CHATER 4: Beyond The Gates

Alexa

Leaving a place you once called home is never as simple as walking away. Not when every corner holds a memory, every familiar path reminds you of a life you once believed would last forever. I had spent three years in Silver Crest, building a home with the man I loved, never imagining that one day I would be desperate to leave it behind.

Yet here I was, preparing to walk away from all of it.

I moved carefully through the infirmary corridor, keeping my head lowered whenever someone passed by. I didn't want anyone stopping to ask questions, and I certainly didn't want the healer discovering that I had left my bed. The smell of medicinal herbs lingered in the air, mixing with the faint scent of freshly washed linen. A healer stepped out of one of the rooms ahead, carrying a tray of empty bottles, and I quickly turned down another passage before he could notice me.

My legs were already beginning to ache, but I kept going. I had come too far to let a little pain send me back.

When I finally stepped outside, the afternoon sunlight hit my face. The infirmary stood behind me, its pale stone walls and tall windows looking just as familiar as they always had. Beyond the building was a small courtyard, with a few benches arranged beneath the trees. Two attendants were busy carrying baskets of laundry across the grounds, while a guard stood near the main pathway.

I paused beside the wall, watching them.

I couldn't risk being noticed. Not when I had come this far.

After waiting for the guard to turn his attention elsewhere, I continued along the pathway, keeping close to the row of shrubs that bordered the infirmary grounds.

I was almost at the exit when I noticed a cleaner near one of the storage buildings. She was gathering discarded linens into a basket, occasionally stopping to shake the dust from them.

I hesitated before calling her.

"Wait."

She turned, and the moment she recognised me, her hands stopped moving.

"Luna?" She looked at me in surprise, then glanced at the infirmary behind me. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be resting?"

I glanced towards the pathway before looking back at her.

"I need a favour."

Her eyes moved over my face, then down to the hand I was holding against my side. The concern in her expression deepened.

"Are you alright? You look..." She stopped herself, seemingly unsure whether she should say more.

I reached into my pocket and brought out a few gold coins.

"I want you to take these."

She stared at the coins, clearly unsure why I was offering them.

"But, Luna..."

"Listen to me first." I lowered my voice. "If the Alpha comes looking for me, I want you to show him something."

Before she could ask what I meant, I tore a small piece from the bottom of my clothing. I glanced around, searching for something sharp, and spotted a broken piece of metal near the storage building.

Picking it up, I pressed it against my palm and made a small cut. The sting made me wince, but I ignored it and rubbed my bleeding hand against the piece of cloth until the fabric was stained.

I handed it to her.

"Show him this. Tell him you found it."

The cleaner looked from the cloth to my face. Her fingers tightened around it, and the colour seemed to drain from her expression as she began to understand what I was asking.

"Luna, what happened? Why are you doing this?"

"Please, just do as I say." I placed the gold coins in her hand. "And don't tell anyone you saw me."

She didn't seem convinced. For a moment, she stood there staring at me, the questions still written all over her face. I knew she wanted an explanation, but I couldn't give her one. Not when every moment I spent there brought me closer to being discovered.

I wasn't even sure Shaun would come looking for me. Perhaps he would be too occupied with Azula to notice I was gone.

Still, if he did come, I wanted him to believe he had lost me.

"Thank you," I whispered.

I left her standing beside the storage building and continued towards the exit. The closer I got, the more aware I became of the distance still separating me from freedom. Beyond those grounds lay the boundaries of Silver Crest, and once I crossed them, there would be no going back.

I kept walking, hoping nothing would stand between me and the only thing I had left to do.

I wanted to find the family I had been separated from, to know where I came from and who I truly was. Somewhere out there, there had to be a place where I belonged, people who shared my blood and a part of my life I had never known. I didn't know what awaited me or whether I would even find them, but I wanted to try. After everything I had lost, finding my family was the one thing I still had left to hold on to.

I reached into my pocket and brought out the bracelet, letting my eyes rest on it for a while. It was all I had left to guide me towards the family I had never known. I didn't even know if it would lead me anywhere, but I wanted to believe it would. Maybe somewhere out there, I could find the people I belonged to. A place where I wouldn't have to keep wondering if I was wanted, or fight so hard to have a place in someone's life. I just wanted to know what it felt like to truly belong.

By the time I reached the gates, I was already thinking about what lay beyond them. But before I could take another step, a commotion in the city caught my attention. Guards were moving through the streets in unusually large numbers, some hurrying from one part of the city to another.

I watched them from a distance, and a troubling thought crossed my mind. Had Shaun discovered I was missing? Was that why the guards were suddenly searching the city?

I didn't wait to find out. If they were looking for me, it was only a matter of time before someone thought to check the gates. I quickly made my way out of Silver Crest, determined to put as much distance between myself and the pack as I could.

The farther I walked, the more Silver Crest disappeared behind me.

My steps were slow, and every now and then, I had to stop to catch my breath. My body was still weak, and the pain from my head hadn't completely gone away. But I couldn't afford to stop for too long.

I had no idea where I was going. All I knew was that I couldn't return to that place. Not after everything that had happened.

For three years, I had called Silver Crest home. I had loved its people, trusted its Alpha and believed I had found my place in the world. Now, I was walking away from it with nothing but the clothes on my back and a broken heart.

I glanced over my shoulder once, but there was nothing behind me except the distant outline of the territory I had once called home.

I turned away and continued walking.

The path ahead stretched between tall trees, their branches swaying gently in the afternoon breeze. Behind me, the familiar buildings of Silver Crest were slowly disappearing from view, hidden by the thickening trees.

As I ventured farther into the forest, the pain in my head grew harder to ignore. At times, it throbbed so badly that I had to lean against a tree and close my eyes until the dizziness passed. I hadn't planned a destination, and I had no idea how far I could travel in my condition.

Darkness slowly settled over the forest. The trees stood like shadows against the dim sky, and the path ahead had become harder to see. I could only make out what was directly in front of me.

After a while, something about my surroundings began to change. The gentle rustling of leaves seemed to fade, and an unfamiliar scent drifted through the air. I slowed down, taking a cautious breath as I tried to identify it.

It was the scent of other wolves.

Could they be spies from Silver Crest, sent to capture me?

I glanced behind me. Several pairs of glowing eyes watched from between the trees, their owners remaining hidden in the darkness.

I couldn't tell who they were, but I had no intention of waiting around to find out. I quickened my pace, hoping to leave them behind.

However, the moment I turned forward, I found three wolves standing directly in my path.

I stopped abruptly.

One of them stepped closer, a mischievous smile spreading across his face as his eyes travelled over me.

"What is a beautiful lady like you doing out here all alone?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I turned, hoping to find another way around them.

But two more wolves had appeared behind me, blocking the path I had just taken.

I froze.

There were five of them.

One of the two behind me took a step forward, his lips curling into a smirk.

"And where do you think you're going?"