusion while taking in my surroundings.

But then, my gaze stilled when it landed on the wolf before me as he transformed into his human form pushing a bloodied Yulia roughly on the ground.

“You b***h, you thought you could escape with Alina,” another voice growled. And this time, a familiar one, making me snap my head to the side.

My breath caught in my throat when I watched Marcel appear beside the warrior with a wrist wrapped around a sword.

Yulia twisted her body in the grip of the wolf who held her as she tried to fight him off and escape, but it was useless.

Marcel stepped closer to her, his lips curled in a snarl, “You poisoned me, and then you tried to take my mate away from me!

You made a really bad mistake messing with me, you foolish omega!

And I’m afraid it will cost you your life,” he growled cruelly, a sadistic smirk on his face.

And right then, he looked nothing like the Marcel I was ready to lay down my life for a few days ago.

No…not at all, rather he looked like a devil, one I hated with every pore in my body.

Sensing my heavy gaze on him, my senses dulled when his thick brown eyes turned to face mine, as he held my gaze. And then, his lips twisted into a dark and triumphant smile, knowing he had won.

Before I could comprehend exactly what was happening, Marcel raised his sword in the air and brought it down within the blink of an eye ready to detach Yulia’s head from her body.

My body moved before barely caring about anything else except saving my best friend as I ran, pushing Yulia out of the way just in the nick of time. But then, apparently, not enough time, because the sword struck down towards me before I could move out of the way.

Marcel’s eyes widened in shock and fear seeing me there, but it was too late already as a shout of pain ripped from my throat.

“Wake up, Alina!” A voice said, but it was dull compared to the scream that echoed in the air.

“Shssh, it’s okay. It’s just a nightmare, Alina,” the voice came again, sounding more familiar, shaking me forcefully. And that was enough to snap my eyes open as I stood from the bed with a jerk.

My heart pounded erratically against my chest. “I’m here, Alina, stop screaming,” her feminine voice said, and only then did I realize the scream came from me and I clamped my lips shut.

Recollecting myself as I calmed down, my gaze moved immediately to the familiar face before me.

“Yulia,” I whispered her name as she wrapped her arms around me, and I breathed in her scent. My breathing was still heavy, as I held her close, happy that she was alive and it was just a dream.

“Where are we?” I asked, finally taking in the unfamiliar place.

Her face twisted sadly, as she said. “The human realm.”