Chapter 3: Escape

Chapter 3: Escape                    

Jieun

Did my father honestly think this little bit of metal and plastic would keep me from leaving? This was finally my chance to run away. My house is outfitted with a security system. Every window and door has a sensor. This security system was never meant to keep me safe. It was in place to keep me a prisoner. Every time I had tried to run away previously, my father was right there to drag me back.

He knew as soon as someone other than he or my brother showed up with my meal that, I would know he was out of pack territory. That’s why he put this stupid tracker on me, but I have a plan. It’s risky, but what escape plan isn’t.

I look out the window and find the position of the sun. “It’s almost time.”

“Don’t kill them this time. If you do, we will be caught; the Luna will feel it.” Kwan was being surprisingly supportive of my plan.

“Why are you cooperating?” Usually, her loyalty sways toward the pack. I planned to leave this hell hole, and she wasn’t giving me any pushback. I didn’t know how to interpret it.

“I feel this calling like we don’t belong here anymore.” A smile spread across my face at Kwan’s revelation.

“I’m glad we are working together on this. I’ll need your strength and speed to execute this plan. I agree we can’t kill anyone this time.” I calmly sip my tea, relishing in this moment before the storm I’m about to create.

The time has come. There’s a knock on the door. “Eonni, I have your food.” The Beta’s daughter, just as I expected.

“Im Sook; come in.” I stand up and limp over to her.

“Oh no, eonni, what happened? Why are you limping?” Im Sook puts down the food tray and rushes over to support me. Just how I planned it.

“Oh, I’m not used to this thing my father is making me wear, and I tripped and twisted my ankle.” I put my arm around her shoulders. As she supports my weight, I stumble, which brings her face closer to mine as she tries to catch me.

I got you. I beath in just enough of the young girl’s energy to make her pass out. She didn’t even see it coming and didn’t feel any pain. Im Sook is a sweet girl who would sneak me candy from time to time. The pack knew I was here, but they didn’t honestly know what I was. That’s the thing about taking in someone’s full life force. You absorb all their knowledge. Not one of the males that have come to claim me had any idea of what I actually was. They all think I am the princess the Alpha has locked away because he was so distraught over his mate’s death. I find this ironic; he couldn’t have cared less about my mother; he just wanted her power, the fox marble. They also were not fated, mates. You can’t be destined to a goddess. Im Sook is only 13, and I hate to do this to her, but this is my only chance to run away.

The tracker is harder to remove than I thought. Im Sook moans a little. I freeze. I watch. I don’t want to take any more energy from her, but I need her to stay here for a while. She doesn’t move. I get the tracker off and quickly get it on Im Sook before it will alarm my father.

I grab the makeshift bag I tied together using a sheet. I open the door slowly and peek my head out. I don’t smell anyone, and I can’t hear anyone either. I open the door wider and take a few cautious steps. It’s been a very long time since I crossed this threshold—the smell of the air, the kiss of the forest on the breeze. I can hear it call me the forest. Were I belong not in this musty little shack of a house but out in nature. That is where a Gumiho belongs. We are forest gods, after all.

“Let me shift. I’m faster; I can get us out of here.” Kwan’s voice is as cheerful as my mood. I’m glad we are on the same page for once.

“Let’s get to the edge of the territory. After that, we shift and head to mother’s old house.” I quickly run through the forest. One of the benefits of being half Gumiho is that I am very light-footed. I barely make a sound as I rush through the trees and brush. Werewolves have very sensitive hearing, and I didn’t want to alert the patrol to my location. I know their routes and schedule thanks to the knowledge I’m absorbed. I know my way to my mother’s house because of the gift of her life she gave me.

It's dusk now, so the patrol teams will be relying on sound and smell over their sight. I have the sound down, but I didn’t have any way to mask my scent since I was limited on resources and time. I’ll have to make sure I avoid the patrol at all coasts. I’m close to the edge of my father’s territory.

“Quick, get down,” Kwan screams in my head, and I drop to the ground.

Two males are on inspecting the border. I hear them talking about their friend who was found killed by a rogue yesterday. I guess father and brother’s rouse worked. I know they can’t see me, and I don’t think they can hear me, but I’m not confident about scent. They are getting closer. I can smell them, that disgusting smell of dog. If I can smell them, they can smell me. I try and get as low as  I can without making a sound.

“Hey, do you smell that?” the shorter one says, looking around.

“I don’t smell anything?” The taller one stops and looks around as well. He doesn’t smell it, but he seems to trust his counterpart.

“It smells like cherry blossoms.” The shorter one starts looking through the brush near him. I’m still a few feet away, but if he keeps going, he will find me.

“Cherry blossoms? Oh, that might be me.” The taller one chuckles and scratches his head. “My mate got a new perfume. You know we like to mix things up. Each smell is like she’s a new girl.”

“You’re weird.” The shorter one stands up and shakes his head, and they continue off on their way.

I let out a breath. I would never have thought I would be thankful for someone’s weird fetish role play for my escape. Once they are out of range, I get up, and we are across the territory border. I set my bundle on the ground and opened it up. I open it up. I quickly take off my clothes, neatly place them in my bundle, and close it back up. “OK, Kwan, Do your thing.” Letting my wolf have control to shift feels alien. We share a space but don’t really agree on much, and I often push her back. It’s been years since I last let her shift. It feels so unnatural. I could shift into my fox form, but I’m not as fast as Kwan, and I wouldn’t be able to carry the bundle as well.

I will admit that Kwan is a beautiful Mongolian wolf. Her fur is a bit more red-brown than the standard grey, and the best part is that she has two tails. Feather shows the influence my Gumiho genetics have over my wolf.

Kwan stretches and shacks out her fur. “You know the way?” I never really explored how much of the knowledge I had was shared with Kwan. The way to my mother’s house was part of the fox marble embedded in me.

“I know everything you know and a bit more.” With that, Kwan picks up our bundle in her mouth and takes off.

The feeling of the wind rushing past is refreshing. I feel the life of the forest welcoming me. The energy entering my every pore, calling me to stay where I belong.

I’ve never felt true freedom before. I can’t lose this.