FAILED PLAN

NIGHTFANG PACK

LUMA

I was finally about to escape my prison.

I had never been this afraid in my life. Was I going to make it? Impossible to know. But I knew I would give it my best.

The moment we waited for came before I knew it.

Two days after our planning, shielders came to our side of the dungeon in morning. Gone was the disrespect from before. They bowed.

"Luna of Blue Moon Valley."

At that moment, all my doubts vanished. They were replaced by hope.Finally, I might be free. But also fear. What if my plan failed? What would become of me then?

The shielders stepped aside as a brown-skinned man stepped in. Dressed in joggers, his pack mark around his right arm. He moved with the quiet confidence of someone used to being obeyed but his eyes were soft. Apologetic.

"Baby," he whispered gently.

My cell mate didn't turn around.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again.

I remained silent. Was it possible to have this kind of respect from a wolf let alone an Alpha? Tristan would never beg. Tristan would never kneel.

My friend continued to ignore him.

"Your brother and I just wanted to make sure you're safe. Not hurt you."

I didn't know what happened between them. But I was surprised he was begging for forgiveness. Tristan would never do that. He would remind me I came from a small pack. Or threaten to wipe out my pack if I tried anything funny.

In the past, I would have feared for my father. But lately, the only thing that mattered was my pup.

As silence enveloped us, this man stepped closer to his mate. Without another word, he dropped to his knees.

I forgot to breathe.

Was this a joke? A dream? Alphas didn't kneel. They commanded. They demanded. They took.

Instantly, his mate spun around and helped him stand. He knew how to pacify her.

Then, still with a gloomy expression, she murmured, "Just to be clear I'm still mad."

"I know, my heart. I'll make it up to you."

Silence stretched between them. I could feel the weight of unspoken words ,years of pain, maybe, or just a single fight that had cut too deep.

Then she said, "We'll be leaving by two p.m. So I know you mean it."

I heard his breath of relief.

"As you want, love. We'll do it your way."

Finally, she smiled. Then she turned to me, hugging me tightly. Her arms were warm. Safe. I wanted to stay in that embrace forever.

"The ball is in your court now. Good luck."

Then they left.

Back in the dark, my heart began to beat. Her presence over the last few days had appeased me more than I realized. Without her, the cell felt colder. Emptier.

I couldn't return to that life. I needed to follow through with our plan.

By eight, I would leave for the field. From there, I had to be meticulous.

*****

Eight o'clock came sooner than expected.

As if he was sent, a shielder slapped me because I tripped. "Watch where you're going, rogue," he spat. The harvesting that day was chaotic rogues fighting each other, tension in the air like smoke before a fire.

My heart beat faster for what I was about to do. I worked faster than usual. I observed, making sure no one was paying attention to me. Every glance felt like a spotlight. Every whisper sounded like an accusation.

By midday, the alarm for food rang. The others ran across the fields to find a meal.

I didn't move.

I continued harvesting as if I hadn't heard a thing. My hands shook, but I forced them steady. Don't look suspicious. Don't run. Wait.

When the field was empty enough, I checked one last time and entered the bush. I hid in grasses tall enough that no one would see me. My heart pounded so loud I was sure someone would hear.

Goddess be blessed I was escaping through a farm on the edge of the pack. If I had to escape from the center modern, heavily guarded then I would never have made it.

For the first time in weeks, I noticed how shredded my clothes had become. Bare feet. Sun burning my skull. Fear filling my chest.

I finally reached the marker where I was supposed to meet the shielders.

They were nowhere to be seen.

At first, I thought they were late. But after thirty more minutes, they hadn't appeared. The sun was higher now. Hotter. My skin burned.

Had my cell mate lied? Was I too early? Had the shielders betrayed us?

Just when I convinced myself they weren't coming, two men appeared on my right. Dressed like the Blue Moon Valley Alpha ,dark joggers, pack marks on their arms. They were approaching fast.

But a voice stopped them.

They hid behind the trees.

I turned toward the voice.

My blood ran cold.

It was two shielders I knew too well. They worked in the Pack House. I'd seen them laugh when Rimena slapped me. I'd seen them spit on my food.

"What are you doing here, little rogue? Thought you could escape?"

I ignored them, my heart thumping so hard I thought it would burst.

One stepped behind me. The other stood in front. They moved like they'd done this before. Like they'd cornered prey many times.

"Now that there's no one to save you, you'll pay for what you did to our fellow shielder."

My heart sank. Not again. Please, not again.

I looked around. My guardian angels had disappeared. The Blue Moon Valley men were gone,hiding, waiting, maybe already fled.

I was alone.

Heart beating wildly, I tried to avoid their invading hands. One grabbed my arm. I twisted away.

That earned me a slap. My head snapped to the side. Blood filled my mouth.

"You're a whore who knows how to pretend. You get jumpy when a shielder gets close but you weren't jumpy when whoever got you pregnant climbed on you."

  I guess my pup's scent were no longer faint like I thought.

The one in front stepped closer. His breath smelled like rotting meat.

"What are you trying to prove? That you're too pure? Then how are you pregnant? The Alpha didn't even want you near him."

They circled me like predators. Their shadows swallowed the sunlight.

"You're just a hypocrite. And you'll pay."

The first tear of my clothes came unexpectedly. The fabric ripped. My left breast was exposed to the open air.

Instinct kicked in.

I kicked the first between his legs. He crumpled, howling. The second one lost control. He slapped me again harder this time—and I fell to the ground.

Defeated, I retreated slowly, crawling backward on my elbows. He fell on me, pinning my arms with his. His friend was still doubled over in pain, but recovering.

I aimed for his groin again but his leg blocked me. He smirked, disgusting and confident.

"You're not getting away this time, rogue."

But he didn't expect me to go for the key at his waist.

He barely dropped two filthy, disgusting kisses on my neck before my hand freed the key. I gripped it tight. Then I aimed for his left eye.

It sank in. Deep.

Blood oozed onto my face and chest. He screamed—a high, animal sound and rolled off me, clutching his face.

I scrambled up. The other shielder had regained his senses. When he saw what happened to his colleague, his eyes went wide. Then he whistled sharp, loud, desperate.

An alert. Calling others.

Oh no.

I couldn't stay. And the Blue Moon Valley men couldn't help me . Helping a prisoner would mean diplomatic tension. They'd deny knowing me. They'd leave me to die.

So I did the only thing that came to mind.

I ran for dear life.

Branches whipped my face. Thorns cut my feet. My lungs burned. My stomach ached with every step.Please, pup, hold on, please but I didn't stop.

I didn't know where I was going. The forest blurred around me. Left, right, straight. It didn't matter.

But I knew where I was coming from.

And one thing was certain:

I would never go back.

Even if I died trying.