Chapter 7: The Escape~

The Lycan Enforcer ~

~ANNABETH'S POV~

She walked towards me, her heels clicking against the floor like a countdown. She didn't just look at me, she analyzed me, her gaze lingering on the clothes on my body with a sneer of disgust and annoyance written all over her perfectly carved face.

"A Small. Fragile. Human," she mused, reaching out a long, manicured finger to tilt my chin up. "Kael usually has better taste in his... amusements. He could've done better this time."

I jerked my head away. "Who are you?"

"Who am I?.... Hmm Bold question to ask, coming from a peasant weak little human like yourself. Tell me, Under what pack were you in servitude? And did they not educate you on our ways and culture and who the leaders are around here?" she asked with authority.

I stared blankly at her, trying not to show any of the fear that was crampling my whole body due to powerful dangerous aura radiating from her presence.

"Speak, human!"

Before I could respond, the front door burst open with full force. The Enforcer waltzed in with grace, his presence immediately sucking the air out of the room. He took one look at the gorgeous woman standing over me and his expression turned to ice.

"Princess Armea. Forgive me but.... I don't remember inviting you into the private quarters of my humble home today."

Princess? Like the King's daughter? The King of Lycans and Werewolves alike. The King of Monsters? This is his daughter?

Oh no. As if my life couldn't get worse, now I'm entangled with royalty. I guess my death would come quicker than I expected.

Armea laughed, a light, tinkling sound. "I wanted to see you Kael and... surprise you. But I heard from one of your guards here about your journey yesterday and I got curious about your little new acquisition." She turned briefly to me before focusing back on the Enforcer.

"Kael, She’s a bit... unrefined, don't you think, couldn't you have found a better thing to play with?" She said and gave me another disgusted look.

Kael walked over, his heavy hand settling on my shoulder. The weight of it was both a threat and a shield. He didn't look at me, he looked directly at Princess Armea.

"She’s just a pet, Armea. A human charity case I decided to take with me from the valley of Red moon pack," he said smoothly, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Her scent amused me, so I brought her along. Nothing more."

The word 'pet' stung more than the bruises I had all over my body. I looked at the floor, my fingers tightening around the silver knife I had hidden in my pocket.

"Just a pet?" Armea asked, her eyes flicking to the clothes on my body. "Wearing your clothes." She let out a small chuckle. "Well, be careful, Kael. Sometimes pets need to be put down when they become a nuisance. This little PET of yours had no idea who I was. Isn't she atleast educated?"

"My apologies for that, she hasn't set foot in any other place or a pack apart from the one she was raised in. She's not properly informed about the hierarchy of our world nor properly understand it yet."

"Okay. I'll forgive that. Just this once. For you." She smiled at him and touched his chest slightly in a flirty way which made me look away from them. She gave me one last look before she turned and sauntered outside the kitchen, and out towards the front door. The Enforcer lingered for a second, his grip on my shoulder tightening.

"Stay here," he whispered harshly. "Don't move from this kitchen until I come for you. I'll send someone to watch over you in a minute." He said and quickly followed her.

My throat was heavy, I couldn't take any more of this. I looked at the back door, a heavy glass slider that led to the patio. Beyond it was the dense, darkened snow forest.

I didn't think. I couldn't afford to. I pulled the silver knife from my pocket, Pulled the cardigan closer to my body and gripped the handle of the back door, and eased the glass door open. The cool mountain air hit my face, smelling of fresh leaves and my freedom.

I slipped out, staying low to the ground. I ran across the stone patio and plunged into the shadows of the trees. The forest was thick, the ground covered in snow that muffled my footsteps. I didn't have a map and I didn't have shoes on. All I thought about was getting as far away from here as possible and the weight of the knife in my hand.

I ran and ran and ran until my lungs burned, the oversized t-shirt snagging on briars. I could hear the distant sounds of the house fading away. I was doing it. I was escaping this nightmare.

I stopped by a massive oak tree to catch my breath, my heart beating rapidly. I looked back, expecting to see The Enforcer's glowing blue eyes in the dark.or any of his guards, But there was nothing but shadows.

Then, suddenly the wind shifted.

A low, guttural growl vibrated through the air, coming from the bushes directly in front of me. Two glowing dark grey eyes, snapped open in the darkness and my heart skipped a beat.

"Human.." a voice snarled from the throat of a massive Gray furred wolf stepping into the light. "Hmm.. isn't this a delightful snack."

I backed away from it, my hands trembling as I flicked open the silver knife. Werewolves when in wolf form was when they're the most dangerous and primitive. They thought based on their animal instincts and not logically.

The wolf lunged, a blur of gray fur and teeth, I didn't think twice before bolting off, and I realized as I ran for my dear life that I just escaped a predatory monster just to die in the hands of another monster.

I would be torn apart by this beast of a monster, all alone in this cursed snow forest. And no one would be able to save me.

~~~