Two Days Later

After walking for what felt like an eternity, I decided to call it a day and rest, as night was beginning to fall.

I collapsed under a tall oak tree where the moon was shining brightly—that was all my wolf needed to regain its strength before continuing on our journey.

My stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn't had anything to eat yet.

I eyed the few berries in my bag, tempted to take a bite, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. They were all I had to take me through the journey, and eating them now, with no backup plan, was a gamble I couldn't afford to take.

So I gritted my teeth and ignored the hunger pangs.

_“Maybe leaving without a plan wasn't such a good idea after all.”_

I sighed, letting my eyes wander up to the moon. At that moment, it was as if the world around me just… faded away, taking my worries and anxiety with it.

I hadn't felt this much peace since the day my father died, and I couldn't help but smile as I slowly drifted off to sleep with the quiet around me.“What was that?” I woke up immediately, senses on high alert as I tried to locate the source of the sound that seemed to be coming from all directions.

I listened for a few seconds before hiding behind the oak tree, silently praying that the thick veils of vines would be enough to keep me hidden from the danger that was closing in, faster than expected.

“I could have sworn her scent came from this direction.” A voice growled as soon as the footsteps stopped in front of the oak tree next to mine.

I covered my mouth with my hands, holding back a loud gasp.

_That voice, I could recognize it even in my sleep._

“She's close; I can feel it,” another one replied.

I stole a quick glance; my eyes easily made out the faces of Alex, the pack Beta, and Troy, the head of the border guards. Along with a few other wolves.

_“What's going on here? Why were the pack's strongest wolves trying to track me down?” I wondered, watching anxiously as they continued their search._

I held my breath and shifted to the side as Troy's annoyingly accurate wolf instinct proved once again why he was the best tracker in the pack.

He moved with a wolf's patience, sniffing the air and retracting my steps until he stood in front of my hiding spot.

_oh no!_

I pressed my lips together, squeezing myself harder on the tree like I could phase into it at any moment.

Just as he extended his neck over the trunk, about to spot me…

“There's nothing here," Alex's sharp voice cut in, making him stop. “Let's spread out and keep searching. I'm sure she hasn't gone far yet,”

He ordered, giving them the signal to fall back.

One by one, the guards began to disappear into the forest until there was no one left besides me.

After confirming the coast was clear, I pressed a hand on my chest, quietly stepping out into the open.

_If Derrick wanted to capture me, he could have just sent the border patrol guards to do so. Instead, he sent the pack's elite guards, which could only one thing: he was trying to make sure I never made it out alive—a kill-on-sight order._

“Derrick, you scoundrel,” I spat, realizing that he had played me once again. “I should have known better than to fall for your wretched schemes… In the end, you were always going to choose yourself"

_Freedom came at a price, and I had already paid for it in full. Which meant that I wasn't going to let anyone take it away from me without a fight._

I took a moment to collect my thoughts.

_Even with my purebred abilities, trying to outrun them would still be crazy since I wasn't familiar with these parts of the forest._

The only thing I could do now was to find a good hiding spot and create a diversion using my wolf as bait.

That way, she could run through the forest, carrying my scent along with her. Once they were distracted enough, I would immediately make my escape and recall her back without having to put any of us in harm's way.

The plan was easy enough, but it came at a huge cost.

_If my wolf and I were to separate, we would become vulnerable to attacks. Coupled with a dozen other bad things that would befall us the longer we stayed apart_

I closed my eyes and muttered a few words. When I opened them again, I came face to face with my purebred silver wolf, Eliza Emberwood.

There was a part of me that always wished I could hear her voice in my head or maybe even understand what was going on in that beautiful wolf mind of hers.

But that could never happen, no matter how hard I tried.

_All the abilities in the world, and this is what I had to give up for them_

I held two fingers at my eyes, then flipped them and pointed away from my hiding spot.

Eliza nodded and immediately took off in the opposite direction. The noise she created from running, combined with our strong scent, would be more than enough to keep them busy.

_And it did_

From a distance, I watched as the wolves pursued Eliza with full force, ready to pounce. My heart broke, but not enough to make me back out of the plan. So, I forced myself to step back and took off immediately.

The more I ran, the more I felt like I was going nowhere; the trees just kept coming like a never-ending circle, and I couldn't help but wonder if there truly was a way out.

The darkness was slowly giving way to the first light of dawn, and my entire body felt like it would collapse at any moment.

I was about to take a quick break, to try and catch my breath, when I caught sight of something from a distance.

I used every last bit of energy I had left to make my way towards the clearing.

“You've got to be kidding me,” I muttered, staring blankly at the horror in front of me.

The entire forest was settled on high land with steep cliffs marking the edge. Clear streams flowed over the edge into a lake below.

I had never stepped foot outside Dawn Runner Pack before, so it was understandable that I wasn't familiar with the area.

_But how come I never noticed that we were living in the highlands this entire time?_

I stared blankly at the edge, trying to figure out my next move. But the answer was already staring me back in the face.

_The only way out was down_

“Did you really think you could escape without anyone noticing?”

I felt like I was choking on my breath. Immediately, I turned and saw Alex approaching me.

“Wha… what are you doing here?” I stammered.

“Your little trick might fool others, but not me,” Alex sneered, tucking his hands in his pocket.

“Who? Me? Playing tricks.” I chuckled dryly, taking a step back. “I… I really don't know what you're talking about?"

"There's no need to pretend anymore, Samantha,” Alex said calmly. “I'm sure you already know that we have orders to make sure you don't leave this place alive."

“Y-you can't be serious,” I stammered. “Come on, Alex, buddy, can't we just talk about this?"

Alex paused for a moment, lowering his head. “If it's of any comfort to you, I wish things didn't have to end this way. But as the Beta of Dawn Runner Pack, I have to eliminate anyone and anything that will be a threat to the future of Alpha Derrick”.

“But how could I possibly be a threat to someone who was legitimately chosen to take over the position? I mean, there is absolutely no reason for him to be so afraid of me unless…” I paused, realization finally dawning on me. “… it was all a lie.”

Before I could process what was happening, I felt a sharp claw rip through my stomach. Leaving me gasping for breath as I staggered back, blood flowing from the wound.

The last thing I remembered was a silent whisper of “I'm sorry,” and then I felt myself falling through the air.