Chapter 5: The Getaway

Hera

“1, 2, 3…” Click. “One more time,” I said while readjusting the camera lens. “Yeah, that’s great. You guys look good together,” I complimented both of them.

It was the day of my 18th birthday and also the day of my planned escape. Cy and Saran were dressed in formal attire, oblivious to the fact that I had already packed all of my belongings upstairs.

“Why don’t you join us for one photo?” Saran asked, holding out her arm for me.

I hesitated for a minute.

“Come on, Hera. We don’t have a proper picture together now that you’ve gotten older. Just think of it as a commemoration of your 18th birthday," she coaxed. 

I sighed. “Alright,” I said.

I squeezed in between them and flashed a small smile. The camera blinked for ten seconds until it finally flashed, signifying that the picture had been taken.

“Let me see,” Saran said and walked towards the camera with me.

I looked at the bright family picture and almost smiled. However, the more I looked at it, the more I was reminded that I’m really not part of the family. It looked like a beautiful couple took a photo with a stranger, with my red hair standing out too much in the picture.

“Goodness. You look beautiful, Hera,” Saran exclaimed. “I haven’t noticed since we’ve been living together since you were young, but you’ve turned into a very beautiful lady.”

"I'm not," I looked away and blushed.

"No, you really are," she smiled. 

She held onto my hands and looked into my eyes. “Happy birthday, Hera. I’m sorry that we can’t celebrate this special day with you.”

“That’s right. Do you want anything from our trip? We’ll get you anything you want,” Cy said.

I chuckled. “No need to get me anything. I have all that I need inside this house.”

…And I’m not going to be here for long, I thought to myself.

I looked at the wall clock and saw that it was already nearing late afternoon. “You should go soon. You don’t want to be traveling in the dark,” I said.

They both looked at the clock and nodded their heads. “Yeah, we should get going,” Saran said.

She held onto my face and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “Stay safe while we’re gone, okay? There’s some food in the fridge that you can heat up when you’re hungry. We’ll be back tomorrow evening and celebrate your birthday then.”

I nodded my head and smiled. “Have fun, mom, dad.”

Their eyes widened in surprise when they heard what I called them. It’s been a while since I’ve called them mom and dad, so I guess they were surprised. Saran looked at me with teary eyes while Cy smiled warmly.

“Have a safe trip,” I smiled while leading them towards the door. They started loading their things in the car and finally went in. I walked back to the house and gave them a wave of goodbye.

“Goodbye!” I shouted from a distance.

“Goodbye,” I whispered as I closed the door.

I swiftly walked up to my room and dressed in light clothes. I was going to shift to my wolf anyways, so there’s no use dressing in extravagant clothes. As I was changing, I thought of all the memories that I had in this house.

“Are you really sure you want to do this,” my wolf, Aspen, said inside my head. Cy, Saran, and River flashed into my mind, and for a second, I thought of just staying in the comfort of this house. They gave me a good life, and although they weren’t my real family, I felt like they still treated me like their own. However, despite having all that, there’s a gaping hole in my heart that’s waiting to be filled by something else—something genuine, something real.

“I’m sure,” I said back.

“You might regret this, you know?” Aspen warned. “What if we run into trouble along the way?”

“I have you, don’t I?” I smirked. I got my wolf when I was 15 years old, a bit earlier than the rest of the population. I kept it a secret from my parents and from the other people in the village since I didn't want them to think that I was any different than them. I guess it came in handy today since I don’t have to travel by train and risk the chance of being found.

“Let’s go,” I said and placed my duffel bag on my shoulder.

I went out of the house, making sure it was locked and looked back at it one more time.

“Thank you,” I muttered under my breath as I looked at the place that I called home for the 18 years of my life. “It’s time for me to find myself now,” I said and finally walked away.

I ran towards the woods where I knew nobody could see me. I placed my duffel bag down the ground and sat down on the forest floor. I imagined the image of Aspen in my head, then felt my body morphing into it. The sound of bones cracking resounded in the forest, and I finally sighed in relief when I felt that I was standing on all fours.

I bit the duffel bag and quickly swung it over my neck before running off towards the East. Throughout the whole week, I’ve done my research and calculated my travel time. If my estimations are correct, I’ll be in the Blood Shadow pack's borders in four hours if I keep up with my pace.

I felt the wind blowing through my fur and loved the feeling of freedom running through my veins. I haven’t had the chance to run through these forests since my parents were still wary of me going out, so this is such an exhilarating experience for me.

I only had one stop-over halfway through my journey to eat some food and drink some water, but aside from that, I only ran. I had to be there before the sun sets down so that I could find a place to stay.

After four hours, I finally arrived at the borders of the Blood Shadow pack. I shifted back to my human form and got dressed in all-black clothes. I carefully walked from tree to tree, afraid that the guards would find out that I was sneaking in.

“Man, it sucks to be guarding the borders while our members are enjoying Laura’s party,” a deep voice said, making me halt my steps.

“I know, right? Why are we assigned with watch duty tonight of all days? I saw the food, and it looked bomb! Wolves from other packs are also attending, and I saw some very pretty ladies before heading here.”

I rolled my eyes at their conversation. Just go to the party then, I thought.

“What if we just ditch our duty and attend the party?”

My eyes widened in surprise. Am I a psychic or what?

“Wouldn’t Alpha Arlo find out? What if he strips us of our titles?”

“Don’t be such a pussy, man. No one’s going to find out unless we reveal it to other people. All of the people are at the party, so they’re not even going to notice that we’re there!”

“You’re right, man. Let’s go. I’ve been craving for some great food and pretty girls.”

I heard their footsteps getting more distant and distant, so I smiled widely and peeked from the tree. When I saw that they were really gone, I made a run for it and entered their pack’s territory. In the midst of running, I stumbled upon an abandoned cottage in the middle of the forest.

“Sweet,” I exclaimed. I looked up at the sky and flashed a bright smile. Thank you for the birthday presents, Moon Goddess! I couldn’t get any luckier than this.

I entered the cottage and gasped when I saw how beautiful it was. It is a little bit dirty, but with some thorough cleaning, it would definitely be liveable. I placed my duffel bag on the dusty couch and opened it hastily. I brought out a black cap and mask and placed them on.

I looked at the dirty mirror in the living room and smiled in determination. This is it. There’s no turning back now.

I moved away from the mirror and walked out of the door. I saw a key under the soil beds and sighed in relief when it fit the door lock. I quickly locked the cottage and placed the key in my pocket.

I glanced back at the humble cottage and smiled.

“I’ll be back. I just have a party to crash.”