Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Isla

The words on the page of the book that I was reading blurred as my mind wandered. I still couldn't focus, not with the Alpha King himself right below me in our dining hall. What was happening down there? I strained my ears, listening for any hint of commotion, but only caught the low hum of voices punctuated by the occasional clink of cutlery. At least they were still eating. Surely that meant things were going smoothly? I sighed, snapping the book shut in frustration. Reading was impossible when my thoughts were consumed with curiosity about the royal visitor. Part of me still felt bitter that I was confined up here, hidden away like some shameful secret. But I knew it was for my own safety. If the Alpha King discovered a human living amongst werewolves, the consequences didn't bear thinking about. A chill went through me and I hugged my arms around myself. Would he really kill me if he knew? The thought made my blood run cold. I knew the laws forbid humans from being part of a pack, but surely he wouldn't murder a helpless girl? 

Then again, the rumours about him painted a ruthless picture. Tales of challengers to his rule being executed without mercy, of his legendary temper and cruelty. Maybe the risk of death wasn't so far-fetched after all. I stood abruptly, needing to move before my thoughts spiralled further into darkness. I paced my room, frustration and unease churning within me. This waiting, not knowing what might happen, was torture. If only I could see the Alpha King with my own eyes, hear his voice, I might be able to judge what kind of man he truly was. The image of him I'd glimpsed earlier flashed through my mind, tall, imposing, with a powerful physique and piercing blue eyes. I shivered. Even at a distance, his presence was formidable.

Voices sounded on the stairs, jolting me from my thoughts. I froze, heart pounding. Had he discovered me already? Were my last moments approaching? I held my breath, worried that moving around my room had caught the attention from someone downstairs. The door handle turned, and the door opened. My stepmother burst into the room, her face pale and eyes wide with fear. 

"Isla, come quickly!" she gasped. "We need to get you out of here, now!" My heart dropped into my stomach. This was it. My secret had been discovered. 

"What? What's happened?" I asked shakily, though I already knew the answer deep down.

"The Alpha King knows you are here. His warriors are searching the house as we speak!" I swayed on my feet, sheer panic flooding my veins. The Alpha King was hunting me. If his warriors found me, I was as good as dead. 

"But...how?" I whispered. My stepmother shook her head, fear clear in her eyes.

"It’s complicated, but there isn’t time. We need to get you to safety before they find you." She grabbed my arm, propelling me towards the door. I hesitated, my eyes darting to my half-packed bag sitting ready on the bed.

"My things, I need to-"

"There's no time, sweetheart," my stepmother said urgently. "The warriors could be here any second." I knew she was right. Grabbing my bag wasn't worth risking capture. But the thought of leaving everything behind, my whole life uprooted in an instant, made my heart ache. But it wasn’t for long, was it. Something told me that if I left this pack tonight, it would be a long time before I returned, if ever.

Voices sounded from downstairs, guttural and unfamiliar. The warriors. I swallowed hard against the fear clogging my throat. My stepmother cracked the door open, peering out cautiously before beckoning me forward. 

"Stay close and keep quiet," she whispered. I nodded, my mouth dry as dust. We slipped from the room on silent feet, my stepmother leading me down the back stairs towards the kitchens. I flinched at every creak of the old wood, certain each noise would bring warriors swarming upon us. 

We were almost to the kitchen when heavy footsteps echoed down the hall ahead. My stepmother yanked me into a darkened storage closet just as two hulking warriors stalked past. I scarcely dared to breathe, certain they would hear my thunderous heartbeat. After an agonising wait, my stepmother nudged the closet door open again. 

"They're gone. Let's go," she said, pulling me out into the hallway again. We hurried through the kitchen and out the back door. I waited as my stepmother listened for any noise. I tried to listen too, but my hearing wasn’t nearly as good as a werewolf's. My stepmother nodded the all clear, and we quickly made our way across the courtyard to the barns. We used the shadow of the barn as cover as we made our way around it and into the woods beyond. 

“Your father is trying to keep the Alpha King busy for as long as possible,” my stepmother whispered. “I’ll get you through the woods and to the road, but then you will need to make it to the train station on foot.” She pressed something small and flat into my hand and I looked down and saw her credit card. “Use this for the tickets and ring your aunt to let her know you are coming once you are on the train.” I stopped in my tracks and gave my stepmother a concerned look.

“Mum?” I questioned. I didn't like the way she was talking. Why would I need to ring my aunt? Why couldn’t my father ring her, once the Alpha King left? My stepmother shook her head and tugged me further into the woods. I tried to dig my heels in. 

“Mum!” I whispered, trying to be more persistent. She looked at me with her lips tight from frustration. 

“It’s complicated,” she said and tugged my hand again. 

“What’s so complicated that-” I stopped mid sentence as my stepmother's eyes clouded over from a mind link. Hopefully, my father telling her that it was okay for us to go back home. But my hopes smashed into a thousand pieces as the look on her face changed to terror. 

“Goddess,” she hissed as her eyes cleared and she looked behind me. “The Alpha King knows I am missing. He’s sending men into the woods.” She tugged me further into the woods and I had no choice but to stumble along behind her. 

We were close to the road when my stepmother stopped again. I ran right into the back of her as she turned to me. 

“He’s tracked your scent to the woods.” She looked around in fear as she spoke, and I felt a cold lump of dread in the pit of my stomach. “Run now. I’ll try to delay them.” My stepmother pushed me into the woods and turned the other way and disappeared behind a tree. I stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. What did she mean, run? There was no way I could outrun a werewolf, certainly not the King of Alphas. I heard shouting someway down and then a howl and panic set in. I turned and ran through the trees, not taking the time to be quiet. I had to get to the road and then… Then what? What was I supposed to do at that point? If I couldn’t outrun them in the woods, I certainly couldn’t on the road. But my feet kept pushing on as I tried to shield my face from the branches with my arms. 

I caught sight of the road and hope soared in me until I heard a low growl behind me. Everything in me screamed to turn and look, but I knew that was a big mistake. A surefire way for a prey to be caught by its predator. I knew there was no way I was going to get away but the survival instinct in me was active and I couldn’t stop. I heard the growl again, only this time the need to turn and look was too great and I tripped over an exposed root and went flying to the ground. I barely had time to feel the pain from the dirt scraping across my face before I felt a hot breath on me. 

“Where do you think-” The voice was low and threatening, but I didn’t give whoever it was time to finish as I twisted around and kicked out at his face. He blocked my kick with his arm but the surprise allowed me to scramble out for a moment. It wasn’t enough, and he was back on me with a growl. I tried to struggle, but the brute had my hands pinned above my head and his weight pinned down my body. Under all the fear and the struggle, I felt something like a flutter, a faint echo of some sort of recognition. Something that seemed to warm my body from inside out. I looked up at the man who was holding me down and gasped as I met the blue eyes of the Alpha King. 

“Where do you think you are going, little mate?”