Chapter 14 -The escape

Selene pov

I paced around the room, feeling everything I didn’t know was possible.

I felt hatred so much of it I could barely breathe.

Hot and sharp anger ,beneath my skin.

Disappointment, so heavy it dragged at my chest.

But most of all, self-reproach.

For letting someone drag me out of the life I was surviving, out of the place I had clawed through pain to call my own.

I stopped by the window, gripping the frame tightly as the cold breeze hit my skin.

I looked out at the world beyond the park house.

From here, I could see the forest…faintly…resting far beyond the borders.

The rogue lands.

Rogues weren’t allowed to stay in any town for long.

Yes, we could sneak in for food or medicine occasionally, but we couldn’t belong.

We couldn’t mind-link.

We couldn’t be claimed by a pack like normal wolves.

Some wolves didn’t make it.

Some went mad.

Because it’s in our nature to belong to a pack, to a bond, to something.

And when that’s taken away… the beast inside claws for control.

I wondered how many of them still survived.

How many were still out there…fighting like I had to keep their minds and their lives intact.

And I thought of Keisha.

Was she okay?

I blinked back the sting in my eyes.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to do what I should have done a long time ago.

I was going to leave.

Mate or not, Kael could end up with his precious Elera…i didn’t care anymore.

I wasn’t going to spend another second in this place where my feelings meant nothing.

Where my voice was ignored.

I would go to Moonshade Park by myself.

If Keisha was there, I needed to see her.

If there were answers to be found…about the life trade, about Elera, about the blood bond …I would find them on my own.

Checking through the massive wardrobe, I looked for the simplest pants, throwing on a plain top and worn boots.

One good thing about being a wolf is the internal heat we feel.

Our wolves repelled the cold.

So even if the weather was freezing, it wouldn’t affect me much unless it was extreme.

I tied my hair up into a messy bun, not caring how I looked. This wasn’t about looks.

This was about freedom.

Grabbing the small satchel I found tucked in the corner of the closet, I stuffed in a spare top, some coins, and a blade.

Just in case.

I didn’t know what I’d meet on the road to Moonshade.

But whatever it was, it couldn’t be worse than staying here.

Pulling the window open, I checked to see how high it was from the ground.

From up here, it was pretty high…but nothing I couldn’t handle.

The wind brushed against my face, my heart pounded, not from fear, but from the rush of finally taking control.

I glanced back at the empty room one last time.

Then, gripping the edge of the frame, I hoisted myself up, crouched on the sill like a shadow ready to leap.

You can do this, I whispered to myself.

And then I jumped.

Landing on the floor with a soft thud, I winced slightly as the shock ran up my legs…but I didn’t stop. I straightened quickly, brushing the dust off my pants and pulling the hood of my cloak over my head.

Using my sharp hearing, I avoided the guards as much as possible. Every crunch of gravel, every shift in the wind, I listened for it…timing my movements in between.

It was still a bit early, but the whole house was already up and busy.

The air was crisp, and the sun had just risen.

Thankfully, most of the guards were already on their way to the training fields, leaving only a few lazily pacing the borders of the packhouse.

I moved fast but silent, hugging the walls and ducking behind tall hedges when needed.

The main gate was just ahead, slightly opened for morning deliveries. My chest tightened. This was it.

I broke into a run the moment the guard walked away, my boots pounding softly against the damp earth.

The cold morning air bit at my face, but I didn’t stop.

Sweat trickled down my spine beneath my shirt, my breath coming in sharp bursts.

I didn’t look back….not once.

When I finally crossed the outer gates undetected, a strange calm washed over me.

I did it.

Ignoring the urge to jump up and down in excitement, I kept my focus and dashed forward….

my legs moving fast, my heart even faster.

I ran at full speed, not bothering to look back.

The only thought in my mind was distance.

I needed to get as far away from the pack house as possible before anyone noticed I was gone.

Trees blurred past me, wind slapping my cheeks,

but still I pushed forward,

After running for what felt like hours, I finally reached an area bustling with people…wolves, vendors, younglings tugging at their parents, elders haggling over prices. It was the kind of normal chaos I hadn’t seen in a long time.

I pulled my hood tighter, keeping my head low. The last thing I needed was someone recognizing me. A Luna walking alone without her head maid, without guards, would definitely raise questions.

I kept walking until the streets grew quieter, the voices became low, and there were fewer and fewer people around. My legs ached, each step heavier than the last, but I pressed on.

I passed a few guards along the road. Thankfully none of them recognized me.

As long as I could get past the pack borders, I’d be safe.

That thought kept me going, even when weariness began to tug at my bones like chains. My feet dragged, my breathing was shallow, but I couldn’t stop now.

After a few hours passed the sky above had turned a deep shade of red, the kind that warned of nightfall or a coming storm. Either way, I didn’t have much time.

I just needed to keep moving. Just a little farther.

I could’ve shifted…let my wolf take over and carry me faster but that would’ve been a mistake.

In wolf form, my scent would be stronger. Easier to track.

No. Stealth was better now.

I was just about to give up and rest a little bit.

my legs were trembling, lungs burning….Keisha always told me I was too fragile for a wolf…that I needed more endurance, more strength.

I should’ve listened. I should’ve done all those insane strengthening exercises with her instead of laughing them off.

Just as I was about to give up I saw the demarcation line.

That faint, glowing shimmer of magic that marked the boundary between Kael’s territory and other parks.

Without hesitation, I shifted into my wolf. The pain was instant but brief, bones snapping, muscles tearing and reforming until my wolf stood in my place

. My silver-gray fur shimmered under the night sky, my wolf was sleek and strong.

With my renewed energy I ran with everything in me, paws tearing through the earth, wind slicing against my fur, the border nearly within reach.

Just a little more…

But then I heard a sound behind me. Like someone was chasing me.

I pushed harder, faster, but it was too late.

I felt the weight slam into me from the side, claws digging into my shoulder as we tumbled across the ground together.

A sharp yelp tore from my throat as I hit the earth hard, pinned before I could recover.

A low,unfamiliar snarl rumbled above me.