Chapter 3:

~Jane~

"You thought I wouldn't know you were trying to protect her from me?" Zander's voice exploded from downstairs. "You think sending her away would stop me from taking what's mine? I'm the Alpha of this pack- I know everything that happens here. Nothing gets past me. Not even this."

His voice sent a chill through my spine. I clenched my eyes shut, trying to summon the strength to move, to act. I had to go to my parents. I had to help them. I couldn't let Zander do this again. I had to be strong- Sara said I was. She believed in something inside me, something I still hadn't seen for myself.

But it was hard. So hard. I felt like a ghost of who I was supposed to be. Weak. Powerless. And Zander's voice- the one from my childhood, taunting, cold- echoed in my mind. "You're not special"

Maybe he was right. Maybe there was no escape for me. No future. Maybe I was always meant to follow Sara's fate- claimed and consumed by a monster. After all that's what always happened. Every few years, Zander chose another girl who turns seventeen. And no one ever saw this again. No one ever came back.

Why had I even dread to dream of anything more? A real mate... Love. A family. Freedom

Those were just hopes. And this... this was my reality. My pack. My prison. My fate.

You're not strong enough, the fear whispered.

But then, something changed. "Jane, I'm here. You don't need to be afraid. You're strong. And you will get the life you've always wanted."

The voice came from inside me- gentle, sure, like a whisper riding on the wind. I blinked, who was that? It sounded... familiar. But I didn't recognize it.

I took a breath, trying to center myself. Stay calm. Listen. Could this be the voice Sara told me about- the one that would come when the time was right?

"She's right, Jane. I won't let anything happen to you." There it was again. Firm. Comforting. Real

No, I wasn't losing my mind. This was it. This was the strength Sara believed I had. I had to trust it- trust myself.

Eyes closed, I breathed in deeply and allowed the voice to settle inside me. A warmth spread though my chest, and with it came clarity. Confidence. Courage.

I opened my eyes, tightened my grip on the doorknob, and stepped into the hallway. From below, Zander's voice echoed up the stairs.

"You can't stop me. We've done this dance before, Johnathan. I came for Sara, and now I've come for Jane. She will be mine. And if you try and get in my way again. I won't hesitate to teach you a lesson."

"Please, Zander," my dad's voice trembled. "You've already taken one daughter from us. She's just a child- She's only sixteen."

Zander laughed- a cold, joyless sound that made my skin crawl.

"You think her age matters to me? I'm the Alpha. I make the rules. Jane will be my next mate, whether she's of age or not. And the fact that she's not... makes it all that more thrilling. There's a hunger I have for her- a thirst. She won't be like the others. She'll be- mine. For longer."

I looked down the stairs. My dad was standing firm, my mom trembling beside him. And there, near the door, was Zander- dark and commanding. like a shadow that had come to swallow the light.

"Mom, dad," I whispered, my voice trembling as I called down.

Dad looked up sharply, his eyes locking with mine. He shook his head- small, subtle. A warning: Don't come down.

But it was too late. Zander had heard me.

"I insist you bring Jane down now," he snarled. "And if I have to come get her myself... It'll be much worst for her when I do."

Dad turned to Mom, whispered something to her, then started climbing the stairs. When he reached me, he gently took my hand and led me back into my room. He closed the door behind us and rested both hands on my shoulders.

"Jane, sweetheart," he said, his voice tight with fear. "We were supposed to have more time-time to plan, to get you to the Moonlight Pack, to meet up with Oliver's ally. But he came early. I don't know what happened to Oliver, and I don't know if the ally will even be there- but we have no other choice."

"You want me to run?" I asked, heart pounding. "But how? I don't even know where their territory is, and what if Oliver didn't reach them? What if I get caught?"

"You head east. You'll know when you reach the boarder- it feels... different. Even if Oliver didn't make it, maybe someone else will be there. Maybe the Moonlight Pack will protect you. We're out of time, Jane. You have to run. It's the only way."

"But what about you and Mom? What if Zander does something to you for helping me?"

Dad's expression cracked. Pain filling his eyes, but he stayed strong for me. "We know the risk. We've already lost Sara. We won't lose you too. Even if it means never seeing you again... it's worth it. Because you'll be free."

I burst into tears. "I love you and Mom so much."

He pulled me into a hug, holding me tighter than he even had before. "We love you too. Jane. More than anything."

A loud crash came from downstairs.

"Johnathan!" Mom screamed.

Dad stepped back, panic flashing in his eyes. He rushed out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

"I told you to bring Jane to me!" Zander bellowed.

"Fine. I'll get her myself."

"Please, Zander-!" my mom sobbed.

I pressed my back against the door, every nerve in my body screaming to run. But I waited. I needed to time this right. Zander was in the house. and I was next. But I wasn't going to let him win.

Not tonight.