Chapter 5

Jada was a good teacher. She wasn't like the rest who only taught me about being a submissive mate, she also taught me how to act in self defense.

I already made up my mind that if I successfully escape from here, I'll head home and continue with the marriage arrangements.

I moved out of the room swiftly. I remembered that I didn't carry my veil along. I tried heading back into the room, but heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

I paused and leaned by the wall, hoping to shield myself from the person passing by. I raised my head to see that it was the elderly woman who entered the room. I allowed her to settle in the room, and when I was sure that she was inside, I tiptoed and locked the door from outside.

She banged loudly on the door and unfortunately for me, she had seen my figure retreating. Her screams alerted the guards and I quickly took to my heels.

I exhaled deeply as I slipped into the dimly lit hallway. I moved towards the end and was faced with a labyrinth of halls. I panicked as I contemplated which way to follow.

I could hear the men approaching, and I had to act fast.

“This way,” Aria urged, drawing me towards a door in the corridor. I opened the door and stumbled into a larger space. It was a storage room, stuffy and filled with barrels and crates.

I could see the shadows of the men from the space beneath the door. Their voices echoed from the hallway, making my blood run cold.

“She's in here somewhere.” One of the men growled and pushed open the door.

I crouched low to the ground, hiding behind the stack of crates. Their fire torches flashed around the room as they searched for me.

The room was dusty and particles from the dusty atmosphere filled my lungs, threatening to make me sneeze. I tried hard to hold the urge, knowing that if I made a sound, I would be caught.

The stench of sweat filled the room as the men intensified their search. A shadow of one of the men was cast in my direction. He was almost close to me. I struggled not to make a sound.

“Check that corner.” I heard a voice order, and my heartbeat increased as panic surged through me. The next thing I felt was a hand grabbing me roughly.

“You thought you could hide.” He sneered, raising his hand as if wanting to hit me. I twisted my face to the other direction, expecting the slap, but it never came.

The next thing I saw was the body of the man falling to the ground. The two other men with him fell to the ground as well. Someone had stabbed them with a dagger.

I lifted my trembling face to look at a young man. He stretched his hand towards me and I didn't hesitate to follow him.

We ran through the hallway and descended the stairs. Another army of guards rushed towards us and he pulled something out from his pocket which threw shards at the men. I hid behind him and when it looked like he couldn't take down all the men, we resorted to running.

The gate was a few meters in front of us. We nearly crossed the gate, but before I could do so, an arrow pierced through my skin, causing me to collapse.

My vision became blurry and he picked me into his arms, carrying me as we ran. I didn't know if we escaped or maybe we got caught.

I opened my eyes slowly, feeling a damp cloth against my skin. The sound of water trickling down stones caught my attention and I turned to look at a stream. A familiar pair of blue eyes looked at me. The man who saved me from my captors.

“You're quite heavy.” He said, smiling as he continued to clean my wounds.

“We escaped.” I muttered, raising my body from the sand and sitting upright. Pain throbbed through my ankle and I looked there to see a wound.

“Be careful.” He moved closer to me, supporting me to lean on a rock. It was already morning. Yesterday was the most adventurous night I had ever had.

“What did you use in killing them?” I asked as I remembered the device that shot out the silver shards.

“You mean, this?” He pulled out a tiny tool made from bamboo. “I'll call it a gun. Many people don't know about it yet.”

“A gun?” I whispered, moving closer to touch it.

“Everybody is power hungry. My father sent me to spy on foreign lands without even thinking about my safety.” He continued speaking.

He tore a piece of clothing from his shirt and used it in wrapping my wound. His hair was tousled in a way that made him look attractive and I couldn't help but stare. I had never been so close with a man.

“I'll alert my pack members so we can leave here.” He stretched his hand towards me, supporting me to my feet. My wound had already begun healing.

“What's your pack?”

“Veilwood.”

I watched him as he moved to a private corner. For him to be able to mindlink members of his pack, it meant that he had an alpha wolf. I still felt pain in my ankle, but it was minimal.

“My pack will be here soon.” he said as he returned to where I was.

After a while, I heard the neighing of horses in the distance. His pack had finally arrived. He supported me onto one of the horses, while the rider held onto the reins.

“Aren't you coming along?” I looked at him as he still stood on the ground.

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “Another horse is coming for me. I need you to go home safely.”

I waved at him and the horse took off with me and the rider. My heart still raced as I wondered if my pack had been worried about me. The thought of the stranger still fluttered in my mind, and I wondered if I'll ever see him again. I forgot to ask about his name and pack.

The rider alighted in front of the packhouse. Before I could thank him, he had already left.

“You're back!” Sasha almost screamed as she saw me. “How? Why didn't you run away?”

I lowered my hand, urging her to lower her voice before anyone would know that I attempted escaping.

“I almost died. I…”

“Where have you been?” My mother questioned, interrupting my conversation with Sasha.

I swallowed hard as her eyes went over me. “You look terrible.”

I looked at my dress which was torn and the cloth that was wrapped around my leg.

“Your suitor’s family is coming over for dinner. You can't embarrass me with those looks.” She held my hand, leading me towards my room.

My mother left, leaving me to settle in my room. The door flung open and Jada walked inside with folded arms.

“Where did you go yesterday?”

“You wouldn't believe that I almost got abducted.”

“I know that you tried escaping.” She said furiously and pointed a finger at me. “What if something bad happened to you?”

“I'm sorry.” I apologized, and she pulled me into a hug.

“I'm going to miss you now that you're getting married.” She said as she kissed my forehead.

It was evening and I stood in front of the mirror. My hazel eyes stared back at me. I couldn't say if they were happy or sad, but I knew I was grateful for being alive.

I dressed in a floral gown and my hair was decorated with golden hairpins. A veil covered my hair while my face was still visible.

I walked out of my room, ready to have dinner with my suitor's family. I felt quite nervous. Two images kept playing in my mind—the two men that I stumbled upon. The man who had me chained to the wall and the other who saved me from the guards.

The table was decorated with a variety of foods. I reached for a chair, ready to sit down. I almost lost my balance as I saw someone who I didn't expect.

What could he be doing here?