Maya's POV 

We dropped the SUV about ten miles from the bus station and took an Uber the rest of the way. We had to, because my leg felt like it was on fire. I couldn’t run well, not at all. I was the weak link, and I knew it. I slowed them down. I hated that I was the reason we couldn’t move faster.

I hoped we could catch some sleep on the bus, not real sleep, just brief moments of rest. We had been running on fumes all week, stealing naps when we could. We took turns keeping watch. Every mile we put between us and the Blackwood Pack made the tension in our bodies ease just a little.

Lauren has a brilliant mind. A strategist and planner, she leaves nothing to chance. She came up with this escape plan fast, and she didn’t disappoint. But I remember how scared I was to tell them what I had overheard Damien and Trey discussing. I didn’t want to believe it myself.

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I knocked on their door, my stomach full of dread. Would they believe what I was about to say? Or would they regret ever trying to protect me? They knew something was wrong from the look on my face. I made them go into the bathroom and turn on the sink and shower, just in case someone was listening. The tears in my eyes must have told them everything.

They didn’t speak, just listened.

I worried they thought I was lying, until Lauren finally said, “That explains so much. Zach has been acting bold lately. I couldn’t figure out why. Now I get it. Damien is a trash Alpha, and Kayla’s one of the worst Lunas I’ve ever known. They actually killed our parents… Just to try and claim us? What kind of sick monsters think that’s okay?”

She was furious. I knew that look, she wanted blood. But instead of reacting, I saw her working through it, building a plan in her head. That thoughtful expression of hers always meant she was solving something. From that point on, she was in charge, and I started to believe we might actually make it out.

“I can’t believe Trey won’t back off,” Meliza added. “He doesn’t care what I want. He ignores everything I say. I can’t believe they killed our parents to try and force us into mating with them. They’re disgusting.”

“At least you’d be claimed,” I muttered. “Damien just wants to use me as a breeder. I can’t even imagine him touching me. It makes my skin crawl. We need to get out before Kayla leaves for her shopping trip. That’s when he’ll try something.”

They saw how much it hurt me to say that, and they hugged me tightly. We all had something threatening to destroy us. They wanted to steal our futures, force us into lives we never chose. It made me sick.

I had it wrong, though. My sisters had it worse. Once they were claimed, they would feel every betrayal. These men weren’t loyal, they just wanted what they couldn’t have. Once they got us, they would move on. And my sisters would feel that pain every time. That was a fate worse than mine.

As for me, Damien had already marked Kayla. When he came to me, it would hurt her. She wouldn’t blame him, she would blame me. She would never stay locked up forever. Once she got out, I would be her first target.

We had to get out. “Give me two days,” Lauren said. “Act like everything is fine. We meet again then. No one can know.”

She figured out the plan in less than a day. We even left the SUV in a place where someone might steal it, buying us time. We didn’t want anyone hurt, but distance was our only hope.

She picked a region with several packs. She didn’t call ahead, she said it would be harder to turn us away if we were standing at their gates. She had one pack in mind, though. A strong one, more progressive. She wouldn’t say which, afraid someone was listening.

Her plan was flawless. She bought burner phones, had us leave ours behind. She wanted zero traces. We all had roles. I originally volunteered to get the money and documents from the safe. But once I mentioned it was too risky for Meliza to be caught there if Trey returned, they agreed. I’m the oldest. It should be me protecting them.

I just wish I had some training, something to help us. He would rather I be wolfless than acknowledge my witch blood. He was ashamed of it. Disappointed in me after I didn’t shift. I think he loved me… but I can’t remember the last time he said it. I overheard him say it to my sisters. Twice he saw me there, listening. He never said it to me. Never tried to fix it. It broke me a little more each time.

Lying in bed now, tears fill my eyes. He’s gone. That can’t be fixed. I just want to sleep. We leave tomorrow. I feel like a burden. But they won’t leave me behind. I’m grateful they still want me.

I can’t imagine what Damien would do if I stayed. That wouldn’t be a life worth living.

As I lie in bed, I swear to the Goddess, I will protect them someday. I’ll get stronger. I won’t be helpless anymore. I’ll find someone who can help me train. I want to be just as strong as my sisters. I believe, deep down, life will finally begin once we escape this pack.