Chapter Two

Escape:

“Oh Alice, wait!” Sarah called after Alice as she was walking away.

Alice’s head dropped, right now she just wanted to be invisible. To be left alone. She came back into the room, he bowed.

“Yes Ma’am.” Alice responded by hanging in the doorway of the kitchen.

“Go on, Karl , tell her.” Sarah smiled brightly, Alice knew this was not sincere happiness, well maybe it was but it just meant something horrible for her.

“Oh um..Alice.” Karl rubbed his forehead, he was still hung over from the night before. 

After Alice’s mother died Karl tok up drinking hard. Sarah didn't mind because she got everything she asked for and didn't have to do anything in return. Karl rubbed his face trying to think straight as Alice waited patiently. 

“Oh what the hell Karl.” Sarah grumbled, swatting the table with her hand.  

“We are sending you to the pack house.” Sarah smiled brightly, as she patted Karl’s hand.

“The pack house.” Alice said her own voice in disbelief. 

“Yes..the pack house.” Sarah snarled.

Alice’s heart dropped, there was no escape from the pack house. Only slaves worked in the pack house. Working in the pack house meant Alice will lose her name, she will be given a slave number. She would be branded and never be able to leave.

“No.” Alice whispered, she couldn't go there.

“Excuse me. I’ll let that pass because your face already says you're distraught but next outburst and I won't be so gracious. Besides maybe the Alpha will let you sever James and you're soon to be Luna Eliza. You will stay here until after the banquet and then that evening you will be sent there.” Sarah smiled, her smile growing more with the more Alice looked hurted.

“No, I'll just leave. I won't be in any trouble. you will never see me again.`` Alice blurted out, she didn't mean to say her plan out loud but it was too late.

“Leave, don't be silly. Besides, we have already received your number. You will be 523.”  Sarah watched and waited for more of the color to drain from Alice’s face.

“Your red collar is on the way as well.” She added her red lipstick smile making Alice want to vomit.

“Father you can't! Please don't send me Dad. I promise I will be better. I will do whatever you ask me to do. I won't over cook anything or under cook. I will be perfect. Please do anything but pack houses. Dad.” Alice begged and she saw Karl’s head bow.

She saw a glimpse of hope as he seemed like it wasn't something he really wanted to do. She wanted him to stand up to Sarah for once. To protect her like a father should. He was her dad. The same man that she remembered running to as a child. He would lift her up into the sky and twirl with her. She needed that man again, where he was. Tears built up in her eyes. 

“Daddy please don't make me go.” Alice begged. 

“That is enough!” Sarah slammed her fist down on the table, making everything on it vibrate. 

Karl snapped his back up like he was some dog waiting for instructions. Sarah shoved his arm and stood up, anger vibrating off of her. James sat back in his chair and ugly grin on his face as he waited for his mother to lose it.

“Get up and take her outside and brand her now. We are not going back on this. We agree on this. She is worthless and in the way. She will damage our son's reputation if she stays any longer. Don't you want our son to secure his position as Alpha.” Sarah said, slamming her fist again on the table. 

Karl clenched his jaw shut, as he stood up matching her anger. His hands shook from the hangover as he stood.

“Enough of all this yelling! Damn it Sarah.” Karl yelled back, gripping the table with his hands. 

Sarah then turned the tables and began to sniffle, she put her hands over her face like she was crying. Karl hated crying women and would do anything to get them to stop.

“Damn it Sarah come on.” Karl said, running his hand over his bald head. 

“No. I won't. You don't care about me or James. You don't care about his future. Or ours. I should just go put myself in the ground too. Then maybe you’ll care.” Sarah said, bubbling one through her fake sobs. 

“Sarah.” Karl said going to reach for her.

“No.” She pulled away like a toddler. 

“Please.” The word was quiet and helpless as it fell out of Alice’s mouth, she just wanted her father to be her father again.

“Shut up. Just shut up.” Karl snapped at her and all hope of him saving her vanished. 

Run. Lenore yelled inside her mind. No one was looking at her as Sarah carried on fake sobbing. She felt Lenore give her strength and she couldn't help but give in. if she could get to the wood she was faster than all of them, She would lose them, She took a small step back and no one noticed she had moved. She took another step back and then bolted. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as she rushed towards the front door. She pulled it open and pushed through the screen door as fast as she could. Lenore is screaming in her head to be fast to move quicker. The screen door slamming behind her echoed through the home.

“Get her!” Sarah screamed, she screamed so loud Alice could hear her as she bolted towards the fence line.

James nearly fell out of his when she screamed. It took hima second to realize what happened and then he grinned. He loved to chase. He took off after her. Karl follows behind James. James rushed out onto the porch and spotted Alcie climbing the fence.

“Run Alice!” James laughed as he ran down the front porch steps. 

Karl was out of shape and had let himself go over the past few years. He stumbled down the front steps, the world being dizzy as he walked. Sarah came out onto the porch, her eyes searching for help.

“You there go help James! And you fire up the brander we use on the cattle. We are doing this today.” Sarah said, snapping at them.

The men didn't question and quickly began doing what she said. Karl took off running, well running was for him. Alice made it over the fence in no time and she could see the woods. IF she could get  to the woods she knew several paths that she could head down and confuse James. She could shift into Lenore and let her take off. If she could get to the woods she would be gone. She ran full force to the woods. Her lungs burned in her chest as she commanded her legs to move quicker, run faster. 

“You better fucking run Alice.” James yelled from the top of the fence. 

Almost there, she could see the path into the woods. She could smell the dirt from the soil. She was going to make it. She was going to get out of this hell. She forced herself to move quicker. The adrenaline and strength from Lenore was all she needed. 

“You're never going to escape Alice.” Jame yelled, gaining on her.

Alice turned to look back at how close he was and that’s when it happened. She missed a step, her foot bent sideways and all of her body weight came crashing down on her ankle twisting. She fell forward into the dirt. Her face hit the ground just outside the woods. Her heart sank. Within seconds James had her. She jumped on top of her pinning her to the ground.

“Got you, you little bitch.” He growled, shoving his elbow into her back. 

“James let me go. Please let me go. I promise you’ll never see me again.” Alice begged her face into the soil. 

“I don't think so.” James laughed and then grabbed Alice by her hair. 

Alice kicked and fought against James but he began to drag her towards the fence. The ground ripped her flesh as she tried to free her hair from his grapes. She dug her nails into his hand holding her hair but he acted like he didn't even feel it. She then began trying to grab anything on the ground to stop her from being dragg. She grabbed on to a tree root and James nearly ripped out all of her hair. He growled tugging on her hair as she hung on to the tree branch for dear life.  James twirled his hand around her jet black hair keeping her in place and then grabbed her by her throat and began to squeeze.  Alice held on even though her air supply was slowly being cut off. She wasn't letting go, she wanted to go willingly. She was going to fight every step away even if it killed her. 

The world slowly started to go dark and her body was starting to get weak, her arms let go of the branch even though she tried her hardest to hold on to it. The world faded out and she felt her body beginning to get dragged again as the world went dark.