CHAPTER 2: ESCAPING CAPTURE

Lyra

As I laid in the cage centered in the pack's square, thinking about what direction my life would take now, I heard the shuffling of feets coming closer. The news must have gone round for everyone to be heading towards my direction.

“There she is, murderer,” someone shouted. Before I could understand what was happening, a rain of stones started to fall on me. I protected my fragile body against the venomous crowd seeking my head in return.

It took the intervention of the enforcers to shift before everyone scampered away. They were always big black wolves, enough to allow fear ripple through one's body. I breathed a sigh of relief and inspected the areas where I had been hurt badly. Watching it heal on its own was a secret I never told anyone.

Midnight came sooner than I quickly expected and I just laid there, snoring away quietly. I felt a hand tap me multiple times.

“Shhhh Lyra, it's me, Mia,” she whispered and I was most grateful for seeing my friend again.

“What are you doing here Mia? If you are caught, the enforcers would have your head,” I whispered back.

“Don't worry, I'll be fine,” she assured, smooching my beautiful skin under the moonlight. “What have they decided?”

My face went sullen, remembering the judgment passed by Beta Thorin. “I'll be facing a court trial tomorrow.”

She gasped loudly, gaining the attention of one of the enforcers stationed close to me. She hid behind a block, till he was done searching.

“That's bad Lyra. Alpha Damien is small compared to the other 2 Alphas,” she said.

“I know but right now, there's nothing I can do. I just hope they believe me tomorrow.”

“Well, that isn't an option. We need to find a way to get you out of here. It's almost dawn.”

I looked at her with suspicion. “What do you think you are doing Mia?”

“Breaking you out bitch,” she said, removing her hair pin and sticking it into the padlock. We both had pretty hands and how to use it efficiently.

I scanned the area from inside the cage, keeping watch for her. After what seemed like a while, I heard a tick and her face showed a glamor.

“You need to get out of here, you can't afford to be at a court trial. Your destiny will be written that way.”

I gently removed the padlock and opened the cage, making sure it wasn't causing a squeak. I ran into my best friend's arms immediately.

“Thank you so much Mia, I'll miss you so much and thank you for believing me.”

She wrapped herself in my embrace. “It's fine, I'll miss you too. Just make sure you don't get caught. Run away as fast as you can, to somewhere untraceable. And if you had killed that bastard, I'd be so glad that it had to be you.”

She shoved something in my mouth. “I stole it from the witch's lair. She told her client that it helped reduce one's scent. And since they'd be coming after you, that should help. It should last for just a few hours so you should hurry.”

She scurried away and I did the same, running towards the direction of the border. Bless the moon goddess, no enforcers were there at that moment. Running blindly into the forest, I heard the blow of the horn. My disappearance had been discovered.

“Fuck,” I kept cursing, still running. Not long I heard thick feet and rugged running behind me. My scent was a faint one, they weren't picking it up easily.

Seeing that I was about to be corned, I took a different turn without looking at where I went. I just wanted to get away from this life. 

I found a pile of rock and hid beside it, bless the moon goddess for making me so small.

“Her scent is so faint, we can't make out where she is,” one of them said.

“Jagger and Eliza are going to be pissed once they find out that she's gone. We need to find her before they do,” the other one said. “Let's move out.”

As soon as I noticed that they had gone, I crept out and continued my journey. My feet begged to rest and my throat, long aching for water. My tummy, rumbling, letting me know how badly it needed food but I ignored them all. I needed to get far away from Blackshade.

The sky was beginning to get covered in darkness, just a decent place to lay my head in. I was at a risk of coming into contact with rogues, and going by the stories I've heard, they weren't nice ones. Like the moon goddess saw my intention and gave me hope, I came across a light in the far distance. Dragging my tired leg towards the direction, it turned out to be the most beautiful place I have ever been in. The borders were rid of enforcers, and that alone made me frightened. A fountain stood at the entrance of the town, more like it was used to welcome visitors.

“Bless the moon goddess,” I rushed to scoop some into my mouth and also clean my face. A soothing relief washed through my body. Each house in the pack had lights on, with everyone in their respective homes. Instantly I started wishing I lived here as it spelt nothing short of home.

I surveyed my environment, hoping I'd find a place to pass the night. That's when I saw it.

A house without no light in it, the roof was starting to fall to the side and the grass around the house grew more than the rest. The paint on the house had already faded and everything around it screamed deserted.

“That's my place for the night, it's abandoned.”

I carefully walked towards it and opened it, it made a creaking sound but it wasn't enough to scare me.

“I've seen worse,” I consoled myself. “Just before dawn, I'd get out of here as soon as possible. I just need a place to pass the night.”

Barely 5 hours into my sleep, I heard a knock on the door. Scared on who it might be, I decided not to answer. On hearing the kind of sound the person made, I jumped out. He was in pain and who knew? He became my nightmare as well. That door should have remained locked.