Chapter 3

Crystal's POV

I pressed myself into the night, moving quietly behind crates and low walls, every step I took was guided by my wolf.

My senses were sharp. I could feel even the smallest movement, and every sniff of the air I took told me who was nearby.

The desert wind blew against me, carrying the scent of sand, dry plants, and distant life. My wolf stirred, excited by the space, the freedom and the danger.

I ran.

Fast, but careful. Every step guided by instincts I had ignored for so long. Rocks cut into my skin, sand burned my legs, but I didn’t stop.

The bond twisted painfully in my chest. Bryan with Chloe.

My mate.

The one who was supposed to protect me, was the one hurting me the most.

My wolf howled inside me, full of anger and pain. I forced it down, turning it into strength. The desert felt alive. I could sense prey, predators, danger everywhere and something else. The power inside me grew stronger with every step, guiding me away from danger, helping me survive.

I found a small canyon, its high walls hiding me from the moonlight. I dropped to the ground, my body aching, covered in bruises and blood. But I was alive.

Exhaustion pulled at me like a heavy weight. Sleep came quickly, almost without me noticing. And with it, memories began to surface, soft at first, like a dream.

I was ten.

The pack house smelled of firewood and warm bread, laughter echoing through the halls. My parents, the alpha and Luna, were gentle and strong, their presence wrapping me in safety.

I remembered being held in my father’s arms, his voice calm as he told me stories, my mother’s laughter so bright and comforting. I had never felt more loved, more certain that the world was a place where I belonged.

We played in the fields together, my parents watching as I ran across the grass, my wolf still small but already stirring. They had praised me for courage, for cleverness, for heart. I was happy. I felt safe.

And then it changed.

I could still remember the day vividly. The Alpha and Luna went for a hunt with other ranking officials to mark the day the pack was founded. Then the tragedy occurred, My father was killed during the hunt, leaving the pack vulnerable. My Mother, Luna, of the pack was nowhere to be found.

Fear rippled through the ranks, and whispers of weakness spread like wildfire. My father’s beta, Matthew Johnson stepped forward. At first, his presence seemed a relief.

But soon, his patience ran thin, his eyes cold and calculating. When he declared himself alpha, everything shifted.

The warmth vanished. The laughter disappeared. Praise was replaced with sharp words, cruel remarks, and harsh discipline. I was no longer the cherished daughter of the alphas. I was a target, a tool, an omega to be controlled.

I remembered the sting of his first punishments, how my wolf trembled in fear whenever his shadow fell across me. I had tried to please him, to earn a fraction of the love I had once known, but nothing was enough. The pack’s eyes were now critical, mocking, always watching.

The fear and confusion of that time became my earliest lesson in survival. My parents’ absence, Matthew’s cruelty, the whispers of wolves who had once been my friends.

All of it planted the first seeds of anger, resilience, and the defiance that now burned inside me. Even in sleep, my wolf shifted restlessly beneath my skin, as if remembering the fear, the betrayal, and the strength that had begun to grow from it.

The moonlight filtered into the canyon, pale and cold, but I clung to that memory not the pain, but the love I had once known.

Waking up, the desert was quiet, my wolf growled softly. I wasn’t alone. Then I felt it. Bryan had noticed I was gone.

The pack was searching. Their voices echoed through the night, calling my name, angry, sharp, hunting.

I hid behind a large rock, my heart racing. They were close. Too close.

The sand shifted. Then I saw them. Alpha Matthew and Bryan. Standing at the top of a dune, lit by the moon.

My wolf growled in fear and anger. I was surrounded.

Bryan’s voice echoed across the desert. “You can run, Crystal, but you can’t hide! Come back now, or it will be worse for you!”

Matthew’s voice followed, cold and cruel. “The desert will teach you your place, little omega. There is no escape.”

My legs trembled, weak from pain, but my wolf pushed me forward. I looked around desperately, there had to be a way out.

Anything. Then I saw it. A cliff. High, steep and deadly. There was nowhere else to go. No path. No hiding place. No escape.

Bryan’s voice came again, louder this time. “Come back, Crystal! Or you’ll regret it!” Matthew’s voice cut through the air. “You won’t survive out there.”

I stepped closer to the edge, my heart pounding wildly. Fear filled me, but so did something else; Freedom.

There was only one choice left. I jumped. The air rushed past me, the world spinning into darkness. Then; Impact.

Pain exploded through my body as I hit the rocks below. Everything went black. Darkness closed in slowly, like water filling a space.

My last thoughts were a mix of fear and relief. I had escaped. Even if only for a moment. And deep inside me, my wolf growled; Defiant. Then everything faded away.