CHAPTER FOUR

KARLA'S POV

Managing pain and survival was something I never thought I would have to do. Not even my father's training would have prepared me for the sheer pain in my heart. Even with the knowledge that it was Aiden, it didn't make it any easier.

I gasped and ran. I found a small shed, and I limped towards it. I needed to catch my breath, or I would collapse. That was the last thing I needed right now. I needed to catch my breath for a second, and I hid my scent. I don't know how I was able to do that, but I did.

The best option for me right now was to turn into my wolf, but Zeal wasn't even remotely up to the task, broken bond and all.

I was trying to connect with Zeal when I heard footsteps behind me. I froze and sunk deeper into my shadow.

"Find her." It was Alpha Aiden’s voice that made Zeal whimper, sending a fresh wave of pain rolling through me. What the hell did he want with me? "How dare she walk away from me?" He fumed.

I would be appalled by his arrogance if I wasn't in so much pain. I was going to reject him first, and he snatched that from me, just like he did with everything else.

"Alpha, I have sent some men to her father's house. They will have her brought to you in no time."

I rolled my eyes. Great, now I couldn't go back to my father.

"Whatever." He growled. "If they don't surrender their stupid omega of a daughter, round them all up until they get that I'm not messing around with them." I gasped and tried to gather my thoughts, but it was difficult to do with Aiden feet away from me and Zeal whimpering in pain.

Sighting another shed, I crawled away to put some distance between us. My family was in danger because they couldn't surrender someone they can't find. I could be more sympathetic if I wasn't certain that my father would give me up instantly. I would have loved to be a good daughter and warn them so we could all run away together, which I know was a far-fetched thought. I don't know what my mother would do, but I was sure she would follow her husband's lead.

So, I took a deep breath and exhaled. There was only one thing I could do right now. Run and don't look back. The pain wasn't going anywhere, so I dragged myself up and walked as fast as I could in pain.

I would be in bigger trouble if I didn't know how to get to the border. I don't know where the next neighboring pack is, but I would cross that bridge when the time comes.

I was almost at the border when I remembered that there would most likely be guards at the border.

"Crap." I needed to keep up my strength to support both me and my wolf. I crouched low and decided to walk in the shadows, maybe they wouldn't see me.

My plan worked for all of two minutes before I heard a yell. "Do you hear the rustling?" One of the guards said.

"What rustling?" I should have stopped, but I know stopping would be dangerous.

"Hey, there she is." The first guard yelled. "She's running away."

"Stop before I put a bullet in you." I abandoned the shadows and ran in the open. They would have to catch me first. With a surge of adrenaline that was very welcome, I ran like my life depended on it, which it did.

The border came into view, and for a split second, I actually thought I wouldn't make it when I felt my body go still. I didn’t stop, anyway. I ran with the last breath in me until I crossed the border.

I grinned to myself and turned back to see that the guards had stopped. It was a well-known fact that you couldn't chase someone on another territory. They would have to back away.

Was I that fast on my feet that none of the guards could catch up with me? It was then that I heard a bang, and to my horror, I realized that I had been shot. The pain made my body shiver, but even in the pain, I noted that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

An omega would have died on the spot.

What the actual f*ck? The last thing I saw before the darkness swallowed me whole was the satisfied grin on the guards face. I didn't need to be told that he had been instructed by Aiden to do that. Aiden had been trying to get me killed for as long as I could remember. I'm sure he counted on my wolf being too weak to fight the silver bullet that was buried in my stomach.

It seemed like he had gotten his wish now. I don't know how long I was out, but I know it wasn't so long ago because the night was still as dark as I left it, but it was enough to convince the guards that I was dead.

I wrapped my stomach as best as I could with the hem of my gown and headed north. The only reason I chose to head north was because of a conversation I had with Ace a long time ago. I don't know what exactly prompted the discussion, but he told me the best way to go was up.

"It can only get better up there, no?" He had said.

I walked for three days straight without encountering anyone, wolf or rogue. I was only living on rotten fruits that had fallen from trees and no water. I was certain that I was going to die soon if nothing happened.

I didn't take more than two steps before I fainted.

When I came to, it was in a cage. My first reaction was to panic, but I knew there was no point in doing that. My father had trained me better than that. I was in a cage. That was the first thing I recognized. I also tried to recall the names of the neighboring packs so I could match it with how far I had walked. I had walked for three days straight to the north. According to what my father had taught me, the closest pack to the north was at least five days' journey on foot. Maybe someone had picked me up. I had no way of knowing how many days had passed, either. It was all so confusing...

I tried to rack my head to figure out what could have happened when the same delicious scent that led me to Aiden wafted up my nose again.

Aiden had caught me...