RUN!

RIA'S POV

"Come out." The prison guard commanded me.

On the morning of the third day, the bolt of the prison door slides open.

The execution ground is already full with people when they bring me out.

My feet barely touch the ground under me as two warriors drag me out. The silver rope still burns my skin and makes me weak. I cannot even hear my wolf talk or feel her presence anymore.

My lips are cracked, my throat is dry and sore that I can barely swallow my saliva.

The crowd stands in a wide half-circle around the post at the center of the courtyard murmuring, while the execution post stands tall and erect with black stains on it. I know what those stains are.

Suddenly, my legs stop working.

"Move." One of the warriors commands as he shoves me forward. I lose balance. My knees hit the dirt and I can't find the strength to stand. They grab me, pull me up, push me to the post, and force me down in front of it.

I sit on the cold ground with my legs stretched out. I raise my face to see hundreds of faces staring at me. I search their faces the way a drowning person searches for something to hold onto.

Then I saw my mother. She bows, her head so low I can only see the top of her grey hair. Finn stands still and unmoving beside her. He fixed his eyes on the ground.

Finn. I willed him to look at me, please. He does not.

Alpha Roderic steps forward. He puts his hands behind his back and waits for the silence to settle.

"Members of Black Hallow. It's so sad that our Luna is gone. She has been taken from us by the hand of the very person trusted to care for her. Ria Vale, an omega to our Luna, used the privileges given to her to poison the woman who showered her with so much grace."

The crowd murmurs and stops when he signals.

"Therefore, the punishment," he continues. His amber eyes flicked to me for just a moment…cold.  "is death."

"I didn't…" My voice breaks as I try to talk. I swallow and try again. "I didn't do it. I swear to you, I didn't. She was my Luna. She was the only person in this pack who ever…"

A sob escapes my chest. I pressed my lips together, trying to hold it back, but my body had been empty for three days and had nothing left to hold anything with.

"...who ever treated me like I mattered," I whisper. "Why would I kill her? Why would I kill the only person who was kind to me?"

No one answered. Alpha Roderic looks at his beta and nods.

Garrett steps forward. He is the Alpha's beta and as such follows orders. He is big with broad shoulders and grey eyes. His face shows nothing as he lifts the axe. The blade catches the light.

I close my eyes and force my mind to wander.

I'm sorry, Luna. I'm sorry I couldn't help you. I'm sorry I didn't understand what you were trying to tell me.

I hear the swoosh sound as he swung the axe up through the air

Then I heard something else.

A sharp cry that cuts the air and then a thud. Garrett roars in pain.

I quickly opened my eyes to see him on his knees holding his shoulder. An arrow has been struck there. The axe lies on the ground beside him.

Everything freezes in a heartbeat. Then chaos.

People scream and run in different directions. The sounds of bones cracking, and growl fill the air as the warriors change into their wolf forms and head towards the direction where the arrow came from. The two warriors who had been holding rushed towards the same direction as the other warriors.

My wrists are still bound, but the rope has gone slack.

I look down to see it hanging loosely. Maybe it was when Garrett had grabbed me to position me or maybe it was from when I fell to my knees. My heart suddenly begins to pound hard against my chest.

Now.

I twist my wrists and shake it so the rope can come loose. I hiss in pain as it burns through my skin. I ignore the pain as I twist and pull harder. The rope falls free from my hands and falls to the ground.

I pick up myself and stagger trying to gain balance.

"She's free!" Someone shouts."The omega is free… she's about to escape!"

My instincts immediately take over and I run.

For my dear life!

I shift while running. Intense pain shoots through my body in an instant as my body undergoes changes, my clothes rips apart and falls away. My wolf has been starved and weak and it hurts like nothing I had ever felt before but she answers. A small rust-brown wolf.

I land on four paws and keep running with the last strength I could muster.

Something grazed my side, opening up my skin. I look down to see blood dripping from my rib. I stumble and nearly fall down, twigs tear at my fur but I find my feet again and keep going.

The trees. I just want to run past these trees.

The vision starts to blur. Howls from behind, draws me back.

“Don't let her reach the border.”

“Cut her off.”

“Bring her down!”

My lungs are on fire. I notice my blood dripping and leaving a trail behind me. As I slipped in and out of consciousness, I thought: I'm going to fall. I'm going to fall and they're going to catch me and drag me back.

I finally cross the treeline and their shadows close around me. As I run, the voices become faint until I can no longer hear them.

I ran until I couldn't run anymore. Then I collapse and automatically reverse to human form. I lie on the ground bleeding. I tried to crawl forward but I'm unable to lift myself.

I manage to turn over to lie on my back facing the sky. The sky looks down at me. I have no idea where I am but only that I'm in an open field. I don't know how far I have run or if they are still chasing me.

I just know that I cannot move because my strength cannot carry me anymore.

My vision becomes blurry and I start to lose consciousness.

Get up, I told myself. Get up, Ria, get up.

My body did not listen to me.

Looks like this is the end for me.

I blink and try to focus. I open my mouth but no sound comes out.

Then I drift away. I welcome it.

I do not know what will become of me but I surrender to fate.