Seeking a distraction.

Jasmine's POV

I don't know how long we have been running, but I knew we had crossed our pack's border hours ago.

Elsa never for once paused to rest, and I didn't attempt to stop her either. It's not like if I stopped her, I had any strength to carry us to our destination.

Pure anger and wrath emanated from her as she kept running.

It wasn't fair for her to have witnessed that terrible earlier scene on the first day she had come into my life, but that was beyond my control.

“That bastard,” she hissed.

I ignored her because I didn't want to think about it anymore, or at least not yet.

Let me bask in the feeling of no thought and emptiness I was feeling now until the sadness and hurt begin to hit me later.

Dusk appeared, and Elsa still kept on running.

“Elsa, we crossed the border hours ago. Where are you taking us to?” I asked cautiously, not wanting to anger her further.

“Are you still thinking of returning to that cursed pack?” Elsa fumed.

I sighed in defeat. “It's not like I have anywhere else to go.”

She too sighed in defeat, as she knew I was right. Moon Shadow Pack was the only place I had known since birth, and my whole life seemed to revolve around that place.

“I have to return before it's late to prepare dinner for them.”

“It's not like you have skipped preparing dinner for them for just one night before. Let's do something fun tonight.”

“Like—?”

“Um.” Elsa pretended to be thinking about it, but something told me she had already made her choice long ago.

“Let's go to a bar.”

“A bar?” I repeated, not sure if I heard well.

“Yes. A bar,” she repeated stubbornly.

Our pack didn't own any drinking bar, and that would only mean one thing: we were going to have to visit the next pack to find a bar.

I opened my mouth to protest, but no words came out. If my father or our Alpha found out about this, I was going to be dead meat for sure.

On another thought, I should probably cooperate with her for tonight. After all, she had our best interest at heart and couldn't intentionally try to harm us.

Elsa took my no answer as a sign of submission and smiled for the first time in a while.

“There's a bar just over there. Are you ready to shift?”

I remembered something. “But we have no money to pay for the drinks, except the one—”

“The one what?” Elsa asked, slight mischief in her tone.

The money I had with me currently, forty dollars, was given to me by Mom earlier this morning to prepare dinner for the family.

I couldn't dare to imagine the number of beatings and wrath I would have to face if I used it on something else.

I already had one pending punishment at hand—for missing out preparing dinner for them tonight, coupled with the fact that I had one pending punishment already for failing to prepare dinner for them.

“Don't worry about that. We won't spend a cent out of it, anyway,” Elsa assured confidently.

“What do you mean?” I rolled my eyes inwardly, wondering what mischief she had up her sleeve this time.

“Just trust me for tonight. Would you?”

“Okay.”

Elsa approached the border of a neighboring pack and stopped.

“Really?” I couldn't believe the pack she had chosen.

Our pack and Night Walkers’ Pack have always been sworn enemies from years ago.

They both hated each other to the extent that both packs forbade their members from visiting the other's pack or risking death.

Not only that, Night Walkers’ Pack was ruled by twin Alphas. Everyone knew how much power and authority they wielded—even over neighboring packs.

I was beginning to doubt Elsa having our best interest at heart.

“I told you to just trust me tonight. You won't regret it.”

I really hope I don't.

I shifted into my human form and followed Elsa's guard.

The stars in the sky looked so shiny tonight that I couldn't help but stop to admire them for a minute.

I wondered for a split second what it would be like to be created as a star. I wouldn't have to face pain, heartbreaks, or torture. The only thing required of me was just to shine.

As I crossed the border and placed a foot into the pack, something almost didn't feel right.

It felt like a slight tug in my heart. Elsa seemed to sense it too and, thankfully, said nothing about it.

I ignored the feeling and went toward the bar. I muttered a prayer for safety and protection before proceeding to walk into the bar.

I chose a seat at the far back where I wouldn't be seen or discovered by anyone.

This was the first time I had gone to a place like this, and I couldn't help but feel awkward.

A man who I supposed to be the bartender approached me and scanned me from head to toe.

Oh Moon Goddess, let him not discover the truth about which pack I was from…

“This must be your first time here, isn't it?” He sent me a charming smile that caught me off guard.

I had to admit that he was hot as hell. If this was how all the men in this pack looked, it might not actually hurt to go home with one of them tonight.

Oh, no…

What the hell are you thinking, Jasmine? I slapped myself mentally.

“Y-yes.” I smiled sheepishly.

“You are welcome, beautiful.”

I blushed and felt the tension in my body ease up a bit.

I was not used to being complimented and only managed to flash him an awkward smile in appreciation.

“So what do I offer you, beautiful?” He winked at me.

I began to sweat internally. If I ordered the drinks, where would I find the money to pay for them?

“Give her a martini. Bill’s on me,” a rich, deep voice spoke from behind me.