Chapter 3. Fleeing the pack, a new chance at life

The whip had just hit Emaline’s back for the hundredth time. Emaline even wondered how she was still alive with all that indescribable pain constantly surging through her body like it had beef with her.

“Now, get lost!” the golden-haired guard who had been whipping her ordered after freeing her from the stake. She tried to rise to her feet but kept falling. And the merciless guard whipped her several times on her back causing her to collapse.

“Get the fuck up, you bitch!” someone in the crowd yelled.

“Yeah! Get out of the pack, you disgusting thing,”

“What are you waiting for? Get lost!”

“I hope some wild animal eats you up outside,”

“Stand up, you moron!”

Many started throwing things at her. Amidst all these, she gritted her teeth and managed to stand.

“Move it!” another guard thundered and she began to take slow, difficult steps, heading in the direction of the pack’s entrance.

“I believe you were told to flee. What’s with this tortoise pace?” someone in the pack complained. She recognized that voice. It was Lola, Nadia’s personal maid.

At that, the guard with the whip wanted to hit her again but she caught it with determined eyes. “I survived all those lashes and I’m doing one thing. I’m leaving this god-damned pack. If you hit me again, it won’t go well for any of you!” she growled.

For a moment, the crowd went silent as they felt an oppressive aura. But then they thought it was probably a fluke. How could an Omega werewolf possess such a baleful aura? It was probably the Alpha’s answer to her outrageous words. That must be it.

“Get out!” someone resumed throwing things at her and another threw a stone at her stomach.

In a rage, she dragged the whip from the guard's hands and he let go after seeing her abnormal strength.

Now that the whip was in her possession, she flexed it at the crowd.

“Who hit my stomach?” she questioned with clenched teeth. In response, the Luna’s personal maid threw a pebble at her forehead.

“Very good,” Emaline nodded sagely and immediately used the whip on the unanticipating maid. It hit the latter’s face causing her to fall down. Then Emaline hit a few more people including the guards that came at her, using the newfound strength that was suddenly inside her.

At a point, no one bothered about her and she took that opportunity to flee with the whip. Because if the hurt people transformed into their wolf forms and she was still close by, then she was doomed. It was as if all the pains had temporarily gone away and she ran the fastest she’d ever run in her life.

The guards at the border wanted to stop her but she flexed the whip menacingly at them, causing them to give way. After leaving the pack’s borders, she continued to run for a few minutes before she felt her strength suddenly leave her. All that blinding pain returned and she fell at the foot of a wilthered large tree.

“I need to escape far…” she mumbled as she struggled to crawl. Eventually even crawling on her belly became a herculean task and she felt her head spinning.

“No… I mustn’t…”

She eventually passed out with the whip falling from her hand.

…

“Julian, look at this female. Man, she looks terrible,” a bald, potbellied and unkempt short man said to his companions.

“She’s a pretty one, even with all these injuries, her beauty is shining,” another one remarked.

The bald man stooped to feel Emaline’s breath.

“Anthony, is she dead?” another unkempt man in his thirties questioned.

The man named Anthony looked up at his cronies, “She’s alive but can’t last long. We haven’t had a female in so long. Why don’t we have fun with her? At least she’ll die of extreme happiness,” he suggested and the eyes of the others lit up.

“Yeah, you’re right. Who cares if she’s injured? Anthony, you go first. I hope she lasts long enough,” the one called Julian said.

As Anthony lowered his pants and prepared for action with his cronies cheering, a growl was heard and they felt an overwhelming aura.

“Shit! It’s an Alpha. Run!” The tallest man amongst them said and they quickly turned to flee only to stop dead in their tracks.

“And where do you think you’re going?” a tall, ripped man with silver hair and gold eyes growled.

“Your majesty,” Anthony stuttered, “Please… forgive us. We didn’t know she was yours,”

“You damn rogues!” the man raged and the five men who were kneeling trembled even more.

“Send yourselves to hell,” the burly man commanded and then made his way to the unconscious Emaline.

The sounds of necks being twisted were soon heard along with several thuds; The men had killed themselves.

Reaching where the unconscious female lay, he scooped her up in his arms gently, “I have finally found you, mate!”

***

Days later...

Emaline opened her eyes slowly, taking in the sight before her. A tastefully furnished room that was bigger than her chambers when she was concubine in Silver Glow. Furthermore, she was in a luxurious comfy bed and dressed in a beautiful dress. One that she wasn’t privileged to have back in SilverGlow.

“Where’s this? How did I end up here? Who saved me?” she thought in wonderment.

She recalled the situation she was in before she blacked out. She didn’t know how long she had slept but at the moment, she wasn’t feeling blinding pain. There were still scars on her body but they were almost healed.

As she was about to get off the bed, the door to the room opened and a petite chocolate-skinned maid entered with a tray containing several bottles of ointments and medicine.

“Luna, you’re awake. That’s great!” the maid yelled in excitement and quickly dropped the tray atop the bedside cabinet. “The Alpha would be so happy to hear that you’re awake now,”

“Em… Who are you?” Emaline asked after being surprised by the maid’s sudden excitement.

“I’m your humble personal maid, Roselyn. I’m honoured to serve you,” she immediately went down on one knee, “I swear to be loyal to you till I expire, my Luna,”

“Em…” Emaline was at a loss. This was a first for her. She felt like pinching herself to be sure she wasn’t dreaming because no one had treated her like this in SilverGlow.

“Please stand up,”

“Thank you, My Luna,” Roselyn excitedly rose.

“Where am I?” Emaline was prompted to ask.

“You’re in Red Claws Pack,”

“So your Alpha is Maxwell Hamilton?” she inquired and the maid nodded in confirmation.

“Would you like to see the Alpha?”

“Was he the one who saved me?” she replied with a question of her own.

“Yes, My Luna. He brought you here in his arms, everyone was surprised especially since our Alpha has a sort of obsession with cleanliness,” she whispered the last part.

“Is it good to sell out your Alpha like this to a complete stranger at that?” Emaline queried.

“It’s a known fact,” the latter shrugged.

“Okay… So where is he right now? Is he busy? And why are you calling me Luna?”

“Well, he’s in a meeting at the moment. And also for the last question, we were all instructed to call you that, My Luna,”

“Just call me, Emaline,”

“No, I dare not. I treasure my head,”

Emaline sighed. It seemed she had to bring up this matter before the Alpha whoever he was. She was nobody’s Luna!

“Oh my! The mark looks so beautiful on you, my Luna,” Roselyn complimented.

“What?” a muddled expression appeared on Emaline’s face, “What mark?”

“The one on your neck,”

Emaline quickly brought her hand to the right side of her neck and then went to look at the mirror. Her eyes widened in horror.

“Y-your Alpha… Did he mark me?”

Roselyn nodded in affirmation, “Yes, my Luna. The physician said it would help you heal faster,”

“How long have I been unconscious for?”

“Five days!” the maid held out five fingers for emphasis.

“Okay,” Emaline managed a fake smile, “How about you inform the Alpha that I’m awake and then come back to tell me when he requires my presence?” she suggested.

“My Luna, it’s better you surprise him. It’s my duty to make you look captivating and that, I’ll definitely do,” With that, the maid ushered a reluctant Emaline into the bathroom which was surprisingly also bigger than her room in Silverglow pack.

“Luna, please allow me to take off your clothes,”

Emaline’s eyes then widened, “You’re going to bathe me?”

“That’s my duty,” Roselyn nodded.

“I forbid you from that duty. As your Luna, I command you to go outside,” Emaline pointed at the door.

Roselyn looked reluctant but eventually bowed her head, “As you wish, my Luna,”

Then she exited the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Emaline then sighed as she got into the bathpool after stripping off her gown.

As she settledin the pool, she wondered in perplexity, “Why did the Alpha of this pack mark me?”