Almost an escape

I didn’t say yes and I couldn’t say no. Before I knew it, I was running. The tea room door slammed behind me. My lungs burned. My dress tangled around my legs as I bolted down the corridor, towards the gate. Away from Darius.

 

“Elara!” His voice cracked behind me.

 

“Stop!”

 

I already lost count of how many times my name had been screamed in the last two days.

 

My body ached like something was clawing its way out from under my ribs. Pressure built up in the pit of my belly as pain shot through my body. It was way worse than the pain from bonding. I skidded to a stop in the empty courtyard, letting the moonlight hit my face but all I could see was red.

 

The moon was red.

 

Pain exploded through my spine as I dropped to my knees unable to run further. My hands clawed at dirt.

 

A very bright light burst through my skin and I screamed, except no sound came out. The courtyard lit up like a second moon had fallen. Shouts filled the air and heavy footsteps approached my direction. I could hear a few voices,

 

“Is that a red moon awakening?”

 

“Woah, never thought I’d witness this in this life”

 

Inside me, I could feel something wake up. The light snapped back into me. I was still kneeling but I was no longer where I was a few minutes ago. My hands shook with power I didn’t understand.  And then, it dawned on me.

 

I finally got my awakening

 

I finally met my wolf.

 

Why now? After so many years.

 

I shot to my feet suddenly stronger than I’d ever been. I had no idea where I was until I looked around. I saw a lily from where I stood and I suddenly remembered the secret path Darius showed me when we were ten. When we stole honey cakes from the prisoners' kitchens and hid in the old servant tunnels.

 

“ No one knows this path but us”

 

he’d whisper pressing his finger to my lips.

 

“Our secret, okay?”

 

That is where I was. Realization dawned on me, I was where I wanted to be the most. The way to Arden. This was a tunnel that led to the prisons and then out of the city. I didn’t realize having a wolf came with those benefits. I never heard of it but I was super grateful.

 

Grateful that I got my awakening at the time I got it. Almost grateful to Darius, because even now he was helping me.

 

I followed the wall. Letting my fingers find the loose stone that leads into the tunnel. A section of stone slid inward and cold air hit my face. As I stepped into the tunnel, darkness swallowed me whole. But somehow I could still see. It wasn’t my eyes. The wolf in me lit the path like silver threads. And I realized what I’d been missing out on all these years. The tunnel twisted down towards the dungeons. Water dripped from the rusted metal above. I could hear chains rattling ahead and my heart leaped in joy and anticipation. Joy that I remembered the secret path. I had to see Arden and tell him we would do nothing irrational like we did in the past.

 

I lost that goal when I burst into the dungeon chambers. Totally forgetting about guards until one of them called out,

 

“The traitor is here!”

 

Every guard turned in my direction and lunged at me. Spears were pointed at me and I was about to say my last prayer. Just then, Arden’s weak voice called me from one of the cells.

 

“Elera?”

 

As I looked at his blood covered clothes. I remembered the look in his eyes when he took arrows for me, the way his body fell before me. Tears burned my eyes. Heat rose in my chest and my teeth suddenly felt bigger than my mouth. I could hear a hum in my bones and power surged in my chest. My vision was suddenly splitted and I could hear the bone cracking sound from the night I got mated to Darius.

 

Suddenly I was on my knees. The guards backed away and I could see terror in their eyes.

 

“Get the chains now!”

 

I wondered why a chain would be needed to tie a nobody like me. But when I realized, I was glad they didn’t get the chain in time.

 

I was shifting into my wolf form.

 

I was suddenly on all fours, growling as I moved about the courtyard, throwing every guard who was on the way. A heavy wind was right on time,and the guards who were not injured ran to save their lives.

 

I approached the cell with heavy and foreign footsteps. I felt a cold liquid drop on my skin. Again and again. Before I could make sense of it, the rain began to pour heavily.Arden gripped the bars, desperation shone in his eyes.

 

“Your eyes Elara..”

 

With the last strength I had in me, I held the padlock hoping for a miracle from my wolf. To my greatest surprise, the metal heated and melted. The door swung open and Arden stumbled out first, he grabbed my face,

 

“You are burning up, what happened?”

 

I smiled at him.

 

I had just saved my brother, he was alive.

 

“My wolf..”

 

I managed to say. I fell on my side barely breathing, I was shifting back to my human form. I felt drained and tired. The heavy rain turned off all lit torches. It was dark and I couldn’t see anymore.

 

“Elara!”

 

I heard Arden scream repeatedly

 

I could see the maids pouring out from their cells after one of the prisoners unlocked their cells. They stared at me like I was some monster or a goddess.

 

“Run,”

 

I managed to say before everything turned into a total black out. Somehow, I could still hear the sound of the door breaking. The heavy rain fall. I could hear the sound of rusted metals hitting the ground. I could hear the angry scream of the prisoners. I felt Arden’s hands on my face and I suddenly felt warm. I wasn’t unconscious or dead, I was shifting. At the realization, a smile hit my face. I opened my eyes,

 

“This is what it feels like?”

 

I was in Arden’s arms. He smiled back, his eyes glossy from tears he held back,

 

“What is that?” He asked with his gentlest voice,

 

“Shifting..”

 

He probably didn’t understand but he smiled back anyway. I didn’t realize I was crying until he wiped my tears. I reached out and wiped his,

 

“It is all over now, let’s leave now.”

 

“Can you stand?”

 

I nodded and he helped me up before facing the crowd of prisoners,

 

“Let’s get out of here!”

 

“How?” One of the elder maids asked. I found my voice again,

 

“There is an old tunnel that leads right out of the city. We have to run, Darius will send guards as soon as news of this break in reaches him.

 

It was like I jinxed our luck right after I spoke. I could hear the clanking of spears and sound of heavy footsteps approach us,

 

“Find them! They couldn’t have gotten far!”

 

It was Darius’s unmistakable voice. Why was he going that far to make me his Luna?

 

“Follow me,” I told them,  “and don’t look back.”

 

I led them into the tunnel. Arden was right behind me. The tunnel was narrow and damp, the same place I walked in as a kid. I almost felt a sense of gratitude towards Darius, even now he was saving me.

 

“Do you think they will catch up with us?”

Arden asked behind me,

 

“It will take a while for Darius’s to think about this path but he will eventually, we have hurry”

 

The tunnel was totally dark. The maids held into one another and followed behind me. It would kill me to let them down. I had to make it through. For Arden, for the maids.

 

Finally we reached the end of the tunnel and I could see no way out. It had been blocked. I couldn’t see the gate covered in ivy, I couldn’t see the thatched roof of the old stable. It was over, I led them to their doom.

 

“There used to be a way here”

 

My voice was small, I didn’t know how to tell them that I’d let them down