Forsaken By The Alpha

chapter 7

Chapter 7: A Desperate Attempt

Elara's POV

I paced in my room, my heart hammering with every second that ticked by. Tonight was the only chance that I'd had since arriving here—a night when Lucian's attention would be split, his guard maybe a little down from the earlier gathering. And if I was careful, if I moved fast enough, I could make it past his guards and into the cover of the forest before anyone noticed I was gone.

The whole idea was crazy, and all of Lucian's warnings now replayed in my mind, yet I just would not live this way, not as his prisoner and certainly not as a pawn of his. Whatever lay beyond those walls had to be no worse than remaining inside.

I took a deep breath, checked my small pack one last time, then cracked my door open and peered out. The hall was empty, the shadows over the stone floor stretching in soft flickers from the wall sconces. Carefully, I slipped out, closing the door quietly behind me.

Every step echoed in my ears like the beat of the heart, as I went down the hall, sticking to the wall and breathing shallow. I had studied the guards' patrol patterns and knew I had only minutes between each guard's round.

I hit the main corridor and stopped dead, scanning for any sign of motion. Nothing. Taking the risk, I streaked down the hall, my footsteps silent as I approached the exit. Just a few more strides, and I'd be outside, free—

"Elara."

The voice had been so close; it froze me, every part of me screaming to move, but dread held me still. My breath hitched and my heart hammered in my chest. Slowly, I turned to face the darkness behind me.

He stood at the edge of the corridor, half in shadow, his eyes glowing like hot coals in the poor light. Another step forward, peeling the darkness off him as he closed the gap between us, my pulse racing with every step he took. His presence was smothering; every ounce of his focus bore down on me.

"You must have known you couldn't outrun me." His voice was low, almost casual, yet it chilled me to the core.

I steeled myself, fighting with all my might against having my voice quiver. "Yes."

A faint smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, though it didn't hold any warmth. "How brave," he murmured, moving closer again. "I warned you, Elara. You are mine. Running only makes it worse for you."

I took a step back, placing as much space between us as was possible-though it was futile. "I will never belong to you," I spat, infusing into my words every last shred of defiance I possessed.

For an instant, something quivered behind his eyes, like a rage, or something deeper. His jaw clenched, his eyes ablaze, he stared into mine. "You may lie to yourself all you wish," he said softly, "but in the end, you will learn it is completely useless to try and defy me.

I swallowed, my heart pounding, as I took another tentative backward step. But the wry glint of humor in his eyes dimmed, subsumed by something uglier.

"Run, then," he said, his voice dropping into a near-whisper. "Run, and let's just see how far you get."

His words took me by surprise, but I did not argue. I spun around and ran down the hall, my footsteps pounding against stone as I burst out of the side exit into the night's chill.

Before me lay the open woodland, its shadows deep and promising. I hardly dared to hope as I sprinted across the grass, reached the tree line, each step carrying me farther from Lucian, farther from the nightmare of his control. The treetops arched above me, their branches folding around me like a protective cloak, concealing me from view.

I was free. Stumbling, weighed down by a thousand surreptitious gazes, I plunged deeper into the forest, every step drawing me closer to life as I'd known it in dreams, life denied to me. The thought had hardly formed when I felt it-presence behind, closing in with a predator's stealth.

A low growl emanated from somewhere in the darkness, freezing me in my tracks. My heart raced as I looked over my shoulder, peering into the dark shadows. Lucian was there, somewhere—making his way closer, like a wolf playing with his prey.

"Lucian," I whispered, though I knew I wouldn't get an answer.

The shadows parted, and he came out, movements calm, almost predatory as he approached. His eyes had such an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine, while my body went quite rigid under the power of his gaze.

"You gave me a good chase," he said in a low tone, a hint of menace curling in his words. "But did you really think you could escape me?"

My throat dried as I held his gaze, fighting the panic clawing at my insides. "Let me go," I said, hating the tremor in my voice. "You don't need to keep me here."

Lucian's lips twisted in a bitter smile. "I don't need to, no," he said, stepping closer, his gaze locking onto mine. "But I want to. And I always get what I want.

There was a note of finality in his voice, like cold settling into my bones. Everything inside me howled to fight, to flee, but he was quicker and more powerful. In an instant, he had eliminated the space between us, his hand clamping down on my arm in a tight, unyielding hold. I twisted, trying to wrench myself free, but his grip tightened; his eyes darkened.

"Struggle all you want, Elara," he purred, the quiet, menacing tone in his voice. "You will never be free of me."

I felt a shiver trickle down my spine, but I made sure to hold his gaze, defiance churning inside me loud enough not to be silenced. "You can keep me here, but you will never break me," I whispered, each word veined with the vow that had kept me alive this long.

His eyes slanted down, flashing with something dark in their depths. He leaned in closer, his voice low and dangerous, the whispered promise: "We'll see about that."

He straightened, tugging me close as he turned back toward the estate-the grip on me unyielding. The silence between us was thick, heavy with all that remained unsaid, but I held my head high, refusing to give him the satisfaction of watching me cower in fear.

As we neared the walls of the estate, he looked down at me, his face unreadable. "I expected more from you," he said in a low tone. "I thought you'd have more sense than to try such a foolish thing."

I tightened my jaw, biting back the bitter response that leapt to my lips. "Better a fool who tries than a coward who accepts her fate.

His grip on my arm tightened, his jaw clenched. For a fleeting second, something else flickered across-an emotion he concealed behind that masked hardness. Then it was gone, and he thrust me forward, ushering me back into the confines of his world.

As the door closed behind us, and he took me in his arms again, I felt the weight of my failure settle heavily on my shoulders. Yet, even as despairing claws ripped at me, I clung to one thought alone: this wasn't over.