Chapter 5: GETTING CAUGHT

Perhaps I had overestimated how much I had been ‘fixed’.

My chest was getting tighter with every step and my head was starting to spin as I continued into the forest. In a rush I had completely forgotten the tiny little fact that humans can't see in the dark, and being a human, it meant I couldn't see where I was heading.

I leant against a tree, gasping for air. Leaning forward I struggled to breathe but I clutched tightly on the compass, trying to figure out which was North.  

I could hear the whooshing of water nearby and guessed that somewhere close by there was a lake.

Deciding I had spent enough time resting, I started running again. It had been about half an hour since I started this journey and I could already imagine that the guards had finished their training. If they had caught my scent or if someone had realised I was not in my room any longer, then it would game over for me.

Trying to push aside the thoughts of how Alpha Stone could punish me I continued to head forward with determination. I needed to get home and see my parents and to make sure my mother was fine, that's all I wanted to do.

I slowed down when I came across a large fallen tree. It was twice the size of me so I couldn't just simply jump over it.

I rolled up my sleeves and was about to go over the tree when I heard a twig snap.

I knew it was him before I even turned in that direction.

“I would think carefully if I were you,” he stated, emerging from the shadows, looking majestic under the moonlight.

Alpha Stone was shirtless, his rock hard abs obvious as he stepped closer to me. I had to physically pull my eyes away from his body and up to his face.

He was watching me with his dark eyes. His black hair was messed up, strands falling across his face.

“What?” I whispered, my voice unwittingly husky.

“That tree,” he gestured with his head, “is on the border of my pack. You cross if and you have officially escaped.”

I was confused at his fact-stating voice.

Was he telling me to leave?

He continued, “And that means, once you have crossed, I'll give you two seconds before I kill you”.

Oh I see, he wasn't giving me facts he was just threatening me.

I stared back at him, dead in the eyes.

“Just kicked you did to my mother?”

There was silence and I watched his perfectly shaped eyebrows rise.

“What are you talking about?” He finally asked, his voice gruff.

I wanted to roll my eyes at him for feigning ignorance.

“I know what you did to my mother!” I yelled, tears glazing my eyes. “The whole deak was I would stay and be your prisoner if you let my parents go”.

He took a step forward as tears rolled down my face.

“But you didn't and now I'm breaking my end of the deal.” I pulled myself onto the tree, straddling it awkwardly.

“Aria,” he whispered; it's a warning.

But I didn't listen and just as I was about to jump off to the other side I was grabbed roughly and pulled back into his hard chest.

“Aria,” he warned again as I tried to struggle, screaming at him to let me go.

“Aria!” He shouted, finally turning me around so I was looking at him. His hands held me in place and his eyes burned into mine.

“Your parents are fine. They were unharmed and were escorted safely back to their pack.”

I stopped moving, my eyes roaming his face, trying to figure out if he's lying or telling the truth.

“But I heard that my mother was on the floor and you ripped her throat out,” I stuttered; tears continued to roll down my cheeks.

He rolled his eyes. “Your mother fainted. I didn't rip her throat.”

“So she is still alive?” I asked

He sighed seemingly bored with this line of conversation.  “Yes, your mother is alive and breathing”.

I sighed in relief, but a part of me still doubted him.

“Can I-” before I could complete my sentence, he wrapped his hands tightly around mine and started walking, pulling me along behind him.

“Ouch,” I whispered, trying to pry his finger away. His hold was so tight I thought he might snap my wrist.

Hearing me wince, his hold loosened slightly, but he kept his eyes ahead.

I trailed behind him, struggling to keep up with his wide steps. He seemed so gracious, almost like he was floating with every strop and then there was me, looking like some deranged rabbit hopping behind him.

We walked in silence for a while before I asked, “Can I see my parents?”

“No”

“Can I call my parents?”

“No”

I sighed, “Then how do I know you're telling the truth?”

He turned around abruptly, making me walk straight into him. He lowered himself so he was looking me straight in the eyes.

“You don't,” he stated, his eyes pools of black. “You're just gonna have to believe me,” he answered. He was so close to me now, that as he spoke his warm breath fanned over me.

I was speechless as I gazed into his eyes, my heart beating incredibly fast at our close proximity.

“Well, my parents are going to be really worried. Can I just let them know I'm fine?” I asked, leaning away trying to make some space between us.

“Believe me, your parents know that you are fine”. He said turning away and started to walk, pulling me along again.

What does that mean?

All I could think the whole way back was how much of a fault this attempt to run away was. And as we got closer to the pack house I felt just down right embarrassed.

My thoughts drifted to Cassie and I closed my eyes. Oh God, that poor girl was going to be in so much trouble.

Just for her sake and because of everything she had risked, I wondered if I should try and make another attempt to run for it.

Maybe if I just sprint as fast as I can in the zigzag motion, I might be able to outrun Alp-

As if he was reading my mind, Alpha Stone spoke up.

“If you even think of trying to do what you just did again, I promise you Aria, I won't be so kind.” His voice was so cold and sharp it felt like a knife had stabbed me.

Before I even knew what I was doing I nodded in reply.

He glanced down at me, his eyes roaming my body. He then reached over and wiped something off my face.

It was that mixture Cassie had put on me. I had completely forgotten that it was still on my body.

“Who made this for you?” He asked.

I held my mouth shut. There was no way I was going to tell the only person that had helped me.

He wiped the mixture from his hand onto my top.

“I'll punish Cassie Wood once we get back.”

My eyes went wide and I quickly dug my heels into the ground making Alpha Stone stop. He already knew, of course he did.

“Please don't,” I whispered. “I threatened her with a knife”

He rose an eyebrow

“A speciality of yours I see,” he retorted, “threatening people”.

“It doesn't matter though,” he continued, “she still helped you escape and she needs to be punished for that”.

I clutched at his arm when he turned to walk towards the pack house.

“What are you going to do to her?” I ask, out of fear.

He smirked as he turned to face me, but there was no humour on his face, just darkness and anger.

“I guess I'll have to rip her throat out”.

It was the first time I had seen the Red Moon Pack house as beautiful and jaw-dropping as it was. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to pay much attention.

Because of me, Cassie was going to die.

My heart was beating widely in my chest, and feeling slightly dizzy and shaky I walked into the house behind Alpha Stone.

I needed to warh Cassie somehow, help her escape before Alpha Stone actually managed to carry out his threat.

“Alpha Stone,” I started, attempting for the final time to change his mind, however he was hardly paying attention to me.

Suddenly he stopped abruptly and I thought perhaps that was a sign he was listening.

“Cassie she-” I continued.

“Yes Jayden?” Alpha Stone's voice interrupted me. Jayden? I peered from behind Alpha Stone's large stature and realised he was talking to a man standing in front of him.

He was equally a large man, easily towering over me with large broad shoulders. He had blonde hair which curled around his ears and blue eyes that honed in on me as I hid behind the Alpha. He radiated power too and from his well built body and muscles protruding from underneath his shirt, I had no doubt he was a strong fighter too.

His lips curled upwards at me before turning to Alpha Stone.

“Everyone is ready and waiting for you Alpha,” he said, before his attention turned back to me. His eyes watched me carefully, and I believe he was about to say something more when a familiar figure arrived down the hallway.

“Oh damn it!” Kate exclaimed as she saw me. She rolled her eyes at Jayden, handing him some money before speaking to me.

“I honestly thought that you managed to escape, Aria,” she said, shaking her head in mock disappointment. “That's $100 I lost on you”.

“You made a bet on me escaping?” I wondered out loud. I looked up at Alpha Stone who was watching us with lack of interest.

“Yeah, I bet that it would take my brother at least half an hour to find you, and Jayden bet it would take less than fifteen minutes.”

My eyes went wide. “Wait…so how long did it actually take?” I asked.

“Ten minutes,” all three of them said in unison.

I scoffed, feeling more than pathetic. It took me about forty-five minutes to make it as far as I did and it only took him ten minutes to find me.

“But Aria-” Kate started with a smile, “I really have to give it to you for all the effort you went to”. She circled a finger at me, pointing at my clothes and the scent-hiding mixture caked over my face.

Both Jayden and Kate looked at each other and they burst out laughing, meanwhile all I wanted to do was dig a great big hole and bury myself in it. Looking up, even Alpha Stone looked amused, only hardening his face when he caught me looking.

“Take her back to her room,” Alpha Stone finally ordered Kate, before walking away with Jayden.