Freedom

I spent the rest of the night without a drop of water or a whiff of food.

The next day came and went the same way. By the third day, I was almost at the verge of death.

I kept myself alive with the rats I caught and fed on.

I was so weakened from hunger and parched with thirst that I couldn't move a single muscle of my body.

Finally, the third day arrived. The New moon festival would end, and the three guest packs would return to their respective territories.

I would never see Alpha Leonidas again. My shitty life would be back to normal.

And so I waited for Alpha Gunner to release me from my cell.

At midnight, the underground cell opened and someone sneaked in.

I lay sprawled on the hard cold floor, breathing in thin air through my nostrils.

“Alpha Gunner, is that you?” My words came out from my lips, weak and small.

A woman stepped inside.

She glanced down at me for the longest moment. I couldn't make out her face from the shadows of my cell.

“Time to bust you out of here,” she said, then stretched out her hand and picked me up.

She was strong. The way she lifted me up without breaking a sweat was astonishing.

Then, with hurried steps, she carried me away from the dungeon, evaded the patrolling guards and broke me out of Alpha Randolph's mansion.

My head was foggy. I couldn't think straight. Where are all the guards? They should be on duty.

Oh, now I remembered, they must've been drunk. The last day of the moon festival always ends with heavy alcohol.

A 1970 Dodge Charger pulled up in the darkness.

The she-wolf dumped me in the rear seats and slammed the door.

“I've got her in,” she said over the window. “All the guards are asleep. Keep heading straight. I'll be right behind you.”

The driver grunted, then slammed his feet on the accelerator.

The car charged forward and raced down the road.

I cracked my eyes. I could make out someone behind the wheels.

Long dark hair, a gloomy aura and tattooed arms.

“Alpha Leonidas?” I murmured before falling into darkness.

* * * *

The gentle rocking of a vessel stirred me up. My eyes gently opened, revealing a wooden ceiling.

I was in a cabin cruiser.

“You're up,” I heard a familiar voice from the edge of the room. “Are you doing, alright?”

I turned my head only to meet Alpha Leonidas, staring at me.

I nodded my head to answer his first question.

My mind was in a whirl. I couldn't process what was happening.

The last thing I remembered was being in my cell, waiting for Alpha Gunner to release me.

Then a strange woman came into my cell and took me away. That was all I could recall.

Alpha Leonidas held a tray in his hands. He set the tray down and sat opposite me. “You must be hungry. I made you breakfast. Eat your fill.”

“Where am I?” I asked, my tone weak.

“You're with me,” he replied. “Eat first.”

I passed my tongue over my dry lips as I panicked. “Alpha Gunner… He's going to be so mad… I—”

“Eat,” Alpha Leonidas repeated, his voice at the edge.

With the remaining energy left in me, I sat up and swung my legs over the corner of the bed.

I couldn't find the strength to lift my hand. I haven't eaten in three days. It was a struggle to eat anything now.

Alpha Leonidas picked up a glassful of water and brought it up to my mouth.

“It's warm water. Open up,” he stated.

I obeyed and drank the first five sips.

To my surprise, he took a fork and knife and began cutting through the stake on the plate.

“I'll feed you until the tray is empty,” he added, bringing the meat up to my lips. “Make sure you finish every single piece of food.”

I cleared two plates of stakes. I never knew I had such an enormous appetite until today.

Perhaps it's because I've never fed well.

By the time I ate and rested, I had recovered seventy percent of my vitality and energy.

The stiffness in my limbs had loosened up. I could now walk around and move my arms.

Good.

I made my way to join Alpha Leonidas on the deck. He had left me twenty minutes ago after he asked me to rest.

I saw him steering the boat. He turned when he heard me approaching. “You should rest, Kylie.”

“I think I've had enough rest already,” I replied, unable to meet his eyes.

Out of habit, I refused to look him in the eye. I rubbed my elbow with my hand, fidgeting with my legs.

He strode over to me and held up my face. “Look me in the eye when talking to me. I'm not Gunner.”

I swallowed as I gazed up. His eyes were coffee black and deep, like an endless abyss.

“Why did you break me out of my cell?” I asked, my voice was quiet.

Alpha Leonidas cocked his head. “There's no way I'd let my mate stay locked up in a cell, especially when I'm around.”

He has such a powerful aura. His wolf's scent filled my nostrils, drawing my wolf to his.

“But I'm a servant,” I said helplessly. “I'm Alpha Gunner's slave. He's crazy about me. You have no idea what he is like. He will kill me when he finds me.”

“If he finds you,” Alpha Leonidas pointed out, his tone hard. “I'm not letting him lay a finger on you anymore. From here on out, you're mine.”

I stared at him, unable to believe my ears. Was this the freedom I seek all these while?

Looking back on those six months of suffering in the hands of Alpha Gunner, Leonidas' presence was a breath of fresh air.

So this is what freedom feels like?

“Where are you taking me?” I asked, looking around the sea water.

“I have a villa in Liberty City,” Leonidas said as he returned to steering the ship. “We'll be there in thirty minutes. You can relax now, Kylie. You're free.”

Liberty City was a large metropolitan city built by humans, a three hour sea trip from the Republic.

My mouth opened as realization set in. We were going to live among humans?