CHAPTER 9

Kiara's POV

I couldn't sleep, no matter how hard I tried to keep my eyes shut, they always snapped open again. Since the moon came out to rule the night, I wasn't sure I'd successfully closed my eyes for thirty minutes.

Dreams interrupted my sleep, but they weren't just that. They were nightmares wrapped in the scent of something familiar. A whole lot of the dreams I'd had this night were vague and didn't make sense, but it came with a strange sense of familiarity. Like I understood what they meant, or I was going to, if only I opened my eyes and heart to whatever message they were passing across.

I stared at the ceiling above me, not even blinking. The night air seeped in through the open window, cool and thick like it could grant rest to whoever asked for it. Anyone except me though.

This had been my routine since yesterday. Yesterday, I couldn't even sleep a wink, and how could I? When the events of the day before had stuck to my mind, refusing me even so much as a minute's worth of peace.

I pressed my eyes shut, and instantly began to relive that moment again.

I was this close to escaping, I was so close I could almost taste the air that came with freedom, until Alpha Darius showed up that is.

Even the mere thought of him was enough to make me shudder.

I had no idea how he'd known I was going to escape, but that wasn't even the part that haunted me the most. When he had caught me though, he didn't seem the least bit mad. Instead, he looked bored,like he'd expected more from me, and I disappointed him.

She has to prove to himself to him

Rogues never survive the trial unless they're exceptional.

They wanted me to be exceptional, and here I was, not even sure I was ordinary.

I turned to my side, pushing and willing the thoughts to go away, but no matter how much I tossed and turned, the thoughts didn't leave.

“Maybe I should take a walk.” I muttered to myself. It was a great idea, and before I could talk myself out of it, I swung my legs off the bed.

I slipped my feet into the slippers waiting for me at the foot of the bed, before heading out. The hallway was dark and silent, and I couldn't help but be transported back to the other night.

I'd been cooped up in my recovery room as I liked to call it , and in the last twenty four hours, I'd heard more gossip than I had in my entire life. Apparently, news about my escape had spread through Darius’ pack and every wolf who walked past my door definitely had one or a million things to say.

“I'm not surprised.” Their words echoed in my ears. “What was the Alpha thinking when he spared her life?”

“I honestly thought her execution was going to be this morning.” I replayed another's voice in my head. “That's how all the other rogues had died, so why was hers any different?’

All of that and more were the reasons I decided to stay indoors. The only soul who had been nice to me, was Hazel. She'd made sure I was okay despite the rumors, and made sure she brought me lunch and dinner too. Without asking, she'd give me a fresh set of clothes I was sure hadn't been worn before.

The wind rustled past the walls, and that was all it took to pull me back to the present. I crept through the halls like a shadow, my mouth clamped shut and my feet barely making a sound. When I'd left my room, I had no destination in mind, and even now, I didn't. All I knew was that, if I had stayed in that room for so much as a minute longer, the chances of me suffocating or running mad, were high.

Something pulled at me. It wasn't physical, neither was it logical, but I found myself being drawn into a corridor I hadn't noticed before. Moonlight streamed through the long windows, bathing my newly discovered hallway in a strange light. The air here was colder, like a subtle warning that I could be anywhere but here.

I paused when I saw a door. I hadn't noticed it before, but now that I had, I couldn't pull my gaze away from it.

It was unlike the other doors in the pack. Its black wood caught my eyes. It was tall and narrow, with iron bars for reinforcement. Call me crazy or whatnot, but I could swear the bars glowed an ethereal color.

Upon closer look, I realized they were things etched into the wooden panel of the door. I had no idea what they were or meant, but it didn't stop a feeling from blooming in my chest. The pull felt stronger now, hinting and pushing at me to get a closer look at the door.

And I did.

The carvings on the door were still faded, but they glowed nonetheless. Without thinking, I reached for the door. My hand has barely grazed the door when a force slammed into my chest, forcing me back in an instant.

My eyes clamped shut, but before I could collide with the rough and Stony exterior of the wall behind me, something intercepted me.

I braced myself for the wall digging into my skin and spine, but instead, I crash-landed against something else. Like that wasn't traumatizing enough, strong hands wrapped around my waist.

I froze, trying to make sense of the situation. Last time I checked, walls didn't have strong and in front of them, and they didn't come with hands either, so who and what the hell was keeping me steady.

My spine stiffened as realization dawned on me. I wasn't standing by the wall, I was standing in front of someone, a man rumored to be merciless and cruel.

“What the hell do you think you're doing, rogue?”

Something about the way his words washed over me didn't sit right with me. It was unlike the others, and this time, I knew I was in a hell lot of trouble.