Into the Unknown

The Moon Goddess Festival arrived faster than Lily expected. All around her, the pack buzzed with anticipation. 

Decorations hung from the trees and houses, and people seemed to be enjoying the evening's grand celebration. 

The festival had always been a massive event for the pack, a tradition going back centuries. 

It was meant to honor the Moon Goddess and her guidance over the wolves, particularly in matters of mates.

But for Lily, tonight held a much darker significance. It was time for her escape, the day she had been counting down to for years, the day she would finally leave. 

No one in the pack had cared about her birthday; no one even acknowledged it, they probably didn't remember. 

All they cared was the Alpha twins mate ritual. But that didn’t matter. She didn’t need their well wishes. What she needed was freedom.

She clenched her fists at the thought of Lucas and Liam. 

All these years, they had tormented her relentlessly, making her life a living hell. And now, they were about to ascend to the role of Alpha leaders. 

The pack worshipped them, adored them. No one knew the true monsters they were, except for her.

But after tonight, they wouldn’t be her problem anymore.

She needed to stick to her plan. She planned on waiting until the festival had already began and people didn't even care about her presence, then she would slip away unnoticed. 

She had checked out a path through the woods that led out of pack territory. From there, she would follow the river to the nearest town. 

It was risky, but it was her only option. She couldn’t stay here any longer. Not after everything she’d endured.

Taking a deep breath, Lily grabbed her bag and carried it over her shoulder. She made her way downstairs, the house empty as usual. 

Her mother had left hours ago to help with the festival preparations, not that she would have noticed her absence anyway. 

She was practically invisible to her, an outcast in her own family.

As she stepped outside, she looked around to make sure that she wasn't being watched by anyone. 

She kept her head down, walking quickly past the crowd, avoiding eye contact with anyone who might recognize her. 

As she reached the edge of the forest, Lily hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the city. 

This was it. Once she crossed into the boundary, there was no turning back.

"Goodbye hell" She said.

She stepped into the woods and made her way down the road.

The path she had mapped out in her head was clear, and she moved swiftly, her senses on high alert. 

She knew she wasn't entirely safe until she has successfully crossed the border. It was most important.

Lily had only been walking for about fifteen minutes when she heard it, a rustling sound behind her. 

She froze, her heart skipping a beat. Slowly, she turned, looking at the trees, but there was nothing there. Just the wind, she told herself. Just the wind.

But as she started walking again, the sound came back, louder this time. Footsteps.

Someone was following her.

Panic surged through Lily’s body as she quickened her pace, her eyes moving around the forest. 

She could feel the presence behind her, following each step she took. Whoever it was, they were close, too close.

Suddenly, someone stepped out from the shadows, blocking her path. Lily’s heart leapt into her throat as she recognized him instantly.

Lucas.

He stood there, arms crossed over his chest, a smirk playing on his lips. 

“Going somewhere?” he asked, his voice filled with mockery.

Lily’s blood ran cold. How had he found her? She hadn’t seen him anywhere near the edge of the forest. Had he been following her this whole time?

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, her voice shaking despite her best efforts to remain calm. "Aren't you supposed to be at the moon goddess festival?"

Lucas took a step closer, his eyes gleaming with amusement. 

“I could ask you the same thing. But I already know the answer" He said.

Lily clenched her fists, her mind racing. She had to think of something, some way to get past him. But Lucas was fast, stronger than her, and she knew he wouldn’t let her go easily.

“I’m leaving,” she said, her voice more confident than she felt. “I don’t care what you or anyone else in this pack thinks of me. I’m done being your punching bag.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow, looking almost impressed by her defiance. 

“You think it’s that simple? That you can just walk away?” he asked.

“I don’t care if it’s simple,” Lily snapped. “I’m not staying here another day.”

For a moment, Lucas didn’t respond. He simply stared at her, his eyes narrowing. Then, without warning, he lunged forward, grabbing her arm. Lily gasped, trying to pull away, but his grip was like iron.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “Not tonight.”

Fear gripped Lily as she struggled against him, but Lucas held her firmly, his strength overpowering her. 

“Let me go!” she shouted, her voice echoing through the trees.

Lucas’s expression darkened, and for a moment, she thought he might actually hurt her. But then, something shifted in his gaze. The smirk vanished, replaced by something colder, more serious.

“You don’t get it, do you?” he said quietly, his grip loosening slightly. “You can’t leave. Not now.”

Lily’s heart pounded in her chest. 

“Why? Why do you care?” she asked.

Lucas let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. 

“Because, surprisingly, you’re important, whether you like it or not" He replied.

Lily blinked continuously, trying to understand what he was saying to her.

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

But before Lucas could answer, another voice cut through the air.

“She deserves to know, Lucas.”

Lily turned to see Liam stepping out from behind a tree, his expression unreadable. He walked toward them, his eyes locking onto Lily’s.

“You're our mate,” Liam said, his voice steady, but filled with anger. “The Moon Goddess chose you, Lily.”

The words hit her like a punch to the gut.

Mate?

Her mind went blank, her body going numb. This had to be some kind of sick joke. The twins, her mates? The very same boys who had tormented her for years?

She shook her head, stepping back, her heart racing. 

“No,” she whispered. “That can’t be true.”

Lucas’s grip tightened on her arm again.

“It is, Lily. You can’t run from this" He said. "If you do, the entire pack will be thrown in chaos and you'll eventually end up dead."

Lily’s world spun out of control. Everything she had planned, every hope of escaping, shattered in an instant. 

How could the Moon Goddess have done this to her? How could she bind her to the very people who had made her life unbearable?

Her knees failed her, but before she could fall, Lucas caught her, his arms steadying her. She felt trapped, suffocated by the reality crashing down on her.

“I… I can’t…” she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

But it didn’t matter. There was no escaping now.