Chapter 3

Luka

The Long Lake Pack mansion hummed with activity. You could tell something unusual was happening from the electricity in the air.

I had more anxiety than excitement. I knew with the extra hubbub and crowds, along with distractions for Declan stopping him from keeping as close an eye on me, now was time to escape.

I got up before the morning rooster crow to prepare for the celebration and for my escape. I had a lot to do for both.

I made two dozen loaves of bread in the enormous oven, a brick hole in the wall the size of a small house, keeping two extra loaves for myself. I cooked trays of fried fish and meats, including ones that were salted and cured, and took some extras, as well as hard cheeses that could keep for a while.

There were potatoes, dried fruits, and uncooked beans that I stuffed into my apron.

I didn’t know how long I’d be adrift or if I’d even find a pack to take me in. If things got bad, I could figure out how to live on my wits. But for now, I’d try to live on these supplies as long as I could.

I took a leather waterskin from the hunting storage next to the kitchen. There were dozens and they were rarely used, so it wouldn’t be missed.

Walking back from the kitchen to the utility room, I heard voices outside.

“Honor guard, attention!” I recognized Declan’s voice. Already the disorienting mixture of hatred and attraction from the same odious person was making me feel physically ill.

Still, the honor guard exercises brought a smile to my face, knowing it helped my plan. I could count on him being occupied pretty much all day to show off his choreography and sword skills.

He was too cowardly to actually fight, but when it came to playing toy soldier, nothing made him happier. Except torturing me.

“I need to get out of here. Today,” I whispered to myself as soon as I got back to the utility room to pack away my extra food.

There was so much junk that had been thrown away in this room, it was easy to hide things and to find things people had long forgotten. That included heavy artist’s paper and charcoal pencils. I was forbidden from trying to read or write, but it was impossible to stop me from drawing.

I stuffed the art supplies into the laundry basket and threw rags and pillowcases on top. If anyone asked, I was washing dirty linens and putting away clean ones for the festivities.

But that was only if someone asked. I was mapping out my escape route.

An official visit from an Alpha King was a big deal, one that happened maybe every few years, if that. I might not have an opportunity like this to escape again. Even though I wasn’t allowed to roam the grounds, I needed to seize this moment to figure out where to exit and how.

If I didn’t do it today, Declan might literally chain me. Or worse.

There were extra guards in the tower and checkpoints, along with visitors from other packs, so everyone would be paying attention to whoever was coming onto the property.

I was always kept away from social interaction, so I was especially eager to see what people in the world acted like. Any chance to see outsiders living their lives freely was better than any movie or amusement park I could imagine. Not that I had experienced either.

I concealed myself near some bushes to document the grounds, looking for gaps in the watch system. A few strangers I had never seen before walked the grounds leisurely. I envied their freedom. This was technically my home, and I wasn’t allowed that sort of free rein.

I went back to my drawing paper, craning to get a better look at the security situation. But I overlooked another kind of security: mine.

A shadow darkened my paper, and I realized two men were approaching. Fortunately, they were slow enough for me to cover my drawings with my rags. Still, I was trembling.

I had no idea who they were, but if they were approaching me, it probably wasn’t good. Had Declan ordered security to shoo me into the house? I pictured a ‘wanted’ poster-style flier at every checkpoint and wondered if my plan was foiled already.

One of the men was taller than the other, with blue eyes and a chiseled, angular face. He was intimidating, but something about his face looked kind. His eyes were deep in thought, noble even. His friend was laughing, and they looked pleased to be walking together for the special occasion.

The clothes were plain, made from fine, high-quality materials and well-designed. They looked simple and elegant, but with a dignified presence to them.

The lack of ostentation to the ensemble somehow made it even grander. The shirt of the blue-eyed man, who I couldn’t help looking at, was pure white, not remotely dirty.

I looked down at my dirty skirts, still stained in soup and blood, and sighed. I didn’t know if I’d ever get to wear anything as nice as these guys had.

“Fine day for a celebration, isn’t it?” The taller one with the intelligent eyes spoke. Their blue color was more hypnotic up close.

I nodded with an awkward curtsy.

“Oh, no need for bowing, madam. I’m just making silly conversation.” There was a look in his eyes as if he was looking for something.

“I’m obliged to curtsy for any guest of the pack,” I told him.

“Is that so? You don’t look like a member of this pack. If you’ll pardon my saying so.”

I froze, not knowing what he meant. Was it that obvious that I don’t belong?

“Oh, no, I’m definitely not a pack member, just an ordinary servant, nothing special…”

I didn’t want to say that I was an orphan who never fit, even though it was the only place I remember living. It was complicated.

“That’s not what I meant at all, my lady. Nothing about you seems ordinary. No, I think of this pack as being slightly provincial. But you…there’s more to you.”

He touched my hand lightly and shuddered at the blisters from the day before. Oh, God, he’s disgusted. I’ve shamed the pack already, and I’m sure he’ll tell Declan.

The man’s face turned serious. “J, please retrieve the omni-ointment.” He winced at the sight of my sores.

“Oh, no, that’s all right, sir,” I argued. “I’m in a hurry. I have to go…”

The force in his voice stopped me. “Take it,” he said, gentle yet firm. “I insist.”

I stuck the ointment in the laundry basket and walked as quickly as I could, hoping to God he wasn’t one of Declan’s spies.

Caleb

“My father warned me about this pack when he was alive,” I told James as we walked onto the grounds.

“They have the weakest security I’ve ever seen,” James, my beta, said, pointing to the guard booth. “Although in this case, that’s a good thing.”

There was a large plaza just beyond the entrance with a fountain, benches, trees, and bushes. A stage was being set up for the celebration, and crews of artists were putting the finishing touches on decorations. Flowers were everywhere.

I was doing my tour of the territory of all the packs in my realm. My father always had a practice of initially entering as a commoner, which I wanted to carry on. The packs rarely noticed, but that wasn’t the point. It was about seeing how people were treated when no one knew who they were.

From what I heard about Long Lake Pack, I wasn’t expecting much. I walked with James, telling him some of the stories from my dad’s time, including when he’d let me put dirt all over my face and pretend I was a pauper’s son.

James was still laughing, but something caught my attention. First from my nose, then my vision. The woman’s scent overpowered the roses with something much sweeter. She looked intently at something in the distance, then furtively glanced back down.

I tapped James, who could see the effect this girl had on me. She had silken light brown hair that shone in the sunlight, and incredible reflective eyes even from far away. But there was something serious about her, sad even.

I approached, making small talk about the celebration, but I really wanted to know if she was part of this pack. I don’t like assuming, but something told me that this girl didn’t belong in such a coarse and vicious crowd. She confirmed my suspicions, but there was something strange in her answers. It made her more intriguing.

Then I looked down at her hands. The blisters were swollen and weeping, violently red, a painful contrast to her ivory-white skin on the other side of her arms.

I could barely speak from emotion. How could this happen? I told James to give her the ointment, and she hurried away. I didn’t even get her name.

“James,” I told my beta, “I need to see Alpha Declan sooner than we’d planned for.”

“The ceremony starts soon, just—”

“This can’t wait. Alert him that we’ll be meeting him early. We’ll quickly go back to our quarters and then return right away, fully dressed.”

I wanted to see that girl again. I needed to see her again. The sooner the better.